EPILOGUE
Reid
The marquee tent rustlesagainst the wind on the late September night.Heat lamps are set up in multiple places, whilst outside has a small fire burning for the marshmallows and those who want to sit in the frigid air.The music system with disco lights has been set up at the end of the marquee.Food tables run along both sides, whilst whatever food is still inside.There’s no fucking way we are going to put it all out with the Carters hovering around it like flies on shit.
We aren’t celebrating a birthday or an engagement tonight.We are celebrating life, our family, and what could have been.A new beginning.What was meant to be small is now at full capacity, which is why the marquee got brought out instead of a standard size gazebo.I didn’t even know they did marquees this big until Jaxon was ordering us all to put one up.He wanted the best because today, he and Lily planted a tree for their baby, who they decided to name Avery.
Lily seems happier than I’ve seen her in weeks.She is still seeing a therapist, according to Jaxon, but is no longer plagued with grief.Today has helped a lot too.Looking at her and Jaxon dancing on the makeshift dance floor, you can see the difference in the both of them.I don’t think they’ve had this sense of peace before.First it was her family, and then the fear of what Black would do.They’ve never really had the chance to just be free to love one another.It looks good on them.Really good.
I glance at Mum, who still wears the reminders of that night weeks ago.Yet even her resilience to her attack is astounding to me.She’s the reason men should never call women the weaker sex.I think it’s taken me longer to push back those horrifying memories than it has for her.Still, seeing her move from guest to guest, smiling, I am glad she’s moved on.
Evie is doing a lot better.Summer asked once if I thought Evie was maybe hiding her grief.I didn’t even hesitate before I said no.There would need to be love for her to grieve and there wasn’t any.They were monsters to her.Her smile lights up when she stares at the ring Wyatt put on her wedding finger last week.Rebecca seems to think it will be a long engagement, but personally, I think it’s wishful thinking.Both Evie and Wyatt don’t want to wait.
Isaac is back on his feet and will be going back to work this week.His mood is yet to improve.We’ve asked him to talk to us, but he refuses, still going with the comment of ‘nothing is wrong’.
Nothing my arse.
The hay bales I’m sitting on jerk as Hayden throws herself down.I arch an eyebrow.“I’m in a committed relationship.”
She snorts.“Still not going to get used to that.”
“You should because she’s not going anywhere.”
“I like relationship Reid,” she remarks.
“I can’t tell if you’re being serious or not,” I reply.“Also, if you are looking for the key to the room we locked the food in, I don’t have it.”
She scoffs.“Please, you’ll be lucky if there’s any food left in there.”
“It’s locked,” I remind her.
She points her finger into the crowd and I follow her line of sight to Malia.Who isn’t even concealing the brownies she has stacked up on a paper plate.The same brownies that I hid in the locked room as a contingency.I hid them in a secret compartment in my father’s desk.
“How?”I splutter.
“Seems like the Carters really do have competition.I’m pretty sure Dad is still goading her into an eating contest.”
“She’ll win,” I boast.
“If you say so.”
I watch Hayden again.“Doesn’t explain why you are here instead of dry humping your guy.”
She grins.“I came over to thank you for what you did for Lily.”
