I'd like to dedicate this chapter to several people. @xsxftsunflxwerx , because you are the best friend someone could have. You always support me no matter what. Also #zae hehe😏❤️
Next, I'd like to dedicate it to @mischief017. You are an amazing friend and I cannot believe it has been eight years since we became friends. You are always there for me which I really appreciate.❤️
I'm also dedicating it to @danielle_3465 even though I already dedicated a chapter to you. You are just too precious. I love all you three so much, without y'all idk who I'd be🤷♀️❤️
I also want to dedicate it to my new friend @KikiARMY7. Though I don't know you that well yet, you are so kind and sweet and I'm looking forward to getting to know you better❤️Amore dalla Nuova Zelanda!
And also my teachers back all those years ago in primary who influenced me to continue with my writing when I was little. Without their help, I wouldn't be where I am today. Thank you to Mrs P (K), Mrs D, Mrs P (L), Mr W and Miss H. ❤️
And my fam! Y'all annoying sometimes but I love y'all a lot❤️
Okay *drumroll please* get ready for Chapter 13 - Nostalgia!
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Seven years later
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"Mummy, you said you were going to bake with me today!" I stop typing and direct my eyes from the document of words on the Hologram before me to my daughter, whose bright blue eyes are watering. Her blonde hair is pulled into a braid and her body draped with a flowery dress. "I'm sorry, baby," I say apologetically, and mean it, "Why don't you ask Uncle Octavius if you and Beck can make some cupcakes? Or maybe some pancakes?" She leaves the room in tears. I hear a knock on my door. A man with light brown hair, glasses and a smirk enters the room, wrapping me in a hug and kissing me. "How's my princess?" He asks Juniper, picking up our daughter and rocking her. She giggles. I pretend to look hurt. "What about me?" I pout my bottom lip. He chuckles. "You're not my princess, honey, you're my queen,"
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It's been a long time since I've written here. The past seven years have been a blur. We've moved to a permanent property in a new city, Lumence, which was built two years ago, six years after the City was destroyed. It has been a roller-coaster ride but here I am, starting a new job as a freelance writer, with three kids. When Mum got together with Micaiah they moved in with us. Octavius was only eleven at that time.
With the Disease wiped out and the population slowly growing, schools have opened up for the first time in centuries. We've enrolled Andy into Liberty Primary School, a school walking distance from our house. We've even got a cat, a black cat, which we've named Cosmos Junior. Andromeda was named after my adoptive mother. Often I find myself spacing out and thinking of her and Elodie and my biological Dad. Sometimes I find myself crying. But that's only if I've had a bad day.
I look up to the stars and see them in the brightest shine. I wonder if they could see me down on Earth, and if they could, would they be proud of what I achieved?
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Alya walks up to me. "Are you okay, Nova?" I sigh. "Yeah, I've just got to get these last few articles edited." "I can help with that!" "But isn't that cheating? Getting an Artificial Intelligence to help you with your job?" I ask and she laughs. "Come on, go spend some time with Andy and Beck," I sigh in defeat. "Thank you, Alya. I will repay you." She smiles and I take the last mouthful of coffee and swallow it. I scrunched my face up. I much prefer tea. I was only drinking coffee so I could get these articles finished before midnight. The bitter taste doesn't disappear from my mouth.
I head into the living room. The room is a modern style, with plain white walls splashed with colourful artwork and photos in frames. A mini robot zooms around the room, dusting the furniture and picking up the kids toys scattered across the floor like stars. "Come on, Andy, let's go!" I tease her and her face lights up. "Beck's throwing a tantrum because he doesn't want to bake. Oh, and is Andy allowed a cookie? She wants a cookie." Octavius says. I laugh. He looks exhausted. "Grab a cookie, Andy, and let's go. Tavi, you're free for the day." "Thank you," Octavius breathes a sigh of relief, shrugging on a jacket and grabbing a couple twenty dollar notes from the counter. "Don't be out after ten! Oh, and," I pause, "Say hi to Evanna for me," His cheeks blush red. "Okay, sister," he drawls. "Have fun!" I call out after him as he heads out the door; I chuckle as he takes no notice. Typical teenager.
"So, what's next, miss baker?" She giggles and it lights up my life. Her eyes scan the recipe, a serious look on her face. "Um, two eggs," I throw an egg to her and she catches it in between her fingers. "Nice catch, missy!" says a voice from behind. "Daddy! I thought you were busy with work!" she cries. "Never too busy for you, princess." he kisses her head. "So, what's next?" He looks over to me and we make eye contact, a smile plastered on his face. My heart still beats as fast as it did all those years ago.
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"Nova," "Hm?" I wake up groggily, opening one eye to see Leo above me. "Come on, let's go!" I frown at him and he smirks. "Don't worry, we'll be back in time to drop the kids at school." I hop on his back and we escape through the window. It's still dark so all that I can see are the street lights. "Here we are." He drops me and I feel something at my ankles - grass? I can see him now in the moonlight. I stand up just as he kneels. "Wha-"
"Nova June Morshower, ever since that day on the Balcony I have fallen utterly in love with you. When you got sick all those years ago, I realised how much. You are my one and only - my best friend, my partner, the love of my life, my queen, my Moon," I giggle, remembering the story he told Octavius when he was Andy's age, "I am so happy that you are the one who was lucky enough to give birth to our three beautiful children. The term I love you has more meaning than you realise. I know this is quite late, but I thought now would be the time to ask, now that everything's returned back to normal,"
"You are my stars, my planets, my universe. You are the blades of grass at my feet and the clouds floating above my head. You are the waves of the sea. You are everything to me. Without you, I'd be nothing. I probably wouldn't even still be alive. The way you stuck with me even though Andromeda said you couldn't see me, that was selfless. You are kind, beautiful and I'm so glad I can call you mine,"
He clears his throat, "So, Nova June Morshower, or Cassidy, I suppose," I chuckle as he reaches into his pocket and opens a small black box, "Will you marry me?" I look into his eyes and nod, over and over. "Yes," tears spill from my eyes, "Yes, I'll marry you," He kisses me and slides a ring onto my finger. I admire it in my light. It's beautiful with intricately placed diamonds. It matches the promise ring that's still on my finger from all those years ago, that I've treasured forever even though it fits a bit tight on my finger now. "My father gave it to my mother when they were young," he says, "It's been in the family for centuries," "I love it," I whisper, "I love you,"
We lay on the grass and watch the sunrise. "Oh shit," I groan and bury my face in the grass draped in dew, "I need to take Andy to school. And June needs-" "-It's OK," he cuts me off. "I've let Alya know." "You mean Alya knows that you were going to propose? Before me?" I pretend to act hurt. He laughs. My eyes dart to a fantail, which flitters about the trees beside us. It's graceful wings rest in the tree closest to us. "The city lights glow in the moonlight," he starts singing quietly, my mind flooding with nostalgia. His voice is calm and soothing as he wraps his arms around me.
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"Like stars shining in the night,
And I crumble like skyscrapers falling,
And you're the only one holding me up,
Like the beams of a house and I'm calling,
And I'm breaking like a china teacup."
"And I'm sinking under the waves,
And you're the only one pulling me above,
Towards the shore,
And now I'm not so sure,
That I can deal with you being gone.
You revolve around me like the Sun and the Earth,
And I wonder, was I your sun?"
"Because when I said you're my world,
You're my stars and my universe, and you're curled,
Hair fills my thoughts all the time.
And when I said I loved you to the moon or back,
I meant all the way to pluto,
And the freckles sprinkling your face like stars,
Belong in this galaxy."
"And when I saw your face,
The butterflies in my stomach lost gravity,
I can't ignore this feeling of loneliness,
That swallows me up like a black hole.
You make me delirious,
And my mind lose control,
And now I'm not so sure,
That I can deal with you being gone."
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I start singing, but not to Leo, to Andromeda, and Elodie, and my Dad, and Leo's parents and Beckett, and even Emilia's mum and Octavius' dad too, a song I heard on the radio once which brought me to tears.
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"It's just another night And I'm staring at the moon
I saw a shooting star
And thought of you
I sang a lullaby
By the waterside and knew
If you were here,
I'd sing to you
You're on the other side
As the skyline splits in two
I'm miles away from seeing you
I can see the stars
From America
I wonder, do you see them, too?"
"So open your eyes and see
The way our horizons meet
And all of the lights will lead
Into the night with me
And I know these scars will bleed
But both of our hearts believe
All of these stars will guide us home"
"I can hear your heart
On the radio beat
They're playing 'Chasing Cars'
And I thought of us
Back to the time,
You were lying next to me
I looked across and fell in love
So I took your hand
Back through lamp lit streets I knew
Everything led back to you
So can you see the stars?
Over Amsterdam
You're the song my heart is
Beating to"
"So open your eyes and see
The way our horizons meet
And all of the lights will lead
Into the night with me
And I know these scars will bleed
But both of our hearts believe
All of these stars will guide us home"
"And, oh, I know
And oh, I know, oh
I can see the stars
From America"
I look towards Leo and smile through happy tears.
All was well.
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I am sad to say that this is the last chapter of Once, We Existed! It was really only going to be a short story so I've written much more than I originally thought, though I will be editing regularly. Thank you so much for supporting my short story! It was such a fun journey and I hope you've enjoyed reading this! I'd really appreciate it if you recommend this to your friends and check out the official ongoing Once, We Existed Wiki run by me! Ka kite!❤️
Also, did you get the Harry Potter reference at the end?⚡