Page 74 of Cinematic Destinies
“Because we turned out fabulous,” Georgia chimed in.
Everyone laughed and Betty continued, “We feel so grateful to have two such special people as our greatest role models, and to see the strength you two have together. You’ve shown us what it means to love. Thank you for the example you’ve set.”
Finn draped his arm around Ella, and they exchanged a tender glance before turning their attention back to their children.
“I got this,” Albert whispered to Betty with newfound confidence. He looked at his parents and said, “We’re so happy to be here celebrating your anniversary with you. We knew many others would also want to share their best wishes. Betty had the great idea of reaching out to your friends and asking them to make video messages. We edited them together as our gift to you.”
Ella beamed. “How incredibly sweet. I can’t wait to see this. Thank you.”
“What a wonderful gift. Thank you,” Finn added.
“Jean refused to be on camera,” Georgia said with an eye roll, “so he put together something even better, which is at the end of the video. We hope you love seeing it as much as we did. Happy anniversary.”
“Happy anniversary,” Betty and Albert said.
Albert ran to shut off the lights and turn on the video, and the kids all took their seats.
Finn and Ella smiled, laughed, and shed a few tears as they watched the videos sent by their friends scattered around the globe, espousing messages of the joy felt watching their love story, and their hope for many more chapters. The cast ofCelebrationcame last—Willow Barnes, sitting in her Broadway dressing room, Charlotte Reed in her London flat, and Michael Hennesey by his pool in the Hollywood Hills—each remarking on the extraordinary summer they all spent together that changed all their lives. And then suddenly images of Finn and Ella from thirty-one years ago were on the screen.
Ella gasped and her eyes instantly flooded.
“Oh my God,” Finn muttered.
“Jean said he always records behind-the-scenes footage on his shoots. He went through his archive forCelebrationand edited this together for you,” Georgia explained.
Ella smiled, tears cascading down her face. Finn held her close, rubbing her shoulder as they sat watching, surrounded by their children, all bathed in the glow of the screen. Near the end, the cast of the film took their final bow. “Oh, dear sweet Albie,” Ella whispered through her tears. “He’d be so happy to see us now.” Finn pecked her cheek, and they watched the final moment as Finn picked her up, spun her around, and they kissed as if no one werethere. Albert paused the video, with a frozen frame of the last image. Ella and Finn looked at each other with wet cheeks and smiling eyes.
“I’ve spent my life making films, but that,” Finn said, stopping to shake his head. “I don’t even have the words. I would never have expected Jean to be so sentimental, so romantic at heart. Age has been good to him.”
“And to us,” Ella murmured. “That was so beautiful.”
“You are so beautiful.” He wiped the tears on her face and whispered, “I love you with all my heart. I always have and I always will.”
“And I love you with all my heart.”
They kissed softly and rested their foreheads together, lost in a whirl of memories, hopes, and serenity in the moment.
Ella pulled back, looked around the room at their family, and then at the image on the screen of her and Finn gazing at each other with unbridled love, with the cast and crew ofCelebrationin the background. She turned back to Finn, stroked his cheek, and whispered, “Thank you for doing this with me.”
“Doing what, my love?”
“Life.”
EPILOGUE
May 2
Entertainment News Report
