In Memoriam ✓

Epilogue Pt. 1

ཐིཋྀ

two years later

Mallory

Bar hopping was an unexpected blessing in disguise. Stepping into new worlds, where thousands of comforts awaited, was unexpectedly novel. Glowing hues of blue and brown cast over the floor, from the thousands of bottles stacked behind in shelves, and the cheerful ambience after a night of housing people was always welcome.

My educational aspirations for life in New York fell flat. I didn't finish my undergraduate degree in finance. I didn't get my teaching degree either. When I got to the crux of my studies, the touch and go, epiphanies struck me like lightning in the middle of a storm. I knew that this wasn't where I wanted my life to go anymore.

So I dropped out of university. It was hard at first; having barely any formal education after high school didn't offer many job prospects. But I listened to myself.

Cleo was moonlighting as my roommate while she got her flat fixed up in LA. When Kennedy and Tony's wedding ended disastrously two years ago, I fled from home with Cleo, who swore that she wasn't going to leave me 'alone in some strange city'. I cut off contact with everyone but Cleo and Kennedy.

Cleo and I endeavoured to make our private lives in LA. I knew that one day, I'd reach where I was supposed to be.

As I sipped at my drink, immersed in my thoughts about the past, Cleo walked up to me. I admired her look once again; heeled books, dark makeup and a trailing fishtail braid down her back. "Having fun?" Cleo asked playfully, batting her eyelashes at me.

Cleo managed to get me out of my room for once; we were visiting a new nightclub called Central. I was grieved to lose Kennedy tonight, who was preoccupied with her and Tony's kids. But Cleo and I were tearing down our walls tonight, and I was so grateful that she'd thrown me my opportunity, my lifeboat.

I laughed, wrapping my arm around Cleo's shoulders as we swayed to the music. I tipped my drink down my throat, drowning myself in the atmosphere. "With you, always." I mumbled into her hair, feeling the heady effects of a light buzz.

For some reason, I was thinking about Nina again. Maybe it was all these thoughts about the past two years.

Nina reached out a few months after the disaster wedding two years ago. I accepted her olive branch because our friendship extended far beyond the pettiness of fighting over one guy. She sought therapy to face everything head-on; I followed suit.

Through our mutual struggles, Nina and I became close again. And I was recovering my old university friend.

Cleo never forgave Nina. They met once a year ago; Cleo refused to tell me what happened that night, but they stopped all forms of contact afterwards.

The most important thing I learned over the past six years of my life was that nothing is constant. Everything in my life upturned itself with Reid's crash. So I redefined my life into what it was today. I was still struggling with the aftermath, but I was here. That was enough.

After I left Tony's wedding, I started the search for my absentee wealthy parents, who left me with my aunt years ago in high school. I reconciled with them in New York, but we never became close. After feeling unwanted for so many years, I couldn't pretend to make up the vision of a happy family again. My aunt was all the family I needed.

I didn't think about Reid as often as I expected to. Out of sight, out of mind. I tried my hand at dating afterwards, but it never worked out. When I loved someone, I loved them with my mind, my heart, my soul. When he left, I kept a fragment of his memory with me always.