Epilogue - Opal
Five years later
“ A re you excited?”
“Yeah!” Ezra’s big, green eyes stare up at me. He ended up with his dad’s eye color, but his blonde hair darkened into the same mousy brown shade that I have. He’s an absolutely perfect blend of the two of us.
It’s funny how you can go your whole life perceiving your own flaws, but when you see those same features on your child, they’re suddenly beautiful.
“Alright, let’s get your backpack.”
Alex walks through the doorway into our living room. “My boy!” He runs over and lifts Ezra into the air, and his little giggles fill the room.
“Put him down, Dad, he’s gotta go to school.”
“Will you walk with us, Daddy?” Ezra asks, staring up at Alex after he sets him back on the floor.
“Of course I will, bud.”
Luckily we live only two blocks from his elementary school, so we’re within walking distance. It was important to me to find a house in a walkable neighborhood. Some of my best memories involve walking places with Alex and Maisie as a kid, and I didn’t want Ezra to miss out on that experience.
We’re living in Dallas now. We moved here when Ezra was three, at that point we felt comfortable being a little bit further from family, but still close enough to visit regularly.
It ended up being the perfect place for us. Even though I felt attached to Willow Grove and was somewhat afraid to leave, I love the city so much more. The faster pace of life here invigorates me, and I’ve made some friends that also have kids around Ezra’s age.
I ended up getting a bachelor’s degree in business, and even though Alex’s songwriting career has taken off and provides more than enough to pay the bills, I love having my own career and doing my part to contribute.
About a year after Ezra was born I started self-publishing my poetry collections. I have several different books published now, all of them featuring a different theme. One of them is about living with anxiety disorders, another about healing and rebuilding relationships, and my latest one is about the ups and downs of motherhood.
Knowing that my words have resonated with other people, and possibly helped them cope with difficult feelings, is worth more than any amount of money. My business degree helped me understand the marketing side of things, and I’m hoping within a few years my little passion project will provide us with another full-time income, but even if it doesn’t ever turn a huge profit, it’s worth it to me anyway.
After Ezra was born, Alex started going to AA meetings back in Willow Grove. Even though it had been a while since he’d drank at the time, he still felt like it was a good idea to learn some strategies to cope with stress in case the urge ever came up again. He’s been fully sober now for a little over five years.
“Mommy, I’m scared.” Ezra comes to a full stop, staring at the door of his classroom.
“What are you scared of, munchkin?”
“I’ll miss you.”
My heart. He has no idea how much I’ll miss him, too.
Alex squats down to Ezra’s level and takes one of his little hands in his. “We’re gonna miss you too, but you’re gonna do awesome, you’re as smart as your mommy, and she’s the smartest lady I know. You’ll make lots of new friends and play fun games. And we’ll both be here to pick you up this afternoon.”
Ezra’s mouth curves into a smile before he throws his arms around Alex’s neck and squeezes him hard. “Okay, Daddy,” he says before turning around and skipping into the classroom like he doesn’t have a single worry in the world.
We walk out the door of the school, hand in hand. “You always know what to say.”
“Yeah, I do have a way with words,” Alex chuckles.
“I think we did good,” I say as I unlock the front door of our townhouse.
“Good with what?”
“Our kid. Our life. Everything.”
“That was all you.” He smiles as he wraps his arms around me, pinning me against the door and leaning in to softly kiss my neck. “This is all for you, I wouldn’t have done it without you. I couldn’t have.”
I roll my eyes. “I’m pretty sure you could have, Mr. Platinum Record.”
“I’d have no reason to do any of it without you.” His lips trace from my neck to my lips. “And I’d rather you call me Mr. Anderson, Mrs. Anderson.”
Oh yeah, we got married six months after Ezra was born. It was a small wedding at the local courthouse, but it was everything I ever wanted and more, surrounded by the few people that mean the most to us.
“It’s you and me, Bluebird. Always.”
I smile, soaking in the blissfulness of the moment and the knowledge that we made it. Somehow we managed to walk through the darkness and come out on the other end together.
I press another kiss to his lips and rest my head against his chest. “Always.”
The End