Chapter 142
The next morning, I called Joan and asked her to come to Dad’s house. I tried to keep my voice casual, but I could barely contain my excitement about the surprise we had planned.
“Just come over,” I said. “I have something I want to show you.”
“Diane, you’re being very mysterious,” Joan said, and I could hear the curiosity in her voice. “What are you up to?”
“You’ll see,” I said, grinning even though she couldn’t see me. “Just trust me.”
When Joan arrived, she was dressed in jeans and a casual blouse, her hair pulled back in a ponytail. She looked relaxed and happy, and I noticed she was glowing in a way that could only be attributed to her relationship with Henry.
“Alright,” she said as she walked into the foyer, “what’s this big surprise you have for me?”
I brought out a silk scarf from behind my back. “I need you to let me blindfold you.”
Joan’s eyes widened. “Diane, what exactly do you have cooking in that sneaky pot of yours?”
I laughed, delighted by her expression. “Just trust me. Please turn around so I can blindfold you before you ruin the surprise.”
Joan shook her head but complied, turning around so I could tie the scarf gently over her eyes. “I can’t believe I’m letting you do this.”
“Noah!” I called, and he appeared from the kitchen, grinning as he took in the scene.
“Ready for the grand reveal?” he asked.
Together, we carefully guided Joan through the house and down to Dad’s underground garage. Her steps were tentative, and she kept asking questions that we refused to answer.
“Just a little further,” I said, my heart pounding with anticipation.
When we reached the garage, I positioned Joan directly in front of the surprise, then carefully removed the blindfold.
Joan’s gasp was audible across the entire garage.
Sitting before her was a brand-new BMW, pristine white with a huge red bow on the hood. But it was the placard beside it that made her hands fly to her mouth.
I watched as she approached the sign, her eyes scanning the words I’d written:
“To Joan Hand, the most selfless, loyal, and courageous friend a woman could ask for. You sheltered me when I had nowhere to go. You fought for me when the world seemed stacked against us. You never complained, never asked for anything in return, and never let me face my battles alone. During my pregnancy, you cared for me like a sister. During my divorce, you stood as my champion. During my darkest moments, you were my light. This is just a small token of my gratitude for everything you’ve done, everything you are, and everything you mean to me. Thank you for showing me what true friendship looks like. With all my love and appreciation, Diane.”
Joan’s hands were shaking as she read, and I could see tears starting to form in her eyes. By the time she finished reading, she was crying openly.
“Diane,” she whispered, “this is… I can’t… this is too much.”
She looked up at me, her face streaked with tears. “Diane, I never expected anything in return. I did it because I love you. Because you’re the sister I never had.”
Noah and I moved closer, drawing her into a tight embrace. “And that’s exactly why you deserve this,” Noah said, his voice warm with affection. “You deserve all of this and more.”
Joan was sobbing now, her body shaking with the force of her emotions. “Oh no, I can’t accept this,” she said between sobs. “It’s too much.”
“That’s exactly why you deserve it,” I said, pulling back to look into her eyes. “Because you never asked. Because you did it out of love, not obligation.”
Noah reached into his jacket and pulled out a leather portfolio. “There’s one more thing.”
Joan’s hands were trembling as she opened the folder. I watched her face as she processed what she was seeing—the legal documents, the official letterhead, the percentage numbers that would change her life forever.
“Twenty percent shares in Elite Group,” I said softly. “And I want you to consider becoming the Chief Operating Officer.”
Joan’s knees buckled, and both Noah and I reached out to steady her as she began to cry uncontrollably.
“This is too much,” she sobbed. “Diane, you’ve gone completely overboard. What have I done to deserve all this? I never asked to be repaid for anything. I did everything because I love you like a sister, because I have no one else, because you’re my family.”
Her words broke my heart and filled it simultaneously. I knelt down beside her, taking her hands in mine.
“Joan, listen to me,” I said, my own voice thick with emotion. “You gave me everything when I had nothing. You opened your home, your heart, your life to me when I was broken and lost. You fought battles for me that I didn’t even know needed fighting. You never wavered, never complained, never made me feel like I was imposing.”
“But it’s not just about the past,” I continued. “It’s about the future. I want you to be part of what we’re building. I want you to have security, to have a stake in something meaningful.
You’ve proven over and over that you’re not just a brilliant attorney—you’re a brilliant strategist, a natural leader, a person with integrity and vision.”
Joan was still crying, but now she was looking at me with an expression of wonder and disbelief.
“And,” I said, unable to keep the smile from my face, “I think we can both agree that your romantic life has taken a wonderful turn recently. Henry Reynolds seems quite smitten with you.”
At the mention of Henry’s name, Joan’s tears turned to laughter through her crying.
“Oh, Diane,” she said, wiping her eyes. “You and your father have brought so much light into my life. I never expected to find love again, especially not at my age, not after all the heartbreak and disappointment.”
She took a shaky breath, her voice filled with emotion. “Henry is… he’s wonderful. He sends me texts throughout the day, shows up at my office with flowers, takes me to dinner and actually listens when I talk about my cases. After years of dating men who saw me as threatening or intimidating, I finally found someone who appreciates my strength.
“You deserve all of that and more,” Noah said firmly. “You deserve someone who sees how amazing you are.”
Joan looked back and forth between us, her face cycling through emotions—gratitude, disbelief, joy, and something that looked like overwhelming love.
“I don’t know what to say,” she whispered. “I came here thinking you might want to go shopping or have lunch, and instead you’ve… you’ve changed my entire life.”
“Say you’ll accept,” I said, squeezing her hands. “Say you’ll be part of our family officially, not just in our hearts.”
Joan was quiet for a long moment, and I could see her trying to process everything. Finally, she looked up at us with a smile that was radiant despite her tears.
“I accept,” she said simply. “All of it. The car, the position, the shares, the chance to be part of something bigger than myself.”
“I love you Diane,” Joan whispered into my hair. “You’re the best thing that ever happened to me. You and those beautiful babies, and Noah, and this crazy, wonderful life we’ve built together.”
“I love you too,” I whispered back. “More than you’ll ever know.”
As we finally pulled apart, Joan looked at the car again, then at the documents in her hands, then at Noah and me. “I’m going to be the COO of Elite Group,” she said, as if testing the words.
“You’re going to be amazing,” Noah said with conviction. “Diane couldn’t have chosen anyone better.”
We stood there in the garage, holding each other and crying happy tears again.
“You’ve given me a family I never thought I’d have, a career beyond my wildest dreams, and a love story I thought only existed in movies.”
I looked at Joan—my best friend, my sister in every way that mattered, my partner in building something beautiful—and felt a profound sense of completion.
This was what it meant to build a life worth living. Not just accumulating wealth or achieving professional success, but creating a network of people who loved and supported each other unconditionally.
“Come on,” I said, wiping the last of my tears. “Let’s go upstairs and call Dad. He’s going to want to hear about his new COO.”
Joan wiped her eyes and took a deep breath. “Okay,” she said, her voice steadier now. “But I have one condition.”
“What’s that?” I asked.
“I get to take you both for a drive in my new car,” she said, a smile breaking through her tears. “Right now. Before I lose my nerve and decide this is all a dream.”