Four Years Later
EPILOGUE
Miles
Tuesday
In honor of my dad, the Elmwood Center established a monthly “movie night” for patients and staff who wanted to join. Every first Wednesday of the month.
He said goodbye to us at the CIC. And Ella, I, and the entire community in Evermere spent the rest of the week sharing tears, smiles, and hugs, remembering the man he was. I heard so many people talk about how deeply he had touched their lives in such a short time.
I couldn’t put into words how grateful I am to have had those years with him.
I look at Asher, Finn, and Elliot. They come bursting through the gate. They are a whole scene: sunglasses on, making up some rap song, and carrying a huge wrapped box with a pink bow like it’s a precious king’s offer.
The guys come to visit Evermere on a regular basis. Turns out, real friendship means everything stays exactly the same, no matter how many days you’re apart.
Real friends don’t make you feel left out just because you’re physically away.
Real friends are the kind you might not see for a whole month, but when you do, they smile like they’ve missed you for a whole year; and they’re with you like they never left your side.
I’ve been living in Evermere with Ella for a year now. Her house has become our home, the place where we’ve argued over the small and the complex things, laughed until liquids came out of our noses, held hopeful tidings, and made major life decisions.
My old grandparents’ house is still my mom’s. She knows she could come any time she wants to. Maybe one day live closer to me and the grandchildren she would like to see growing up. For now, it’s still my studio in Evermere.
The house had been a full project for me. Ella and I spent entire afternoons there, painting walls, clothes, and parts of our bodies.
I had special help with climbing and holding ladders up to the roof, from Joseph and Muriel, the boys who once ran around the Youth Club, now strong enough to carry every piece of furniture with me.
Miss Nour from the Village Oven insisted on giving me a decorative gift: a canvas for me to hang in the studio space, because she believes paintings bring inspiration, both in the kitchen and in music.
Some local farmers helped clear the wild garden, and Mr. George brought fresh soil and plant cuttings from his own farm.
I had missed the feeling of community.
The feeling of belonging somewhere.
I look at Ella coming down the wooden stairs, stepping into the living room.
And the feeling of belonging with someone.
“Did you see my mom brought a chicken pie for you?” Ella smiles widely and wraps an arm around my waist.
“I did, she’s awesome,” I answer, and kiss her cheek.
Ella’s mom has helped us prepare this special brunch. She went above and beyond, bringing details that made everything feel more magical and thoughtful than we could’ve planned.
We have a full house today.
Ella’s brothers helped their sister Mira bake the million cupcakes, cookies, and brownies now covering our long table of appetizers, and they’re beaming with pride.
They walk around offering trays, asking our guests whether they’d like white or dark chocolate.
Naturally, Ella’s siblings went full chocolatier in her honor, with a whole menu of chocolate items for her.
“Where’s the baby?” I ask.
Ella lifts an arm and points to our garden, where our family, my friends, her friends, and some of our community are falling in love — utterly enchanted — by our daughter: a petite, golden, chubby three-month-old baby.
Mine and Ella’s hands intertwine as we step through the tall glass doors that open from the living room into the garden, letting the breeze drift into the house.
The garden had blossomed. The outdoor couch sat under the soft shade of a lemon tree, draped in patterned blue pillows.
Ella had planted roses, sunflowers, hydrangeas, and rosemary, their colors and scents slowly claiming their space.
And I’m sure there are many more yet to grow from the seeds she planted with hope and a whole lot of excitement.
I look at her hand, where the ring has rested since I proposed to her with it. It was always meant for her, from the moment Miss Amara decided this ring was meant for the person who made me the happiest.