Epilogue 2

Annette POV:
In the days following my parent's departure, I was even more relaxed than before. Once again, I found myself sure in my stride, walking with a head held high. It’s hard to feel like you own the place when your parents are around telling you what they think you’re doing wrong.

The fact that I had more time with my son and she would never admit it I’m sure enjoyed the fact that she had more time to see her grandson. didn’t tell us anything about what happened between her and Deacon, but I could tell that she felt much more calm in the world. Turns out the person haunted was her. I don’t blame her for wanting to put it to rest, or for taking care of the man who betrayed she stood and expected her to follow suit.

I knew my husband felt lighter. He didn’t have to deal with my mother giving him Isla every time he turned around. I felt ashamed that I was so happy to see our world return to the way it was. Almost the way it was.

There were moments throughout the day where he kept me off guard that feeling of everything we’ve been through, clings onto you like a wet towel. I wasn’t the only one, I would catch Grace staring at me every once in a while with a deep sadness in his eyes, those what ifs that plagued him. I looked at him held his hand and gave him a squeeze, smiling and bringing him back to the present. Eventually, it would feel like a distant memory.

Christian still was determined not to say mama, but I was trying everything I could. Every time James or my husband took him from me I was sure I heard a repetition of dada behind me.

It made my heart swell a little bit at the thought that I could worry about such mundane matters that there was no life or death situation diving into both of my arms, pulling me this way and that. Nothing seemed quite so fairy tale as the ordinary.

With my parents gone, I found myself spending more time at my brother’s bedside. I was determined not to leave Seattle alone for too long so she could sit there and watch him taunt her from just beyond the veil. I was still sure he would return to us, but it seemed he was waiting for a grand entrance.

I forced her to eat, while all she wanted to do was wither aside from him. I couldn’t imagine what she was going through having to watch the person you love lay there day after day not being able to hear their voice, missing his touch, waiting for him to make it all better.

We found ourselves facing another winter and I made sure all our food was prepared our freezers stocked, if anyone was in need we made sure that they had supplies. It wasn’t uncommon in the wintertime for us to be snowed in. We were blessed last year with a mild one. Some small grace during the horrible troubles we’d endured.

Then there were the other moments, the ones where I felt like it hadn’t happened at all. It was just all a horrible dream. Aaron didn’t betray us, Matt still had his arm, and I had never missed a moment of Christian’s life. Afterward, I would feel horribly guilty. How could I forget? How could I willingly gloss over all that pain?

Most days it was somewhere in the middle where I was so blessed to be here, and I was thankful that we had survived. I spent time with families of people who had fallen during the battle. we had decided to erect the monument outside the gate, a simple carving into a tree with all their names. A small place for them to go and say their goodbyes.

I expressed my gratitude to each and every one of them that they lay down what they loved most to protect the land. I felt like nothing I could say would actually help but if they knew that I was grateful, it might make it a little bit easier to breathe.

I sat in my office Christian playing with Charlotte and Elizabeth on the floor. I was doing the final check of all the food that we had, the grain, the meat. We were above what we needed and that’s how I liked it.

The doors burst open and in came Simon panting. Raggedly he managed. “Your brothers awake,”

I raced down the stairs, giddy with excitement. Finally, he was awake. I needed to see it with my own eyes. I needed to know that my brother was fine and that I didn’t lose someone so special to me. I wanted Cea to smile and laugh, at her horribly inappropriate jokes, and pull my brother off into some corner where they would do Goddess knows what.

I charged into the clinic room and there he was sitting up with Cea next to him in bed. I held my breath for a second in disbelief.

“ I know I look amazing,” he grinned.

“ you absolute moron!” I cried as I ran over and gave him a tight squeeze. I stopped for a second and listened to his heartbeat.

He was alive

Cea wiped some tears from her eyes, and for the first time in weeks, I saw her smile. She sniffled and nestled into him, running her thumb over his scraggly beard.

He apologized for making us worry so much and said that he would’ve gotten the best of the other guy if he wasn’t such a brute. I didn’t get to see him, but according to Charles and James, he was an absolute beast. Marcus had given his people some form of steroids that had turned them into killing machines.

It had taken two of Simon’s sedatives to subdue the man. He’d gone into cardiac arrest shortly after, whatever poison they had pumped into themselves it was lethal.

I sat there holding my big brother's hand and explaining to him everything that it happened in the week that he’d been asleep. Cea eventually had to get up and go to the bathroom. He turned to me and asked, “How bad was she?”

“She didn’t leave your side, and she ate, but it was a challenge,” I told him the truth.

“ I’m sorry,” he chuckled. “ After everything you’ve been through you shouldn’t have to worry about me. I shouldn’t have put her through that,”

“ Nobody here blames you,” I commanded. “You have no reason to blame yourself,”

He nodded, I’m sure he didn’t believe me, but in time he would.

I explained to him the deal I had with our parents that James could stay as long as he was still here. He told me he noticed how well James was doing here and he would talk to Mom and try and get her to understand. I knew Charlie felt the same way I did, that we were ill-prepared for the world, James was living proof. Theo explained to me how shocked he was, the way Mom reacted when I was abducted. He said he would never have imagined that coming from the woman who was so rational our whole lives. She was such a straightforward parent she wanted to see us and sometimes yes, that got in our way, but he never imagined she would stoop this low.

He told me he thought that she was also living in this bubble and my being taken, was the wake-up call that broke her. He said to give her time and that she would probably return to some semblance of sane. Until then, I should just keep James here, if she came for him, she’d have to deal with all of us siblings.

Letting go as hard, I don’t know how I would handle it when it came time for my children. I just think parents forget it’s equally hard on the kids. James wanted to be home, he wanted to be in the place he grew up, but here felt better. Try as he might he couldn’t change that, no matter how badly my mom wanted him to.

We waited until the next morning to call my parents and tell them the good news. We gave Theo a couple of days to adjust and try and get on his feet. By the end of the week, he and Cea left too.

My mother and I had a very long discussion about how furious she was that I had kept my little brother, but eventually, she realized I wasn’t budging. She hung up the phone and demanded that I release him. Instead, I was faced with the silent treatment, it was much preferable to the alternative, so I took advantage of it.

I had almost lost one brother, I wasn’t going to let another brother go astray. James belonged here, he might never voice it but I saw the gratitude in his eyes when I told him he wasn’t going back to Georgia. I was grateful too, to have someone from home here with me. Sure he spent more time with my husband but to have him at the table in the morning and by my side at the feast at night. I couldn’t ask for more.