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Epilogue - [1/5]

I cocked my head, looking over at Chief Morgan as he stood against the front desk. "Heya, chief!" He glanced over, and I grinned. "How's it going?"

The old man tipped his hat at me. "The usual."

"That's good to hear," I said. Looking around, I peered at him and asked, "Can I borrow her for a few?"

Stephanie flinched at my question, though the chief nodded. I grabbed her hand, and before she could protest, I was dragging her off. "W-Wait, where are we going?" She asked, walking faster to catch up with my longer strides. We walked out the back of the station, standing in the parking lot.

"You came to see Dexter off, right?" I asked for clarification.

Her eyes widened, and she looked up at me. I didn't move, staring at the sky as I waited for her response. Putting her head low, she mumbled, "Kind of... I just wanted to see that he was alright before going home."

"Does Ryan know you're here?"

"N-No. He's with his friends, somewhere at a bar or something."

I noticed the small fidget to her figure, as if she was nervous or maybe even embarrassed. My eyes glanced at her as I smirked, catching her attention. "Don't worry— I'm not going to rat you out to your brother."

"That's relieving," she replied, a short laughter in her voice. Her hands hid behind her back as she explained, "It's not too much of a big deal to me like it is to him. I.. wanted to catch one last glance at him, I guess." The wind howled down at us, and her eyes become blank, drifting in thought. She added quietly, "See him leave, for good."

"For good doesn't mean forever," I pointed out, putting my hands in my pockets.

"I know." A small smile grew on her face, and she whispered again, "I know." Stephanie turned to look at me. "I'm not ready to forgive him— and I probably never will— but I know that I'm ready to finally look at him face-to-face. It's been almost ten years, after all."

I gave her a concerned stare. "You don't have to force yourself."

"I'm not. I genuinely know I'm ready."

"Are you—" My phone pinged in my pocket, interrupting our conversation, and I pulled it out. Reading the message that popped up on the screen, I grumbled under my breath as I shoved it back in place. Those brats said to meet at the back! Are you actually kidding me? Grabbing Stephanie's hand once again, I said, "Well, you better still be ready for the next minute or two, because we're gonna go see him off now."

"W-Wait, now?!"

"Don't tell me that you've suddenly lost all your confidence!"

"I-It was just way sooner.. than I thought!"

As we passed by the front desk, Chief Morgan tried to ask if he could have Stephanie back, but I nervously laughed in his direction, my hand up to excuse myself. "Sorry, sorry! Just another few minutes!"

There wasn't time to hear a response from him. I pushed the doors open, letting Stephanie follow behind me. At the very front of the parking lot, Mom was talking with Dexter's parents, who were in a small red Jeep piled with luggage. As far as I could tell, Dexter was standing off to the side with a policeman talking to him. I walked in his direction, inhaling shakily while I tightened Stephanie's hand in mind. It still hurts looking at him. Dexter noticed me as I stopped a few yards away from him. It was a distance protocol that the police force preferred between the two of us.

I put up a small smile. "Hey." He waved blankly, barely conveying any emotion. My head nodded over to the Jeep beside him, and I asked, "Headed out to Canada with your parents now, huh?"