Final Epilogue
Ethan
“Well, finally,” a familiar voice says with a chuckle behind me. A voice I’d know anywhere. “I’ve been waiting for you.”
Slowly, I turn.
There she is, my Lily, standing on the porch of our beach house. She looks incredible, even more beautiful than I remember. Her long blonde hair is down, catching the breeze, and her lilac summer dress sways around her.
“H-how? Wh-what?” I stammer, my brain struggling to catch up.
The last thing I remember was being at the beach house with the kids and grandkids and falling asleep with Lily in my arms.
“Is this a dream?” I whisper.
Please say no. Please say no. Please say no.
She pushes a strand of hair from her face, a soft smile playing on her lips, and shakes her head. “No, my love. You are not dreaming.”
And just like that, I’m a goner.
I sprint toward her, scooping her up, one hand instinctively going to her ass, forcing her to wrap her legs around my waist.
She laughs, a bright, clear sound that I’ve missed so damn much it physically ached.
“Oh, my God, Lily,” I choke out, burying my face in her neck. “I missed you so fucking much.”
“I missed you too,” she whispers, holding me tight.
“So, is this… heaven?” I ask a little breathlessly, watching the last sliver of sun dip below the horizon. Lily relaxes between my legs, her back against my chest, as we sit on the warm sand.
“It can be whatever you want it to be.”
“Am I dead?” The words feel a bit surreal coming out of my mouth.
She turns her head slightly, glancing over her shoulder at me, a small smile playing on her lips. “You died in your sleep. Peacefully. The kids found you this morning. I’m so sorry, Ethan.”
I close my eyes for a moment, and a familiar, sharp pang hits me right in the chest. It was the same ache I felt the day I found Lily dead in my arms. My children. My grandbabies. How could I leave them? Will they be strong enough to deal with another loss?
“They’re going to be fine, Ethan,” she murmurs, as if reading my mind. She reaches back and squeezes my hand. “You raised them so well. And look at them now. I have beautiful grandbabies.” Her eyes gleam with delight.
I can’t help but laugh, the sudden sadness slowly evaporating under the warmth of her presence. “Yeah, we do. Or… did.” I shake my head slightly, the whole situation still a bit mind-bending.
“I’m sorry you missed out on our children growing up,” I whisper, burying my face in her hair, inhaling that familiar scent of lavender and sunshine. My lips find the soft skin at her temple.
“I’ve been watching you, Ethan. And you know what I saw?”
“What?” I ask.
She gazes at me, her eyes shining like stars.
“You kept your promise by proving, every single day, that our love was endless. You lived for us, for the memories, for the future we couldn’t share physically, but that you carried in your heart.
” A gentle smile plays on her lips. “You didn’t give up.
You didn’t walk away. You stayed, and you fought. For me. For you. And for them.”
I lean in, my heart swelling with a love that feels both new and eternal, and capture her lips with mine, sealing a promise that transcends time. “I love you so much. More than words could ever say,” I whisper.
“And I love you. With every single heartbeat and every breath,” she whispers back.
Her fingers intertwine with mine, a perfect fit, reaffirming that our connection remains unbroken through time and space.
The End.