A Broken Road

A Broken Road- Epilogue

"I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be."
-Douglas Adams

I definitely didn't intend on ever being where I am right now- moving into a home with Alex by my side. Not just any home, but my childhood home- the one I'd shared with my mother and all the memories inside of it. For a college graduation present, Charlie had explained that he bought the house five years ago, when it went on the market, and kept it a secret until my college graduation.

So here I am, moving the last of the boxes into the house as I examine the old, yet familiar, walls decorated with intricate and bright colors.

"Show me your room." Alex tells me with a small smile. I grin at him and hold his hand in mine, taking him through the hallway towards my old room.

"Do you like it? Like, the brightness of everything won't give you a headache or anything, right?" I ask, nervously as I look back at him and bite my lip nervously. I love Alex. I love him so much, and I don't want him to ask to paint over the murals that cover every inch of wall area in this house. I love it all and it all represented a memory. Of me and my mother, who I miss so much even after five years.

Alex smirks at me and runs his fingers through my hair before planting a soft kiss on my lips. "Paisley, I've dealt with you for five years, okay? I think I'm prone to headaches by now."

I give him a playful scowl and open the hot pink door to my old room. "Hey, I am a great person." I tease.

"I know that." He chuckles, but more serious than I was. Alex looks up and analyzes the room- which will probably become our room now. My name was painted across the back wall in huge letters, surrounded in music quotes and words that Anna painted there.

Oh, Anna. I do miss her. During senior year of high school, we kind of started talking again, but I was cautious. But when she moved to France for her studies after high school, we just stopped talking. I don't talk to Ricky at all either, but I don't miss him nearly as much as I miss Anna.

I do talk to Kelly frequently, though. She stayed in California with Danny, however, when me and Alex went to The University of Notre Dame, which is Indiana and fairly close to where I'd grown up. Alex got a business degree and is taking control of one of Charlie's plants from Indiana- they're soon-to-be business partners. I got a photography degree, and I hope to open my own photography studio in the near future, but I'll probably do some interning and/or assisting first.

"We can put your name on this wall." I tell Alex, pointing to the other wall that was covered in random paintings and thoughts, but there was space to put Alex's name there.

"Are you sure you want my name up there?" He asks, coming up behind me and resting his chin on my shoulder. I probably smell sweaty, considering the fact that we've spent all day moving boxes into the house. My brown hair is up in a messy pony tail with multiple tendrils falling out and my crappiest t-shirt with jean shorts.

"Of course I want your name up there." I scoff as his arms wrapped around my belly, pulling me tightly to him. "It's our room."

"I can't paint." He warns me with a kiss on the cheek.

I giggle at that. "Alex, I've seen you paint and I know you can't paint."

"Well I'd like to see you run a bazillion dollar company." He teases right back. "Yeah, that's what I thought."

I laugh at his childishness. "You're ridiculous."

"But I'm your ridiculous." He says cheekily.

I smile and turn around in his warm arms. "Yes. You're mine."