drown × calum hood [complete]

× e p i l o g u e ×

Epilogue: Mali

×××

It rains on the day that Calum and Bella's funerals are attended, both families wearing black with emotionless faces.

There are a few close friends and relatives there as well, and as the crowd disperses to have lunch, one person stays.

"Hey," they say, voice soft. "I... never knew you personally, but you seemed pretty cool. I was close friends with your sister Mali. And, well, I know that you had scars up and down your arms, and that you couldn't do anything to stop it. I know how hard it is to stop because I myself..."

They pull up their sleeve, running light fingertips over faded scars. Years and years of hating themself, they had come so close to killing themself, only to realize there was some good in the world.

"I, too, used to cut. And-" Their voice cracks and a tear slips from their eye and makes its way down their cheek. They wipe it away quickly, though.

"Maybe if I hadn't gone out that night, maybe if I hadn't gotten drunk, then you would still be alive. This is all my fault, and I'm so, so sorry. I never meant for any of this to happen."

They lay a small bouquet of white lilies down, resting up on the dirt mound. Taking a breath to calm themself, they move to the grave directly next to Calum's.

"Hi, Bella. It's been a while since I saw you. The last time I did you were six? Seven?" They laugh softly, sitting down and folding their legs. They trace meaningless patterns into the wet dirt, holding their umbrella up above them.

They realize after a while that they've written te amo. I love you.

And maybe they did.

They talk for a while longer, then lay some yellow tulips down, before walking out and blowing a kiss.

×

"Hey," Mali says, frowning. "Where's-"

"Here!" The boy shouts, putting his umbrella down and shaking his hair.

"What were you doing?"

"Talking," he answers, looking over at the small graveyard before getting in the car.

Mali smiles at that.

×

A few months later, Mali falls pregnant. She decides to go visit Calum and talk for a bit.

Opening the gate while holding her boyfriend's hand, together they walk to Calum and Bella's graves.

It's sunny with a bit of clouds, and the summer air is warm. Her boyfriend motions for her to talk, so she does.

She talks about her life, what's been happening, how she's pregnant - and she notices her boyfriend smile at that - and how their family is doing.

She talks for what seems like forever, wishing she could go on but the sky starts to get dark, and the air goes a bit colder. "Come on. Let's go home."

They say goodbye before leaving, driving home.

×

"The water broke."

"What?"

"The water broke. My water broke, oh my God."

"What?" Her boyfriend is sputtering, almost frantic. "Let's get in the car! We need to go to hospital!"

The drive there is a rushed one, and when they get there it's almost immediate that Mali gets whisked into the delivery room. Her boyfriend holds her hand the whole way through, telling her soothing things and that she'll be a great mother.

Mali starts to cry and tightens her hold on his hand before her body went limp and they heard crying, accompanied with "It's a boy!"

Despite her cheeks being streaked with tears and her forehead being damp with sweat, she smiles, and so does her boyfriend.

"What will you name him?"

They look at each other and silently agree.

"Calum Hood... Jr."

×××

this is it!

there has to be some happy endings + mali was doing everything calum didn't get the chance to

thank you guys sososo much for sticking with me throughout this depressing book! it means so much to me!

i hope none of you guys cried i s2g or i'll feel terrible :')

signing off for the last time in drown,

-mahina ♡