Dielive [ENGLISH]

Epilogue

At one point we had everything. But in an instant, we lost it all.

Everything was green, and white, and gold. Along the way people smiled and nodded at me once and then they walked off somewhere. Everyone had their own activities. Some were playing music, drawing, dancing... and some were just sitting still.

"Nad?"

It was a voice that would never be unfamiliar. Aunt May with her plump body, her gray hair in a bun and wearing a white knee-length dress approached me. I ran and hugged her. Everything felt right now.

"What's wrong? Why did you take so long?" she asked.

"Hey, did you know I was coming?"

"Yeah... we can all see the world in those clouds."

Aunt May took me to a chambered well where there was not water but soft white clouds like cotton candy.

"Take a good look, Nad... That's your house," she said pointing to my house.

Dad was watering the flowers with Gracy in the back garden. Of course Dad wasn't good at it, but Gracy had watched me do it for years, so she knew what to do. She fertilized and watered the flowers meticulously.

"I wonder how Jason is doing, Auntie... can you show me?"

"Yes!" She parted her cloud a little and there was Jason walking with Katrine in the park. They bought a box of deep dish pizza.

Jason opened a new page in the SUSPECTS journal. He wrote SUSPECT OF ADELEINE SMITH'S MURDER.

There could be another perpetrator. This was Jason's new adventure to investigate his mother's death. Katrine would be by his side so I didn't have to worry anymore.

"Cool!" I said. "And... Mom?"

Aunt May parted her cloud again and there was Mom holding my new baby brother, El with Phil by her side.

"Wow, everything is complete now."

Gracy was officially Dad's adopted child. El grew up with Phil's meticulousness and a little bit of Mom's rebelliousness. Jason was dating Katrine. I was in another dimension watching them from afar with Aunt May. I didn't expect my departure to be a new beginning for their lives. I'm grateful that they can move on and find their own happiness.

I thought my life was only about me, but it turns out to be more than that. Life is about the people around us. Life is about family.

"Want to see the garden, Nad?" asked Aunt May.

"Yes, Aunt, of course!"

―End―