32. Epilogue
Epilogue
Zach
W hile still being attentive to Mazie, I’ve been trying to keep track of Eli all night. This is the first time he’s been around a large group of people in a year.
He took the whole school year off, and while I honestly have no idea what he did with himself besides wallow in misery, he was still present. Sure, there were the occasional times that nobody would hear from him for a week or two, when he’d skip family dinner. But he was battling some demons and assured me he was okay.
Seeing him here, I believe him.
Though he’s not being the life of the party like he used to be, he’s had a smile on his face all night. He’s danced with his sisters, with Jordanna, and at one point, I heard him making inappropriate passes at one of the waitresses, who smiled and laughed it off.
To somebody who doesn’t know Eli, he’d seem just as he’s always been. But I can tell there’s something missing. The light is gone, the urgency. The silliness. He’s on his way back, but he’s not there yet.
It took him a while to be normal with me. But the more I assured him everything was fine, that I’d do it again, the more he started to believe me. Once I was fully healed and back on the streets, he came around more.
It felt like the longest year of my life, both with the healing process, which wasn’t over once the sling came off and the wound was healed, and processing the event. Mazie had nightmares at first. Thankfully, she confided in me and in Alina, who had gone through her own bout of nightmares. With the help of Dr. Raylinsky, we were able to overcome them.
Worrying about Eli took up a lot of the time. There were family meetings to talk about how he was doing. Everybody had varying insights, as he seemed to tell different people different things. All in all, the overwhelming theme was that he was going to be okay. Not just because he said it, but because he made progress and just needed time to process the event on his own and with the help of his therapist, who he assured us he was seeing weekly.
The only concern I have for him now is the family aspect. He wants it, and he realized that much more intently after the shooting. Some of the prep for the wedding was hard on him. He’s the oldest and has no prospects. Though he tries to hide it from his sisters, to put on the happy face of a brother who’s proud of them and loves them, a part of him is jealous.
It was one conversation over the winter when he really laid it out for me. I hadn’t realized how intensely he was feeling it, but like a lot of things with Eli, he keeps it close to the vest until he’s ready to share.
It’s why when he gets up from his chair and heads out to the patio, I want to follow him. But I’m intercepted by a party guest and have to put on my host hat. I glance around quickly for Mazie to see if she can take over, either with Fran the dispatcher or checking on Eli. When I finally find her, I know I won’t be interrupting. She’s having a sisterly bonding moment, all three with their arms around each other.
“So happy for you and Mazie. She’s a sweet girl. The whole Baker family is. Such a shame what happened to their parents. You know I handled that call?”
My attention focuses back on Fran, who’s almost a foot shorter than I am, at the mention of the Bakers. “No. I wasn’t aware of that.”
“Truly horrific thing. They were such lovely people. Very wholesome. And they did a great job with their children.”
I lift my gaze back over to Mazie and her sisters, the corners of my lips pulling up. “They certainly did.” But my stomach plummets when I realize I was on my way to check on Eli. That he’s not back and not part of the Baker hug.
“I’m so sorry, if you’ll excuse me. I’m needed for…something.” I shift away before she can stop me and head straight for the door to the patio.
As soon as I push through the door and into the thick night air, I know I’m too late. Because all I can see is his back as he follows after a redhead toward the parking lot. While I want to be mad that he’s basically skipping out on my wedding, I can’t blame him for becoming overwhelmed, even if it does look like he’s just chasing tail.
I hope he knows what he’s doing.
The End
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