Right Side Up

Thirty

I wake up in excruciating pain, causing me to scream out. The last thing I remember is falling down the stairs, trying to kill my father before he could kill anyone else.

Tyler jumps to my side, quieting me down quickly. "It's okay. You're okay. You're safe."

I take a look at everyone and everything around me. I am clearly in the hospital. Tyler, Logan, Peter, Brandon, Summer, Mason, and Tilly surround me as they realize I am fully awake now.

I do a quick headcount. "You are all here. No one else died. Does that mean-?" I stop myself, scared to find out the answer.

"You and your father fell down the stairs. The fall knocked you both out cold. By the time police got there, you were both passed out on the floor. They arrested him. He's back in jail Avery. You did it."

An uncontrollable smile creeps onto my face. "Hopefully it's forever this time." I joke. I can't believe it's over. We are safe now. I managed to get everyone out of that situation alive this time. I can't believe it

I really can't.

This time, it feels permanent. I don't think he will be able to escape a second time. Police will be watching him extra close now that they know he is a huge flight risk.

"Are you ready to go home and live?" Tyler asks, leaning back to reveal the rest of my family.

I nod. "Yes I am!" I couldn't be more ready.

***

Stepping in to the house, a great sense of relief falls over me. It seems peaceful and calm for the first time in forever. No one has tension built up or fear in the back of their minds.

We can finally live our lives. We no longer need to live in constant fear of death. We are safe now. We can go outside without a police escort, the kids can hang out with friends after school, I can turn my ringer off without the fear that someone will need to reach me immediately.

I secretly pull Tyler aside into a separate room and close the door behind us. I pull him close and lean his back up against the wall behind him. He kisses me hard, knowing exactly what my next move was going to be.

"Let's get married." I smile in the dimly lit room. The sun just barely pokes in though the blinds.

"Well that was kind of what I was thinning of doing when I proposed to you..." he smiles. "But I suppose we can pretend that it was all your idea."

"No." I smile and miss him again. "I mean let's really sit down and plan this damn thing. I want to get married." I pull back slightly and wait for his response.

Now, we have no excuse to continue to push it off any further.

Tyler nods and a huge smile grows on his face "Okay. Alright. Let's get married then!" I squeal and kiss him again.

I am so happy.

With my father safely in prison behind bars, Tyler and I can finally plan our wedding. Protecting us and our family from being killed or kidnapped became first priority when he escaped from prison. Now that we don't have to worry about him anymore, we can get down to planning our wedding and living the rest of our lives together.

I grab his hand and pull him back out into the hallway to rejoin the rest of the family. "Everyone," I attempt to quiet them all down. "Tyler and I would like to invite you to our official engagement dinner this evening. Since we were not able to have one during the trial or after it, we have decided that it is the perfect time now that we only have things to celebrate and nothing to worry about."

Tyler nods in agreement. This is something we have been talking about since he proposed. Now just seems like the right time to do it. "So get dressed in your fanciest outfits. It's time to dine!"

Author's note: I've decided I am going to make this story 50 chapters long. Just like Upside Down! What I haven't decided yet is if I want to make a third book. I have a title in mind if I do make another one...