Epilogue #6
Blue is convinced it’s fear holding him back and preventing him from taking the next step, and a part of me agrees.
I think he’s genuinely scared to risk the progress he’s made.
Briggs has come so far, and a setback now would be catastrophic to his confidence.
But he forgets he has a support system now, and there’s nothing he could do that would push us away.
More than anything, I think Briggs needs time for the plan to marinate.
He needs to believe it was his idea to begin with, so he has a sense of control over the situation.
I truly have faith that he’ll be a doctor again one day, but it needs to happen on his terms and timeline.
Forcing his hand will only make him dig his heels in further, but Blue’s personality doesn’t tend to mesh well with being patient.
When Blue showed up at The Village a couple of months after Izzy was born, Col was shocked that she’d actually taken him up on the offer.
Rita allowed her to stay in one of the transition rooms until a tiny house became available.
Blue never shied away from the work she was given, and more than earned her keep.
Now, she acts as a middleman between the homeless community–whose trust she’s earned–and the resources available to them through The Village.
She bridges the gap and offers assistance to those who either feel too ashamed to ask for help or those who’ve lost faith that good people still exist. Blue is vital to The Village, and her role allows Royce and Rita’s mission to reach more people.
We still don’t know very much about her backstory.
Her actual name is Sasha Bennett, but she prefers the nickname Colsen gave her.
We’ve respected her privacy and refused to do a background check to gather more information, but I’m hopeful there will come a day when she’s comfortable enough to tell us herself.
We know the important parts. Blue is kind, at least to anyone who isn’t Briggs, and she wants nothing more than to help as many people as she can, especially young girls who could easily fall victim to prostitution.
I’d trust her with my children a million times over, and I think their innocence has done her a world of good.
“She’s family now, so you better get used to it,” I state emphatically, pointing my finger at his face. His smile is slow and sweet, and then he leans forward to kiss the tip, making me soften instantly.
“Yes, ma’am,” Briggs purrs, pressing his lips to the side of my neck.
“Just a forewarning, Angel…” He trails off, allowing the suspense of his next words to build.
“I’m going to fuck every hole you have after the kids go to sleep tonight.
It’s going to be a lot of fun trying to get you pregnant, baby.
” I inhale sharply, then quickly step back, putting some much-needed space between us.
I’m well aware that if I give Briggs an inch, he’ll take a couple hundred miles, if not more, and we have a dining room full of guests–family, to be exact–and the last thing I need is to return to the dinner table looking thoroughly fucked.
I take his hand, leading us back the way we came, my heart lifting at the sounds of laughter trickling towards us.
As Briggs and I rejoin the others and we finally plate our food, I smile at the conversations taking place around me, preferring to listen as everyone chats about how their weeks have gone thus far.
No one mentions the outcome of Veritas’ sentencing, but I feel certain that Royce and Rita watched, as it was broadcast live by the local news station.
Despite our day starting on such a heavy note, I couldn’t imagine a better ending.
I could spend every evening for the rest of my life doing exactly this, and I’d never tire of it.
I know all too well how precious these moments are, and how brutal it is to be achingly alone.
To whatever end, I’ll never take these gifts for granted.
I’ve learned that freedom means far more than finally being physically unshackled.
It’s reclaiming my name, my voice, and the life that was stolen from me.
I don’t have the ability to rewrite the past; it will always be a chapter in my story.
But there’s still a novel’s worth of life left to live, and I refuse to let a few pages be the defining narrative that follows me in everything I do moving forward.
I’m not a victim; I’m a survivor. My strength was honed under the harshest of circumstances, and I’ll never again cower under someone else’s perceived authority.
Nearly three years ago, when I’d lie awake at night, begging the universe for someone to save me, I couldn’t have fathomed what the future had in store for me.
Glancing around the table and at the photos of Seth and LeAnna that have a permanent place on our mantel, I’m endlessly grateful to whoever took mercy on me.
This–a house filled with love and laughter–is absolutely everything, and I vow to never lose sight of that.
The End