Epilogue
Kylie
“Are you nervous, too, girl?” I lean down until I’m eye level with Abby. Because I sure am nervous. Terrified, actually.
Her answer is to lick the underside of my chin and bump her little head against mine. Then she gets the zoomies and runs around my living room.
Today is the day. Thanksgiving to be precise. I’m about to leave for Nic’s. Which is not what I’m nervous about.
What I’m nervous about is meeting Molly.
It’s been eerily quiet in the house ever since we buried Elizabeth. The days after, I kept waiting for doors to slam closed, for the familiar rattling of my curtains or cupboard doors closing. But nothing.
No more feelings of being watched. No more jump scares. I can even finally use my other room upstairs without getting the creeps.
Though I have to admit, I kind of miss her closing my cupboards for me. I got so used to it that I’ve run into left-open doors like three times already, much to the amusement of Erik.
Being on my toes the whole time kept my thoughts occupied, but when I woke up this morning, I remembered I’d be meeting his aunt today.
And ever since then, I haven’t managed to think about anything else.
My brain went through any possible situation, any possible conversation we could have and found a way for me to embarrass myself in each and every one of them. Fun.
My doorbell rings, and I jump up, heart thundering.
I straighten my shirt and patting down my leggings, ignoring Abby’s personified ‘what the hell is going on with you?’ stare.
Yes, I’m dressed super casually, but damn it, we’re having Thanksgiving dinner.
If there is one day and occasion to dress casual, this is it.
Okay. Take a deep breath, Kylie. You can do this. You’re only meeting his aunt, not some prime minister or president. Really, how badly could it go?
As if she senses Erik is on the other side, Abby darts ahead and waits impatiently by the door, a soft nervous pitter patter in the air from her paws and wagging tail tapping the ground.
Zach wasn’t close with his parents, so I didn’t feel too nervous about meeting them. He made it clear, whatever their opinion was of me, it didn’t matter much. He was much more nervous about meeting mine.
He introduced them to me over a low-stakes dinner at his place and the only other time I met them was at our wedding, where we exchanged maybe three words.
We never got together for birthdays or major holidays, and ultimately, he wasn’t much of a family guy and didn’t want to spend them with mine either.
So today is the first big Thanksgiving I’ve celebrated in almost a decade and I’m excited. Finally, a nice, huge, self-made dinner instead of sad, microwave turkey, stuffing and pumpkin pie, because preparing those for two people wasn’t worth the hassle.
As soon as I open the door, Abby darts out and I don’t even try to stop her. Instead, I take one more deep breath, before I pull it open further.
“Hi, babe.” Erik’s face breaks into a big grin as soon as he comes into view.
“Hi.”
I step outside and let him gather me up in his arms for a big, hearty hug and a kiss to my temple. His arms are nice and warm. Winter came over Wayward Hollow fast.
Where the lake was surrounded by the prettiest shades of red and gold in the fall, the bare trees make the atmosphere a lot more serene. Very horror movie when combined with early morning mist.
Cold wind blows a strand of hair over my eyes and sends a shiver through me.
“You okay?” he mumbles right above my ear, and I find myself nodding against his chest.
“I’m a little nervous, but I’ll be fine,” I mumble against his sweatshirt, feeling his chest vibrate with a chuckle.
“You really don’t have to be nervous.” I poke the small of his back. How very unhelpful. If I could flick a switch and turn my anxiety off, I would.
“She’s your aunt. I want to make a good impression.” His arms around me tighten and he walks me back into my hallway. He reaches for one of my scarves and drapes it around my throat, keeping me flush against him with one arm.
I wasn’t going to wear one for the ten minutes it takes to Nic’s house, but oh well.
“You couldn’t make a bad impression if you tried.” He loosens his hug but doesn’t let me go yet.
“You must be Kylie, it’s so nice to meet you,” a female voice suddenly appears behind him.
“Eep.” I squeak and try to step out of Erik’s hug, but he closes his arms around me tighter. “Erik!” I scold him and try to push him off, but he won’t let me go. At least not until Abby jumps him to demand a proper greeting in the form of pets.
“You two are so cute.”
I turn to his aunt. My cheeks are burning. Maybe from the cold, maybe because I find it impossible not to blush whenever Erik is around.
She stares at me with twinkling eyes and a kind smile. For a moment, she looks so much like him, the fact they’re related really isn’t deniable.
“Yes. Uh. Hi. I’m Kylie.” I stammer and awkwardly extend my hand.
“Molly.” She bypasses my hand and pulls me into a hug instead, just like his dad. Not one of those ‘pretend’ hugs that are the equivalent to kissing the air next to the cheek of the person you’re greeting, but a full on, tight hug. “None of that, we’re a hugger family.”
Once the surprise wears off, I chuckle and shoot Erik a glance as I tentatively hug her back. Are they? Because I don’t think I’ve ever seen him hug anyone except me. Or Abby.
“Sorry, sorry.” She lets go of me. “I got excited. It’s so good to meet you, Kylie. I’ve heard so much about you. Thank you so much for helping Erik find Lilith.”
“Likewise. And thank you again for your pizza rolls, they were delicious.”
“Well, good thing I brought a tray as my contribution to Thanksgiving dinner.” She nods toward Erik’s car. “I’m glad I left them in there, or your dog would have tried to eat them off the ground. She’s a stormy little creature.”
“What can I say?” I shrug. “If she were human, she’d also be a hugger.” I giggle and lean down to give Abby a few well-deserved pets. I grab the pumpkin pie I made for dessert, but Erik swiftly takes it from my hands.
Molly links her arm with mine and motions for Erik to go back to his car.
“Erik, be a dear and get on driving, Kylie and I will find the way. We have a lot to chat about.”
Nic’s driveway is filled with a surprising number of cars, considering how many guests live within walking distance.
I recognize one of them as Caleb’s, and the other one must be Henry’s car, or his parents’.
Erik has somehow managed to wedge his car between them and is leaning against the hood, the tray with rolls and my pumpkin pie secure from Abby on its roof.
Even though my anxiety was almost paralyzing right before I first met Molly, she made it evaporate by the time we reached the lake shore.
Anthony wasn’t wrong, Molly has the best stories about Erik as a child. I know so much more about him now. Like the fact he used to be obsessed with fire engines as a child. So much so, he painted himself red with Molly’s makeup when she wasn’t looking.
Erik’s arm slides around my waist as if it has always belonged there, as we make our way to Nic’s front door, Molly carrying her tray, Erik carrying my pie and Abby weaseling around our feet. A flurry of muffled voices behind it tells me, the party is in full swing.
“There you are!” Lauren pulls the door open before I can even ring the doorbell and ushers us inside. “Come on in, come on in. You guys are the last to arrive.” Abby already trudges past her, taking it as her personal invitation.
A timer goes off in the kitchen, although it sounds more like a tornado alarm.
“And the turkey’s done! You have the perfect timing.” Lauren brushes past us to the kitchen and Nic emerges from her living room.
“Can I help?” I ask, hand Erik my jacket and follow her to the kitchen, pie in hand.
“Nope,” Nic declares and pulls the oven door open, coughing as a waft of hot steam greets her. “Oh shit!” She curses and jumps back.
Her kitchen might be huge, but with Lauren and me in here, it’s getting a little cramped. I set the pie down next to the others.
“I got it.” Henry appears from out of nowhere and shoos us away. “Get out of here. I need the space to carry this beast.” I know Kieran would have the perfect comeback for that, but I don’t.
So, I follow Lauren to the living room. It’s huge. Way bigger than mine. My house might be on the bigger side, but Nic’s? Next level. Yet even with all that space, it’s a crowded in here.
Caleb sits on the couch, chatting with who I assume to be Henry’s parents, a lovely couple who I’d guess to be in their late fifties. They’re holding hands and smiling as they intently listen to Caleb.
He looks as if he can’t decide between awkwardness and letting himself relax.
His shoulders are tense, but nonetheless he leans over and talks more than I think I’ve ever heard him speak at once.
They note Erik and Molly coming inside with a smile and only once Caleb is done with his rant, they jump up to greet them like old friends.
Huh. Come to think of it, maybe they are. I never asked.
Kieran lays on the ground by Nic’s huge window front facing the lake, his head resting on Dick, petting Shadow lying next to him and an orange cat climbs all over him. Now Abby is looking to join the cuddle pile.
“Kylie! When did you arrive?” Kieran gets up way more elegantly than I’d thought, considering the feline still in his arms. But he cuddles the cat to his chest and with two long strides, he’s walks… right past me? Rude.
“Hi. I’m Kieran,” he introduces himself to Molly with a charming smile.
“Your reputation precedes you.” She smiles and shakes his hand. “I’m Molly. It’s so good to finally meet you.”
“Likewise.” His eyes drop to the tray she’s holding. “What did you bring?” He tries to take a peek under the towel she’s got over the tray. Erik appears next to me, arm snaking around my hip as he watches Molly take it off for him.