Epilogue
Maren
“This place looks gorgeous.” Deidre beams as she scans the landscape around us. “You two have done such an amazing job with all the upgrades.”
“I can’t take credit for any of it.” I open the door to the brand new building situated where a dilapidated hut used to stand. “It’s all Trevor.”
He threw himself into renovating the petting zoo the same way he tackled the modifications made to our home—like a man obsessed.
Which is honestly pretty on brand for him.
“He has such wonderful taste.” Deidre steps into the completed welcome center for the first time, sucking in a breath as both hands clasp together against her chest. “Oh my goodness. It is just stunning.”
Trevor really ran with the safari theme he chose for the redo.
The walls of the main area are painted in different animal prints.
One has zebra stripes. Another cheetah spots.
A third mimics the coat of a giraffe. And the final one is shimmering scales like a reptile.
It’s definitely busy, but the black glittering epoxy on the floor ties it together and helps keep it from feeling overwhelming.
There’s also now a large station in the center, where visitors can purchase tickets or yearly passes. It’s made of pale wood with rounded edges and the petting zoo’s logo carved in the center.
Deidre steps up to it, running one hand along the smooth surface of the counter. “I bet Zara loves it here.”
I snort, because saying my sister loves this place is a gigantic understatement. She is obsessed.
Also very on brand.
“When she found out the zoo was going to be completed in time to have her birthday party here this year, she was so happy she cried a little.” I didn’t have the faintest idea how to handle that freaking situation.
Even over a year into therapy, I still haven’t tackled many of my issues.
I am getting better at navigating a lot of them, though.
Sometimes I even initiate hugs now. On purpose.
“Then let’s make sure this is the best birthday party any little girl has ever had.” Deidre claps her hands. “Where are we having the caterers set up?”
Never did I think anyone would ever ask me that question.
“There’s actually a party room back here. It can be rented out, so other kids can have their birthdays here too.” I lead Deidre into the enclosed area Trevor decided would be a good way to help bring in additional funds to support the cost of maintaining this place.
And holy hell is there a cost to maintaining this place.
Fortunately, based on the projection models, it should be self-sustaining in a few years, which Trevor has assured me is pretty impressive for a place like this. I’ll believe it when I see it. Especially since he keeps adding more freaking animals to feed.
Deidre goes to work, moving tables around and situating chairs. Brooke and Ruth arrive not long after the caterers show up, and while the catering team handles the food, the four of us spend the next hour hanging decorations and organizing all the craft supplies.
Instead of games, Zara wanted all her friends to make a craft they could take home. It’s just like her to basically give other people gifts on her birthday, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. My sister has turned into such a generous, kind, loving person, and I couldn’t be more proud.
Trevor tries to tell me I’m the reason she’s so awesome, but if I was responsible for who she became, my sister would be a smaller, meaner version of my pissy ass.
Not that I’m quite as pissy anymore. Regular fuckings and sleeping on the world’s most luxurious bed every night might have improved my disposition.
But only a little.
We’re just getting everything into place when Trevor walks in, Zara racing ahead of him. She’s got a new, motorized chair and loves being able to easily move around on her own. Unfortunately, she’s a terrible freaking driver. The bruise on my left big toe is a testament to that.
Everyone jumps out of her way as she barrels through, ooh-ing and aah-ing over the food and decorations.
Deidre handled the catering choices, and she really went all out. The spread is filled with easy to eat tea sandwiches, lots of fruit and veggies, and a number of sweet treats, including the cutest cake topped with fondant sculptures of some of the animals here at the petting zoo.
Including a capybara.
Kids start showing up early, eager to party and pet critters. Since petting the animals can be a dirty experience, we party first, spending an hour getting everyone fed, the cake cut, and crafts made.
Then it’s time to take a tour.
One of the ‘rangers’ takes us around the enclosures, passing out food pellets and hand sanitizer. He explains everything from dietary needs and habitat characteristics, to why Chompy the miniature pony has to wear a muzzle. That one’s pretty easy to deduce, in my opinion.
Trevor and I follow behind the group, hanging back while Zara has the time of her life showing her friends the petting zoo that sports her name.
Trevor slides his hand into mine, giving it a squeeze. “I think she’s enjoying her party.”
I snort. “How could she not?” I look up at him, lifting my brows. “This is pretty much the ultimate little girl dream.”
Trevor’s expression is soft but oddly intense as he looks down at me. “What was your little girl dream?”
I shrug. “I didn’t have one. I was too busy trying not to starve.”
His nostrils flare as he takes a slow breath and blows it back out again.
I know it’s not easy for Trevor to hear about my childhood. It’s not easy to talk about. But Patricia, my long suffering therapist, says I have to do it anyway.
So we’re both just gonna have to suffer through.
Trevor takes another deep breath before asking, “What if I take a guess at what your little girl dream would have been?”
He’s so weird sometimes. “Sure. Why not.”
I yelp a little as he tugs me away from the group, following a different branch of the beautifully paved path than the one my sister’s group is taking. This one cuts through the trees and leads to another of the new buildings that’s been constructed on the property.
I raise an eyebrow as he reaches for the door. “I can assure you, my childhood dream wouldn’t have been to tour the feed room.” I purse my lips. “Or to get railed in it during my sister’s birthday party.”
Trevor scoffs. “Do you really think I’d try to fuck you at a time like this?”
I laugh. “Do I need to remind you what happened during Brooke and Toby’s wedding?”
“You are just as responsible for that as I am.”
He opens the solid metal door, leading me into what appears to be a storage room. But it’s not filled with sacks of feed like I expect. It’s full of… Enclosures of some sort.
“Remember the first day we came here?” Trevor moves me between the rows of netting-wrapped frames.
“Of course I remember it.” How does one forget the day a man buys her sister a zoo?
“You wore a pair of earrings Zara got you,” Trevor continues as I finally identify what’s inside the water cooler-sized cages.
“Caterpillars.” The word is barely a whisper as my eyes land on a fuzzy insect inching its way across a stick.
“Caterpillars.” Trevor’s hand comes to my back, resting gently as he urges me along. “Zara said you love them, and for a while, I wondered why.” He continues pushing me along until we reach a set of doors. “Then I figured it out.”
The doors slide open automatically, revealing a curtain of weighted chains we have to weave through. Once we reach the other side, Trevor’s guess at what little Maren would have loved comes into full, spectacular view.
Butterflies of all shapes, sizes, and colors fill the air. They flutter from flower to flower, wings silent and graceful.
“You love caterpillars because you understand them.” Trevor’s voice is low in my ear as he steps behind me, wrapping both arms around my waist. “You know what it’s like to spend the beginning of your life doing nothing but trying to find food so you can grow.”
My throat goes tight as he continues.
“And you know what it’s like to do everything possible to change. To become something completely different from what you were born as.” His next words come as a whisper. “Because you, Maren Lucas, are a butterfly.”
I press my lips together, blinking hard as I try to take in his words. To actually hear what he’s saying instead of brushing it off.
Another thing Patricia says I have to work on.
After a few hard swallows, and a handful of slow inhales, I manage to get myself together enough to say, “You didn’t have to do all this. I already love you.”
Trevor chuckles, the sound rumbling against my back. “I’m not trying to convince you to love me.” He lifts one of his hands from my waist, a glittering ring pinched between his fingers. “I’m trying to convince you to marry me.”
Thank you so much for reading Trevor, Maren, and Zara’s story!
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