Fire in the Nothing (Jardougall)

Epilogue

I woke up to Maggie jumping onto my bed, tail wagging excitedly, fur slightly damp from the snow outside. I didn't want to open my eyes yet but a gentle voice convinced me to.

"Morning," Tay said softly, pulling me into consciousness.

I blinked as my eyes focussed on the figure in the doorway. She still had her coat on from the walk with Maggie. It took me only a moment to orient myself. I was in her apartment. Our apartment. 

3 months had passed since that morning that changed everything. It was an easy decision for me, to forgive her. To accept her. She had a lot of flaws to accept me for, too. After a month of seeing each other steadily, we decided to move in together. Not only did it allow us to cut down on cost, but we were already that comfortable with each other. I sold my apartment quickly and brought everything here.
Tay always watched me closely, making sure I was eating 3 meals a day, making sure I took my meds at night, pushing me to practice yoga with her every morning. And I watched her too. I helped her through the withdrawal, both mental and physical. I took her out to see Hayley, Luke and the guys, refusing to let her ostracize herself. I knew she craved the interaction; sometimes she just lacked the motivation.
I hadn't spoken to Lynn or Alex since either incident, but Luke told me they'd started dating and she'd moved out of his townhouse. Lynn never told me she was bisexual but I guess I'd always assumed. I was relieved and almost happy to hear that they'd moved on with each other.

"I'll start breakfast. I wanted to let you sleep more, but it's 7:30 and you might be late for your appointment if you don't get up soon," Tay reminded me.

"Oh, right," I mumbled. My appointment.

My doctor wanted to review my medication. My recent visits with her had her thinking about taking me off antidepressants. She was pleased to see that I had gained weight, and even more so to see that all the bruises on my body had faded, and that no new ones had appeared. I have to say, I was pretty damn happy about that, too. Tay was nothing but gentle with me, body and mind.

After 5 more minutes of struggling to get up—I still wasn't a morning person—I threw on some clothes and walked out of the bedroom to see Tay was just setting down breakfast on the table.
A healthy spread of juice, fruit, and fluffy whole-grain pancakes awakened my senses and I didn't hesitate before digging in. I had started eating vegan as soon as Tay and I went steady. Not only was it important to her, but I simply couldn't deny how much better I felt. Tay was still a much better cook, though I tried my hand in the kitchen every once in a while.

"Are you putting in your resignation today?" Tay asked me between mouthfuls of pancakes.

"Yeah, I'm gonna drop it off on the way," I said, slight nostalgia sweeping over me.

I was finally leaving that greasy diner. Tay's yoga studio had really taken off, and she needed the extra help in reception. So she taught classes and I took care of the planning, finances, and taxes, finally putting some of my formerly abandoned university education to use.

As for our relationship, things were going really, really well between us. We didn't keep secrets anymore. I told her all about Lynn and Alex and my depression, and she told me her story. We were involved in each other's lives, and yet maintained the independence necessary to grow. If you had asked me 3 months ago, I could never have pictured myself happier. 

Around 8:15, I had to go. I kissed Tay goodbye at door.

"I'll see you soon," she told me, her eyes twinkling. 

Her words held so much promise, and I couldn't help the butterflies that I felt every time I was with her. I was already looking forward to coming home and seeing her again.
No matter what, she was always there for me. Supportive, strong, committed. She was exactly what I'd always needed, and I was just that for her. 

"See you soon," I smiled. 

_____

Thank you so MUCH for reading! This damn story took me forever to complete but I just had to come back and do it. I really, really hope you enjoyed it. If you did, it would mean the world to me if you checked out my other current work, "Midnight Thoughts". It's not a fanfic, but if you liked the vibe of this one, I guarantee you'll like my new one.
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That's all for now.
Thank you, thank you, reader! xox