Tinkering Hearts

Epilogue

Sicre

One year and five months later

If ten years back I had time-traveled to the future somehow, I would not have believed anything I had seen. I would not have believed I'd be happy. Not have believed I'd be so fortunate. Not have believed I'd find solace in the least expected people from around me. Not have believed I'd be able to love someone so hard. 

But as all of us—my family, my friends, and the love of my love—smile for the big, collective wedding picture, I believe it all. I believe everything. And I also believe that we deserve it—a happy closure to it all. 

Sienna got married. Blake loves her so much. I promised myself at home I wouldn't cry. But when your first best friend, the one who held you by her fingertips during your hardships, is hitting such a huge milestone in her life, everything feels surreal. It feels different. Your heart cries tears of joy. And your eyes—

"Aww, my baby brother is crying!" Sienna sing-songs and gives me a tight hug. 

"You must be happy. No matter what. You deserve it, Sia." I whisper in her ears. 

"I know. And I will be." She pulls back. "Blake is a gentleman. He's just...perfect."

I squeeze her hands before Blake pulls Sienna away for a dance. I flinch when Amer, Zeke, Kody, and Reece come up from behind.

"Coast seems clear. I sent her upstairs to get my extra pair of glasses," Reece whispers. "Which are..." he takes out those glasses from inside his coat, "right here. We've got about approximately eight minutes till she comes down stomping." He gives me a smug smile.

"It's time, bro," Amer nods, and everyone else in unison too. I look at my friends. All charismatic. All successful. All by my side. All in on The Plan. 

I smile and follow them out onto the balcony that we locked the doors of earlier so no one would enter, especially Zee. Everyone proceeds to do what they were assigned. Reece wraps fairy lights and flower garlands around the balcony railings. Amer lights up the candles. Kody lines up rose petals from the stairway leading them to the balcony. Zeke helps me run my lines for the last time. Sienna walks into the balcony wow-ing at the preparation. 

"Oh, Sienna." I pull her into a hug. "Are you sure I could do this? It's supposed to be your spotlight moment today."

"Nahhhh. I wouldn't want anything more than to have more memorable moments with my baby brother and my best friend on my special day!"

"I love you, Sienna slash Sia."

"Love you more." She lets me go and runs to Blake lifting her white gown, both of them now getting the poppers ready. 

As soon as she leaves, eomma and appa walk up to me. "So this is it, huh? Both of you have found non-Koreans," eomma says pointedly. 

"Eomma, don't."

"Your mom's kidding, Sicre," appa chimes in.

"Thank goodness," I say sarcastically.

"I'm really kidding," eomma says. "Jagiya... you should know, we're proud of you. You've done well in life."