Epilogue
EMMA
One year later
“You must feel amazing.” Wren reaches across the table to squeeze my hand. “Remission. It’s like a miracle.” I kept my sickness a secret for months before I finally confided in our friend circle. I’m glad I did because now they can celebrate with me.
“That’s a good word for it.” And I still haven’t completely wrapped my head around it.
Remission. I can hardly believe it. It’s what I’ve been wishing and hoping for for so long.
I always believed deep down inside I would get to this place—it’s just that there were a few scary days there for a while, when everything seemed dark and uncertain.
But then I had my guys with me to remind me there was life to be lived, and they gave me the hope it took to carry on. And thanks to them, I’ve come out on the other side in one piece. Better than ever.
“You look fantastic,” Maya tells me with a thumbs up. “I was just thinking the other day about how great you’ve been looking. Healthy.”
I lift my hand and run in through my short hair. I’m a little self-conscious about the pixie cut, but the guys and everyone assure me it looks cute on me.
“All I know is, I can’t wait to get back to life without thinking about the cancer. I almost wonder how I’m going to fill up my time now, you know?”
“I’m pretty sure we can fill up your time.” Easton nudges me from my right. “You don’t have to worry about that.”
No, I don’t, and I couldn’t be happier about that.
They are the reason I’ve gotten through the past fifteen months as well as I have.
They are the reason for all of the good things in my life now.
Grandma is thriving in assisted living, finally able to rebuild a little something for herself—as long as I promise to visit constantly, which I do.
And in the meantime, the Scotts have taken me in as another member of their family.
“I know the three of you would like to live on your own together, but there are a few hard and fast rules I have to enforce,” their dad said once it was clear the three of us were in a relationship.
“I want my sons under my roof until they graduate. There’s plenty of time after graduation to worry about bills and mortgages and upkeep of a home.
Now isn’t the time to worry about that.”
Which means I have my own room in the house, even if I usually end up sleeping with the guys.
Sometimes Sarah and I have little sleepovers, too, which is a nice break.
As much as I love them, there are days when I still crave a little time to myself.
Sarah is like the sister I never had now, and between them and the girls sitting with us in the cafeteria, I have more support than I ever imagined I would.
“You know what this calls for?” I already know what Carter has in mind when he grins. “A party. A really big party.”
“We would be happy to throw it,” Maya says, and Tucker nods.
“Why do you think I mentioned it? I thought we would throw it.” Carter looks at Elliana, whose head bobs.
People are actually arguing over who’s going to throw a party for me. Am I dreaming?
“No, we’ll throw a party,” Preston insists, touching my knee with his under the table. “We’ve already been planning it.”
“You have not,” I reply with a laugh that goes silent when I look at Easton and see how serious he is.
“Not, like, in-depth or anything,” he explains. “But we figured there was a good chance you would get the good news you were hoping for, and we knew we would want to celebrate that.”
“Dad already gave the okay for whenever we want to throw it,” Preston assures me before kissing my forehead.
“And your mom is all right with it? Does she know?” Mrs. Scott entered rehab two months ago, and from all reports, she’s doing great. But I doubt having a big party at the house when she’s just home will be very helpful.
“We’ll have the party before she gets home,” Easton replies.
They thought of everything, but that shouldn’t come as a surprise.
It seems like they’re always a few steps ahead of me.
Always anticipating what I might want or need, falling over themselves to give it to me.
There are days I still want to pinch myself, even after being together all this time.
It’s not always easy—they’re both stubborn, and so am I.
But really, it’s not nearly as complicated as I assumed it would be at first.
Looking around the table, my gaze lands on Kellan.
As big as he is, he can be easy to overlook, thanks to his quiet nature.
He’s the only one in the group who’s still single, and I have to wonder if he feels strange.
Like the odd man out. I’ve been that person way too many times and remember how it feels.
But I don’t have to feel that way anymore. Never again.
“How about we go visit Grandma after school?” Easton suggests. “We can give her the good news you got this morning. We’ll take her to dinner and everything.”
“If she’s got the time,” Preston jokes. “Since she’s always so busy with her friends and her activities nowadays.”
“Are you kidding? If it has to do with Emma, she’ll drop everything.” Easton gives me a loving grin full of fondness for her.
I’m sure he’s right, too. She has always dropped everything for me.
I’m so glad she’s finally living on her own terms. Thanks to the assistance programs through the hospital, the bills that kept her up at night aren’t a problem anymore.
It’s like a gift, but then that’s how I feel every day. Life is a gift.
And it just so happens I have two incredible men to spend it with, along with the friends and family they’ve brought into my world to make it so much bigger and fuller than it ever was before.
While everyone talks about the party, I touch a hand to the pearls around my neck.
Mom’s pearls are mixed in with the ones Easton and Preston bought for me, and somehow that makes all the sense in the world.
It’s like my past and my future blended together on the same strand, a constant reminder of all the good that has existed in my life and still exists.
And now that I’ve gotten the best news imaginable from my team at the hospital, it feels like the sky’s the limit when it comes to how much better life will get. All I know is, I want Easton and Preston by my side, no matter what comes.
And when they look at me with love in their eyes, I know in my soul they’re not going anywhere. Not ever.
I can’t wait for the rest of my life.
Thank you for reading Toxic Hope! The next and final book in this series is Quiet Rage .