A Stranger To Him

Epilogue

"Are you sure you brought everything for your trip? I mean you are going on a trip for almost two months, and it's not like you can come home very easily. You'll be traveling through Europe after all." My mom says, looking confused at my three filled big suitcases standing in the corner of the room.

I look at my mom with a confused expression as I continue to put pressure on the little suitcase beneath me to close it properly. My mom seems to think that it is not the way to close the suitcase, and I know she would rather grab another one, but I'm not going to pay again for another suitcase. Besides, it will close eventually.

"I'm sure I have everything, and if I forget something, I'm sure I can buy it somewhere in Europe. They have stores in Europe, mom." I say, chuckling softly at my mother's nervousness.

I think she's nervous because I'll be her first child to ever leave the country alone. My brothers did travel through America and Canada with some friends after they graduated, but they never actually flew to another continent. I think she's even more nervous than I am.

"Mom, seriously, I'm not going to die somewhere in Europe. I'll be perfectly fine, and there's no need to worry about anything. I'll keep you updated." I say when I see the doubtful look on my mother's face.

"I know you'll be fine. You've had this plan ever since you started high school, and I admire your braveness to travel with Emily on your own. I think it's a great opportunity for you, and maybe, you finally decide where you want to study next year." My mom says, pulling me into a hug.

I graduated a couple of days ago, and the ceremony was beautiful. I'm glad I could graduate with my friends, who have always been there for me. They were there when Caine left, and I was heartbroken. They would come over all the time, and we would watch movies and hang out. It made my heart a little less swollen, and it let me forget everything that had happened.

The plans Emily and I made went through, and in a couple of hours, we're flying to our first stop in Europe, Rome in Italy. We both heard it's a beautiful city, and we figured we would visit it first and then work our way to the cities we want to visit. We made a whole list of cities we want to see and the things we want to do.

It's pretty big, but we have two months to do everything before Emily starts with her study. She decided she wanted to study journalism. She applied to a couple of colleges and got accepted into her second choice, meaning her classes start after the summer.

I haven't decided where I want to study yet. I know ever since I was little that I wanted to study medicine and become a doctor, but I don't know where I want to study. I have been thinking about getting a break from school for a year to get my mind focused on school again and to figure out what I want to do with my life.

My parents agreed with my decision, saying it would be best for me to take some time off to figure things out. They know this is what's best for me now, considering what happened the past few months.

After Caine left, I cried for days and days. I shut everyone out, except for my brothers and Emily, wanting to be completely alone. Slowly, my thoughts and worries were killing me, and my parents were worried I would never get over it.

I'm still not, but I'm getting better.

I passed four months being numb and emotionless until Emily lashed out at me about it. She told me that everything that happened was devastating, but that I couldn't continue to live like this and torture myself. She was furious about it, and she was right.

Slowly, I started to feel better, and I apologized for shutting everyone out to my very understanding friends. I told my parents about what happened and also about the nightmares as they haven't completely stopped yet. My mom cried a lot, and my dad blamed himself for not realizing it, but in the end, the burden on my shoulders was gone, and they helped me get through them.