Epilogue
The Group Chat
Deacon: [photo] First day of school!
Sybil: Willow! You look so good!
Deacon: What about me?
Emi: She makes you look good.
Willow: Be nice—it’s his first day as a peer mentor at the Veterans Center.
Willow: But I do look good.
Sybil:
Cruz: Who let Deacon mentor anyone? Kidding (sort of)
Marcus: He was a good fitness coach and he’s going to be a great guidance counselor. He’ll be a great mentor, too. [photo]
Sybil: Look at those guns! Chicago is treating you well.
Lila: [photo]
Kieran: Damn! My little sister is jacked.
Sybil: I’ve got you all beat. [photo]
Emi: The baby bump! So glad I’ll be back in the country in time to meet this little donut hole.
Cruz: I don’t know how I feel about being added to this group chat—there’s a lot of body part sharing.
Emi: You’ll get used to it. When we’re in person, we also cheat at Monopoly.
Kieran: Some of us cheat.
Willow: No. We all do.
Sybil: Don’t you two need to get to class?
Sybil: I’ve never encouraged anyone to go to class in my entire life. Who am I?
Emi: Good luck on your first day of vet school, Willow!
Cruz: Mentor the hell out of them, Deac.
Just The Guys Group Chat
Deacon: [photo]
Marcus: I’m blinded by the light. That’s a helluva ring!
Kieran: Damn. Nice. When are you going to ask?
Deacon: Thinking after she gets back from her first day of class.
Marcus: She’ll be exhausted—might want to wait until morning?
Kieran: In my limited experience, the proposal is followed by a lot of selfies and phone calls—might be hard to squeeze it in before class.
Deacon: Yeah, and Willow is never late.
Cruz: Keep it that way. I’m not ready to be an uncle yet.
Ex PJs Group Chat
Deacon: Morning.
Cruz: I hate this group name—I’m still in.
Deacon: For three more months. I’m preparing you for your future as a civilian.
Cruz:
Deacon: The brothers will be okay without you. I promise.
Cruz: The siblings. Two women in the unit now.
Deacon: About damn time.
Cruz: It’s early. Why are you up?
[Deacon Rakes changed the group name]
Brother-In-Law Chat
Deacon: [photo]
Deacon: Kieran was right—lots of selfies, but you were the first one I wanted to tell.
Deacon: You’re not ready to be an uncle, but how about a best man?
Cruz: Never done that before.
Deacon: I always wanted to be your first.