Epilogue - Let This Love Carry On
[Maya's POV]
"Hey, Phil, look what I found," I smiled.
He rolled over on the bed and looked at me, sitting on the floor, photos spread out in front of me. He took the one I was handing him and grinned. "Graduation, eh. It's been so long..."
"Has it really been almost 10 years?"
"It has!" he chuckled in disbelief, shaking his head.
"We beat the odds, didn't we," I smiled at him.
"We sure did... What are you doing with all these photos, though?"
"It's Holly's birthday party tonight, and I haven't yet finished her photo album! What do you think of this one?" I handed him one of Holly grinning, holding her favourite stuffed lion (that none other than Phil had given her, of course) in front of a Christmas tree in lights. "She's grown so much..."
"How old was she in this one?"
"About four, I think...? Yeah, she was four."
She had grown up to look strikingly like Dan, with the same wavy, brown hair both her parents had (before they attacked it with straighteners, of course) and the same eyes as Lizzy.
"I like this photo," he nodded. "I think you should put it in there."
I turned to the appropriate page in the photo album, carefully stuck it down and captioned it. In the meanwhile, Phil had reached over and grabbed another photo, laughing as he looked at it.
"What's so funny?" I smiled, peeking over the side of the photo to see it.
"We both looked so nervous!"
"First day on the radio show. I really like that photo."
"I do, too," he chuckled. "It's been almost three years since we've been radio presenters, my gosh. Time really does fly..."
I ruffled his hair. "Aw, look at you, all nostalgic and things!"
"Shut up," he chuckled, putting his hair back into place as he let the photo fall on the pile of other ones. I reached up and kissed him on the cheek.
"You're cute," I giggled. "Now, help me!"
"What photo's that?" he asked, pointing to one that was slightly hidden.
I pulled it out, smiling slightly. "Their wedding!"
"My god, I'm never wearing a suit again," he groaned. "Most annoying thing ever."
"Say annoying again," I grinned.
"Annoying... Why?"
"I love the way you say it."
He rolled his eyes playfully as I laughed. "But this is a nice photo. Should we put it in the album?"
"Yeah, look at Holly, standing there and looking all cute!"
"Good point," I nodded, sticking it down on another page.
---
We decided to take the bus to Dan and Lizzy's place. It wasn't that far away, and neither of us felt like driving.
I sat between the window and Phil, my fingers interlocked with his.
"Halloween decorations are already up," he noted.
"Well, yeah, Halloween is tomorrow, after all..."
"I know that," he laughed, elbowing me slightly.
We got off a bit less than an hour later, walked a bit then reached their small house. We rang the doorbell and waited their answer. The door swung open to reveal a worn down but grinning Dan.
"Hey you made it! Come on in."
"It's nice to see you again!" I smiled, hugging him.
"You saw me two weeks ago!"
"Still," I smiled. I walked into the living room to find Holly with a few of her friends playing with little animal figurines, and Lizzy talking to some lady I didn't know.
"Hey Holly!" I grinned, ruffling her hair and crouching down beside them. "Whatchu guys playing?"
"Maya!" she cried, dropping the plastic dog (or so I believed it was) and hugging me.
"Happy birthday, squirt! Here, this is for you. Be careful with it!"
"Thank you!" she grinned, getting up and running towards Lizzy. "Mommy, look! Maya and Phil are here!"
Lizzy looked up at me and we shared a smile. Things had been on the rocks between the two of us for a while after we graduated, but now that we lived apart, we were as close as ever. However that works.
"Good to see you!" I smiled, hugging her. "I made Holly something..."
"Knowing you, it's probably cheesy," she laughed. She introduced me to the person she was talking to (which happened to be some kid's mother), and I shook her hand, nodding politely.
"Nancy isn't coming?" I asked.
"Oh, she's upstairs!"
I smiled, excused myself, and went upstairs. "Nancy?"
"In here!"
She was in the guest bedroom, reading a book.
"How come you're up here?" I asked, amused.
"Too much noise downstairs," she shrugged. "How have you been?"
I gave her a hug and sat down beside her. "Pretty good! I have an art exhibition in two weeks."
"Really! And you didn't tell me?"
I laughed. "I'm sorry, it skipped my mind. Will you come?"
"Of course! I wouldn't miss it for the world!"
We talked for a bit longer, then I headed back downstairs. I joined the kids' game, animating a toy elephant, as Phil helped Dan with the food and such.
All in all, it was a great night. I made sure we take a bunch of photos before we left.
Things hadn't always been flowing perfectly, but you know what? I wouldn't trade my family or friends in for anyone else in the world.
"Hey, Phil, look what I found," I smiled.
He rolled over on the bed and looked at me, sitting on the floor, photos spread out in front of me. He took the one I was handing him and grinned. "Graduation, eh. It's been so long..."
"Has it really been almost 10 years?"
"It has!" he chuckled in disbelief, shaking his head.
"We beat the odds, didn't we," I smiled at him.
"We sure did... What are you doing with all these photos, though?"
"It's Holly's birthday party tonight, and I haven't yet finished her photo album! What do you think of this one?" I handed him one of Holly grinning, holding her favourite stuffed lion (that none other than Phil had given her, of course) in front of a Christmas tree in lights. "She's grown so much..."
"How old was she in this one?"
"About four, I think...? Yeah, she was four."
She had grown up to look strikingly like Dan, with the same wavy, brown hair both her parents had (before they attacked it with straighteners, of course) and the same eyes as Lizzy.
"I like this photo," he nodded. "I think you should put it in there."
I turned to the appropriate page in the photo album, carefully stuck it down and captioned it. In the meanwhile, Phil had reached over and grabbed another photo, laughing as he looked at it.
"What's so funny?" I smiled, peeking over the side of the photo to see it.
"We both looked so nervous!"
"First day on the radio show. I really like that photo."
"I do, too," he chuckled. "It's been almost three years since we've been radio presenters, my gosh. Time really does fly..."
I ruffled his hair. "Aw, look at you, all nostalgic and things!"
"Shut up," he chuckled, putting his hair back into place as he let the photo fall on the pile of other ones. I reached up and kissed him on the cheek.
"You're cute," I giggled. "Now, help me!"
"What photo's that?" he asked, pointing to one that was slightly hidden.
I pulled it out, smiling slightly. "Their wedding!"
"My god, I'm never wearing a suit again," he groaned. "Most annoying thing ever."
"Say annoying again," I grinned.
"Annoying... Why?"
"I love the way you say it."
He rolled his eyes playfully as I laughed. "But this is a nice photo. Should we put it in the album?"
"Yeah, look at Holly, standing there and looking all cute!"
"Good point," I nodded, sticking it down on another page.
---
We decided to take the bus to Dan and Lizzy's place. It wasn't that far away, and neither of us felt like driving.
I sat between the window and Phil, my fingers interlocked with his.
"Halloween decorations are already up," he noted.
"Well, yeah, Halloween is tomorrow, after all..."
"I know that," he laughed, elbowing me slightly.
We got off a bit less than an hour later, walked a bit then reached their small house. We rang the doorbell and waited their answer. The door swung open to reveal a worn down but grinning Dan.
"Hey you made it! Come on in."
"It's nice to see you again!" I smiled, hugging him.
"You saw me two weeks ago!"
"Still," I smiled. I walked into the living room to find Holly with a few of her friends playing with little animal figurines, and Lizzy talking to some lady I didn't know.
"Hey Holly!" I grinned, ruffling her hair and crouching down beside them. "Whatchu guys playing?"
"Maya!" she cried, dropping the plastic dog (or so I believed it was) and hugging me.
"Happy birthday, squirt! Here, this is for you. Be careful with it!"
"Thank you!" she grinned, getting up and running towards Lizzy. "Mommy, look! Maya and Phil are here!"
Lizzy looked up at me and we shared a smile. Things had been on the rocks between the two of us for a while after we graduated, but now that we lived apart, we were as close as ever. However that works.
"Good to see you!" I smiled, hugging her. "I made Holly something..."
"Knowing you, it's probably cheesy," she laughed. She introduced me to the person she was talking to (which happened to be some kid's mother), and I shook her hand, nodding politely.
"Nancy isn't coming?" I asked.
"Oh, she's upstairs!"
I smiled, excused myself, and went upstairs. "Nancy?"
"In here!"
She was in the guest bedroom, reading a book.
"How come you're up here?" I asked, amused.
"Too much noise downstairs," she shrugged. "How have you been?"
I gave her a hug and sat down beside her. "Pretty good! I have an art exhibition in two weeks."
"Really! And you didn't tell me?"
I laughed. "I'm sorry, it skipped my mind. Will you come?"
"Of course! I wouldn't miss it for the world!"
We talked for a bit longer, then I headed back downstairs. I joined the kids' game, animating a toy elephant, as Phil helped Dan with the food and such.
All in all, it was a great night. I made sure we take a bunch of photos before we left.
Things hadn't always been flowing perfectly, but you know what? I wouldn't trade my family or friends in for anyone else in the world.