The New Normal

Epilogue

Tyler placed the last box down, dusting off his hands and resting them on his waist. He looked around the apartment, our apartment we shared with Kimberly and Seth. It wasn't much, as much as four college students could afford in New Jersey because the possibility of living in New York itself was virtually impossible, even with the savings our families had for us.

Seth and Kimberly were out getting some take out to celebrate our big move, so it was just me and Tyler, admiring our new home.

Tyler led me to our room, a sly smile on his face as he gestured to the framed art that hung about our bed. It was a painting of a ferris wheel. The same one we had our first kiss on. My jaw dropped open. "Is that the mural you did for class you wouldn't let me see?"

He winked at me. "Yep. I wanted to surprise you with it and I thought this was the best time as any."

I inspected the painting, the detail, the colours. Everything about it was perfect. I turned to him, half touched and half annoyed. "This is so much better than the measly painting I did of you!"

Tyler chuckled loudly, the sound filling the room. "Sweetness, I love your painting."

I rolled my eyes but I placed a light kiss on his cheek. "It's beautiful. I love it."

We stayed in one another's embrace, looking at the painting that captured one of our most treasured memories. After a moment, he smiled at me, bouncing on the balls of his feet. "Are you excited?"

"I feel like I'm going to vomit," I replied honestly. Being away from my dad, starting college, living with Tyler, it was all so much change, but a change I welcomed wholly. When I noticed Tyler's emerald eyes narrowing in on me with concern, I laughed as I leaned into him. "But in a good way. If that makes sense..." I shook my head, feeling one of my signature rambles coming on. "What I mean is, yes, I'm excited." I turned to him, resting my hands on his chest, staring up at him. "I'm excited to be here, to start school, but most importantly, I'm excited to be with you and you with me, every step of the way."

Tyler grinned. "Me too, sweetness. Me too."

I kissed him gently. "I love you."

"I love you too," he said, thickly, as if every time I said it, he couldn't quite believe it. He tipped my chin upward, so I could look at him directly. But before he could say anything, Seth and Kimberly burst through the door with handfuls of to-go bags.

Tyler and I left our room and once we were in view, Seth held up his share of the food proudly. "Dude, they had a deal. Buy two pizzas and get two pounds of wings!"

Kimberly rolled her eyes at her boyfriend, but I could tell she was surprising a smile. I knew she was happy Seth decided not to go on his makeshift tour with Colson, instead, he planned on taking some general classes in New Jersey to figure out what he would want to study. She held up her bag. "I got the drinks."

Tyler through an arm over my shoulders as we all swarmed to the kitchen, fixing our plates of pizza and wings. Kimberly looked up at us, her eyes wide. "Are we really eating our first meal in our first apartment?"

"Yes," Seth mused. "Yes, we are."

Kimberly grinned and I held up my can of Dr. Pepper. "To new adventures!"

The rest of the group followed suit, echoing my cheer, except Seth, who shouted, "To chicken wings!"

Tyler smacked him playfully on the chest and everyone began to laugh, the realization sinking in that this, was in fact, the beginning of another new adventure.