Epilogue
Killian
There was a strange peace that had settled into my life, after finding my mother.
I wasn’t sure what to expect when Natty had said the name of the other woman in the club with her, that had been trapped there. To be honest, my mind hadn’t really processed that she was real. That there was a universe in which my mother was actually alive, and within arms reach.
Laura’s hand still found a way over my chest some mornings, where she’d stroke over the daisy inked there.
The one I’d gotten after my mother left me, and I was old enough to mark myself with a memory of her.
Those mornings, she seemed to understand that I needed to lie in silence while I stared at the ceiling.
I’d hold her hand there, over my heart and we’d just breathe.
Emotion would clog my throat, and I’d find a way to thank whatever powers at be allowed my mother to find her way back into my life.
Laura’s easy smiles and friendly demeanor towards my mom was also something I marveled at.
I knew deep down parts of her resented my mom for leaving, just like some pieces of me still did.
Even if she’d explained why…it didn’t change the outcome.
That I was left all alone, with no one but Simon, and the Stone Riders to raise me.
“Let’s give it some time,” Laura would remind me.
She would follow the same advice with her own mother, who she was still trying to patch up old wounds with.
“We need a bigger house.”
Glancing up from my phone, I stared at Laura. She was in the middle of jotting down something in one of her lyric books. She kept them all over the house, in the truck, her new car, and even one in my saddle bag, on the bike.
“What?”
She looked up, meeting my gaze, still leaning over her book, elbows propped on the counter. “Well, your mom is in the guest room for the foreseeable future. My mom asks to visit all the time now. We need a bigger house.”
I set my phone down and moved so I was behind her, pulling her hips into mine. I had the ring I planned to give her in my closet, buried in one of the closet drawers I kept ammo in, so she wouldn’t find it.
“And what about us…would we need a bigger house for just our little family?”
Her hands came over mine, where they gathered at her waist. Without seeing her face, I knew she had a smile spread across it.
“Are you asking if you can knock me up?”
A laugh bubbled up my chest, “I’m asking if you picture that at all?”
We hadn’t been together long, but I knew I wanted to marry her. I knew I wanted a life with her. There wouldn’t ever be another for me.
“I like the name Royce.”
I kissed her cheek and spun her around. “For a boy’s name?”
Her hands came up around my neck right as my mother walked into the living room. Her dark hair wet, braided down her back.
Laura giggled, but didn’t move. “For a girl’s name actually.”
Royce Quinn.
I pictured a little girl with blonde hair and blue eyes, one that liked to sing like her momma. One that had the heart of a wolf inside of her, just like her dad.
“I love that name,” my mom said, smiling at us both.
Laura moved out of my arms and walked over to the table. “Thank you, Rachel.”
I hated that my mom still looked nervous around us. Like she was imposing.
“When you need the extra room, I can find a different place to—”
Laura’s hand shot out to my mom’s arm, her eyes narrowed. “When we are ready to have children, there will be plenty of room for them, you and my mom. You are welcome here long past all the seasons we’re about to endure, Rachel. You are his home, just as much as I am.”
Laura was talking about me, and my heart flipped in my chest. Was it possible to love her more than I already did?
My mom flicked a hesitant gaze my way, and I knew she wouldn’t believe what Laura said unless I told her.
“Mom, want to go get some lunch with me?”
Laura already knew I wanted to talk to my mom alone.
She’d explained herself to me, and I listened without interrupting, trying to understand what she was telling me.
I saw Silas, and knew he was a fucked up man and if his father was responsible for that mess, then I knew what she had done for me was a gift.
I had to slowly start building our relationship up. It had been almost twenty three years since she’d seen me, been around me, or involved in my life in any capacity. That was an entire lifetime. We couldn’t simply just pretend our way into this thing, we had to build it.
My mom smiled, moving toward her purse.
“Sure.”
We walked outside, both of us wincing at the bright sun. It felt like a new era for the Stone Riders. The immediate threats were put to rest, but there were still lingering ones that I could feel brewing. Concerns that I didn’t want to think about until I had no other choice to.
“I like her, Killian. Not that my opinion holds any weight at all but I couldn’t have pictured a better person for you. Laura is your match.”
That burning sensation in my chest that I got when I considered that very thing about Laura, flared to life. Red had said almost those exact words to me. Grief tangled with the pride I had over being with Laura. Over her choosing me and wanting this life.
“I’m going to ask her to marry me.”
Gravel crunched as we walked, until we stopped at my truck. I was about to open the door for my mom when I saw a tear fall down her face.
“I used to wonder if I’d miss all this…these moments of yours.
When you’d find the one, fall in love and start having children.
I would be stuck in one of Fable’s houses, doing some mundane chore, and I would imagine what you’d smile like.
How you’d laugh, or blush. I’d think of what you must look like standing at the altar, waiting for her. ” More tears fell from her lashes.
“For whatever reason, you’ve found me worthy enough to be here, and witness this.
I just want you to know I’m grateful. I’m so honored to be here, with you son.
To get a chance to maybe meet my grandchildren, if you and Laura are so blessed with that.
To get to see you happy like this, it's been the greatest joy of my life.”
My heart split open, my mind going back to that day when I was nine years old. The very last time I saw her. The grief I carried over losing her, and I pulled her into my chest, hugging her as tightly as I could.
“I love you. I used to look at the stars and I’d pray you’d somehow come back to me.” My throat began to grow tight as my own tears began flowing.
She hiccupped into my chest, until we had both stood there for a long while, just crying and existing. Once we pulled away, she swiped at her face.
“Fable once talked about how his son had gotten lost, and fallen in love with a star. I thought he was drunk, but it’s odd that she was the reason I was able to come back to you. It’s as if the stars listened to you, Killian and delivered me home.”
I gave her one last hug before helping her into the truck, and then glanced up at the sky.
Whatever the reason was, I wouldn’t take it for granted.
Bloggers Against Bikers:
Motorcycle Mayhem Hits Rose Ridge Once Again
Article by E?dVi0lence56:
It should be no surprise to any of you that I’m writing yet another piece regarding the biker gangs of Virginia.
It seems our letters to the senate, and even the president have gone ignored.
We’ve even gone as far as taking things into our own hands to rid our cities of this plague of bikers, and yet they continue to thrive.
Here is yet another reason we need to come together and ban their clubs from gathering.
As you can see in the photo pictured below, the small town of Rose Ridge was flooded this weekend with hundreds, if not thousands of bikers.
The streets were packed with the headache-inducing sounds of their loud exhausts, and when so many of them are together, it caused windows to rattle, and small children to stay indoors.
Many people reported an inability to access roads.
Routes to the grocery store, gas stations and even the hospital were blocked because of how many bikers were traveling together.
While we’re somewhat used to seeing the local Stone Riders traveling in groups from time to time, this instance was concerning because various clubs from around Virginia were seen.
Mayhem Riot from New York was seen with at least a few hundred riders.
The Death Raiders, being led by someone new, from what we’d last gathered.
We will have to look into that in our next article because it seems several of these clubs are under new governance.
Sons of Speed was also seen in attendance, a new president leading their group as they entered city limits.
Lastly, The Chaos Kings from Richland were seen with well over four hundred members traveling through town.
Their arrival created a traffic jam that lasted nearly an hour for locals.
We try to avoid these bikers at all costs because as you know, they each wear what’s called a one percenter patch, meaning they live outside the law of our land, and use their own governing rules to live by.
It creates violence and other disorder that isn’t needed or respected in small towns like ours.
However, for the sake of the story, we did grab one person for a direct quote on why the mass gathering.
According to Harris Kline, of the Stone Riders, he said, “When a great man dies, it creates a ripple so strong in the community, that there’s only one choice but to show up and pay tribute. Especially when he dies twice.”
We aren’t sure who exactly has passed away, or what he’s referring to that would give us any indication as to how long these bikers will be in town, but I urge everyone to be on high alert.
We can end this biker era together if we stay strong and continue to fight.
Callie
This felt like deja vu but in the most sickening way possible.