Status: Finished, I hope you love it.
A Hero Can Save Us
Epilogue
Epilogue:
Sacramento, California
Friday, November 23rd, 2018
9:42 AM
I groaned as I sat up in bed. ‘You’re getting old,’ I thought as I lit a cigarette from my bedside table. Milo’s advice never did stick. I dragged myself from beneath the blankets and headed into the kitchen of my tiny apartment to make coffee. As I dumped grounds into the maker there was pounding on my front door.
I was so startled I nearly dropped my can of Folgers. ‘Who the hell is here this early?’ I asked myself pulling on a pair of pajama pants that were lying on my laundry basket and stamping out my cigarette in the ashtray before heading to the door where the banging had not ceased.
I opened the door to reveal those who had become the most important people in my life.
“Happy birthday!” they shouted, the five of them shoving past me into my cluttered apartment.
I turned around with a smile. They stood grinning back at me: Autumn and Alyx holding a cake with ‘Happy Birthday Abbey!’ written in green frosting, Travis a broad smile on his face as he held a purple gift bag in hand and Russ and Milo each holding an elaborately wrapped gift. It occurred to me then, I had forgotten my birthday as I thought, ‘I really am getting old!’
“You guys didn’t have to go to all this trouble for me,” I cried tears surprisingly prickling in my eyes.
Autumn sat the cake on the counter before pulling me into a hug, “of course we did it’s your birthday.”
I pulled back looking them over, Alyx was now up to my shoulders, Milo’s hair now salt and pepper as opposed to the deep black color it had been when we met. I looked from him to Travis, tears leaking down my cheeks, before beckoning to them both.
They stepped forward and I pulled them both in to a tight hug, a warm feeling in my chest and they hugged me back. Since that day three years ago, our lives and relationships had changed hugely. Milo was now engaged and Travis had opened his own Chiropractor’s office in Anaheim and living with his girlfriend of a year. I had thought that day as Milo and Travis stood bruised and bloodied that it was a shame that things had happened the way they did, because if things had gone differently they would have become great friends and without me in the picture to get between them, they eventually did.
As I let them go, I looked them both in the face with adoration; they had gone from my lovers to two of my best friends.
“Enough emotions!” Russ shouted, “Time for cake and presents.”
I laughed as Autumn lit the candles. They burst into ‘Happy Birthday,’ Travis singing loudly and off-key, smiles plastered on all their faces. I clapped and blew out the candles.
“What’d you wish for, Abbey?” Alyx asked her blonde pigtails bobbing as she bounced on her heels.
“She can’t tell,” Travis reminded her, “or it won’t come true.”
She nodded profusely.
“Gimme presents,” I demanded playfully.
“Me first,” Travis called thrusting the purple bag into my hands.
I pulled the paper from the bag revealing a picture frame. I removed it from the bag only to have fresh tears peak in my eyes. Inside the frame was a photograph taken a few weeks ago of the 6 of us at Disneyland, each of us wearing a pair of Mickey Mouse ears, Milo holding Travis and Russ in a playful headlock as Autumn, Alyx and I stood beside them giant grins on our faces.
I thanked Travis profusely giving him another quick hug.
“Russ you go next,” Milo said gesturing to me, his crooked smile wide, “I want to go last.”
Russ handed me his gift. I tore the paper from it quickly it to find an unmarked box. Inside it was an adult diaper.
“Really Russ?” I asked with a hearty laugh, “Depends?”
He grinned, nudging me with his elbow, “You’re 25 now. It’s only a matter of time.”
I gave him a punch in the arm before Milo stepped forward, holding a small gift towards me.
I smiled and took it from his hands. As I ripped the wrapping paper away, a gasp escaped me. I held in my hands a comic book, ‘Milo Ventimiglia Presents Day Dreamer.’ The cover showed a woman being sucked into the dream of a sleeping passenger on the subway; at the bottom it read ‘Created by Abbey Frank.’
I threw myself into his arms.
“How did you?” I cried as I pulled back from him.
He grinned his crooked grin and winked, “Someone left it on my desk last week, and it’s awesome.”
I looked to Russ with a shocked smile. He had been the only one I had shown. He shrugged modestly.
“Russ,” I cried running up to hug him, “you big softie!”
“Ah,” he said with a shy smile as I let him go, “it was nothing.”
“Let’s go celebrate!” Travis shouted with excitement in his blue eyes.
I nodded, running off to get dressed. When I returned the five of them stood waiting, joy evident on their faces.
As we left my small apartment, Milo placed an arm around both Travis and me, his hazel eyes glittering before saying, “today is going to be a good day.”
And I knew he was right. As we piled into Milo’s BMW and drove towards the California sun, I knew my wish had already come true. These people loved me and they were my family and that was all I’d ever need…
The End
Sacramento, California
Friday, November 23rd, 2018
9:42 AM
I groaned as I sat up in bed. ‘You’re getting old,’ I thought as I lit a cigarette from my bedside table. Milo’s advice never did stick. I dragged myself from beneath the blankets and headed into the kitchen of my tiny apartment to make coffee. As I dumped grounds into the maker there was pounding on my front door.
I was so startled I nearly dropped my can of Folgers. ‘Who the hell is here this early?’ I asked myself pulling on a pair of pajama pants that were lying on my laundry basket and stamping out my cigarette in the ashtray before heading to the door where the banging had not ceased.
I opened the door to reveal those who had become the most important people in my life.
“Happy birthday!” they shouted, the five of them shoving past me into my cluttered apartment.
I turned around with a smile. They stood grinning back at me: Autumn and Alyx holding a cake with ‘Happy Birthday Abbey!’ written in green frosting, Travis a broad smile on his face as he held a purple gift bag in hand and Russ and Milo each holding an elaborately wrapped gift. It occurred to me then, I had forgotten my birthday as I thought, ‘I really am getting old!’
“You guys didn’t have to go to all this trouble for me,” I cried tears surprisingly prickling in my eyes.
Autumn sat the cake on the counter before pulling me into a hug, “of course we did it’s your birthday.”
I pulled back looking them over, Alyx was now up to my shoulders, Milo’s hair now salt and pepper as opposed to the deep black color it had been when we met. I looked from him to Travis, tears leaking down my cheeks, before beckoning to them both.
They stepped forward and I pulled them both in to a tight hug, a warm feeling in my chest and they hugged me back. Since that day three years ago, our lives and relationships had changed hugely. Milo was now engaged and Travis had opened his own Chiropractor’s office in Anaheim and living with his girlfriend of a year. I had thought that day as Milo and Travis stood bruised and bloodied that it was a shame that things had happened the way they did, because if things had gone differently they would have become great friends and without me in the picture to get between them, they eventually did.
As I let them go, I looked them both in the face with adoration; they had gone from my lovers to two of my best friends.
“Enough emotions!” Russ shouted, “Time for cake and presents.”
I laughed as Autumn lit the candles. They burst into ‘Happy Birthday,’ Travis singing loudly and off-key, smiles plastered on all their faces. I clapped and blew out the candles.
“What’d you wish for, Abbey?” Alyx asked her blonde pigtails bobbing as she bounced on her heels.
“She can’t tell,” Travis reminded her, “or it won’t come true.”
She nodded profusely.
“Gimme presents,” I demanded playfully.
“Me first,” Travis called thrusting the purple bag into my hands.
I pulled the paper from the bag revealing a picture frame. I removed it from the bag only to have fresh tears peak in my eyes. Inside the frame was a photograph taken a few weeks ago of the 6 of us at Disneyland, each of us wearing a pair of Mickey Mouse ears, Milo holding Travis and Russ in a playful headlock as Autumn, Alyx and I stood beside them giant grins on our faces.
I thanked Travis profusely giving him another quick hug.
“Russ you go next,” Milo said gesturing to me, his crooked smile wide, “I want to go last.”
Russ handed me his gift. I tore the paper from it quickly it to find an unmarked box. Inside it was an adult diaper.
“Really Russ?” I asked with a hearty laugh, “Depends?”
He grinned, nudging me with his elbow, “You’re 25 now. It’s only a matter of time.”
I gave him a punch in the arm before Milo stepped forward, holding a small gift towards me.
I smiled and took it from his hands. As I ripped the wrapping paper away, a gasp escaped me. I held in my hands a comic book, ‘Milo Ventimiglia Presents Day Dreamer.’ The cover showed a woman being sucked into the dream of a sleeping passenger on the subway; at the bottom it read ‘Created by Abbey Frank.’
I threw myself into his arms.
“How did you?” I cried as I pulled back from him.
He grinned his crooked grin and winked, “Someone left it on my desk last week, and it’s awesome.”
I looked to Russ with a shocked smile. He had been the only one I had shown. He shrugged modestly.
“Russ,” I cried running up to hug him, “you big softie!”
“Ah,” he said with a shy smile as I let him go, “it was nothing.”
“Let’s go celebrate!” Travis shouted with excitement in his blue eyes.
I nodded, running off to get dressed. When I returned the five of them stood waiting, joy evident on their faces.
As we left my small apartment, Milo placed an arm around both Travis and me, his hazel eyes glittering before saying, “today is going to be a good day.”
And I knew he was right. As we piled into Milo’s BMW and drove towards the California sun, I knew my wish had already come true. These people loved me and they were my family and that was all I’d ever need…
The End
♠ ♠ ♠
This is the end, my friends. I hope it was everything you wanted it to be. I know it's a bit fluffy but I have loved writing every moment. Thank you for reading.