Till There Was You: The Epilogue
A holiday gift from me to you!
Hi friends,
I need to confess something: I was a bit of a romance novice when I wrote Till There Was You. TTWY was my first attempt at penning a novel, and while I definitely wanted to write a love story, I hadn’t (yet) read a ton of books in the genre. In fact, I wasn’t even sure if the book would be marketed as a romance or women’s fiction until I signed with my agent and we went on submission. Needless to say, I wasn’t nearly as familiar with the expectations of the genre’s readership as I am now, and so when the book came out and I was consistently asked “where is the epilogue?” I was a bit perplexed.
But by the time I finished writing my second book, Never Planned on You, I knew that Jake and Lexi’s story needed a more conclusive ending—especially since their relationship is in a slightly different place in this book than it was when we last left them. I decided to bridge this gap by writing a bonus epilogue for readers who wanted to know what happened next for Jake and Lexi.
If you haven’t yet read Till There Was You, I strongly recommend reading that first, or this excerpt won’t make much sense! You can grab a copy in print, digital, and audible.
So now, without further ado, please enjoy this bonus epilogue!
Epilogue
-Four Months Later-
I’ve always loved spring, that magical time of year when the world reawakens and everything old seems new again. Today was that long-awaited, perfect New York day, the one the city anticipates all winter long. The day when everyone emerges from their self-imposed hibernation, spilling onto the streets and parks, and turning their faces toward the sky as if they are feeling the sun on their skin for the very first time. A day that just gets better and better as the hours pass by, as people slowly peel off layers and soak in every possible moment outside, because spending even a single hour indoors feels criminal.
Spring is a time of rebirth, of new beginnings. So it only seems fitting that on this day, I’m experiencing a new beginning of my own. It’s the first time in years that my dad has come back to New York for a visit. In fact, this whole weekend has turned into a full-fledged family affair: my Dad brought along Fran, and Jake’s parents are here too. I’ve decided to close out the weekend with a spring dinner party in our Brooklyn apartment, and the weather has risen to the occasion.
Currently, everyone is gathered in the tiny outdoor space of our Carroll Gardens apartment. When I step through the back doorway, carefully balancing a charcuterie board, my dad and Mr. Taylor are engaged in a riveting conversation about the merits of tankless water heaters. The universal language of Dads.
Jake’s eyes meet mine and a familiar jolt of electricity passes through me. He leaps up from the bench and heads toward me to take the platter out of my hand. Carefully, he sets it down on the wooden table, where Fran and his mother are sipping on Mrs. Taylor’s homemade sweet tea. Mrs. Taylor’s eyes light up as she takes in the brightly colored array of meats, cheeses, and fruits.
“Why do I suspect this will be the best charcuterie I’ll ever eat?” she asks.
“Well, it is a sample from our new Taste of Spring charcuterie box,” I say. “But I will happily take the compliment from a woman who’s put together some pretty enviable boards herself.” My brain flashes back to the first time I met her last year, when Jake brought me home to Georgia to meet his family. She felt like family even then, and we’ve only grown closer in the months since.
Fran grins as she loads up her plate with meat, cheese, and fruit. “My friends are huge fans of your boxes,” she adds. “One of them volunteers in a hospital and has been buying them as gifts for patients. Have you ever considered doing pop-up shops? You could do really well in a space like that, where people want to give loved ones more than just the usual stuffed animals and flowers.”
“One step at a time,” I say with a laugh. “I’m definitely not ruling it out, but at the moment, I’m just trying to keep up with our current orders.” It’s been less than a year since I launched A La Heart from my kitchen table, and in that time we’ve already gotten so many orders that my partner Mia and I have had to rent out a production space in Red Hook. It’s been exhausting and overwhelming at times, but it feels incredible to be my own boss and to know that I’m making food that nourishes those who need it most. I’m so incredibly grateful for all of it.
“The force is strong with this one,” Jake says, sliding a warm hand to my lower back. I turn up to gaze at him and grin. “You’re one to talk, Broadway’s Golden Boy.” One corner of his mouth rises, showcasing his irresistible dimple. Jake took a bit of a career detour last year, when he postponed the international leg of his tour to do a six-week Broadway stint as Marius in Les Miserables. He took his final bow a month ago (to rave reviews, I might add!) and has been relaxing before his tour picks back up in May.
Jake settles onto a stone bench and picks up the guitar he’s propped alongside it. He’s acquired a small guitar collection since breaking out, but this one is his O.G., the same one he was playing when we first met two years ago at a dive bar. It’s the one he used to write “Blueberry.”
He starts to strum absentmindedly on the strings. Mrs. Taylor leans forward, instinctively drawn to her son’s music.
“Play us something, sweetheart?” she requests.
Jake nods as he begins to strum out a familiar tune. It’s vaguely familiar, and I’ve just about placed it when he affects a Kermit the Frog voice.
“Why are there so many songs about rainbows? And what’s on the other side?”
I giggle and toss a crumpled up napkin at him. He shoots me a devastating, dimpled grin and my insides tingle. No matter how my time passes, Jake Taylor never fails to elicit butterflies.
“Okay,” he concedes. “It seems our audience is not impressed by the Rainbow Connection. Let’s see if we can find more of a crowd pleaser. How about a fan favorite?” The melody changes as the opening notes of “Till There Was You,” lilt through the air, followed by Jake’s honey-coated voice.
“There were bells on a hill, but I never heard them ringing. No I never heard them at all, till there was you…”
“I always liked this song,” Jake’s father says. Coming from him, this is practically effusive. He’s been coming around to Jake’s musical career, slowly but surely. Neither Jake nor I have forgotten that he was sitting in the front row on Jake’s opening night of Les Mis.
“A classic,” my father adds. “And now you’ve introduced it to a whole new generation.” He’s not wrong; after his impromptu performance, Jake released a single of the cover. It was his most successful song since “Blueberry.”
Jake grins. “I have publicly sung my affection for Lexi a few times now. And admittedly, it has boded well for me. But I think there’s something to be said for moments that are more private, you know? Some memories should be just for us.”
The chords are changing again, the melody faintly familiar but not instantly recognizable. Still, something has shifted. There’s a sense of anticipation in the air and goosebumps rise on my arms.
“Lexi, I don’t know where I would be without you today,” Jake says softly as he strums. “When we first met, we were both dreamers, striving to make our life goals a reality. Now that we’ve found our way back to each other, I have the pleasure of living out my dream alongside yours. And there’s no one I’d rather navigate the ups and downs of it all with than you. You make me a better man, a stronger man. And I can’t think of anything I’d like more than chasing our dreams together…for as long as we both shall live.”
Now I recognize this song. It’s the opening to “Marry Me” by Train. My chest goes tight as my heart hiccups against my rib cage. This can’t be happening…can it?
“Jake…” I start to say, but then trail off, unable to find the rest of the words.
Jake’s chocolate-brown eyes are melting into mine, and I hear his mother sniffle behind me.
“I know you think that ‘Blueberry’ is your song,” he continues. “But the truth is, every song, every note…it’s all for you. And so, I’d like to ask you a question. Would you do me the honor of being my wife and letting me sing to you forever?”
My vision has turned blurry with tears. I rush over to him, throwing my arms around his neck. Jake sets his guitar to the side and wraps an arm around my waist. Being in his arms feels like it always does. Like home.
“Of course,” I whisper. “Of course I’ll marry you, Jake.”
Jake’s thumb skates over my cheek, brushing away a tear. Then he pulls me forward, pressing his lips to mine. There’s so much infused in his kiss: promises of a lifetime together, of milestones and memories, and a future that can be anything we want, as long as we build it together.
“I love you, Jake,” I whisper when I finally pull away.
Jake presses his forehead to mine. “Lexi, I love you more than anything on this earth.”
I grin. “Even my blueberry pancakes?”
Jake purses his lips and pretends to consider it. “It’s a close call,” he admits. “But I’d still choose you every time.”
“I choose you too,” I say. “But can I just make one request? Promise me our marriage won’t be televised.”
Jake chuckles softly. “You got it, Dorothy.”
Thank you so much for supporting my books! My second novel, Never Planned on You, releases on 2/18/25 and is now available for preorder! You can grab a personalized, autographed copy from my local indies, Midtown Scholar or Cupboard Maker Books!
brb I need to go re read til there was you now. I love this so much.