Still We Rise

Epilogue

Song: Rise Up- Andra Day
There comes a day when you realize turning the page is the best feeling in the world, because you realize there's so much more to the book than the page you were stuck on.
——————-

Kenzie's POV:
Two years later...

Two years I have been living with my three best friends, my little brother, and one year for living with my little sister. A lot changes in two years, and most of the time you don't even realize it.

"Kinsler. Jazzy. You two better be doing your homework! Otherwise when Dravon gets here he's going to ground you both." I yell up the stairs to the two kids. They yell down okay, and I go back to cooking dinner.

After a few months of living in our apartment, Cathy was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer. Dravon quit school to take care of her and Jazzy, and by her third round of chemo she decided to stop it. She said she didn't want to die while she wasn't herself, which we all respected that for her. Not long after she quit, her lungs fully collapsed, and she passed away with all of us by her side.

All of us were a wreck, but it was worse on all the guys, including Kinsler. Jazzy tried to be strong, but there were times I'd catch her crying in her room. When I'd try to comfort her she'd tell me she has to be strong for Dravon, like I had to be. We eventually worked out an agreement that if she'd cry in front of Dravon then I'd do the same.

After Cathy's funeral, Jazzy and Kinsler shared a room for a few months, then the guys and I bought a house— well, more of a mansion— there are eight bedrooms, three of them have a master bathroom, two living rooms, a big kitchen and dining room, and a basement.

The front door opens, and I hear the guys laughing. "We're home!" Miles announces, and I smile. The three of them coming home everyday is something the kids and I look forward to, even though on the weekdays I leave as they arrive. It's all of our favorite part, seeing each other.

"Kitchen!" I yell back. The three of them make their way into the kitchen still laughing, and joking around. "Hey guys, how was work?" I ask once they are in the kitchen.

They all smile at me, Miles hugs me, and the other two tell me about their day. "It was good. Guess who's going to get a promotion soon." Dravon says, and I pretend to think.

"The janitor?" I joke, and he rolls his eyes.

"No smartass. Me. We don't know what the details are yet, like which position I'll get, or anything like that. But all that matters is that it's happening!" He exclaims, and I smile. I congratulate him, and he pulls me into a hug.

"While I may not be getting a promotion, Jeremiah was wanting to officially meet all of you." Eli tells me, and I smile. "Is it okay with you guys if I invite him over for dinner?" He asks, and I nod.

After the guys started college, Eli came to me one night when neither of us could sleep, and told me he thinks he's gay. He had been acting funny for a few weeks, but anytime we'd ask him what was wrong, he'd say nothing so we never pushed him. He told me he was afraid we'd look at him differently, but when he told the guys and me that he was definitely gay we all cheered, and told him we'd support him.

Nothing has changed between any of us, and we're all super supportive of him. "That's fine. It should be done in about an hour and a half. We'd love to meet him." I tell him, and he smiles, pulling out his phone to tell his boyfriend to come over.