Down By The River

Epilogue

Eliah Finch places a bouquet of lilies against the simple marble headstone, before kissing his fingertips, and pressing them to the grave.

"I miss you, Maeve," he mutters.

"It's been almost two years. I don't think I'll ever move on." 

He pauses, listening to the wind as it howls in reply.

"I'm okay with that, though."

Sitting down at the foot of the grave, he smiles, at the gold engraving.

"I quit Codeine, you know. For good now. I've been clean for two and a half years already."

The sun warms his back.

"I still love you, even more now that I know what you did. The letter in the bottle, with all the people she'd stolen from? That was smart. Just like the Maeve Anderson I've loved since I was ten."

He gets up, smoothing the flapping lapels of his graduation gown.

"I have to go now, otherwise I won't graduate. That would suck. If you were still here, you'd probably smack me."

Eliah grins fondly.

"Finton Creek tastes like blood," he whispers lowly, pressing his hand to the stone one last time, before turning and walking away.