“All I’ve been trying to do, all night, is find you and get on my knees to beg you to forgive me,” Noelle said. “And then instead of being angry with me, you gave me the most beautiful gift, beyond anything I could imagine.”

“You were going to apologize?” Miriam whispered.

Noelle nodded. “First, for even thinking in any universe that you would stay here if you suspected this would happen. It was an awful thing to say, and I will be lucky if you ever forgive me for it.”

“Forgiven,” Miriam whispered. “I would have wondered the same thing, and we both said things we shouldn’t out of fear.” Noelle’s heart turned over.

“I’ve never felt for anybody what I feel for you,” she continued, “and when you said you were leaving, I felt more fear than I ever wanted to feel again. I know where it came from. I know we don’t always get to turn our trauma off. Once I calmed down, I knew that what you did in a panic wasn’t your choice, and I’m so sorry I freaked out. I lost everything I loved, twice. I thought I didn’t want to love anymore, but I was so wrong. I want you. I want to be your anchor, and I want to go on wild antiquing adventures with you. I want to fix your hot glue gun when it breaks, and make sure you eat while you’re in your workshop. I want to go to therapy with you so we can both untangle our messes. Do you want that? Will you still have me?” Her breath caught in her throat, her heart trying to beat its way out of her tux.

“Noelle, even when you were telling me it was over, you were still fighting for me. You still believed that my art could save Carrigan’s All Year, and that it was worth saving.” Miriam’s face beamed up at her, sparkling under the disco balls. “You threw me a lifeline and yelled at me until I grabbed on. How could I ever say no?”

The party started counting down. “Ten, nine, eight, seven—”

“I’m a superstitious girl,” Noelle whispered. “Don’t kiss me at midnight if you’re not planning on spending the rest of your year by my side.”

“Four, three, two, one! Happy New Year!”

Miriam yanked on Noelle’s lapels and brought their lips together. She wrapped both arms around Noelle’s neck and kissed her hard. Noelle picked her up, swinging her around and smiling against her lips before pulling back to rest her forehead against Miriam’s.

“Wait,” she said, as the chorus started up again, “is this our song, now? Is Cyndi Lauper our song?”

Miriam laughed. “I was lost, and you did find me.”

“I did nothing of the sort!” Noelle protested. “You walked into my kitchen and demanded that I caffeinate you!”