House of Moonlight (Halren)

epilogue- "You're all looking amazing."

As humans, we sometimes fail to invest time in ourselves when it is most needed and subsequently we lead to our own downfall more often than not.

That's what Halsey was focusing on after deciding that, yes, she would attend their little reunion. Because Halsey hadn't really been investing much time on herself and it was showing through heavy bags beneath her eyes and the paleness of her skin. She was tired.

She worked too often, slept too rarely and eating had become a luxury on her part as of late. It wasn't that she was depressed, no, she'd worked through that part of her life. And that's not to say that it didn't sneak up on her time and time again, but she knew now how to handle it. Keep it managed. So no, Halsey was no longer depressed, she just...wasn't taking care of herself.

That's why part of her was beyond overjoyed when Dinah called for a HOM lunch, their treatment centre having been morphed into an abbreviation for Dinah's ease. She hated saying House of Moonlight, apparently it sounded too...medieval. HOM was easier and more modern and who was Halsey to ever fault Dinah Jane's logic?

So as she tried to match an outfit, she stared at herself in the mirror and vowed that she would take an hour to herself every day. Whether it be cooking herself a hearty meal, catching up on a show she'd been wanting to, or taking a leisurely stroll through the park, she would do it. She deserved that.

It baffled her that after ten years, she'd finally managed to recognise her worth. And it was an exhilarating feeling. She felt liberated from the confines her mind had constructed. No longer was she simply Ashley Frangipane; the sad teenage girl who sought nothing more than to sink into a darkness that would consume her very essence. No. Now she was Halsey; a self-assured woman working as an executive assistant for a high-end environmental law-firm with a promotion right on her tail. 

She now had an apartment that, although wasn't lavish, was suited for her. It was decorated by her and every time she walked in, she felt welcomed by her home. Her heart swelled because she was proud of the woman she'd grown to become. 

She checked the time, her eyes widening upon realising that she had half an hour to make it downtown to the restaurant Dinah had chosen. Part of her was still surprised that some of the other girls had flown in for this reunion. It was only Halsey and Dinah currently living in Los Angeles, everyone else had made the effort to fly to meet them. 

Their teenage group had scattered in all sorts of directions that had helped their adult selves grow into the people they'd always wished to be. 

Keana had flown off to Washington and had studied her ass off in a communications course, now touring the country as a motivational speaker in schools and universities and any other mass group that would hear her.

Lucy had surprised everyone by moving into the medical field, a paramedic no less, with Camila supporting her all the way. The younger of the pair had pursued her singing career and had recently been signed to a label that respected her artistic integrity. Lucy and Camila had gotten married some five years prior and remained living in Miami, now with an added addition to their family; a daughter. Halsey and Lauren had been dubbed the godmothers to Nadia Vives.

Ally had managed to keep in touch with all of them as well, always checking in like the mother-hen she tended to be. She still worked in the centre, always finding satisfaction in seeing people walk out of there with a new lease on life and Halsey could respect that. Because she'd been one of the people who'd experienced that new lease on life and it opened so many doors for her.

As for Lauren, Halsey knew very little of where she ended up. They never did get back in contact and part of her felt as if that had been good for them. She knew Lauren still spoke with Lucy but never pushed the latter girl to ever reveal the green-eyed girl's whereabouts. She knew Lauren was happy, she knew Lauren lived in comfort and that was all Halsey had ever wanted for her.