Epilogue
Riah
“Good session.” Korie smiled as she waved back to our therapist.
“Intense session,” I grumbled under my breath, closing the door softly behind me.
“Aw, baby,” Korie kissed the top of my head. “I know it’s hard, but we are making so much progress.”
“Yeah, true. I just…when I suggested that we go to therapy to build trust, I thought it would take like…a few months. I never imagined we would be here a year later, digging into our childhoods and deepest traumas.”
“I know, but this is good. We can’t just stop at building trust between us, we need to build trust and love within ourselves. That’s the only way we will stay strong and together forever, just like we planned.” She lifted my hand and kissed the giant diamond on my finger.
Although I agreed, I was still exhausted. I sulked, my brain throbbing as we walked back to our car in the parking garage. When I reached for the passenger door, Korie grabbed my waist and twisted me around, cupping my cheek in her hand.
“We could skip the party, you know. That was a heavy session. I can take you home and help you blow off some steam.” Her eyebrows wiggled suggestively.
There was nothing more I wanted to do than to go home and let my fiancé fuck the absolute life out of me, but we had other plans that we needed to stick to.
“Ugh,” I dropped my forehead onto her chest. “Believe me, I want to. But we are the fun, rich aunties. We have an obligation to show up and blow everyone else’s gift out of the water.”
I gestured over to the giant, professionally wrapped playhouse strapped in the bed of the truck. A smile split Korie’s cheeks.
She had been the most excited about Mila’s first birthday party. Over and over, I insisted that she was too small for a playhouse of her own, but Korie was having none of it. She took the ‘rich, childless aunties’ label very, very seriously.
“You’re right!” She gasped before pressing a kiss to my forehead. “So turn that frown upside down because we are going to finally make Aunt Pat eat her words! We are the new favorite aunties.”
I giggled as she threw my door open for me before racing to the driver's side. I’d never seen an adult so excited for a child’s birthday in my life, but it was sweet.
Sometimes, I still got whiplash from how light and fun she could be as opposed to her darker, more intense side. But I loved both just the same.
As we rounded the corner onto Eddie and Chrissy’s street, Korie’s phone rang over the car speaker. She answered and my mom’s panicked voice filtered through the speaker.
“Korie, thank God. Your father-in-law,” she raised her voice like she was indirectly scolding him. “Dropped all of the fresh hamburger patties I prepared for the party right into the dirt. We have no backup. Could you...”
“I’m on it, Sadie. Don’t you worry. Enough for about 30 people, right?”
“Perfect! You’re a lifesaver, sweetie. Thank you! Can’t wait to see you! I gotta go finish these decorations.”
The line went dead. My mouth hung open as Korie’s smile only got wider. My arms crossed over my chest and I huffed, flopping back into my seat.
“They love you more than me now,” I pouted as I rolled my eyes playfully.
I secretly loved that they called her for help more than me. It made the security I felt with her run that much deeper.
“What can I say…I’m very useful.” She winked and squeezed into my thigh. “I’ll make myself very useful to you tonight.”
A smile crept across my face. “Okay, that makes me feel a little better.”
“If I wasn’t on meat delivery duty, I’d taste that sweet pussy right here in this car.”
“Korie, hush.” I had to squeeze my legs together. “Be good.”
And good she was. Not only did she help my mom remake the hamburger patties, but she also grilled them up for the party, too.
When it was time to open presents, she waited until the absolute perfect, last moment to haul Mila’s playhouse to the backyard.
She went above and beyond to put it together while everyone ate cake. Aunt Pat was successfully outshone.
When she finally sat down next to me as the family surrounded the table, we got bombarded with wedding questions. Everyone was eager to finally have Korie as an official part of the family, especially Eddie, who was going on and on about bachelor party this, wedding outfit that.
I sat back, looking around at all of the people I loved as Korie took the lead and answered every question. She melted seamlessly into the conversation, just like she always had. Like she was always part of the family. In a way, she always had been. Always right there.