The characters don't belong to us, neither does the song. It's Rachael Yamagata's own! But do give it a listen, she's phenomenal.

Epilogue

Five months later, Sasha found that all of her dreams were coming true. She received a clean bill of health from Hope and was allowed to resume voice lessons with Jamie, in order to give Barry his special surprise. Little did she know that Barry had a surprise in store for her, too.

The weather at the beachfront was perfect for a summer day in Maine. The wind was blowing a little, but this was the rule, not the exception. Sasha wore an electric blue sundress and gray jacket over it with her favorite silver sequined heels. She was ready to share one of the most special memories ever with Barry, and it was going to be unforgettable.

She and Jamie had pored over song selections for quite some time, finally settling on a new favorite Rachael Yamagata song called Stick Around. It was an invitation to new love, which Barry and Sasha had already passed, but the jazz tempo and upbeat lyrics made her feel the same kind of happiness she felt when she was with him.

Their friends and family had gathered at the beach jazz club and were excited to see what Sasha and Jamie had come up with for the afternoon. As Sasha walked up to the microphone and saw Barry in the front row, she gave him a sly smile.

"I've been waiting for this for such a long time," she explained into the microphone, "and today it happens. Barry, this is for you."

She began to sing.

Baby, you've caught my eye
I think I might need you to stay a while
For I haven't seen a smile quite as lovely as yours for a while
Stick around, I'll be good to you

Baby I think you know
When I get my arms around you, boy, I won't let go
When you find a spark to awaken your precious heart
You stick around and you see it through

I've been in trouble before with my rushing in
But I'm willing to take that chance again
And if we get caught in some crazy wind
We can just get swept away
What do you say?

Baby make up your mind
Cause you know I don't want to waste time
We don't have a lot to lose
We both have to choose
Stick around, I'll be good to you
Yeah, stick around, I'll be good to you

The crowd applauded wildly and Barry looked positively delighted. Before Jamie had a chance to launch into her next intro, Barry was onstage and bending down on one knee.

"I've been wanting to stick around for quite some time now. Sasha Mariela Connor, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

She didn't know what to say at first, for the tears choked her voice, so strong a moment ago, into speechlessness. She nodded as the tears of happiness spilled down her cheeks. "Yes! I have been in love with you for so long now, of course, I'll marry you!"

They embraced and kissed as the audience applauded. Each person in attendance knew the meaning of being safe and sound, be it in love, or with family and dear friends.