Before the Ever Green (BTEG #1) ✔️

Epilogue/ Sneak peek at book 2!

It has been 10 years since Everett died. 10 long years. I go back to his grave every year on May 17. I go back every year, to remember and show my love to him. My forever growing love. It is May 17th, and I am pulling my self out of bed, to go see him. Turtle is in the bed I made for him. I give him a strawberry and head down stairs and outside to gather a few eggs for breakfast. I bring them inside, and crack them into the heated pan. I hear it sizzle. I scramble them, with cheese and bacon. When it is ready, I put it on a plate, which I put on the table. I grab a glass of water, and sit down at the table. 1o years. I keep thinking to myself.
I wash the dishes, and head up to my room, to put in jeans and a white shirt. I hear the wine of a 4 year old. I head down stairs to what used to be my mothers room, and go over to her little bed, "Leila," I say, calming her down. I smooth down her blonde hair. I pick her up, and look to the other side of the room, where I see her brother still asleep, "You hungry?" I ask
"Ya!" She exclaims in her little voice, which wakes up Ari. He scrambles to his feet, jumping at my legs, for me to pick him up. I shift Leila in my arms, so I can pick up her twin in the other. He kisses my cheek. I smile.
"What do you two want for breakfast?" I ask, walking to the kitchen and closing the door behind me with my foot.
"Pancake!" Ari exclaims, rubbing his belly. I set the two of them on the couch, and head into the kitchen, searching through the cupboards for al, the rights ingredients. I have the recipe memorized by now. Ari always wants pancakes.
I quickly make the pancakes, and grab two plastic plates from the cupboard. I set 2 pancakes on each, and call the twins to the table. I pour the syrup,a nod head upstairs to grab turtle. I let him outside, like I do every morning. He slowly walks into the morning air. He always comes back around 7 p.m. Mainly because I have strawberries. He wasn't so happy when he lost attention when the twins were born.
I take the twins plates, and quickly wash them , as they head to their room. I come in a few minutes later, and help them put on their clothes. Ari is wearing jeans and a black t-shirt that says "Mamas boy."
Leila goes to the closet, and picks out a pink dress. I laugh at her choice, but don't argue. I hear a knock at the door, and open it. It's Brit, Hena, Jaeger, Adam, Maxwell, Tobi, Allison and Clinton. And there is Mani, Adam and Jaegers little boy. They adopted him last year, and he is as cute as a button. I outreach my hands, and Adam hands me Mani. I kiss his little cheeks. He is 3, so only a year younger than the twins. "What are you guys doing here?" I ask, kissing Mani's cheek. I put him on my waist.
"We didn't want you to go alone is year." Brit says
"You're too sweet, but as of 4 years ago, I never go alone."
"Why don't you leave them with-" Jaeger starts, but Brit elbows her brother, "Right, sorry. I forgot. I don't see you often, anymore."
"Jaeger, it's fine. He was an ass." I say bluntly, "Come in." I close the door behind them, and hear the tiny footsteps of the twins. They all made it to the living room, when the twins attack. I can't help but laughing. "Okay, I was going to leave at 8, you guys want breakfast? We have half an hour."
"No. It's fine, we already ate." Adam says, "Thank you, though." Leila is sitting in his lap, bouncing up and down. Hena is playing with Ari.
"How you liking High School?" I ask Hena.
She turns to me, "It's okay. I am popular because of all of you."
I laugh, so does Brit. "Hey did you never tell me that?" She asks. Brit had become Hena's official guardian. I think it's good, that they are together. They all live in the capital. All of my friends do, all but Mr. and Mrs. Ban, who only talk to me once and a while.
The half hour passes quickly. We all head outside, and to the grave. I grab the flowers I picked, off the table and close the door behind me. I am still holding Mani. Leila has insisted on walking on her own, which is kind of wobbly, so Brit is holding her hand. Hena is carrying Ari. His dark brown hair is almost swooshing in the wind.
I stop mid-step when I see a group of people working around the tree that grew behind his grave, "Hey!" I call, "What are you doing on my land?" I hand Mani back to Adam, and walk over to the man, who must be at least a foot taller than me.
"Ma'am I promise we aren't harming anything. In fact, we were just testing this tree. It is like no tree we have seen before. We ran a few DNA tests, and found that this tree,miss the first of its kind to grow in 200 years."
"What kind of tree is it?" I ask
"An Ever Green tree. It never looses its green. It is forever green,"
The name is fitting for two reasons, Everett Green was always kind, which can be resembled by green, and it sounds similar to his name.
"Thank you," I say, "But if you would please leave-"
"On it, Ma'am." He gestures for his team to follow him out. Clinton comes from behind me, and massages my shoulders, "It'll get easier." He tells me.
"How do you know?" I ask
"I lost my first wife to a disease. I loved her very much, but after a few years...it got easier."
"How do you remember her?" I ask, "How do you not loose sight of who she was?"
He takes a breathe, "I guess it is easier for me...I have a daughter who looks just like her. And, I get to see her everyday."
I don't want to ask who.
"I know it may be hard, and even if your two little ones aren't Everett's children, they both look a lot like him."
"They do." I say, putting the bouquet on his grave, "Maybe it's fate. A way to remember him, until the day I die."
I can feel a tear slide down my face.mLeila hugs me legs. Ari joins her. I bend down, to hug both of them. "I love you." I say.
"I love you, too, Mommy." They say, together, but not quiet in unison. I smooth Leila's hair. I kiss her forehead. Then I kiss Ari's. Another tears, I wipe it away.
Ever Green.

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Book 2 coming soon.