Page 23 of Gangster Daddy's Girl

“You two would have found your way through on your own. You’re both smart and dedicated. Honestly, you’re inspiring.”

Izzy and I blush and hug each other again, jumping up and down. Tyson just laughs.

“Yeah, we are pretty amazing, aren’t we?” I ask.

“Yeah. We really are,” Izzy agrees.

It’s hard to even describe how much life has changed these last few years. Tyson, true to his word, walked away from his old life. He handed it off to Marco and went legit. He started training with his old friend Salvatore and learned how to be a chef, pursuing a lifelong dream of his. One I thought was utterly adorable. It was clear early on that Tyson has talent. I can honestly say I’ve never eaten better in my entire life. Better than all that, he’s happy. After he left his old life behind, I saw actual joy in his face for the first time. It’s a beautiful thing.

We also moved in together. Or rather, I moved into his place. He’s got a huge, beautiful house with a view of the ocean that takes my breath away every single morning. I usually wake up and pinch myself just to make sure it’s all real. And Izzy is there so often, she practically lives there too. Tyson had a room made up just for her. Those two have become thick as thieves, which is crazy when I think about how all this started.

He’s been working with Salvatore but has recently been talking about opening his own place. He loves working with the older man, but he’s longing to stretch out creatively and have control of his own menu. More than anything, he wants to make his own mark. He wants to chart his own course. Tyson feels like he has a lot of lost time to make up for and wants to do it all.I keep cautioning him to learn to walk before he runs, but his enthusiasm is infectious.

His enthusiasm is infectious, and he even has me thinking about new challenges. I thought my path and my purpose were to become an RN, but my life has grown and expanded so much over the past couple of years that my thinking has, too. My goals are changing, evolving, and I kind of feel like maybe I should change and evolve with them.

Tyson looks at me with a smile on his lips. “This isn’t the end of the line for you, is it?”

Izzy and I share a look and a laugh. “I’m not sure. But we’ve been talking about going on to med school. We’ve already taken the MCATs and … I don’t know. It’s just a crazy thought that’s been bouncing around in my head.”

“I say you go for it,” he says. “Both of you.”

“Yeah?”

He nods. “Why not? Chase your dreams,” he says. “You’re the one who showed me just how important and how rewarding it can be.”

“You don’t think I’m nuts?”

“I think you’re passionate, and I admire the hell out of it.”

“I love you so much.”

“And I love you just as much,” he replies. “But since life is about to get crazy for us, I think there’s something we need to talk about first.”

I cock my head and feel a cold knot form in my belly. For so long, I’ve lived in this state of bliss, but there’s always been some part of me waiting for the other shoe to drop.

“What is it?” I ask.

Tyson drops to a knee, and Izzy gasps, covering her mouth with her hands. For a moment, I stand there with my brain misfiring, looking at him in confusion. Tyson pulls a small black box from his pocket and opens it. The sun glimmers off the diamond ring inside, breaking my paralysis, and I clap my hands over my mouth.

“Tabitha Wallace, will you marry me?”

I stand there stupidly, not moving, not speaking. I don’t even know if I’m breathing, not until Izzy nudges me with her elbow. “Answer him, dummy!”

I beam at Tyson. “Yes. Yes, of course, I’ll marry you!”

Tyson gets to his feet, and I throw my arms around his neck and kiss him. I never thought I could ever feel as happy as I am right now. I didn’t know this kind of happiness even existed. It seems like a fairy tale. A dream. And if it is a dream, it’s one I hope I never wake up from.

EXTENDED EPILOGUE

TYSON

Five Years Later

“Ithink I may actually die before my residency is up,” she says.

“At least you’ll die happy,” I reply. “I mean, you are still happy, right?”

“Beyond happy.”

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