Immortal's End

Epilogue

Wind chimes. My wedding bells.

Late December air rushing over us.

Soft music of a piano sings over the lullaby of the streets below.

The light is a dusty orange. The sun is just rising.

Anthony and Jazz walk down first, then Thayne and Ren, then Pippa and Lin. All of them look so gorgeous today.

Darien takes my arm, leaning over me to kiss my forehead for the millionth time today. I think he's as nervous as I am.

"Do not worry, my Lady. I will not let you fall." He whispers to me, squeezing my hand in comfort.

I go to reply, but the music shifts... The solo from Vivaldi's Winter.

"I'm not ready..." I whisper back. I know I'm scared of the future, of this new life.

"Don't be frightened. We are all by your side." He tells me, and takes the first step. "We won't let you fall. I promise."

I breathe.

I take the first step.

"Sure." Just to spite the inner bitch. "I... I'll try it." Lin smiled brighter, holding his cup up to tap it against mine. "So, Boss, can I just work on the set or something? At lease not dive head first into meeting everyone?"

"Nope. You'll join us before rehearsal, and I'll introduce you. You'll be working audio tech. Microphones. And I already let the rest of the Tech team know that you'll be exclusively doing the main cast, not ensemble. Understand?" He smirked slightly, returning his gaze to the empty chairs.

 Then the next.

"It's alright. I'm not much better. I just throw on whatever when I head over here. I change into costume anyway most of the time." His reassurance was comforting, surprisingly. "You look cute, by the way. Phantom of the Opera was a good play. Looks good on the stage." He smiled. "I don't think I've introduced myself properly. I'm Okieriete Onaodowan, Oak for short." He said as he held out a hand.

I look at his hand for another moment, taking a deep, shy breath. "I'm Eva." I said, slipping my palm in his.

Another step.

"Want to come up and hang out in my room until the rest of the crew gets here?" Oak asks as he hops down from the stage. I nod, and almost immediately, I'm picked up from my perch. He cradled me in his arms, my cup sitting on my tummy, held tight in my fingers.

"Oak!! P-put me down! I can walk!" I basically turn to a raspberry hue as I'm nestled against his chest.

"I know, I just think you're too adorable to let you walk. How about we watch some TV. I got Netflix." He says, keeping me close as he makes his way up stairs.

Each memory replays...

"Eva..." Oak said, reaching a hand out to me, resting on my tear-stained cheek.

"Stay..." I whimpered, nuzzling into his hand, like I've done dozens of times before.

 "I... I have to go." I felt the air leave my lungs as his touch left my cheek, and when I opened my eyes, he was gone... My throat ached as I let out a scream, but I couldn't even hear myself. My heart shattered before it was even made whole. He left. 

Some sour...

  Oak leans into me, our foreheads touch. The world around us disappears entirely. His arm around me tightens as he lifts me off my feet, spinning around and around, my voice ringing out in laughter. As he slows and sets me down again, I can feel his hand move to my cheek, his thumb wiping away tears I didn't know were falling. My smile glows all the same.