“I came here hoping to find love, and I was not disappointed. For those of you watching at home, I’m here to say: the For Keeps journey works.” I take a deep breath. “Maybe it works a little too well.”
I find Natalie standing off to the side of the main camera. She gives me a barely perceptible nod.
“I came here to find love with a special man, but I found not one but four very special men, my final four. Sadly, I had to send two of those men home the other night, but I quickly realized that I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to them. In fact, I’ve asked them to return tonight.”
There are several gasps and murmurs from the audience as Caleb and Xavier come forward, each of them in dark suits as well. As they take their place next to James and Samuel, crewmembers gesture for silence from the crowd.
“The truth is, I’ve fallen in love with four men, and while I know it’s not conventional or expected, I think we have something together that’s worth fighting for, and worth breaking rules for. As a wise man once told me …” I look to James, who’s smiling. “Don’t limit life’s possibilities.”
I pause, both out of habit, and to gather more strength with a deep inhale. They’re here for me – all four of them – but are they really ready to commit?
Thanks to Natalie and her assistants, there are four ring cases on the table beside me now. I pluck the band from each case and hold them in my shaking hands. I look out at my men, each of them standing tall and looking back at me with love and pride in their eyes.
“Caleb, James, Samuel, and Xavier, will you commit to life’s journey with me? Will you be mine, for keeps?”
My four men come forward immediately and surround me. They kiss me and tell me that I’m amazing, and then, one by one, they accept the rings I have to offer. I slide a band onto each of their ring fingers, and then they have a surprise of their own.
“Olivia, I think we all fell for you on the very first day we met you,” Samuel says. “You are not only beautiful, but you have a radiant energy that’s drawn us all in.”
“It’s been wonderful getting to know more about you, and having the opportunity to spend time with you,” James says.
Caleb speaks next. “You’ve opened yourself up to us, shown us your soul, and we’ve all fallen in love with you.”
Xavier pulls a ring box from his pocket, and I can’t breathe. All four men drop to one knee and Xavier opens the box, revealing a large, sparkling diamond. “We’re in love with you, Olivia, and we want to spend the rest of our lives with you. Will you commit to life’s journey with all of us?”
My head is nodding before I even realize it. “Yes, yes! Absolutely, yes! I love you too!”
Xavier slides the ring on my finger and as soon as he stands, I throw my arms around him. I pull James and Samuel into the hug too, and Caleb wraps his arms around me from behind.
I become aware of the audience cheering, and then there are tears falling on my cheeks. It’s as if I’m watching it all from a distance, but I’m somehow also very much in the moment.
My men are surrounding me, their handsome faces are smiling down at me, and their hands and arms are connecting us all together.
We stay linked together like that as Blake Barrows says a few final words to viewers, raising his voice to be heard over all of the commotion.
The live broadcast ends, and then the next part of our journey begins.
Epilogue I
Six months after For Keeps
“Hello, romance lovers. You’re in for a very special evening as we check in with last season’s star. You may recall that Olivia Marshall had some trouble narrowing down her final four men, and in the end, she decided not to choose.
“Six months have passed since her final commitment ceremony. How is life going for Olivia and the four men she chose? Are they still together? We’re about to find out. Let’s welcome Olivia.”
Backstage, Natalie taps my back, giving me a little nudge toward the stage. I walk out alone and take a seat across from Blake, who welcomes me warmly before his tone turns solemn.
“Before we get started, I need to get something out of the way. As many viewers know, I’ve been going through some changes in my personal life. While none of that excuses any bad behavior on my part, I would like to take this opportunity to apologize to Olivia.”
He turns from the camera to face me. “Olivia, I’m sorry for the unfortunate behavior I exhibited toward you and others during your season. As you might imagine, it’s not easy going through a divorce while hosting a show about romance. I let things get to me, and I didn’t always act professionally, and for that, I’m sorry.”