A Designer Dress From Heaven and Your Dirty Wedding Ring

epilogue. it's a new dawn, a new day, a new life (and i'm feeling good)

this chapter contains warnings for the following: ptsd, smoking, alcohol, nightmares, panic attacks, scars, minor character death, interrogation and torture, blood and bruises, broken bones

The beginning of the rest of your life starts with a single, admittedly awkward therapy appointment.

It had taken you two weeks to find someone from Ghost's extensive list that you felt comfortable enough talking to. Then it took another week after that to work up the courage to actually make the appointment. Price offered to take you with the promise he would wait outside in case you needed anything, as did Ghost and Kyle, but, though you appreciated their support, you knew this was something you had to do on your own.

So, a week later, you find yourself sitting on a surprisingly comfortable black couch, picking at the edges of your denim jacket as you fumble through an introduction.

Your therapist is an older woman who welcomes you with a warm smile. She's calm, kind, and patient, giving you ample room to think and pick what you want to talk about. She doesn't push, and, once you're past the initial questions, you give her a vague rundown of the past year you've had.

She's understandably concerned, but she leaves you with a good start on how to begin moving forward.

For all your hesitance, that first session goes well, and you find yourself looking forward to the next one.

You feel lighter on the drive back to the estate—your estate—a small smile toying at your lips. You know you have a lot of work to do, both with your newfound role as head of the Adler Estate and in your personal life, but there's an ambition that's settled deep in your bones.

It's an unfamiliar feeling, this hope, this security, in your future, but it's one you welcome.

You go over the session, your therapist's words echoing in your head.

You don't have to take on everything all at once. There's no time limit on when you have to heal. The best thing for you to do now is figure out where you want to start, and go from there.

Where you want to start...

The estate comes into view, bustling with three separate construction crews working hard to repair the remaining damage. A stack of neatly cut lumber sits near the entrance, a smaller crew leaning against it while on their break. One of the workers gives a hearty laugh, moving forward to gesture to his friend.

Small trails of smoke drift from the cigarette in his hand.

It's time for you to move on, and you know exactly where to start.

-

Fire roars in front of you, a nearly untameable blaze that you're having too good of a time to worry about.

Soap cheers an uproarious scream that almost drowns out the crackling bonfire as he pours out the rest of his drink and watches the flames jump and pop. He nearly falls as he stumbles back from the sparks, but Ghost is quick to catch and steady him.

You watch the stern expression on Ghost's maskless face shift in the firelight, and you wonder if he's going to scold the poor Scot. He doesn't, expression shifting into something fond and familiar as he tosses what's left of his own glass onto the fire.

"Think we're getting low on fuel!" Kyle calls from the other side of the bonfire where he and Roach have taken over the soundtrack for the night. Tabby sits atop one of the speakers, drink in hand, and Kyle's jacket draped over her shoulders.