The Way We Are

Epilogue

FOUR YEARS LATER

Today, was the day they laid Evie to rest on the family farm. The weather held true to their feelings.

Dreary with gray angry skies. Coming back from the funeral, they found a manila folder on the doorstep. Immediately recognizing it as Evie's handwriting they took it into the living room where they sat down staring at it for what seemed like hours. Finally gaining the courage Bailey opened it and pulled the contents from the folder.

Two small white envelopes fell from between the fold. One addressed to the sisters and the other to Milo with a red scarf neatly tied around it.

Not wanting to open it for fear of further sorrow Bailey handed it over to Leah. With shaky hands, she took the small envelope and tore it open. Staring down at the pages she began sobbing uncontrollably. Mika wrapped her arms around her shaking shoulders trying best to comfort her. They knew they had to garner strength from each other to survive this devastating ordeal.  After a few minutes, Leah finally was able to  compose herself. Sighing deeply, she rubbed her hands over her puffy eyes and began reading out loud shakily.

To My Loving Independent Sisters,

I know if you are reading this letter it means I have finally succeeded in ending my life and you weren’t there to save me again. Please don't be angry at me. I know I have no right to ask for forgiveness but I do hope with time your hearts will heal from this crippling loss.  I know more than anyone to not have put you through this but the selfish part of me could not hold on anymore. Mother’s death annihilated me and through my unruly behavior alienated my family and the only man I ever loved.

As I sit here writing these letters, my thoughts keep going back to what I could have done differently to change my faith. But I always come back to the same conclusion. I can't change anything. My mind has deteriorated in the last few months. I can’t be around anyone much less my children. Instead, I sit here choosing the coward's way out. I broke up with Milo when I found out I was pregnant. The worst part was having my sisters suffer from my irrational decisions. The tantrums were getting out of control. All I could think about was how this could happen to me. Why me and not someone else. Why did the one person who truly loved me leave me? Everyone takes the loss of a love one differently. He told me that one day. I tried seeing his logic.
 
We were to conquer the world. Make our husbands and wife take care of the children while we traveled the globe.  You girls were my ride or die partners. We were always better together than apart and I broke that circle.
You all brought me great joy when I had the time to be with you without the medication. However, in the end, I became a sister and a lover you did not recognize. I was just a shell of my former self. It is with a heavy heart that I send this letter as I never wanted you to see me in a different light. Before I go there are a few confessions I need to reveal. Secrets that I really could not take with me to the grave. 

Bailey my second mother, I hope you can keep caring for Petey and Pepper because I am officially telling Milo the truth about their existence.  I know he will be heartbroken that I hid this from him but hopefully he will understand. You and Andrea need them much more than he does. You would never be able to have any of your own. You have been the best mother to me throughout my life.  I know they will be in good hands.  I am begging him to understand my last wishes and not to take them from you as he has already started a new life of his own with his two beautiful children. Hopefully with the great love we shared he will keep my death wish.

As for Mika, she was the sister who always needed protection. I was involved in Cory's death. Please do not give this confess to Detective Sosa as I know Sammy has already taken full responsibility for the murder. Finding him was like winning the jackpot. Knowing what Cory had done to his sister Sonia solidified my resolve to have him killed. He would have done the murder for free but I knew his parents needed some cash because they were getting older. I had secretly squirreled away small sums of cash for three years so as to not have it look obvious by taking out a large sum to draw attention to myself. I had been thinking of his demise years before his attack on Mika. I made sure it was someone who was already in jail and had no chance of being paroled. I could not leave any casualties. The bastard deserved what he got. I made sure he felt the same terror you did when he was stomping in your head into the pavement. Do you really think that I would leave you knowing how the justice system worked especially after Sonia’s death?  He would probably be out of jail in a few years on parole and go right back to stalking you a Kaylie. He did not deserve such a beautiful innocent child in his life or the love of such an amazing woman. I was hoping Detective Sosa would show more interest. I saw the way he was looking at you when he came by the courthouse.  Even in death I hoped I could play match matcher.