Teachers Tapestry

Epilogue

"Val come here," I called out to my girlfriend as we all sat in Stella and Lottie's backyard.

It's been two years that I've been in college. My first year wasn't easy, it was very challenging. I didn't have many people around me.

While me and Zoë remained as close as ever, she made other friends, Birdie drifted away from us so we didn't see her much but we try. I've tried things to make other friends but the closest I've come is being the friend of convenience.

I don't like that.

Zoë has still been my rock as much as she could, she's included me in everything she did so I wouldn't feel left out or behind on anything.

The girls and I weren't able to get a room together or even be on the same floor as each other, so we got paired with random people. My roommate was Rosie, she wasn't exactly friendly. So we kept our distance as much as possible. when she was out, which was often, I'd spend hours on the phone with Val telling her everything. When she was in, I went to Zoë's room.

My second year, however, was so much better than the first. I made a solid group of friends outside of Zoë's friend group. There's only four of us but it's better. Making the group outside of Zoë's group was a little pointless because Freddy, my friend, ended up dating Neveah, a girl from Zoë's group.

So we all kind of merged into one group.

Zoë and Quinn's lives had a few crazy turns. The summer after senior year, they went on a trip to Las Vegas and eloped, and then got their marriage annulled. And then got engaged, then not engaged, and now actually engaged after Lottie and Stella talked a lot of sense into Quinn and me and Val talked a lot of sense into Zoë.

And they had a baby girl. A very sober decision after a discussion they had, even Zoë's dad was supportive of this which shocked all of us, even herself.

Their daughter's name is Freya and she's only a few months old but looks identical to Quinn except she has jet-black hair, which resembles Zoë's.

So they did a few things backwards but they're happy which is the main thing.

Kinsley is almost in the fourth grade which is scary because she's no longer little. She got adopted officially by Colton almost a year ago now and I never thought I'd see her latch on to someone the way she used to with my father when he was a good person of course. But she did and he's even dad to her so that means a lot to me.

Valentina and I have been going strong. At some points it's hard because we're both irritated from school and work but we've been getting better at communicating these things, so we'll sit in comfortable silence over the phone. I'd like to think communicating is now our strongest point.

We've been traveling too, we went to Brazil a year ago during the summer. It was my first time abroad and I was nervous but we went and had the most enjoyable ten days of our lives.

We got back from a California trip with Quinn and Zoë and Vivian and her girlfriend Harley, about three weeks ago. Vivian and Harley got together one year ago and got serious quickly, even if Vivian told us all numerous times she doesn't do relationships.

We also moved in together. And got another puppy, this time a cocker spaniel, her name is Theodora. Dottie for short.

At first, Valentina was against the idea of getting another puppy while I was still in college, she was worried the dog would get too attached and miss me when I'm away for so long.

But that wasn't the case, Dottie and Artemis are best friends. He's getting older but he's still so energetic with Dottie. And If anything Artemis misses me more.