Belief

Epilogue.

5 Years Later...

There comes a point in your life when the future you have been planning for so long becomes your present. Your dreams become memories, and your plans become pictures. Many times one does not realize how far they have come until they are looking back on what they used to look forward to.

It is not until our past is separated from us by years that we are able to see the effects of old problems, and the regrets begin to surface. Then again, sometimes that is when the relief awakens us and kills off our worries. The future is a daunting place until it becomes the present; then it is simply comfortable.

"Mommy is der going to be cookies here?" little Lucy tugs on my sleeve as we walk across the lawn to John Feldman's backyard. He is throwing a '20 Years of 5 Seconds of Summer' picnic.

"There might be," I smile down at her as she wraps her tiny hand around one of my fingers.

"Since Lucy and me is both tree years old, we is going to get tree cookies, wight momma?" Presley tugs on my other hand. The twins are in matching little yellow sweaters, and their hot pink tutu's they have been insisting on wearing every day this week.

"That is a lot, we will wait and see what daddy says, okay?"

"When is daddy gonna be here?" Presley brushes a blonde curl out of her face and pouts.

"Daddies are inside, they are doing interviews," Grace tries to shush her own children. She holds baby Macie in her arms, the youngest of her four, who turned one a few months ago.

"MOM THERE IS A BOUNCY HOUSE!" Joel yells, poking his younger brother Parker's arm and pointing to the big balloon house. Joel's arms are covered in the temporary tattoos him and Michael broke into last night.

"Joel I don't know if Parker is big enough for that, he might get hurt," Grace sighs.

"Please momma, pleeeease," Parker puckers his lip out, waddling over to her as fast as his little legs will let him. He latches to her leg, staring up at her.

"Fine but only if Stel goes in with you," Grace turns around to look for her oldest daughter. Stella rolls her eyes, pulling her half teal hair into a ponytail.

"Why can't you pay me to babysit? I could use the money," she raises her eyebrows, testing Grace.

"You do get paid, Daddy just gave you one of his guitars. What does a nine-year-old need money for? If you want something you know Uncle Cal will buy it for you in a heartbeat." Grace laughs, "Go play with your brothers." Stella scoops Parker up and gives him a piggy back ride, racing Joel to the backyard. Stella has become a sensation on the guitar, Michael is teaching her well.

"So how do you think the interviews went? Do you think the boys faked it?" Grace lowers her voice. We are forced to walk slowly to the party because Lucy and Presley keep tripping, but they are determined to walk back there themselves.

"I think John's hope for promo to revive the band was a misplaced attempt to get the boys to work together."

"I mean it isn't that bad, is it?" I try to ignore the truth behind the present situation.

"Maddie they haven't released an album in over five years. The boys haven't talked to Luke in almost four years. The band is running on the fact management has a contract and hundreds of unreleased photos they pretend are from the present. The truth of the matter is this band has been dead for five years now and there is no reviving it unless the boys put aside their differences, which they won't." Grace sputter out her argument quickly as if she had been holding it in for a long time. Which she probably has.