Page 113 of A Certain Step
EPILOGUE
ETHAN
One year and three months later
Ethan and Willa had talked about many,manythings when they were just friends, but engagements weren’t one of the discussed topics. He knew so much about her, but he was never quite sure what kind of a proposal she would’ve wanted. She’d once mentioned a small fall or winter wedding, so he kept that detail tucked in his vault of memories.
For the proposal, however, he had asked Sahar, hoping that the topic was something the women would have talked about. Sahar told him that Willa had never been specific about thehow,only that she hoped it was thoughtful.
Well, Ethan thought about it a lot, an agonizing amount, actually. This was Willa—his best friend and his favorite person, the love of his life.
It had to be perfect for her.
She adored the treehouse at his family’s cabin, but an unexpected summer storm had caused some damage. He’d discussed repairs with his dad, but with everyone’s chaotic schedules, it would take longer than he would’ve wanted it to.
Time wasn’t on his side, and he desperately wanted it to be.
Since their runs inMidnights at Pemberleyended, Willa and Ethan would be spending six weeks apart. She had to complete performances in a Broadway musical production calledFever Fever,and Ethan was scheduled to shoot a limited series in Alberta, Canada for four months, starting next week. While she and Tulip planned to join him after Willa took her last bow, he wanted—noneeded—to make this promise to her.
And so what if he was also a little selfish and wanted to start referring to her as his fiancée?”
He was standing in their now shared kitchen, staring at the island’s black marble tile, waiting for her to text him that she was on her way home from a Sunday matinee. Once she did that, he’d tell her to first open the envelope sitting on the coffee table and then meet him on the balcony, which he had spent the entire day after she left installing wood panels and new furniture with a construction crew. If he couldn’t take her to the treehouse, he’d imitate it as best he could.
As a birthday gift for Willa last year, Sahar had printed out and framed one of the Polaroid-filtered photographs she’d taken of Ethan and Willa during their time as Elizabeth and Darcy. It sat on the vanity in their bedroom. Remembering how Willa choked up when she saw it, Ethan thought of how she’d mentioned loving the fact that Sahar consistently did this because even though they weren’t “real Polaroid photographs,” they still had the effect.
Shortly after, he’d run the idea of proposing through Polaroids with Sahar, allowing her to help out by printing some of their favorite pictures. There were shots of Ethan and Willa together, along with other miscellaneous pictures they’d individually taken, so he could slowly ease Willa into his little plan.
For the past two weeks, he started by giving her one photo a day. Behind each of them, he’d written notes—I love you in this dress. Your smile makes me weak. Thinking about the things I did to you in this treehouse, I’d do them again.
Yesterday’s read,will,but Willa had been so tired she assumed his pen died before he could finish his sentence.
The photograph he’d used was one he’d taken of her during their first Christmas as a couple. It had been on that day when Ethan had asked her to move in with him.
The one this morning simply saidyou.It was a photo of her smiling up at him. She’d apparently thought the wordyoualone was hilarious because she guffawed, sauntered over to him, and said, “Okay, I have a serious question. Are you concerned that I might forget who I am at some point, so all these photos are evidence so I could remember? What on earth is happening here, Ethan?”
He’d said nothing, kissed her cheek, and walked away.
WILLA
Willa enjoyedher run inFever Fever,but she was ready for the next month to fly by. She knew that nothing could ever compare to the magic they’d all uncovered inMidnights at Pemberley,and even though the majority of her castmates were great, their principal star was a prissy nightmare to work with. A newer actor who thought he was God’s gift to humanity and maybe the worst scene partner she’d ever had.
She stepped through the front door of her and Ethan’s apartment and walked toward the coffee table, spotting the envelope he’d told her about. Another photograph, she assumed, smiling. Frankly, whatever little game he was playing was adorable.
“Ethan?” she called out.
No answer.
She set her backpack down on the sofa and headed toward the balcony, envelope in hand.
“Oh my, God!” The regular panels had all been replaced with wooden ones, with a matching new table, a new couch, and throw pillows that looked like the ones from his family’s treehouse.
Willa felt Ethan’s arm curl around her waist. She drew her fingers to hold his, turning to face him. “This is gorgeous, babe.”
He bobbed his head toward the envelope in her hands. “Open it.”
Someone’s impatient, she thought to herself. But she obliged with a kiss on his cheekbone and opened the envelope. Willa pulled out the photograph of them from when he took her to Caro Amico last year. And then, she flipped it over, every detail from the past two days and week dawning on her.
Marry me.
