The Fall in Love Checklist

Bonus Content

The Fall in Love Checklist Playlist

Every time I sit down to write, I put on my headphones and play a book specific playlist. This playlist is on repeat for as long as it takes me to write the book. There were a lot of songs in The Fall in Love Checklist, none of which were mentioned by name in the book, but I bet a lot of you had guesses!

Dany was a huge eighties music fan, so nearly all the songs in this playlist are from the eighties. When I create each character I delve deep into their personality and one of the questions I ask is “what’s your favorite music?” When Dany answered, she said “the eighties, all the way! But don’t tell anyone.” 😉

Here is the playlist for The Fall in Love Checklist:

The Time Of My Life – Bill Medley, Jennifer Warnes

The Final Countdown – Europe

Another One Bites the Dust – Queen

Super Freak – Rick James

Get Lucky – Daft Punk

Wham! – Wake Me Up Before You Go Go

Text Messages

I don’t know about your family, but my family (and friends) are always on group texts/chats. They can get hilarious pretty quickly. So…considering that Dany, Jack and Sissy have their own lives and events that happen outside of the narrative of the book, I thought it’d be fun to create a group text/chat for them. Here it is!

Bonus Epilogue

Dany & Jack’s Wedding

Today is the day. Jack and I are getting married. It’s only been a few weeks since we got engaged, but I didn’t want to wait. Hey, when you know that you want to spend the rest of your life with someone, you want that life to start right away.

I’m with Sissy, my mom, Cleo, Gerry and Sylvie in the pre-wedding area near River Bridge. It sounds fancy, but really, it’s just a really big tent with a few chairs and a mirror. In five minutes I’m supposed to walk onto the bridge, meet Jack at the altar, and take the plunge.

Literally.

After we say I do and kiss, we’re bunging jumping off the edge.

Jack and I came up with the idea together. We figured that if we’re going to start a life together that’s full of adventure and love, we may as well begin as we mean to go on.

I take a deep breath and smooth my hands over my wedding dress. It’s not white. I’ve had enough of white and beige to last a lifetime. Instead, it’s satin, with a tight wrapped bodice and a wide skirt. The silky material has a bold floral pattern of pink and purple peonies, violets, and roses. I didn’t know there were wedding dresses with patterns and colors besides white and ivory, but when I saw this dress it felt right. Before, I would’ve worn white, now I embrace color. 

“Dude. You look beautiful,” Sissy says. She holds her colorful bouquet out in front of her. I let her choose her own dress, it’s floor length and cobalt blue. She’s my maid of honor and my soon-to-be sister. I’m so happy I can barely stand it.

“Bah. What does the dress matter, all we’ll see when Dany jumps are her knickers. You’re off your rocker,” Cleo says. She scowls and shakes her head, but I can tell that she’s secretly proud of me.

“Dear, did you buy new underwear? Cleo’s right. The dress doesn’t matter if you have ratty underwear on,” Sylvie says.

“Of course she did, it’s blue,” my mom says, jumping to my defense.

“You guys are so weird. The bungee jumping straps hold the dress down, you won’t see anything,” Sissy says.

“You’re so adventurous. Dave and I are going to dive with the Great White sharks soon. You and Jack should join us,” Gerry says.

“Errrm. That’s okay. Jack has a surprise honeymoon planned.”

Sissy covers her mouth with her hand to hold in a laugh. She knows that the one thing that will never be on my list is diving with sharks.

The wedding planner pokes her head into the tent. “Ladies, take your seats, the music starts in two minutes.” She holds up her watch and points to it.

My mom worked her magic again and pulled together another fabulous wedding. I think she has an event planning or catering business in her future. I pull her close and give her a tight squeeze.

“Love you.”
“You too, and you do look beautiful,” she says.

“Humph. Of course she does,” says Cleo.

“Let’s go ladies.” Sylvie ushers Gerry and Cleo out, my mom trails behind them. I wave as they leave the tent.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” asks Sissy when they’ve gone.

“Bungee jump?” I ask.

She snorts. “No. Marry my brother. I mean, obviously you guys are in love, but still. You really want me for a sister?”

I take in her teasing smile, and think of the first time I saw her, when we were both in the recovery suite at the hospital. She was mischievous and hilarious and perfectly right about everything. I could never have guessed she would become one of the dearest people in my life.

“They say you don’t get to choose your family, but I do. I choose you and Jack.” I pull her into a hug.

She squeezes me back but then quickly pushes me away. “Don’t wrinkle your dress, the wedding planner will have my head. That lady is serious about weddings.”

 “I won’t.” I grin at her and don’t remind her that I’m about to jump off a bridge in this dress. It’ll get wrinkled.

The wedding planner pokes her head in again. “It’s time. Sissy, you’re first. Dany you’ll follow.”

I walk out onto the pavement and stop at the edge of the bridge. The sky is a clear blue, there’s a light breeze, and it’s a spectacularly beautiful day. There are more than fifty white folding chairs set up on the bridge, each one has a friend or family member sitting in it. A white runner leads down the ‘aisle’ to the makeshift altar at the center of the bridge.

My breath stops when I see Jack.

He’s in a form fitting tuxedo and he has a flower from my garden in his button hole. I know the flower is one of mine because I picked it for him this morning and left it outside his door with a little note. It said, I can’t wait.

He’s one hundred feet away, but it feels like I’m standing next to him. Everything and everyone else fades away. He turns to me and when he sees me he stills. I stop walking and just look at him. Just look and look.

The music starts and Jack’s smile widens. Yes, I chose the most ridiculous, upbeat, eighties song imaginable. The music blares over the speakers and Sissy skips forward. Her bright dress swings around her.

I point at Jack and smile. He jokingly looks behind him then questioningly points at himself. I nod and start forward.

Everyone stands as I walk down the aisle.

My mom, Gerry, Dave, Cleo and Sylvie are in the front row. They cheer as I walk by. When I make it to Jack he picks me up and swings me around. When he sets me down I wrap my arms around him and kiss him on the lips.

“Hey. Fancy seeing you here,” he says against my mouth.

“Mmm. I thought I might get married today.”

He grins, “mind if I join?”
“Are you my back-getter?”

“Check?” he says.

I laugh and he presses another kiss to my lips before he steps back and we get into our proper ‘dearly beloved’ positions at the altar.

The preacher begins the ceremony. To be honest, it’s hard to concentrate, all I can see is Jack. Every now and then he looks over at me and winks or gives a small smile, and every time he does my heart leaps and I have the urge to jump into his arms.

When the moment comes for ‘I Do’s’ Jack surprises me with his own vows. He takes my hands in his and looks into my eyes, and there’s so much love there I can’t look away.

“Dany, I thank heaven and earth for the day I met you. I fell in love with you at first sight, before I knew anything about you, I knew that you were mine.”

It’s funny, under the cloud of all that anesthetic I knew he was mine too. I just didn’t realize it right away.

“None of us know how long we have on this earth, or what will come tomorrow. But for however long I have, and for whatever comes, I want every bit of it to be with you. In sickness, in health, for richer or poorer, for better, for worse, I promise to love you, every part of you, to join in your adventures, your checklists, and every moment of your future. I want to be there, every day for the rest of our lives. I love you.”

I realize that Jack has gone fuzzy, and that’s because I’m crying.

“I do,” he says.

And when it’s my turn, I say it back.

“I do, with all my heart.”

Jack kisses me and I jump up into his arms. We’ve done it. We’ve done it together.

Months ago, when I thought my life was falling apart, it was actually piecing itself together. Sylvie once said that every flower is born knowing how to bloom. She was right. As Jack kisses me, my heart blooms with joy.

Finally, Jack sets me down and we walk to the edge of the bridge. Fifteen minutes later all the checks and precautions are complete and we’re ready. Our friends and family form a wide semi-circle around us.

Jack and I stand in each other’s arms on the edge of the bridge.

“Are you still scared of heights?” I ask him in a quiet voice. I don’t want to be overheard.

“Terrified.” He doesn’t look down at the water below.

“So, why’d you agree to this?”

He puts his hands to my waist, “because, I’d do anything, as long as it’s with you. I’m your back-getter.”

I laugh at his use of my term from our first night at Chet’s together.

“I think you like the adrenalin rush you get after. We have a few minutes before the reception…I know of a nice, secluded spot nearby.” I give him a meaningful look.

His grip on my waist tightens. “You think?”

“Mmmhmm.”

Our wedding guests begin to clap. It’s time.

“Ready to jump, Mr. Jones?”

“Always, Mrs. Jones.”

Curtis, the operator from our first bungee jump starts the count down and everyone joins in.

“Three! Two! One!”

Jack grins at me and I tighten my arms around him.

This is it.

He kisses me. I laugh with all the happiness I feel inside.

Then, we jump.

We’re married. We’re in love. And we have a whole world of love waiting for us.