I knew I was going to have monumental moments today, but I didn’t expect for this to be one. Feeling Daisy’s friendship and love and sisterhood wrap around me so tightly and protectively—I’ll never forget it.
She holds out her palm for our friendship handshake, but I wrap my arms around her shoulder, light as can be since she’s pregnant.
Daisy hugs me back.
Afterward, I search the courtroom for Garrison, and when our eyes meet, a bittersweet realization passes sadly between us.
London.
Philadelphia.
We’re going to split apart.Not yet.We have some months left together before I leave for college, and I hang onto those like a lifeline.
40PRESENT DAY – June
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
GARRISON ABBEY
Age 24
“Oh no, I’m dying, I need health—I need health,” Willow says in panic, punching buttons on a Sega controller with skill.
“Knock over the steel drum—fuuuck.” I rock back as my health meter depletes to zero. “I just died.”
Willow laughs, and then Blaze, herStreets of Ragecharacter, kicks ass for another five minutes, gaining health, and not long after that, Blaze perishes too.
We take a food break, and I flip open the pizza box on the floor—where we’ve thrown down plush blankets, bed pillows, and set up our TV with a few game consoles. Move-in boxes surround us in the large, open space. Sharpie scrawled over the cardboard sides, most labeledAbbeys – living roomandAbbeys – kitchen.
Willow was happy to sell all her textbooks. Not needing to pack any since sheofficiallygraduated college with a shiny business degree. She’ll open up the London branch of Superheroes & Scones soon.
And eventually, Lily wants to hire Willow as the Chief Brand Officer. Which is big.
I’m really proud of everything she’s accomplished.
Earlier, we dug into a few boxes to find the N64, so Styrofoam popcorn packaging litters the ground too.
I lost at Diddy Kong Racing like fifteen times in a row.
“You’re killing it tonight,” I say while tearing into a slice of pepperoni.
Willow smiles, brown hair wet in a messy braid after a shower. “Must be the new place,” she says softly, just wearing blue cotton pajamas. “Maybe I’m lucky here.”
My lips rise.
Yeah, I like that idea. Our new home together is a place of good fortune for Willow, and me too. It feels that way, at least, and tonight is only our first night here.
She scoops up a cheesy piece of pizza, and I smile at the bathing suit tan lines on her shoulders, visible outside the spaghetti straps of her PJs.
“What?” She nudges up her glasses, seeing me staring.
I lick my lips, feeling my smile expanding. I shake my head at first, but then words come easy. “It just dawned on me that when I look at you, it means that I’m looking at my wife.”
She has trouble chewing pizza, her smile uncontrollable. “Stop…I can’t…” She laughs.
I laugh.
Willow chokes on the food.
