I was somewhat relieved to say hat the next entire month went without any major happenings. It gave all of us time to heal - me, Terrence, Allie and Aaron.
Aaron woke up after a week of unconsciousness, and though Allie never left his side when he was asleep, she refused to say a word to him when he was awake.
"It's always two steps forward and four steps back for us. I don't know why she's doing this to me - does she think I would blame her for the accident? Frankly, I am happy that it was me who was seriously hurt. I am a strong man, Lisa - and Allie, no matter how strong she shows herself to be, wouldn't have been able to make out of it. Do anything, Lisa, I want to talk to her anyhow."
These were Aaron's words during one of my visits where I failed to drag my best friend with me.
Since the twins' birthday was around the weekend, I planned to get them to work together so that spending some time alone would make Allie talk to him. She wasn't talking to anyone, actually - not even me. And her parents had taken it up in themselves to get to know their daughter better.
I could understand that they were making up for their lost time, but I missed. Especially when the times got hard and nightmares bothered me and Terrence both. Raine and Ryan could distract us only so much.
Terrence still blamed himself - many a times I could see him zoning out when he caught a glimpse of my scar. A few minutes with him, and some snuggling and cuddling reminded us that we still had each other, and I was reminded again and again why I loved him so much.
The relationship between me and Terrence's father was still strained. I had forgiven him, but it didn't mean that I wanted to keep an amiable bond with him. I knew for once that I might have forgiven but I hadn't forgotten. One wrong decision, and my absence on the right place could have cost my twins' life and that was something I am found difficult to let go.
About Aaron, he was discharged from the hospital quite soon. The entire time, Aria, and Allie's parents coddled him. They were surprised to know that the man her daughter loved was the one her grandfather trusted the most. The story behind it was still not known - that was something only between Aaron and Grandpa Charlie.
Another thing, the twins were becoming a pain in the ass. Now that they started walking and running, they made the entire house a mess and found out places that even Terrence didn't know about his own house. We started having more meet ups with our friends so that the kids could spend more time with each other. The walks to the park earned the twins many new friends, because of their antics.
They fought too. Scratching each other when annoyed, pulling each other's hair. The walls were worse now, but somewhere inside I deeply loved the artwork they left on the walls. I knew that I wouldn't be painting a single wall in the house that had their scribbles.
Not so surprisingly, Vincent handed me and Terrence the legal custody of the twins. Their birth certificates still had Larissa and Vincent's name, but that was it.
Larissa was given a proper burial. Though the fact that she had commuted something like giving up her own life hadn't sunk in, and I felt a tinge of sadness every time I wondered that if Larissa had been a better woman, I could've had someone to call a sister.
Allie had been doing the job pretty well.
Then the tenth of April came, and finally it was time for certain someones' birthday.
That night, I'd woken up around three am. Since I couldn't go back to sleep, I sneaked out of the house and went right to the spot that held too many memories now. That dumpster was nowhere to be seen, and that area was forbidden to go to, now. But I still stood there, remembering how different my life had been before them and how better it was now.
I went back home with a different feeling I couldn't point to - but I knew it made me feel good.
I could finally sleep when I wrapped myself tightly around him and he held me just tight.
************
"Allie, you're hurting him." I came straight to the point. There was no beating around the bush here.
"He'll get more hurt if he stays around me. I can't do this anymore. Aaron and I are walking in circles with each other. I don't think any thing's going to come out of this. In saving both of us the trouble." She just shrugged and looked away.
My dear best friend had a healthy flush on her cheeks, and looked beautiful, almost radiant ever since she's been back from her time with her parents. Her eyes were still dull, and sometimes she zoned - just like Terrence did when he looked at my bullet scar and blamed himself again and again.
Aaron had won over her parents, and they couldn't help but turn to me to make her give up her irrational thoughts. So far, I was unsuccessful. Allie refused to even speak about him.
Lucy threw me a look from where she was standing beside me.
"But it's all over, Allie. There's no more threat hanging over your heads. Why are you stubbornly sticking to this stupid idea of your? It's making both of you miserable."
"He'll live." She shrugged again.
"He misses you, Allie. He loves you. Tell me, had the roles been reversed, would you let him blame himself for being the reason behind that accident?"
She didn't say a word.
While Terrence and I were seeing good days, Allie was becoming a hard person to crack. A few days ago, Aria had come to us, and broke down when she nearly begged Lucy and I to fix things because she couldn't see her twin brother suffering so much, anymore. Along with her post partum hormones, she could see how much Aaron had mellowed down since Allie's completely broke things off with him.
"Look, Lisa. There's no point in trying to make me understand things that I'm not going to listen to. You better look there, though, the kids seemed to have spotted the cake."
Trying to change the topic, as usual.
"It's meant for them to spot and it. Raine and Ryan's birthday cake is in the most hidden spot - well, it's not been delivered yet. We did that on purpose: those two know every nook and corner of the house, and will sniff out the cake in mere moments." I giggled, "But seriously, we were talking about you and Aaron so let's not stray far from the topic."
"Give up, Lisa." Allie sighed.
"You give up, Allie." I said, "Stop being a sadistic bitch and take Aaron's feelings into consideration when you take such stupid decisions. That man is going to let you treat him the way you want - he thinks he deserves it after how he left you seven years ago. Don't be that girl, Allie, don't push him so far away that he'd never come back."
She walked away hurriedly without saying a word.
Even thought that was downright rude, I was used to my best friend's hot and cold attitude - which was always her saving grace when people annoyed her.
I turned to find Aaron's gaze following her, and soon, he took off after too - looking like a man on a mission.
Terrence and I shared a look.
The party was in full swing. It was like a breath of fresh air for us after previous month's happenings. We invited only those who were very close to us; earlier I had planned to organise a big bash for their first birthday but after the whole fiasco, we decided to keep it low.
The music was on, all the couples were dancing, when suddenly we heard pitter patter of footsteps. We all turned to find the kids walking down the step, all slowly because Johannah was crawling next to them. The moment Ryan saw me, he picked up his speed and Raine followed.
"Key!" He giggled, and Raine raised her fist towards me.
When I held out my hand, Raine jumped a little and gave a key to me which looked familiar but...
"Which room did you lock up now, honey?" I chuckled and ruffled Ryan's hair, who not only bolted doors but firmly locked them too.
"'tic!" Ryan said, "Lee an' won!"
Oh.
Attic. Locked. Inside. Allie and Aaron.
Terrence and I grinned at each other.
I brought both of them together in a hug. My babies found the perfect way to solve the Allie problem and I was so proud of them.
"Ahem...Lisa? Sorry for interrupting but I didn't understand a word of what they said. Can you translate?" Victor asked.
I looked at his son Xavier, the eldest kid here, who grinned at me cheekily, "Not my idea, Aunt Wisa." The four and a half year old said, "Maybe they should play puzzle game."
I laughed at his words. Even though he could say his L's properly, he still called me Wisa.
Before anyone could ask another question, we heard banging noises. Like, literal banging noises - fists banging on door noises.
"Alyssa!" An enraged female voice echoed in the house, and chuckled erupted in the house, "What do you teach your kids? Locking up the guests in the attic?"
"Terrence!" It was a calmer male voice, "Open the door before she fucking kills me!"
Everyone laughed when Raine and Ryan pleaded, or rather screamed, "No!"
Laughing, I made my way to grab a pen and write a note.
Dear Alexandria and Aaron,
Unfortunately, the kids have hidden the keys somewhere and it will take us a day to find it out. Till that you can kiss and have make up sex - just wash the sheets later.
Alyssa and Terrence xoxo
P.S. Don't kill Aaron.
P.P.S There's a big comfy bed in for the two of you, and a secret stash of chocolates in the refrigerator that's meant to be hidden from the twins. Enjoy!
I handed the note to Xavier, "Please slip it under their door, sweetie. And you kids are going to get treats for your good work!"
Raine, Ryan and Xavier squealed, making Jo giggle out loudly. Soon, Xavier came back and the banging noises stopped.
"Terrence," I turned to him and batted my lashes up at him, "Can you please turn up the music?"
He grinned, "Your wish is my command, my Queen."
And then, we heard no banging noises.
*****************
It was quite a while later, we had had our dinner and had managed to give Allie and Aaron theirs too, since we found out that they had fallen asleep, completely wrapped around each other in midst of chocolate wrappers.
I locked them up again.
It was after all the kids had fallen asleep, did the light dim and I heard the beginning of the guitar chords of the song 'Say you won't let go'.
"I met you in the park, you lit me up
You made me feel as though I was enough
W
e fought the night away, we drank too much
I held your hand in mine as
They were growing up."
Oh, Terrence.
"Then you looked over your shoulder
For a minute, I was stone-cold sober
I pulled you closer to my chest
And I asked if I stay over
You said, I already told ya
I think Terrence is the hottest." He winked, and I laughed.
"I knew I loved you then
But you'd never know
'Cause I played it cool when I was scared of letting go
I knew I needed you
But I never showed
But I wanna stay with you until we're grey and old
Just say you won't let go
Just say you won't let go."
I was crying now, because I could see his own eyes shimmering with tears.
"I'll wake you up with some breakfast in bed
I'll bring you coffee with a kiss on your head
And I'll take the twins to school
Wave them goodbye
And I'll thank my lucky stars
For that fight."
I laughed again.
"Then you smiled over your shoulder
For a minute I forget that I'm older
I wanna dance with you right now," he strutted to come near me.
"Woah, you look as beautiful as ever
And I swear that everyday you look better
You make me feel this way somehow
I'm so in love with you
And I hope you know
Darling your love is more than
worth it's weight in gold.
We've come so far, my love
Look how they've grown
And I wanna stay with you
Until we're grey and old
Just say you won't let go
Just say you won't let go
I wanna live with you
Even when we're ghosts.
'Cause you were always there for us
When we needed you most.
I'm gonna love you till
My lungs give out
I promise till death we part
Like how we'll vow.
So I changed this song for you.
And now everybody knows
That its just you and me, until we're grey and old.
Just say you won't let go.
Jut say you won't let go.
Just say you won't let go.
Just say you won't let go."
He fucking changed the lyrics to completely fit the song to us. I was staring at him in awe all the time - how did I get so lucky to have him as my man? How did I manage to snag such a wonderful guy for me was beyond me. I grabbed him by his hair the moment he stopped singing and pulled him down for a beseeching kiss, completely forgetting the guitar between us.
He pulled away quickly though, and grinned at me in a way that stopped my heart. Soon, it was my breath that was took away when he knelt down on one knee, and said,
"Marry me, Alyssa? Be mine? We have a lot to do together. We have to have more babies, and I want to spend my entire life with you. I want to keep loving you till we have gray hair and have great great grand children."
I sobbed, "I'm yours, Terrence." I let my body loose and hugged him so tightly that we both toppled to the ground.
"I love you so much, Alyssa."
"I love you, too."
*************************
Epilogue coming up next.
Gosh I can't believe this.