Epilogue
Jamie - Five Years Later
“ U ncle Jamie, do you think Cooper Star likes my dress?” Nova spins around, her dark brown hair flying into her face.
I bend onto my haunches in front of the little girl. “I think he loves it. You’re the most beautiful flower girl I’ve ever seen.” Next to us, Caiden stands, looking gorgeous in a full black suit with purple waistcoat and bowtie. He’s holding a bouquet of pink roses and white daisies.
“Nova baby, do you want to give these to Cooper Star?” he asks, handing her the flowers. She nods eagerly and takes them, then bounds forward to Cooper’s grave where she bends down, sinking her knees - white tights and all - into the grass.
“Here you go, I hope you like them. And I hope you like my dress,” she says. She jumps to her feet and spins around again before noticing her dirty knees. “Shit,” she remarks and I choke on a laugh.
“Don’t use that word, Nova,” Sage reprimands from her spot behind me.
“Uncle Jamie does!”
Nova shrieks as I make a grab for her and drape her over my shoulder. “Tattletale!”
“Uncle Jamie is an adult, remember? Come on, I have a spare pair, let’s get you changed before you have to walk down the aisle.”
I pass Nova to her mum and they leave Caiden and I alone at the foot of Cooper’s grave.
Sage moved closer to us when Nova was a baby. About a year ago, Nova saw the star certificate on our fridge and asked about Cooper. We told her all about him and from that day on she’s been calling him Cooper Star.
I take Caiden’s hand and look at him. Losing Cooper was the hardest thing to ever happen to us, but we found our way and he will always be a part of our story.
We’re both in a good place in our lives - we started a company together doing garden and home design, we still have Ford, as well as a puppy, three rabbits and a tortoise - all rescues - a new house and have travelled a large amount of Europe together. Caiden continues to take medication and speak to his therapist once a month, and for a while I saw a grief counselor too. He hasn’t entirely overcome his fear of getting in a car yet. He’ll get in one - as a passenger - but it’s not without increased levels of anxiety. He’s healing slowly from the trauma of the accident but we’ve come to accept that that night changed us in some ways that can never be undone.
What’s most important is that we’re happy. Happy and in love and not simply surviving. We’re living in the way we promised ourselves we would do all those years ago.
“Hey brother,” Caiden says. “Today’s a special day, shine brightly on us, okay? I’ll be looking for you.”
I squeeze his hand. “Ready?”
“To be your husband? Never been more ready.”
THE END