The Year I Almost Drowned

Epilogue

Six months later





All eyes are on me. An anxious crowd of people stand before me, but I’m not nervous, instead I’m filled with confidence. A long red ribbon stretches in front of me: my dad is holding one end; my Nana, the other end. Both of them have the proudest expressions I’ve ever seen.

I search the crowd. Almost the entire town of Graceville is here to support me. Jesse, Meg, Hannah, Matt, Sidney, Lou and my mother are in the front, cheering me on. My mother came after all. It took half a year, but she has finally come around. We didn’t speak for months, but in time she realized that what she wanted for me wasn’t what I wanted for myself; that I had to live my own life. She grew to support me in my decisions because I was happy. I was finally doing what I really wanted.

I was such a different person a year and a half ago. The old Finn would’ve never had the guts to open a business. I would have kept living for my mom, doing the things she wanted me to do. I would have passed through life without experiencing anything. If I had never gone to Graceville, I would’ve never known the joy of family who shared the same spirit as me, or discovered what it means to have true friends, or found out what it means to love and to be loved.

“Speech!” several of them shout in unison.

My face doesn’t turn red like it usually does in an instance like this. Instead, my alabaster skin remains unfazed by the adventure I am about to embark on. I am ready. I could’ve drowned this year, but I didn’t. I stayed afloat and learned what it meant to survive, to take a leap of faith.

I start talking, freely and with ease. “Thank you for coming today. I am humbled by your support and hope you will love Charlie’s Cafe and Bakery as much as I do. If my grandfather were here right now, he’d say, ‘Quit yapping, Finn, so we can eat.’ So to honor Charlie Hemmings, I will shut my mouth so that you can all eat.” I place the blades of the scissors around the ribbon and cut it into two pieces. A round of applause erupts.

I push the front door and hold it open and watch as everyone eagerly fills my restaurant. It is mine. All mine. I have done it. And at the young age of twenty. I have managed to make my dream come true.

Jesse waits until the last person trickles in. He lifts me off of the ground and kisses me. “You did it, Finn!” He grins broadly.

I beam. “I did, didn’t I?” I say with pride. I take his hand and walk inside my restaurant, ready to begin the next chapter in my life.





Acknowledgements

Chris, thank you for your advice, support, and feedback. I love you!

Mom, thank you for being so enthusiastic about my books. You should get a commission for as much “pimping” as you’ve done.

Audrey Perrott, my dear friend, thank you so much for editing this book. “You is kind. You is smart. You is important.” I appreciate you.

Laurin Baker, you are the world’s best beta reader! Thank you for reading this book and editing it in the process, too. You offered honest, constructive criticism that helped make this story better.

Leighton Frazier, a.k.a. Heat, thank you so much for spending countless hours of your time telling me all about firefighting school. You are awesome!

Charles Jerry Weisner, thank you for talking with me about your experience as a firefighter. You are my hero.

Brandon, Joy, and Adam (Nugget) McNeill, thank you for providing me with police infraction information and for telling me how much Finn’s ticket would cost.

Rodney Rogers, thank you for the information about Graceland. I now feel like I’ve been there, and I know that I never, ever want to go!

Hunter (Dancy Pants) Conley and Holly Horton, thanks for being my models for the book cover. You gave up most of your Saturday, and all you got out of it was a meal to Arbys. You guys were great to work with!

Kristin Jordan, you are a talented, fantastic photographer! Thank you for an incredible photo shoot.

Sarah Mandell (onceagainsam.com), you kept me on-track. Thanks for helping me write the blurb.

Teresa Roche, thank you for hosting my book signing events!

Victoria and Ashleigh Simmerson, my cousins, thank you for all your support and for making The Summer I Learned to Dive a part of your book club’s reading choice.

Annie Koelle, once again, your art inspired me while I wrote this book.

To the all of the members of the BA: you are such a supportive, awesome group of people. I’m thrilled to be a part of this group!

Authors J. Sterling and Michelle Warren, thank you for being so giving and for offering me advice.

To my friends and family: thank you so much for your support.

To the readers: thank you for encouraging me to write a sequel to The Summer I Learned to Dive



About The Author

Shannon McCrimmon was born and raised in Central Florida. She earned a Master’s Degree in Counseling from Rollins College. In 2008, she moved to the upstate of South Carolina. It was the move to the upstate that inspired her to write The Summer I Learned to Dive. Shannon lives in Greenville, South Carolina with her husband and toy poodle.