Aww man, I can't believe it's over. My friend, who is the owner of this blog, doesn't allow me to write another story and insists me on 'taking a break'. What is this 'break' that you speak of? Anyways, I want to make a couple of shout outs. Firstly, a billion thank yous to my faithful, faithful reader Diyana Sofea. She gave me the motivation to continue writing when I was on the close edge of giving up. Secondly, my dearest Ain. You continued to read this story and also gave me encouragements so thank you so much for that. I love you two <3 And of course, other anonymous readers (if there are any) thank you to you too for being patient with me. I don't know when I'll be writing again but hopefully soon. Bye, I guess.

Labels: Author's Note

Epilogue by Fathiah Zarafi


Snow cascaded down from the sky, blanketing the earth with frozen white. I absentmindedly traced my fingers on the icy glass of my window, feeling the crisp surface beneath my skin. A twinkle caught my eyes and I shifted my gaze to the band wrapped around my ring finger. Even after six months of being engaged, the idea of being someone's fiancé and future wife still brought a mixture of sensations in me. I was terrified of this new commitment yet at the same time, I was happy to be spending the rest of my life with the man that I adore.

I still remembered the day Chayton proposed to me and it will forever be imprinted in my memories. I was at school as any ordinary day, teaching my class of seventh graders Advanced English. The kids were busy jotting my notes on the board when a few boys began snickering at the back. I swiveled around to give them a stern glare before going back to the notes.

"Hey, Miss Fischer," Andrew, the most mischievous boy in the class spoke, "will you marry me?"

"No, Andrew, I will not marry you," I sighed without glancing back at him. Andrew was known to cause trouble in the school and like any other teacher, I thought he was just fooling around again.

"Well, will you marry Mr. Spears instead?" he continued. I turned around, a book still held in my hands, and frowned at him.

"What are you talking about?"

"Will you marry me?"

A startled shriek flew out of my mouth and the book I was holding dropped on my lap. There, on the open door of my classroom, was Chayton kneeling on one knee with a ring on his open palm. There were no guesses about what happened next. The whole classroom broke into a loud cheer, some even cat-calling when I kissed him hard to answer his question. Later that night, the silly man admitted that he was actually terrified I was going to say no.

My love for Chayton couldn't get any stronger, after all the ups and downs we had been through together. He was my light when the clouds were gray. My heart swelled with devotion when I recalled Chayton bringing me out of the depression I was in. It was when I was still undergoing physiotherapy at the hospital. The treatment was brutal and draining, especially to my mental state. The doctors were training me to adapt to my current condition but it took months of therapy for me to be able to transport myself from the wheelchair to my bed and even controlling the wheelchair itself.

It was difficult for me to transact from a normal teenager to a disabled person. My meltdown was one of the things that made me cringe every time it pops up. I had gotten home from a physiotherapy session, angry and exhausted. Chayton tried to help me into bed but I struggled and refused him. From all of the squirming, I ended up collapsed on the floor when I slipped off my chair. Chayton and James rushed over me but I swatted their hands away and shouted at them to leave me alone. All the anger eventually turned into tears and I sobbed onto the floor, cursing fate for crippling me.

"Adele, are you ready?"

My head turned to the sudden voice that interrupted my little daydreaming. Winona's smiling face greeted me, her head poking through the small gap of the door. Winona was Chayton's mother and she had helped me during those awkward moments where I needed help a man couldn't provide. She would bathe and dress me when I was still adjusting to my state. Over the years, Winona became a mother figure I never had.

"Can you help me into my dress?" I asked timidly, rolling to the closet where my dress was hung.

"You don't even have to ask, dear," laughed Winona. She gently closed the door behind her and took the dress in her hands. I eyed the garment from the lace sleeves to the tight bodice and down to the flowing skirt.

"Um, I think we need an extra hand to get me into that," I suggested. Winona rubbed her chin a couple of times before leaving out the door with the dress. I chuckled to myself when I realized she probably went of searching for James.

James, my dear uncle, had sacrificed so much for me. After I was released from the hospital, he surprised me by showing the new house he had bought. It was a couple of blocks away from school and had three bedrooms. Chayton would drive down often to pick me up and drop me from school even though James insisted he did those by himself. James had no experience with kids at all but he was a devoted guardian nonetheless. He tended to my every need, even a 4 a.m bathroom call. Said man now had entered the room, embellished in a sharp tuxedo.

"Winona said you needed help?" he asked.

"Yup, as soon as I get out of my pajamas." Both Winona and I giggled when James visibly flushed crimson at my answer. Even after six years of living with me, he still wasn't used to the female body parts. Rolling my eyes, I shed my old pajamas and slipped on a thin chemise. James covered his eyes with a hand the whole time.

I slid the silky garment over my head and pop my arms into the thin lace sleeves. The bodice hugged my torso perfectly, with a little swirl at the end of my hip. "You can help me now," I called out to James. He quickly bent down and scooped me up, holding me upright by my waist. The skirt fluttered around me and touched the floor when I released it from my grip. Winona smoothened it out before James placed me on my chair once more.

I positioned myself in front of the mirror and couldn't help the gasp that flew from my mouth. The dress was stunning and held me in all the right places. A plain yet splendid wedding gown. Winona crouched next to my chair and wiped a few tears in her eyes.

"You are absolutely gorgeous, my dear," she breathed. I squeezed her hand that was next to my shoulder and smiled at her through the mirror. She pulled out a veil from its box and carefully placed it on top of my hair. My vision was instantly clouded but it was beautiful. James stood beside my chair and rearranged the veil slightly.

"I can't believe you're getting married. You're only twenty two," he grumbled under his breath.

"What can I say, we're a couple of crazy kids," I teased. A smile broke on James' face as he leaned down to peck my cheek.

"Are you ready to go now?" I glanced at Winona and nodded confidently. The three of us filtered out of my house and headed to where my future husband awaits.

*************************************************************************************

My eyes were fixed on the crowd gathered in the ballroom. I stared at the joyful people from my spot behind the DJ booth. Most of them were co-workers and friends of Chayton's and mine so there weren't so many guests invited that we can call a grand wedding. Everything was fairly modest; from the holy matrimony ceremony to the reception held in a small spa near the church. It was simple, it was small and it was perfect.

"What are your plans after this, may I ask?"

My head whipped to the sudden intruder that cut off my train of thoughts. I smiled at the handsome gentleman all suit up in his tuxedo, specially tailored for this occasion.

"Oh nothing much," I answered, "I'll probably go home, chuck out of this dress and sleep like there's no tomorrow."

He stepped closer to me and placed a hand on the handle of my chair. "Really now? Whatever's going to happen to that new husband of yours?"

I pretended to muss over it, leaning my chin on my open palm for dramatic effects. "Hmm, I don't know, I guess he can sleep next to me if he behaved tonight," my tone serious. He flashed me one of his blinding smiles and I did nothing but mirroring him. I stretched up as far as I possibly could when he bent down to close the distance between us. A content sigh escaped from me when our lips met softly and swiftly.

"Nervous for our dance, Mrs. Spears?" Chayton grinned after pulling away.

"Me? Nervous at dancing? You clearly don't know your wife as well as you thought, Mr. Spears," I retorted, doing a little twirl with my chair to confirm my moves. Chayton held my hand in his and led us out when the DJ announced it was time for our first dance.

We had practiced our routine hundreds of times so it wasn't such a big surprise how our dance seemed to flow calmly like fluid. It was difficult to master at first, seeing I was sitting on a wheelchair and Chayton was on his feet, but we enjoyed it more as we progressed.

Come away with me in the night
Come away with me
And I will write you a song

Come away with me on a bus
Come away where they can't tempt us
With their lies

Chayton grabbed my hands and twirled me around on the dance floor. I closed my eyes and imagined myself dancing on my own two feet. We swayed from side to side and across the floor with ease. I beamed proudly at Chayton. His steps were never off beat.

And I want to walk with you
On a cloudy day
In fields where the yellow grass grows knee-high
So won't you try to come?

Come away with me
And we'll kiss on a mountain top

Chayton was doing all of the stepping and turning while pulling me along with him but his eyes never left mine even for a second. Suddenly the world had drifted away, leaving nothing but us and the music. Another twirl, another sway, everything was graceful.

Come away with me
And I'll never stop loving you

And I want to wake up with the rain
Falling on a tin roof
While I'm safe there in your arms
So all I ask is for you
To come away with me in the night
Come away with me

I was dipped backwards by Chayton, who grinned boyishly down at me before lowering his lips onto mine. Faintly, I could hear the cheers and catcalls from the crowd but nothing mattered than the man holding me in his arms. I had lost my family, my identity and my freedom but without all those hardships, I wouldn't have met this incredible man. Chayton pulled away a little too quickly and our moment was over but I knew there will be plenty more with my husband.

"I love you," I whispered, wrapping my arms around him.

"And I, you." Chayton righted me up and together, we faced the applauding crowd. My eyes went straight to James who was trying to wipe his tears discreetly while comforting a sobbing Winona. My heart swelled with love and joy at everyone around me. I couldn't have asked for a better life.

-THE END-

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Chapter 14 by Fathiah Zarafi

My hair billowed around me as a soft breeze brushed past. The gentle swaying of the flowers tickled against my skin, drawing a serene smile from my lips. I focused on the clouds above me, slowly rolling in the blue sky. Lying here in a valley of flowers brought a new sense of peace in me. There was no more hurt, no more anguish. Just calmness washing over me. I closed my eyes and let myself drown in the environment.

"Aly, wake up honey."

My eyes slowly blinked open when I felt a warm weight on my forehead. I smiled upon seeing the beautiful woman in front of me. "Mom," I breathed, "I missed you."

"I miss you too, my sweet little angel," she hummed. "My, look how big you've grown. You look so much like your father."

I beamed at her before sitting up straight. Mother enveloped me in one of her warm hugs that I have yearned for so long. She ran her hands gently over my hair before pulling away. "I'm so proud of you, sweetheart. We're all so proud of you."

I peered over her shoulder and saw Father standing not too far behind. He had a hand wrapped around Sarah's small ones. She was waving enthusiastically at me, showing that toothless smile of hers. Lucy was standing on the right side of Father, smiling down at me. I got up to my feet and together with Mother, we made our way to our family.

Lucy embraced me first. "Good job, sis," she whispered in my ear. I made my way to Father and he wrapped his arms around me tightly. I hugged him back equally as tight, cherishing the feeling. "You have made us all proud." He released me and I crouched down to Sarah's height.

"Have you been a nice girl, Sarah?" I questioned playfully. She giggled in response and bobbed her head back and forth vigorously.

"I miss you, Carrot!" she shrieked before throwing her dainty arms around my neck. I backed away from her and pretended to pout. Her giggles filled the atmosphere around us. I couldn't suppress the laughter that bubbled up my chest and joined her in a melodic chorus. Soon, our laughter died, leaving behind traces of happiness in our chests.

"I'm so happy to join you again," I squealed out in delight. Their reaction wasn't what I had anticipated. All of their smiles dropped when the words left my lips. Mother stepped forward and wrapped her arms around me lightly.

"Honey, it's not your time yet. You can't join us." I gaped at her explanation.

"But, I'm dead. Are you trying to tell me that I'm going to hell?" I asked reluctantly. The four of them unexpectedly burst into laughter before Father joined at my side.

"No, dear, you can't go to hell if you're not dead yet," he said with a chuckle. I stared at him and Mother in horror as I grasp their hands frantically.

"But no, I can't live alone anymore!" I cried, "I can't, not without you guys. Please, let me stay here." Mother took a step forward and gently cradled my face between two palms. She kissed away the stray tears that had escaped my eyes before smiling at me.

"You are a strong girl, Alyson. The road of your life is still long and unwinding. You can achieve anything that you dream of."

"But—"

"Shh, listen to that," Mother cut off my protest.

I silenced myself and tried to pick up what Mother was referring to. There was nothing but the sound of the breeze. Scowling, I was about to question her when a soft noise caught my attention. It was so faint, like a whisper of a wind. I crept closer to the source which seemed to be coming from a door in the middle of the valley. My ears flattened themselves against the wood as I listened to the voice over it.

"Adele, please don't go."

Adele. That name was familiar to me, just at the tip of my tongue but I couldn't recall.

"You can fight this. I know you can."

My heart swelled at this voice. He was begging for this Adele girl to come back to him. They must have been really close.

"You are the best thing that ever came into my life since—since forever. My life has always been rough and negative and—when you came, you taught me not to give up. You need to remember that and don't give up fighting. I sort of, kinda, like you more than I ever should so you better wake up so I can sort my feelings out, so we can be Chayton and Adele again."

I was suddenly overcome by waves of memories and emotions. I murmured a soft 'oh' when everything clicked into place. My lips curved upwards into a smile upon hearing Chayton's voice. Chayton, who had knelt at the tip of a firearm for me. He was awaiting my return and I shall do the exact. I glanced over my shoulders to view my family. They all had arms wrapped around each other, beaming at me.

"Go, sweetheart," urged Father.

"I love you," I whispered.

"We love you too, Alyson."

I pushed the door open and took a step over it. I never looked back.

*************************************************************************************

Little pelting sounds penetrated my haze. The noise grew louder and louder until a loud thunder rumbled, shaking me awake. Although I was aware of my surrounding, my eyelids felt extremely heavy and impossible to pry open. I grew tired from fighting against it so I relied on my hearing to detect anything. Everything was so fuzzy; I couldn't remember where I was or what happened. I recalled being held hostage by Mary Anne and Chayton barging in on us but everything after that was a vague of visions. My ears detected the sounds of footsteps against hard surface, creeping nearer to me. Just as it stopped, my hand was suddenly engulfed by warm heat.

"Hey, Adele. It's me again."

I struggled against my heavy eyelids to catch a glimpse of Chayton. With Herculean effort, they finally fluttered open, only to shut tightly when the harsh light burned my retinas. Chayton apparently noticed my reaction as his grip on my hand tightened and I felt the surface I was lying on dipped.

"Adele? Can you open your eyes again?" his voice begging.

I summoned my courage to once again battle the heaviness that pulled on my eyelids. Soft, fleeting sensations ran down the side of my face and I knew he was stroking my cheek. The desire to view him in person won the raging war. My eyelids flickered open and I was careful not to stare directly into the light this time. Chayton's hovering face greeted me instantly. Although my vision was still blurry, I could make out the grin adorned on his face.

"Nice of you to wake up, Sleeping Beauty," said Chayton softly, "I'll go call the nurse. Don't fall asleep again, please."

Before I could process what he had mumbled, Chayton was running out of the room. I took the opportunity to silently learn where I was. I couldn't really smell anything; there were tubes shoved into my nostrils that blew air into it. It was rather an uncomfortable feeling, having plastic tubes in your nose. I tried to adjust or perhaps remove them but as I attempted to raise my hand, I found it restricted by another set of tubes penetrating the thin skin of my hand. I eyes followed the long trail of tubes until they landed on bags of what appeared to be water dripping into my hand.

The sudden burst of nurses through the door startled me. They gathered around my bed and started talking a mile a minute amongst themselves. I tried searching for Chayton but my vision was teemed with maroon scrubs. One of them pried my mouth open before prodding a thermometer in it. Another started taking my blood pressure while the other administered the reaction of my pupils.

"Temperature; 98.6. Normal."

"Blood pressure at 120/80 mmHg; normal."

"Pupils dilate and relax normally."

I started feeling overwhelmed by all the crowding. My heart began thundering in my chest from the anxiety and confusion. The room was abruptly filled with a rapid beeping that screeched loudly. The nurses stopped their works immediately to peer down at me.

"Nurse, please, you're making her nervous," a voice spoke from behind the human curtain. They broke apart to allow the mystery person to enter. A woman in a lab coat, probably in her early forties, sat on a stool I next to my bec.

"Hello there, Adele. I'm your doctor, Miranda. It's nice to see you awake now," she smiled. "How are you feeling today?"

I opened my mouth to answer her but all I emitted was a moan of pain. My throat was dry and each movement felt like knives scraping against my throat. Doctor Miranda noticed my discomfort when she asked the nurse to hand her a cup of water. Gently, she propped my neck up with one hand and tipped the cup into my mouth with the other. Once I felt the soothing liquid running down my throat, I sighed in appreciation.

"Feeling better?" asked Dr. Miranda, setting the paper cup on the table next to her.

"Yes," I rasped out. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Chayton sitting on the window sill, his eyes never leaving me. "I can't remember what happened."

"Ah, yes. You've been asleep for a week now so we must fill out the details. Shall we?" I nodded my approval for her to continue. Dr. Miranda held a chart in her hands and began flipping through the pages.

"You were brought into the ER last Thursday with three gunshot wounds and a blunt trauma on your cheek. We had to perform multiple surgeries on you to remove two bullets, one in your shoulder and one in your calf. The third bullet was lodged in your spine. We had to wait several days to take it out but—"

"But what?" I asked when Dr. Miranda froze mid sentence. She placed the chart neatly on her lap before taking my right hand in both of hers.

"Your spinal chord was heavily damaged by the bullet and I'm afraid you're paralyzed from the waist down," she whispered.

"No, you're kidding," I laughed. She must be. There was no way I could be paralyzed, just no. When I saw the unadulterated sympathy pouring from her eyes, I snatched my hand away and turned to Chayton desperately.

"Chayton, is she, she can't—tell me she's lying!"

Chayton's expression mirrored that of Dr. Miranda's and everything just broke apart. I began sobbing out loud, not caring about anybody who can see me. My life as I knew it was busticating into smithereens. When I felt warm arms surrounding me, my cries only grew louder. Nothing was ever going to be the same again.

*************************************************************************************

"Come on, Adele, you've got to eat something."

"For the last time, Chayton, I'm not hungry," I grumbled. It was hours after the news of my disabled state was delivered and my unexpected break down. I was propped up on my upper body by fluffed pillows, avoiding the spoonful of mashed potatoes Chayton was trying to force into my mouth.

He sighed in exasperation before putting the plate down on the table. "Look, I know this must be hard for you to take in but—"

"You don't know anything!" I snapped. The hurt evident on Chayton's face made me immediately regretted doing so. "I'm sorry, it's just—I can't believe this is happening to me. I can never walk again."

Chayton's face softened. I averted my gaze to hide the traces of tears in my eyes. I hated crying; it made me feel like a helpless crybaby but at this moment, I was truly helpless. He lifted my chin up with two fingers so we were eye to eye.

"I've told you that I'll help you through this, didn't I? You're not alone. You've got me, my mom, your uncle, the doctor, lots of people" he comforted. I could only smile faintly at him.

The next thing I knew, Chayton was closing the distance between us. My breath hitched as my eyes fluttered close. His lips met mine lightly and fleetingly. Chayton held it there for only a few seconds before pulling back. I opened my eyes and saw him grinning, with a hint of blush on his cheeks. I was pretty sure I was wearing the same expression. It was when I came down from cloud nine that I fully apprehended his words.

"Wait, you said my uncle?" I questioned suspiciously. Chayton laughed and settled himself more comfortably on the foot of the bed before taking my hand in his once more.

"Mr. Charles, or James now, told me everything." I glanced down at our intertwined hands for a few seconds before the memory of James ran across my mind. My grip on Chayton's hand unconsciously tightened when I recalled him being thrown over the second floor.

"James!" I shrieked, "What happened to him? The last time I saw him, he fell through the window!"

"Relax, Adele," he spoke slowly, "James was released from the hospital a day after he was admitted with a broken arm, nothing serious."

"Oh, okay then. You're not hurt, are you?" I paused when Chayton shook his head. "How did you two find me anyways?"

Chayton inhaled a deep breath and gazed out the window so that his face was turned away from me. "You were missing for two days so I got worried and went out searching for you. Then, I saw you struggling with Tristan in front of your house and I knew something was wrong," his tone darkened when he spoke, "I went to James because I knew you two had something funny going on. He called the police yada yada yada, here we are."

I waited for a few moments before speaking up. "Thank you," I breathed, "You're my hero." Chayton flushed at my comment and mumbled something incoherent under his breath. I couldn't resist his cuteness anymore; I leaned over and sealed his mouth with mine. His lips were soft and inviting; I decided I could kiss him forever.

"So um," I started once we broke apart, "is Mary Anne, you know, dead?"

"10 gunshots fired at her," he said venomously, "she deserved that death after what she did to you and your family."

I remained silent and leaned back against the pillows. A million thoughts ran through my mind at the moment; where do I go from here? Father didn't have other siblings and Mother was an only child. My grandparents were long buried six feet under. I visibly shuddered at the thought of being placed into an orphanage. Nobody would adopt a cripple, I thought bitterly.

"Hey, what are you thinking about?" Chayton's voice broke my train of thoughts.

"Where do I go from here?" I sighed, "I don't have any other relatives and—"

"You're staying with me."

Both Chayton and I looked up at the sudden intruder. James was standing at the door with a huge smile painted on his face. His left arm was held in a sling and I could see a few cuts and bruises on his face but despite those, he seemed healthy.

"What do you mean, James?" I asked once he settled himself on the chair previously occupied by Chayton.

"Since I'm your biological uncle, you are now under my custody," James explained. I frowned in puzzlement and sat up straighter.

"But—you said your work forces to move around constantly and change identities. How am I supposed to follow you all over the world?"

"I quit my job," he said nonchalantly, as if quitting the CIA team was a daily activity. My eyes widened in shock and jumbled words tumbled out of my gaping mouth. James chuckled slightly and leaned on his elbow.

"When you're a forty year old man, you'd learn that nothing is more important than family." James smiled at me and I mirrored his expression. "And, we will be staying here where you can finish high school with our help."

I threw my hands around him and held back the tears threatening to fall. James patted my back soothingly as Chayton moved to sit next to me on the bed. I released him only to lean back against Chayton's arms. He pressed his lips on my head and I smiled in contentment. James stared at our exchange with slanted eyes the whole time.

"Oh by the way, no kissing under my roof," warned James. Both of us burst into laughter and giggles, and try as hard as he could, James couldn't keep a straight face. He joined us with a belly laugh of his own. I gazed at a ray of sun as Chayton joked around with James. It penetrated the dark clouds above, warmed the grass below and warmed my soul.

Come what may; I knew I would get through it with the love and support of those around me and the guidance from those above. Starting life anew as a disabled person would be a challenge but I would gladly accept it. Seeing the two most important men in front of me, I knew I wouldn't trade my life for anything.

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