The Dunhams (Sequel to Better or Bad - Lizzy Walker)

NYE Reveal🥳🍾

Christmas ended with good and bad bliss. Someone who's loved dearly passed away, adopting the twins, celebrating Christmas even if someone's still grieving. Bryce insisted I take my adoptive family and myself to therapy after New Years. Even Grant distanced himself from everyone for alone time. I hadn't checked on my parents because I believed they deserved time to themselves. As for Bryce's family, Mary and Edith finally worked out their issues. No matter what occasion going on, Valerie still didn't leave my mind whatsoever. She was a pure lantern. I say lantern because she used to be obsessed with lanterns. For her nineteenth birthday, her friends planned a stargazing movie night. Lanterns were lit all around the backyard while watching the movie. On Christmas, Dad bought four lanterns for us to decorate and watched them fly up. I remembered exactly what hers looked. Shiny yellow with blue snowflakes in a circle. Just so beautiful. 'Sissy, these are so pretty! I want them every year! All my birthdays and every Christmas!' I remembered. Also, myself and Grant weren't the only artistic siblings in the family. Valerie was an amazing drawer. Practically a gifted one. She drew and sketched many things growing up in her personal drawing books. Mom insisted on keeping them at home in memory but asked if I could have one. Considering Valerie loved lanterns, sketching and drawing was an exception. She even drew herself holding one with fireflies flying around at night. That's how she got here by applying to an Arts college. I knew her talent was special just by scrolling through sketches of pier buildings, lanterns, flowers, loved ones. I imagined she'd draw pictures of Harry and Hailey holding lanterns with huge smiles or them chasing a few fireflies. Now, it'll never happen at all. 'Val, I must ask. Why do you love lanterns so much?' 'Lizzy, when someone dies, what do you think people use to remember that person? When you're stargazing or camping, stars aren't the only things that brighten up the sky. I've had a lantern flying above me every time in my worst times and happy times. They symbolize pure light. Leading forward to the future and pushes away darkness.' I remembered. That memory made me smile warmly. She was truly pure light. Although her words repeated one more time in my head. My brain suddenly clicked. Whoa! Whoa! I'm so happy I thought about this! Two brilliant ideas on New Year's Eve. In our room, I sat criss-crossed while the twins were in their cribs asleep. Bryce left to visit his friends but will come later. I went inside our nightstand and pulled out my songbook. So far this year's been a rollercoaster yet it didn't bring me any inspiration. The only thing it inspired me is what Valerie once said. 'Leading forward to the future and push away darkness.' Her memory is more of a locked chain that never escaped my brain since the twins were born. Unknowingly, I opened to an empty page. My song about Jace was right next to it. 'Respecting women reflects from what a mother taught her son. That's why a son needs his mother. Her love is more powerful.' I remembered. I fiddled with the paper until tears were threatening to escape. I sniffled, inhaling another deep breath. A tear managed to fall and leave a wet spot on my leg. I grabbed my pencil from inside the nightstand and focused on breathing normally. This time a tear left one wet spot on the page. I began writing the lyrics that's from my whole heart.

Seven days,
Since you went in and found some space
I tell myself I'm doing great
And I'm not holding on
So don't worry about me
I can keep myself busy
At least that's how I make it seem until the day is gone

Morning turns to evening
Haven't even thought about you leaving
Swear to god, I almost got this feeling out of my mind

I kept writing for somewhat a few minutes and finished. I dropped the pencil and wiped my eyes. This whole song was full of everything I've poured from my heart about Valerie. I closed the book and put in the nightstand while rolling out of bed quietly. I walked up to the twins's cribs to check if they're sleep. Fortunately, Hailey stirred a bit and lightly sneezed before waking up. Her beautiful doe eyes made contact with mine. I looked at her in awe as I carefully picked her up. "Hello my bright princess." I cooed, smiling. She lifted her little fingers to touch my nose. So cute! I double-kissed her cheeks and nose. Hailey let out small giggles. "Mommy loves you both so much. You don't know how loved you really are. Your birth mommy's your lantern, watching over you all the time." I whispered softly. She snuggled closer to my heartbeat while falling asleep. I kissed her forehead before putting her in bed. My phone buzzed in my pocket. The twins stayed quietly asleep. I mentally breathed a breath of relief and pulled it out. A groupchat text from Meadow.