Page 77 of Since the Day We Kissed

Ethan shifted to make space, his arm extending to bring Whitaker into the circle. Then he swept a stray lock of hair from Kara’s face as their eyes met over their daughter’s head. “We’ll figure this out. Together.”

Kara looked into his eyes, a glimmer of hope shining through her tears. “You promise?”

Ethan tightened his hold on his family, drawing them closer as he looked at each of them in turn. “I promise.”

Epilogue

One Year Later

Karabeamedasshewatched Ethan balance on the stepladder, carefully hanging the large banner while their daughter, Charlotte, stood below, arms outstretched, ready to steady the ladder if needed.

“A little to the left, Dad,” Charlotte directed. “No, wait—now it’s perfect!”

Ethan gave the banner a final adjustment. “How’s that, ladies?”

Kara’s heart swelled with joy as she looked from the sign to her family, then to the small crowd already gathering outside. Everything was falling into place beautifully.

“It looks amazing,” Kara said. “You two make quite the team.”

Ethan descended the ladder, a grin spreading across his face. “Well, that’s the last of it. We’re all set for the grand opening.”

The bold letters stood out against the bright blue backdrop:WELCOME TO THE PETS FOR VETS CENTER!

Kara admired how the sunlight caught the edges of each letter; they appeared to glow.

“I think it’s absolutely perfect,” Charlotte said, hugging her dad before reaching out to pull Kara into the embrace. “This is gonna be the best day ever!”

Kara laughed, squeezing her daughter and Ethan, her eyes drifting over to the entrance where the welcome booth stood, festively adorned in seafoam green and sandy beige.

“Speaking of perfect,” Kara said, nodding toward the booth, “looks like Dad and Hero are all set too.”

Ethan chuckled. “Let’s head over and see how they’re doing.”

Together, they made their way to the booth, where her dad had already settled in, scratching Hero’s ears as the freshly groomed dog sat proudly with his new bandana, patterned with tiny anchors and waves.

“You’re a good boy, aren’t you?” Whitaker murmured, reaching into his pocket for a treat.

Ethan leaned against the booth. “How many has he had of those?”

Whitaker’s eyes twinkled. “Oh, just a couple.”

“Dozen,” Charlotte interjected. “A couple dozen, he meant.”

“Are you really surprised?” Kara said, eyeing the bag of treats peeking out of her father’s pocket. She slid her arm around Ethan’s waist. “My dad spoils that dog rotten.”

Ethan chuckled, shaking his head. “You’re right—not surprised.”

“Well, if he wasn’t such a good boy, then I wouldn’t,” Whitaker said with a smile as he reached down to rub Hero’s head.

The sound of car doors slamming and excited voices drifted through the air, pulling Kara out of the moment. She straightened up, smoothing down her shirt with a quick swipe of her hands. “Looks like our first guests are here,” she said, glancing at Ethan and Charlotte. “Ready to dive in, everyone?”

Charlotte’s eyes brightened. “Sure am, but wait, before the crowd gets too big—should we take a quick picture?”

Ethan nodded, scanning the yard. “Yeah, good idea. Where’s that photographer we hired?”

“Were you looking for me?” a voice called out from behind. A man holding a muffin in one hand and a Polaroid camera in the other strolled onto the porch, a sheepish grin on his face. “Sorry, couldn’t resist checking out the spread you’ve got in there.” He took a bite of the muffin. “Lemon blueberry—excellent choice, by the way.”

Kara laughed. “Help yourself to whatever you’d like. Ada dropped them off last night; she’ll be happy to know you love them. But real quick, do you mind snapping a quick photo of us?”

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