Unraveled

Epilogue

-15 years later-

I twist my wedding band around my finger as I watch Brennan shut the cars trunk door.

"Everything is all packed." He looks over to me, and I smile sadly.

"This is weird. Zoe is going off to college in New York." I sigh, and Brennan quickly wraps me up in a comforting hug.

"She's ready to handle the adult world. Don't worry so much Mi." He says, and I just nod, knowing he's right.

We walk back inside our house, and I hear voices coming from Zoe's room.

I make my way over, and let my presence be known by lightly knocking on the open door frame.

Zoe looks up from packing her light travel bag, Milan looks up from his phone, and Piper, Kimmys daughter, finishes handing Zoe her charger cables.

"You three ready for the drive to New York or no?" I ask, and Zoe nods, meanwhile Milan and Piper shake their heads.

"Zoe's ditching us." Piper sighs, and Zoe rolls her eyes.

"I'm trying to get an education."

"That's boring." Milan shrugs, and Zoe just groans, tossing one of her pillows at his face.

"You're boring." She fires back, and Milan just hugs the pillow, not bothering to throw it back.

Zoe packs the cables that Piper handed her, and goes around her room, skimming for last minute things she needs to pack.

"I think I'm done. I got everything I need to take." Zoe looks over to me and I nod.

"Great. Piper, your mom is waiting for you outside. Milan, you riding with Zoe or Aunt Kim?" I turn to my son, and he stands up, putting Zoe's pillow back on her bed.

"Probably Kim. She has more room in her car and I won't be squished." He tells me, and I nod.

"Alright, let's get on the road then."

———

"Is there a rink in range?" I ask, and I see Zoe nod in the rear view mirror.

"Yeah. It's only going to be a few blocks away from my apartment which is nice. I can still keep up my ice skating practice."

"Don't you have roommates?" I furrow my eyebrows as I try to remember if she told me or not.

"Yeah, they're twins. I don't know their names or where they're from but I'm excited to meet them."

"They better be your age."

"Mom!" Zoe exclaims, her cheeks going red.

"What? I don't want older men to hit on you." I shrug

"They won't hit on me. And they aren't older men. Calm down." Zoe laughs, and I glance to Brennan, and he rolls his eyes in amusement.

"Just making sure." He says, and Zoe turns back to her phone.

A few minutes later, I hear Zoe sigh in the back, and she stared boredly at her phone.

"Why does social media have to blow Hollywood actors and singers out of proportion?" She complains.

"What?" I laugh.

"Just think about it. They get some screen time on some stupid movie or show, or they get a one hit wonder song and they think they're the shit."

"Language." Brennan says.

"Who in the world are you talking about?" I narrow my eyes slightly.

"This stupid new actor. His name is Forest Pierce." She mumbles, and I see her fingers scroll through whatever social media app she was on.

"Give it a few months and he won't be everywhere. Someone else will take over." Brennan tells her, and she scoffs.

"I doubt it. Why can't they give more attention to people who deserve it? Like I don't know, athletes? We work just as hard as actors do and we get zip."

Brennan and I share a glance, knowing that she wanted a professional Ice Skating career but she didn't go after it, knowing the odds were stacked against her.

So she decided to get an education instead, which I'm still very proud of, but skating is where her heart will always lie and where her outlet will always be.

"Actors work hard Zoe. Don't downplay them just because they aren't athletes." Brennan scolds, and I hear Zoe sigh, but she doesn't argue.

———

"Your bed is so comfy!" Piper exclaims, plopping down on Zoe's bed.

"That's because of the mattress pads." Zoe bites her lip, and Piper sighs in content, loving the comfort of Zoe's bed.

"I could fall asleep right here and right now."

"I don't doubt it." Milan plays with his fingers, leaning against the closet doorframe.

"Where do you want this?" Brennan holds up a few of Zoe's personal belongings, and she quickly directs him where she wants them placed.

"If anything I can reorganize later." She tells her dad, and Brennan nods in agreement.

My stomach growls, and I notice just how hungry I am, no matter how many snacks I have eaten on the drive from Connecticut to New York.

"Anyone want to go get some pizza or something? I think that's fitting to have here." I offer, and Milan instantly perks up at the talk of food.

"Hell yeah let's go get pizza!" He cheers, practically skipping out of the room in excitement.

"I wish I could have the energy Milan has whenever food is mentioned." Kimmy jokes, sending a laugh to everyone in the room.

"Stop making fun of me!" I hear Milan call from another room, making us all laugh again.

"Alright lets go everyone." Brennan says, and we all leave Zoes apartment, walking down a set of stairs and into the warm weather outdoors.

"There's a place around a block away that has good ratings. We might as well just walk." Milan says, and I look to everyone as we all just shrug in agreement simultaneously.

We begin walking down the street, and I take hold of Brennan's hand.

He squeezes my hand twice, a way of non verbally communicating "I love you" between us.

I get caught up in staring at my husband that I accidentally knock shoulders with a stranger.

"Sorry." I call back, and a man with strawberry blonde, almost red hair, looks back at me and shrugs it off. He looked to be about Zoe's age.

I look away, and watch the surroundings as we walk to the pizza place. New York grew on me slowly, and I knew that Zoe would be okay here without us to be by her side.

She chose to go to university here for a reason, and I needed to trust her.

Because last time I began trusting someone, it changed my life forever.

I looked down at my wedding ring, smiling peacefully to myself, knowing that my life was good, and I had the best people to surround me and make me a better person.

"You alright?" Brennan asks me, and I look up at him, leaning up and giving him a sweet kiss.

"I'm fine. Just thinking about how much I love you is all." I whisper

Brennan smiles at me, his green eyes staring into my gray ones.

"I love you." He squeezes my hand, and I feel his wedding ring cool the skin slightly on my right hand.

He is mine, and I am his.

Fin.