Lucas ✔️

Epilogue

"Can you tell me that story again, Mum?" I looked at her and smiled, shaking my head gently.

"Aren't you sick of hearing it by now? Surely you know it off by heart," I mused, sitting on the edge of her bed and brushing her blonde hair back.

"No way," she giggled and sent me a gapped smile. "It's the coolest story ever!"

"Alright, alright. But only if you promise to sleep straight after."

"Promise!"

I smiled at her and shuffled over, getting comfy. She always listened to the whole story – it wasn't what I would call a bed-time story. Still, she loved it nevertheless, and I loved telling her about it.

"One day, there was a beautiful girl called Lilith," I began, as she giggled and squirmed in the bed, excitement crossing her face. "She fell in love with a man called Lucas."

She sighed dreamily and cuddled her teddy close, whispering the name lightly across her lips. I smirked at her and shook my head.

"However, Lucas wasn't an ordinary man! He was–"

"An angel!" She yelled excitedly, throwing her arms into the air, her teddy flying across the room. We laughed together, and I nodded my head, pulling her close.

"Yes, he was an angel. A fallen angel. They fell in love, even though they tried hard not to. Unfortunately, a demon was after Lucas, and Lilith died trying to help him." She frowned and crossed her arms, and I smiled at her. No matter how many times she heard this story, she always reacted the same way.

"Lucas was banished from he human realm because of his love, but Lilith was waiting for him. From then and forevermore they have been together," I whispered to her, patting her hair as she laid down.

"Forevermore?" She whispered back happily.

"Mmhmm."

"How do you know?"

"It's a secret," I replied softly, sending her a sad smile. "Come on, bed time now." I scooped her teddy up from the floor and tucked it in next to her, bending to give her forehead a small kiss.

"Night, Mum," she mumbled from under a layer of thick blankets. "I love you."

"I love you too, chicken." I stood up and moved to the door, slipping out and pulling it slightly shut behind me. "Good night, Lilith," I whispered.

The front door creaked as I made my way downstairs, Cole's head popping in through the front door sheepishly.

"Is she asleep?" he whispered, and I shook my head.

"Not yet, I just tucked her in," I replied with a smile, shaking my head. "How was the game?" Cole wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me in tight for a hug, resting his head on my shoulder.

"We won." He let out a deep sigh and I patted his back, furrowing my eyebrows.

"What's wrong then?"

"I... I think I saw Lilith," he said softly, shaking his head and pulling back, keeping his arms wrapped around my waist.

"What do you mean?"

"I...look, I know this sounds crazy –"

"Not much crazier than what we've already experienced, to be honest," I replied with a shrug. "Just say it."

"Well, I'd just scored, and there were a few cheers, but there was this really, really loud one. So, I just looked at her and it was her, Janie. It was Lilith."

"Lilith was watching you play social soccer with a bunch of middle-aged men?"

"Well, no, it's not like she was watching, per say," he grumbled, stepping away. "She was on the field."

"She was... on the field?"

"Yeah."

"And then?"

"And then Lucas was next to her and she walked away!"

I nodded and smiled at him, wrapping my arms around his neck and pulling him in for a kiss.

"Do you want to know something?" I whispered into his ear.

"What?" Cole smiled at me and I giggled.

"I've seen her too... I think she's keeping an eye on us."

"Really?" Cole said breathlessly, then he laughed.

And I laughed. And we laughed together.

And cried together.

"If you see her again, tell her she's a bitch for leaving us behind, okay?" I mumbled to him, sobbing into his shoulder as we sat slumped on the ground.

"You too," he muttered back, wiping his nose.