American Soldier

Epilogue

Fifteen years later

Avery fixes his tie, staring at himself in the mirror sadly. Today they were burying Camila and he wasn't ready to say goodbye.

Avery's girlfriend, Astrid, smiled at him softly in the mirror. She moved over to him and wrapped her arms around his waist. "I love you, hiccup."

Astrid had began calling him 'hiccup' because when he first tried to talk to her, he was so nervous that he'd hiccuped and embarrassed himself in front of her. She just thought it was cute. At first she'd called him 'hiccup' so that her friends - the popular girls - didn't get suspicious of her liking him but after that it just kind of stuck.

"I love you too Blue." he responds softly, he had called her that since they met because of her eyes.

Astrid kissed his cheek. "Your mom was an amazing person." She whispered. Her blonde hair fell in front of her right eye.

Turning to face her, Avery brushes the hair behind her ear. "She really was." he says softly.

The door to the room opens revealing Lauren with Valerie, Charley, and the twins. She was holding Chloe.

"Want mama." Chloe cried out softly.

Avery sighed. "I guess it's time to go?" He asked his mother who looked exhausted.

Nodding her head, Lauren wipes at her eyes. "I don't think I can drive."

"I'll drive." Avery said softly, offering his mother a small smile. He turned and took his girlfriend's hand.

"Thank you." Lauren breathes out, trying to  fight back more tears, it had been a week since Camila had passed away from cancer.

Avery led his girlfriend over to his family and let go of her hand to hug her mother, being careful of Chloe. "Let it out mom."

Lauren immediately broke down in his arms, she didn't know how to live without Camila.

Avery rubbed his mother's back softly. "I've got you." He whispered in her ear.

Charley wrapped her arms around them, joining the hug. The twins joined too.

Valerie was completely distant, she had been since everything went down.

Charley pulled away and turned to her sister. She took the older girl's hand and squeezed it softly.

Taking a deep breath, Valerie swallows thickly. "C-can we go." she barely gets out.

Lauren took a deep breath and closed her eyes for a moment to compose herself. "Yeah. Let's go." She pulled out of the hug.

****

Two hours later

Valerie rushed out of the service and broke down in sobs.

Lauren watched her, running her fingers through her hair, her heart broke in her chest.

"I'll get her." Chris said standing up, he looked almost identical to his deceased uncle.

"Okay." Lauren nodded. She smiled gratefully at her son and shifted Chloe onto the seat beside her. She took a deep breath.

Making his way outside, Chris looked around for his older sister.

Valerie was sitting on the bench beside the church doors, staring blankly at the pavement.

"Hey," Chris says softly, sitting down beside Valerie.

Valerie only hummed in response.

"I know you were closer with mama than most of us." Chris says softly.

"I'm alone now. I have no one." Valerie whispered.

Frowning the fifteen year old shakes his head. "You have us."

"It's not the same." Valerie responded.

"I know, but we're here for you." he says softly.

Valerie took a deep breath. "Why did she have to go?"

"It was her time, she'd done so much good here and God was ready to reward her." the green eyed boy says softly.

"By taking her from her family? From you? From your mom? From Chloe? From me? That's not a reward." Valerie shook her head.

Chris lifts her head and looks into her eyes. "To give her eternal peace."

Valerie let her tears fall and a sob escaped her mouth. "I wasn't ready for her to go."

"Nobody was, but she's in a much better place like aunt Ally." Chris says softly.

Ally had been killed by a drunk driver one night on her way home from the store.

"I want her to come back. I'm not ready to say goodbye. I'm not ready to let her go." Valerie sobbed.

Pulling her into his arms, Chris takes a deep breath. "I know, but we have to let her go."

"I don't want to." Valerie sobbed.

"Nobody wants to, but letting her go will free her." the teenager responds softly. "Let's get back in there."

Valerie sniffed, taking a deep breath. She closed her eyes for a long moment before opening them and pulling away. "Okay."

****

Chloe was sitting on Lauren's lap as people continuously walked up to them, apologizing for their loss.

"Mama," Chloe sobbed out, burying her face in Lauren's neck.

"Shh." Lauren cooed, bouncing her softly.

The five year old cried herself to sleep in Lauren's arms, she had been really close with Camila just like Valerie.

Lauren sighed heavily. She ran her fingers through her hair.

"I'll take her." Chris says softly, he was a lot like his uncle and Camila combined.

"It's okay." Lauren said softly. "I can manage."

Frowning, Chris looks around the room. "Maybe we should start sending people home."

"If you want to." Lauren responded.

Nodding, Chris walks away.

Lauren looked around the room at her children and friends and family, her eyes filled with tears but she didn't let them fall. She had to be strong for her kids.

"You can cry mom." Avery says softly, sitting down beside her.

Lauren shook her head. "I need to be strong for you guys."

"Cry." the twenty-four year old commands, pulling Chloe into his arms.

Lauren sighed heavily. She ran her fingers through her hair and sat down on the steps leading up to the altar. She buried her face in her hands.

"You need to cry." Avery tells her, shifting Chloe in his arms.

"I can't. I don't have any more tears left to cry." Lauren mumbled into her hands.

Astrid slowly walks up to them. "We should probably head home." she tells them softly.

Avery took Astrid's hand and gave it a soft squeeze. "Thanks for being here." She said softly.

"Always, Hiccup, always." The blonde squeezed his hand back.