Heliophilia//Alternate Ending (Camren)

Epilogue (Alternate Heliophilia)

"Mommy!"

The small voice vibrated against the wall of our small apartment, causing me to stand at attention. "Yes sweetheart, I'm coming." I responded, making my way quickly to the room of the small child. Sitting on his bed, I rubbed his forehead with my thumb quickly, removing the hair of his bangs temporarily. "What's wrong, you're supposed to be sleeping." I told him in a sweet voice, though I was annoyed. My three year old son refused to sleep every night this week and I knew why, he was excited. Our trip to New York was tomorrow morning and the pictures that I provided him with had created excitement.

"I can't sleep. Tell me those stories again." He told me in just above a whisper, causing me to grimace. "You know Mommy doesn't always like telling those stories." I told him, my fingers returning to my side.

"But I like those stories. I'll sleep, I promise." He swore, and I sighed. I knew neither my son, or I would be getting any sleep tonight if I did not proceed.

"Alright," I began.

"There once was a beautiful girl, and her name was Camila. She was like no other. She was princess of the land. The only problem was the prince wasn't treating the princess like she needed to be treated."

"Oh, yeah? So what did the princess do?" He questioned, as if I hadn't told him this story multiple times.

"Blake, calm down." I giggled softly, making his face light up. "She ran away. With her best friend. They ran away to be together forever. Love is blind, and though they were both girls they loved each other with all of their might so they ran from the bad prince.     There was a little problem though, Princess Camila was so wounded by the Prince that she didn't want her best friend to love her."

"What was her best friend's name?" He asked, and I answered immediately. After all, he thought my name was Mommy. "Lauren," I responded with a smile. "Her name was Lauren."

"So they rode off together and they were stopped by dragons. The dragons breathed fire and forced the girls to run in different directions, and they lost each other, they lost each other right after Princess Camila realized she could be loved again." I paused, almost choking up at my silly remake of a remarkable story.  "But love is bigger than distance, so guess what?" I asked him.

"They found each other."

"Yes, they found each other. And though it was hard, they ended up realizing they loved each other too much to go away."

"The end, mommy?"

"That's right, handsome. That's the end. Now sleep."

Once I knew he was asleep, I watched his peaceful eyes flutter in his slumber and I thought to myself. "That's far from the end," I spoke aloud, a tear rolling down my cheek.

I cried because I remembered Camila's delicate touch and her lips. I cried because I remembered her smile and the way she laughed at our quirky jokes. I remembered her. I constantly remembered her. "They're separated, sweetie. They won't ever see each other again. Princess Camila probably found a nice prince, with a big house and is in love, with a nice family. Princess Camila is probably happy, because she deserves to be. She deserves no less, sweetie." I spoke to Blake, but I was reminding myself. Camila was happy and that was everything I'd ever want.

Early the next morning, I dressed Blake in his sleep. He was only six, and he slept like a rock. Loading mine and his, suitcases in the car, I picked his small body up and placed him in his car seat.

Blake and I never traveled because of the constant watch we were under by the PLND. Now, after they have decided to give up our case seven years later, because JP, Mac, and there friends have received the death penalty, I was allowed to do as I pleased. No longer in danger, I considered relocating back to the United States. I was relocated to Australia because of the situation, and I didn't like the fact that my son wasn't growing up in the place that I called home. Scouting for houses was easier when you did it in person, and that was why Blake and I were on our way back to the United States, to look for a house in New York.