Reflect // Van McCann

34. I'm Not Going Anywhere

*Van's POV*

She was laying in the grass in her hospital gown and I instantly knew where she was as I've been there a hundred times. She was on the hill in Hawthorne Park with a beautiful view of the city down below. Amy has since moved out and it was just me and Shadow. I quickly grabbed my jacket and put it on while hastily stepping into my boots, not bothering to zip them. I called for Shadow to come and lifted her into my arms as I made my way to the lift. I admit it felt good not having to hide Shadow anymore.

I took the subway there and got off at the nearest stop. I've come to Hawthorne Park many times to clear my head but today's visit was different. I took long strides to the top. My legs were burning but my desire to see her was even stronger. Once I reached the top, I spotted her in the distance and put Shadow down.

Once I got to her, I fell down on my knees. Despite her being in a hospital gown, she looked angelic with her hair spilled around her. I moved so I was behind her and lifted her body up so her head was resting on my thighs. And I waited. Waited for her to wake up.

The sun was setting, painting the sky purple and pink. The view of the city must be spectacular right now but my eyes were set on someone more beautiful. Shadow began licking her hand while I brushed her hair out of her face. I couldn't believe she was here. Every time I closed my eyes, I expected her to be gone but she was still here.

I don't know how long I've been waiting but I could feel her stirring. I reckon Shadow's relentless licking has done some good for once. Jess finally opened her eyes and she looked up at me. It took some time for her eyes to adjust before her hand slowly went up to touch my face. Her hand stayed there as her eyes stared into mine.

"Van? Is that you?" she asked softly. I put my hand over hers and smiled at her.

"It's me. I'm right here," I said, my voice full of emotion. "And I'm not going anywhere this time, I promise."

After all that we've been through, we're finally together again. And like they say, love always finds a way.

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Life is such a beautiful thing and I feel like we don't appreciate it enough. We're so focused on the negatives that sometimes we forget about the good things in life. Like to be able to feel emotions whether they be good or bad. To be able to make connections and lifelong friendships. To be able to love and be loved.

Death is a natural and essential part of life; there is nothing to fear. There's actually a lot to be learned from it. It makes you think about what really matters to you and what makes life worth living for.

If you asked me eight years ago if I believed in life after death, I would've said no. Now that I know what it's like, I realize how wrong I was.

So ask yourself this: is death really the end?

No. No, it isn't.

It's just the beginning.

—The End—

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THANK YOU
I just wanted to thank you all for reading this story from beginning to end. Thanks for all the votes, comments, and for adding this story to your reading list!

I hope this sequel did this storyline justice and that it was able to give you some closure. I'm sorry to say that this is truly the end of this story. I will leave it up to your imagination what happens next, but if you must know, everything will be just fine—as it always is! If you've got any questions still remaining, feel free to ask and I'll try my best to answer.

//Spoiler Below//

You're probably wondering if Adam would try to find the mirror again. The answer is no because he's on his way to paradise as well. His dad has forgiven himself by taking him off life support and it was only a matter of time before his mom forgave herself too. The mirror remains safe and sound.

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REFLECT EXPLAINED
As you already know, I originally wrote Mirror as a standalone book. I wasn't thinking about writing a sequel until a reader mentioned how she'd love to know what happens to everyone after. So I began thinking: what does happen after? So I began writing and fell in love.

I love this story because of how wholesome the content is. I hope it made you feel a range of emotions (both happy and sad) and I hope it made you reflect on some things in your life. I felt the title "Reflect" was very fitting as the content makes you think and it's also related to Mirror in a way in how it's a reflective surface.

I'm honestly very proud of this story. This is my new favorite story, and I actually prefer it to the original but I'm biased!

So what's next? I'll be working on Resolve and hope to see you there! And once I'm done with Resolve, there's another sequel in the works (for a different story) coming to you in early 2021.

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ABOUT
Finished: 07-Nov-2020
Posted: 14-Dec-2020