Epilogue
EPILOGUE
Kit
I went to grab the mail while Liam made his disgusting green drink.
“You want one?” he asked as I slipped on my flip flops at the door.
I made a gagging sound.
“You’re missing out.”
“You’re delusional.”
He asked me every morning and every morning I said no. I wasn’t sure if he thought he was going to wear me down about it, but it wouldn’t work. The green drinks were gross.
So far, moving into Liam’s house had been about as painless as it could be. It had been three months of nothing but happiness and sex. He had a cleaning lady, not an ex but a legitimate service, so there were no arguments about his socks being left all over the place like he was a teenage boy.
Honestly. So many socks.
Also, his chef, an ex, but a really good chef, dropped some meals off for us every week, so I didn’t feel like I had to cook every day.
Tess was back to school, and we were figuring that out. Her school was on the other side of town, which made her staying at our place during the week hard. So we were seeing her every weekend. Liam drove down to pick her up from school twice a week after practice and team meetings. She came with me to some away games, which had been fun.
Last night, she’d spent the night and we’d binged some movies. Inside Out made Liam cry, so Tess patted his hand and told him everything would be okay, which made me cry.
When did kids’ movies get so freaking emotional?
Anyway, Tess was still asleep, and Liam was drinking his green drink, and I was… well, I was playing it cool, wasn’t I? Totally cool. Totes cool.
Rushing out to get the mail every morning was just a thing I did. No biggie.
Every morning when there wasn’t an envelope from The University of Southern Maine, well, who cared? Not me.
I’d applied to the Spring semester of the teaching program after Tess and Liam ganged up on me and had brochures mailed to me on a relentless basis. Every school in Maine. A few in New Hampshire. For a month it had been all they talked about with me until I finally relented and applied to three schools in the area. Southern Maine was my secret first choice.
Tess assured me I was a shoe-in. But she was a kid, what did she know about the intricate acceptance policies of non-traditional students with slightly checkered pasts? What did any of us know about it? Some days I thought there was no way I would get in. Some days I couldn’t stop myself from dreaming.
“Morning, Mike!” I said as I passed him on the front step.
Now, Mike was with us only when Tess was here. The season had started and Liam’s weird fan club was in full swing, so we tried to protect her as much as possible. Plus, Mike really did need the gig.
He gave me his Mike head-nod and I made my way down the driveway to the mailbox. It was colder in the mornings. Snow would be coming soon, and I wrapped my sweater more tightly around my body. I was wearing Bruisers sweatpants, which was a real perk of being with Liam. So many good sweatpants and sweatshirts. Endless supplies.
During the long/short walk to the mailbox my optimism and pessimism battled it out and I tried to give myself a pep talk and keep my expectations in check all at the same time.
It wouldn’t be there. Or it if was, it would be a rejection.
Sorry, it would say. You’re too old. Worse, we don’t take the daughters of convicted felons into our teaching program.
However, in the mailbox were three envelopes. Big ones.
All three of the schools I’d applied to.
My knees buckled and I had to put my hand against the mailbox and take a breath.
What was the rule? Thick envelopes were good? Thick ones were bad? Or was it the opposite. Or was it all bullshit?
I closed the mailbox and ran as fast as my flip flops would let me. Mike saw me coming and opened the door for me and I sprinted inside the house and skid to a halt in the kitchen.
Tess, her hair a tangled mess around her head, sat at the counter. Liam stood at the stove, spatula in hand, making pancakes.
“Morning,” I panted and kissed Tess’s forehead.
“What’s happening?” Tess asked. “Why are you out of breath?”
“Were there photographers?” Liam asked.
“No,” I said and put the envelopes down on the counter.
Tess beamed at me. “From the universities!”
Liam turned off the stove and took the frying pan off the heat. Still holding the spatula, he came to stand next to me at the counter. The three of us looking down at the envelopes like they were freshly hatched chicks.
“You going to open them?” Liam asked after a long, silent moment.
“No,” I said.
“I will!” Tess cried and tore into the first one. University of Maine. She opened the envelope and confetti poured out.
Some bubble of feeling, sharp and painful and too big to handle on my own, filled my chest and I turned into Liam. He wrapped his arms around me. He kissed my forehead and whispered in my ear. “It’s going to be okay.”
This was just such a sweet dream, and I’d had it for so long.
“University of Maine says yes!” Tess cried.
Liam laughed and kissed me. “Open this one, Tess,” he said, and I imagined him giving her the University of Southern Maine envelope. My secret favorite wasn’t so secret.
I heard the sound of the envelope opening and turned my head so I could see Tess’s face. She pulled out a big green folder and I saw on the front “Congratulations!”
“You did it!” Tess said, holding up the folder.
“You did it!” Liam said, his chest rumbling with laughter.
We did it, I thought. I wouldn’t have had the courage to apply without their love. Their support. Tears bit into my eyes and I wiped my face on the front of Liam’s Bruisers t-shirt.
“This needs a celebration!” Liam said. “Green drinks for everyone!”
“No!” Tess cried and I laughed, and because I never thought I’d have this much love and happiness, I also cried.
“Gross,” I said, leaning back. Liam kissed me and then kissed me again. One more time.
“I’m so proud of you,” he whispered against my lips.
“This deserves pie for breakfast!” Tess said.
Pie for breakfast was now our go to celebration treat.
“This is definitely pie for breakfast material,” Liam said.
We piled into the truck and drove to the only pie place open in the morning. I took the acceptance packet with us.
Welcome , it said inside. To the rest of your life.