Never Let Go

Epilogue

~Epilogue~

It was in the premature spring, as the snow had begun to thaw, my little brother, Carter Mac was born. He was welcomed to a wholesome family. We still had our own dysfunctions, but we were happy and worked through our problems. We were knit tighter and closer than before, and it was safe to say he would have a stable, promising start.

My grin was huge and delirious as I was enraptured by my baby brother. He was a beam of light in the room as I sat on the edge of the bed my mom rested in. As I tried to absorb every part of this moment, engrain it to my memory, I felt my heart swell with warmth. I felt another section of my life begin to fill, and I knew that my brother would be a beautiful addition.

My grandparents had hurried into the room upon that moment, cooing over the newest part of our small family. The problems with my father had smoothed over after all that we had gone through previous to Carl's birth. They were horrified when they learned the reality of Wes. They still supported us through raising charges of abuse. Wes ended up convicted of attempted murder and for some of the abuse charges.

His conviction shook up their quiet town and opened a lot of eyes. His ex-fiancé even tried to contact me, but I politely denied her. She was horrified by what he'd done, and no matter what he tried to tell her, she still left him. It took a load off me to know that that I was no longer alone to know the horrors of Wes, and that he would be behind bars for a long time.

I had finally found my peace with the events of last summer, and with Wes' final actions. Daniel had healed with minimal scarring. His cast was off and he was flourishing and breathing, and he was mine. We were together and happy, and for now, I didn't see it ending.

Currently, I stood at the top of a small cliff that we had hiked to. Water flooded below my feet, forming a small waterfall. The jump wasn't bone-breaking but it was enough to rattle you. I clenched my eyes shut, gasping in my panicked breaths. This was one of the last days of our summer, and Daniel had wanted it to be special.

"Come on, Addy, jump!" He yelled from below.

"No, it's too high!"

"I'll be right here when you come down. Just trust me."

Those were the fatal words for me. I knew with every fiber in me I could trust Daniel, so I sucked in one last breath and catapulted off that small cliff. I was greeted by raging waters, and I furiously pumped my legs until my head remerged.

Daniel gripped my arms and pulled me to shallow ground, smiling deliriously at me. "Now that wasn't so bad, was it?"

I nodded my head, even though the rush of the jump had thrilled me. "It was terrifying."

He chuckled. "You're just being a baby. It wasn't that bad."

I pouted at him, earning another laugh. "Yes, yes it was."

He pulled me close and pressed his lips to mine. I lost myself in the chaste, languid kiss, and reveled in the feeling of his skin against mine. When he finally drew back, it was safe to say my frown was erased.

He smiled when he noted my grin. "There's the smile I was looking for. Isn't this a nice way to end our summer?"

I rolled my eyes at him. "You're so cheesy, but yeah, I guess it is. It's safe to say this summer was better than the last."

Daniel's arms tightened around me and his eyes swirled with emotion as he murmured, "Here's senior year and our future."

"Here's to our future," I mumbled as I pressed my lips to his.

~''~ ~''~ ~''~

On the final days of summer, I was back in Florida, visiting my grandparents alone. Daniel and I hadn't minded the separation, knowing that we had an entire school year ahead of us.