When You Came

Epilogue

F O U R Y E A R S L A T E R

It has been four years since my parents were killed by the one person I trusted and loved the most. Killed by the one person I gave myself to, that I vowed to myself that I'd spend the rest of my life with. The first few months were the worst. It was like I relived the entire moment I lost my parents but only this time it was the person I loved the most. He tried to contact me for the first few months. Every morning I would wake up to his missed calls, voiced mails and messages. I never listened to them. I was afraid it would break me even more than I already am. Mexico has been great. I've gotten a part time job at a small diner.

No one knew who I was. I've even made a new friend, Marisa. She's also my roommate. I came here four years ago without having an actual plan. It was in a heat of a moment that I knew that I had to get out of New York. Get out of any place that has a reminder of what I lost. Once I arrived in Mexico, I just randomly took a cab to the city and started walking around, exploring. Money wasn't a problem so I could do whatever I wanted.

I bumped into Marisa while sightseeing and we sat down and chatted. It was odd that I would sit down with a stranger in a foreign land but both of us hit it off right from the start. It was also a surprise to me when she was looking for a roommate because she's in a college. I couldn't care about school. In the end I just took some online classes and completed my degree in a year after the truth was revealed.

Months later, I stopped receiving calls and messages from Noah. A part of me was actually happy that he's finally leaving me alone but another part of me was actually heartbroken that he gave up so easily. Even though I never listened to those messages or read them, it acted like some sort of relief that he still thought about me. That's the stupid part of me I guess. I mean would you still pine over someone who killed your family and lied to you even though that person was the one you love and trusted the most?

After four years, I was ready to go back. Not forever though. I'm scared that seeing something would trigger the memories I tried so hard to forget. I'm only there for a few weeks just to mostly catch up with Amy. I missed Amy's child's birth. I did keep in touch with her for a while but then the messages and emails came lesser and lesser but we still do talk from time to time. She has been doing well for a young mother. She finished her degree two years after me. She gave birth to a beautiful little girl, Alisa. Damien and her got married after she finished her degree. She sent me photos and said that she wished I was there. Unfortunately, at that time I still wasn't mentally stable to go back. But now I am.

So here I am right now at the arrival hall of JFK. I spotted Amy and Damien together with their little girl. She's got her daddy's brown eyes.

"AURELIA!!!" Amy left her daughter and came at me with full force.

"OH MY GOSH!! AMY!!" I gave her a big bear hug.

"How are you? My, you've got a tan." Amy released me to get a good look at me. She hasn't changed much since I last saw her four years ago.

"I'm better. And yes, I did get a tan." I laughed.

Amy grabbed my bags and we went to meet Damien and Alisa.

"Hi, Damien." I greeted him.

"Hi, Aurelia." He gave a small smile. He sure has changed a lot. Being a dad sure suits him. He's like one of those tough dads. He's got tattoos on his arms and is big and buff. Poor Alisa, I don't think she's gonna date before 30.

I bent down a little to greet the little offspring.

"Hi, Alisa. I'm Aurelia." I stuck my hand out for her.