Say What You Will- Epilogue

Epilogue

Say What You Will - Epilogue

"Aims are you ready?" I yell across our flat, that is above my therapy practice
"I AM JUST GETTING MAISY AND TORI READY, DID YOU GET BELLA READY?" I hear her pathway yell back. Maisy and Tori are our four year old twins. At the sound of her name Bella who is now 9 as was born after only two years of marriage runs to me. I pick her up and spin her around secretly checking her outfit. She is wearing a costume from Amy's latest play. "Hmmm" I sigh "this won't do, you need to dress fancy for Taylor's graduation" I tell her. "Fine" she grumbles at me. She then stomps off to her room to get dressed. Properly. I can't believe we are going to my baby girls graduation. So much has happened since Taylor was born. Amy went to Uc Berkley and became a well known in California playwright. I went to college and became a therapist to help other kids who suffer from OCD. We got married at the age of twenty five and had little seven year old Taylor as our flower girl. The next year my mom married Sarah's father, mr Heffernan. I was really glad he had helped us all so much over the years. Then when we were twenty seven Bella came into our lives and turned everything upside down. It was great. We had five years of her being in plays that Amy would write just for her and Taylor. Them helping me with my job by answering the phone while I was with clients. Then when she was five and me and Amy were thirty two the twins where born. Taylor helped so much. She took care of Bella while me and Amy where busy with the twins. She took the twins when we wanted to sleep. She is amazing. I wish I could say I was her father.
"MATTHEW, I READY, SO ARE THE TWINS AND BELLA IS TOO LETS GO" The Pathway says. We all pile into the car and drive to the graduation. It's being held at the local auditorium where most of Amy's plays are produced so I know how to get there. I look in the rear view mirror. I never thought i could be this happy. We get to the graduation and find seats. The girls are bustling around and talking and screaming and laughing while I try to shush them. Sarah sat down next to me. I was taken aback
"What are you doing here?" I asked her and Sanjay who had just sat down too
"Amy said I should come to my daughters graduation so she could meet her stepmom" Sanjay answered. "Oh" I replied then got back to work calming down my children.
"Matthew" Sarah said sweetly "don't be like that, I know you hate how Sanjay refers to himself as Taylor's dad, but he is"
"It's fine" I tell her. Which it is. The ceremony begins and when Taylor walks on stage Amy starts crying, Bella, Maisy, and Tori all three at the same time start yelling about how Taylor's on stage. Taylor smiles and waves at them and they calm down. Well not so much calm but less-crazy down. I cry too. I see that Mr. Dad isn't even tears eyed. Humph. I hug Amy to me and we sit there while Taylor waves and smiles and gives her speech. She is valedictorian. By baby. Once she is finished they all throw their caps and so do Maisy and Tori. The throw their toys or whatever it is that they brought.
"OH MATTHEW LOOK HOW MUCH SHES GROWN. SHE WAS ONKY THREE POUNDS. SHE WAS SO SMALL. SO AMAZING" The pathways says while Amy continues to cry.
"I know" I say to her "I know" after what seems like forever it's our turn to hug Taylor and tell her how proud we are. Amy being her usual brilliant self prettied her speech so she wouldn't need to and could just let it play
"TAYLOR. I LOVE YOU SO MUCH. YOUR PARENTS LOVE YOU SO MUCH. MATTHEW LOVES YOU SO MUCH. BELLA AND MAISY AND TORI ALL LOVE YOU. YOU ARE ONE OF THE BEST THINGS THAT HAS EVER HAPPENED TO ME. IM SORRY I COULDNT BE THERE IN THE BEGINNING BUT IM HERE NOW AND I LOVE YOU SO MUCH. I WANT TO THANK YOU FIR HELPING ME WHEN BELLA WAS A BABY. AND FOR PUTTING IN PLAYS WITH HER AND BEING LIKE A SECOND BIG SISTER SLASH MOM FOR HER. YOU WERE THERE AGAIN FOR ME WHEN I HAD THE TWINS." Taylor then proceded to pick up Tori in one arm and Maisy in the other
"YOU WERE THERE FOR BELLA. AND MATTHEW AND ME AND WE ARE SO GRATEFUL. EVEN IF NEITHER OF US CAN TALK RIGHT NOW. SINCE ONE OF US CAN NEVER TALK AND THE OTHER IS CRYING" everyone laughed. But it was true I was sobbing
"TAYLOR I JUST WANY TO THANK YOU AND TELL YOU HOW AMAZING IT IS TO HAVE YOU IN OUR OLIVES" everyone laughed again, even though it was a typo at the end of Amy's amazing speech it was still funny. It was my turn to give her a speech
"Taylor" I started crying again
"I love you" that's all I could say before dissolving into tears. We gathered in a big hug. Everyone Amy, me, Tori and Maisy, Bella, Amy's parents, my mom, Mr. Heffernan, Sanjay, Sarah. All was well.