Total pages in book: 36
Estimated words: 33246 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 166(@200wpm)___ 133(@250wpm)___ 111(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 33246 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 166(@200wpm)___ 133(@250wpm)___ 111(@300wpm)
EPILOGUE
TRENT
One Month Later
“My boy, come here.” Dad called me while on my way home from work today. We knew Gran’s health has been deteriorating. Shit progressed faster than any of us wanted. Up until last week, she’d been able to do a few more things, until we had to bring in-home health in. I’ve made it a point to stop by every chance I get, before work, during my lunch break, or on my way home to Kennedy and Briar.
My girls moved in a week after we made things official. Everyone helped pack and load the trucks, minus Lennie and Kennedy. The girls helped unpack and get everything set up. Asher would make Lennie take breaks or get off her feet, but she’d shoo him away, and he’d be back again ten minutes later. At first, Kennedy was reluctant to move again after only being next door to her brother and sister-in-law for a short time, until Lennon told her there are no hard feelings at all. I believe the words out of Lennie’s mouth were, you need to live with someone, completely immerse yourself, and live for the three of you. That flipped a switch, and Kennedy came home the next day with a car full of boxes. She’s also in Gran’s car, bought and paid for. I didn’t even mention her taking it instead of parting with her cold hard cash. I took the money, put it in an account for Briar, and Kennedy is none the wiser.
Briar did ask for a pool one day when I picked her up after school. No longer does she have to stay at Kennedy’s work if one of us can’t swing by to pick her up. Between Briar’s grandparents and my parents, plus Asher, she’s only had to stay once or twice. I’ve yet to bring up the pool situation with Kennedy, probably won’t until I get a few estimates, see the turnaround time, and go from there. It’s better to ask for forgiveness than permission. She’ll get a wild hair up her ass and try to say Briar doesn’t need a pool when she can go to Asher’s, which is true, except it wouldn’t be just for her. It’d be for all of us, and it’d be for our future.
“Hey, Gran.” I kick off my shoes and sit down beside her on the bed. She takes my hand in hers, lacing our fingers and holding me with both of her hands. It’s been hard to watch her lose weight, struggle to walk, and sometimes it’s hard for her to talk.
“Hi, Trent, you just missed Kenny and Briar. They came over after school.” Kennedy took the day off today. I met her at Matthew’s law firm, and she’s getting the ball rolling on terminating Chris’ paternal rights. He never called her after making that sudden appearance, didn’t text either, and it was me and Kennedy who calmed Briar down for a full week. She finally did, after we took her to Kennedy’s parent’s. Kennedy told me she needed her Gee-paw, and the next day when she came home, the worry had settled down and a smile was in its place.
“Your father told me a little tidbit of information. You were going to pop a certain question to a pretty lady and her daughter. It’s about time you made an honest woman out of her,” she says tiredly.
“Yeah, Dad mentioned before that I could use your rings. Do you mind if I give it to Kennedy? I’ve already got a ring for Briar, too.” Yesterday, I dropped by a local jeweler, found what I wanted, and bought it. I am not fucking around. The faster Kennedy and Briar are officially mine, the better.
“The rings are yours, both of them. I’d be honored to know that they’re going to Kennedy, and your grandfather’s ring is yours to do with what you want,” Gran says, holding her hand out with the rings in the palm. They are well over sixty years old. Granddad’s is a solid gold band, not to thick and not to thin. Gran’s ring is a solitaire diamond in a two-tone color with white gold at the head and flower design prongs.
“Thank you, Gran, love you.” I take a moment to look from the rings to her, emotion clogging my throat. “I love you a whole lot. Sucks it’s coming to this, but I want you to know I’ve cherished every moment I’ve spent with you.”
“Oh, my boy, I love you, too. Don’t be sad for me. Make memories like I did with your granddad. Love Kennedy and Briar, and if you have more, I hear Clara’s a great girl name, and for a boy, you could always use Oliver,” Grans says with a wink. I let out a laugh. It’s just like her to insert a little humor when things are getting hard to handle. “Now, go propose to Briar and send me pictures, okay?”