26. Epilogue
4 Years Later
Chelsea
“And what are you going to be when you grow up?”
“A boss.”
“Of what?”
“Whateva I wanna.” Our three-year-old daughter, Brooke, toddles away, pleased with that answer and herself.
Trevor and I look at each other and laugh. Raising a fierce little girl who knows her power is not for the faint of heart. I challenge anyone to deny Brooke something and not be on the business end of a very, very sassy glare.
“You’re already the boss, aren’t you?” Liz says, walking into the kitchen and sweeping Brooke into her arms.
When we first moved home from college, we lived in an apartment near Ida for a bit, but once I was pregnant with Brooke, Liz asked if we’d consider moving into the house with her.
I watched the emotion on Trevor’s face and knew he was thinking of his dad’s dream of their family living together and taking care of each other. I said yes before he could.
Liz built the house with two master suites and purposely took the one on the far side of the house. While it’s all accessible, that side is where the back staircase leads and where her library is, so it feels more like her space.
There were some adjustments after Brooke was born—like when Liz needed to take off her grandma hat and walk away so we could be parents, but otherwise it’s been pretty smooth. And on days when any of us needs extra support or help, it’s nice that we’re together.
“Do you want to go play with some balloons with Grammie while we wait for everyone to get here for your party?”
“Balloons! Birthday party! I can have cupcakes?”
“Later,” Liz says. Then she disappears into the living room with Brooke.
Trevor stalks over to me and wraps his arms around my waist. “Well, I won’t complain about a little alone time with my wife.”
“Mm, I love when you call me that.”
His laugh rumbles in my ear. “I think you just like that you can officially call me your book husband. Or better yet, your very own shadow daddy.”
“I think you’re more of a bat boy. I can get you some wings. Halloween costume idea.”
“Anything for my mate,” he teases.
I laugh, but I cut off quickly when his lips press into my throat. He smiles against my skin, slowly dragging his lips up, then he runs his fingers through my hair and slants his mouth over mine, owning all of me with his lips and tongue. And just like always, my mind floats away on a cotton-candy cloud while my love-drunk body melts against my husband’s.
In addition to it being Brooke’s birthday today, it’s also our wedding anniversary.
Once I got pregnant, life was a whirlwind, so while we kept intending to get married, we didn’t even get a marriage license until a month before Brooke was born. While we were in the hospital, waiting for Brooke to make her entrance, we decided to get married right then and there. With my dad, Hilary, Gran, and Robbie there for me and Liz and Hyla there for Trevor, we asked the hospital chaplain to marry us.
It made the day extra special, but we still consider our first date to be our official anniversary, though we’ll take any opportunity to celebrate our love, whether it’s a random Wednesday afternoon or the anniversary of when we got married.
Trevor lifts me onto the counter, somehow not breaking our kiss, and I rake my fingers through his hair. Like always, I’m desperate for more. We’ve been together five-and-a-half years and I still can’t get enough of him.
Which must be why I let out a soft moan like we’re alone in this house when we’re very much not.
“Happy Brooke’s birthday—ah! My eyes! Save me!”
Trevor and I break apart, stifling laughter as we look over at Hyla, who is standing in the entrance to the kitchen. Mackenzie is behind her with her hands covering Hyla’s eyes.
“You’re safe now,” I say.
Hyla reaches up and pulls Mackie’s hands down, resting them on her waist instead.
“Are you determined to scar me for life?” Hyla demands.
Trev shrugs and sends her that classic brotherly asshole smirk. “Figured that’s been handled about ten times over by now.”
Hyla sticks her tongue out at Trevor while Mackie laughs from behind her.
I hop off the counter. “Good to know some things never change.”
“Nope. He’ll clearly never stop harassing me.” Hyla pretends to be miffed.
“I—”
An ear-splitting shriek interrupts me, and we all dash from the room. There’s nothing like your kid screaming like they’re dying to give you a minor heart attack.
But when we get to the living room, we find the reason for the happy shriek. Sadie. Sarah and Joel’s daughter and Brooke’s favorite person in the whole world. She’s almost a year younger than Brooke, but Brooke doesn’t care. She adores Sadie. Along with Rae and Aaron’s son, Carter, and Miles’s daughter, Emmie, they’re an adorable little foursome.
Trevor puts a hand to his chest and lets out a breath. “Good to know everything’s okay.”
“Except our eardrums,” Joel deadpans.
Yeah, truth.
“I’m all dona.” Brooke shoves the presents piled in front of her away.
“Honey, there are a bunch more to open.” I tap the one on top of the pile.
She shakes her head. “No. I want cupcakes. My birthday. I pick.”
I sigh and look at Trevor, who smiles and shrugs.
Our girl has him wrapped around her finger. Because it’s her birthday, I’m inclined to let her do what she wants, but Trevor is happy to bow down to her demands most days. He can be a disciplinarian, but he always looks like a kicked puppy when he watches her cry or have a tantrum.
“Cupcakes it is, then.”
Brooke’s already halfway to the dining room, everyone following her with the kids in the lead.
Rae falls into step with me. “Well, at least you know you’re raising a girl so strong, she’ll never be afraid to speak up for herself.”
I laugh at that. “Yes. Here’s hoping she uses it to lead and help others, not to run a drug cartel.”
We both laugh at that.
But really, I’m grateful. I want her to walk out into the world empowered, with her head held high, knowing she can make a difference and help create a better world than the one I grew up in. Every day I fight for her and all the other little girls growing up right now, but change takes time, especially in a world so filled with vitriol for women.
I want it to be better for her. While I hope she’s as compassionate as she is fierce, I don’t want her to have to walk my path to get there.
It doesn’t hit me as hard anymore when I talk about what I’ve been through. But seeing the person who raped me brought to justice helped with that. It took the shame off me and put it all on him. He deserves to carry every bit of it.
The trial ended up being when I was five months pregnant, and Jacinta used that to our advantage. Pregnancy makes a woman seem more vulnerable, she said, and while I think he would’ve been convicted easily either way, the jury only deliberated for ten minutes before returning with their verdict. He was sentenced to fifteen years in jail. I was shocked, but we had a judge who has always been a strong proponent on women’s issues. He deserves every day of the sentence. Though I’m sure he’ll get parole sooner. Either way, he gets to carry around the title of sex offender for the rest of his life. Good for him. He earned it.
Now it’s my mission to make sure there are fewer girls out there like me. I will fight every day of my life to make this world a better place for my daughter.
As I watch her, I know she’ll fight the same way.
I pull out my phone, ready to take pictures, but Liz waves me off. I appreciate that. Being present as a parent is important to me. I want to be in the pictures, not just take them. Though for a moment, I hang back and watch. The kids are all sitting around a small table, and Brooke is putting cupcakes in front of each of them while Emmie reminds everyone not to eat them until we sing happy birthday to Brooke.
I grab the lighter and hand it to Trevor once Brooke is seated with a cupcake in front of her.
After he lights the candles for her, he joins me again, all the while reminding her to wait to blow them out until we’ve sung.
Trevor wraps his arms around me from behind, and I lean against him as our family and friends surround us, singing to Brooke. My heart could burst at the amount of joy in this room. We are so lucky to have each and every person here in our lives.
I’m lucky I found Trevor when I did. Or maybe it was all part of fate’s plan. It’s hard to believe that when I think of the ways we could’ve met sooner, and how much longer we could’ve loved each other. But it doesn’t really matter. We’re here now. Right where we’re supposed to be.
We all clap and cheer as Brooke blows out the candles on her cupcake. Trevor goes to pull them out before she bites one like she did last year, and Brooke latches onto him, giving him a giant hug as he whispers to her.
He is the most amazing father I could’ve imagined for my daughter, and the best husband. Sometimes I can’t believe this is my life.
As Trevor comes to stand beside me, I reach over and pinch his arm. He turns to me with the best glare he can muster—which isn’t much.
“Are you ever going to stop pinching me?”
“Nope. When I have a moment where I think this can’t be real or it’s too good to be true, I pinch you. Then I see your smile and I know it’s real. The only fake thing about you is your grumpiness.”
He tries to put on that grumpy pout, but I see a lot less of it these days and I think he’s lost his touch.
“If it makes you happy and reminds you how special what we have is, you can pinch me every day.”
“And you won’t complain?”
“Oh no. I’ll complain. But only because then I see your smile.”
He leans in and steals a quick kiss, setting my heart on fire and making me feel all gooey inside.
“I love you.”
“Love you too, baby.”
He pulls me closer, slipping his hand in my back pocket and giving my butt a little pinch. I laugh and lean into him, gratitude overwhelming me.
When I moved to Old Lake Town for college, I couldn’t have imagined how much I’d gain—friendship, love, a better understanding of myself. Gran told me not to let anyone steal my power or my peace. Little did I know I’d grow into an even more powerful version of myself and find a profound peace with my path in life and the beautiful tribe surrounding me.
One day, when Brooke asks how it all happened, I can tell her the world didn’t break me. I grew. I healed. I fought back. And I’ll keep fighting to protect my friends, my family, the life we’re building, and the perfect love at the heart of it all.
The End