The Promise of Tomorrow - 12 (Epilogue)

Okay, people, here's the end of The Promise of Tomorrow!

Nadine, thank you for taking your time to write such a long and wonderful comment! You requested another story about Blaze, but sadly, I don't think I'll be writing one. I feel as if this story is truly finished, and I can move on to concentrate on others now. But I loved the fact that you liked it so much you wanted more!

Pheobe - Thank you! Your feedback means a lot to me, as a fellow writer on the site. Thanks again.

Samantha Brooke - I don't think I want Blaze to find anybody else just yet. I want him to grieve a little, but this is where the story ends, so really, the rest is up to you and your imagination! Thank you for the lovely comment.

Rebby - It caused me tears, too - and everyone labelled me a freak as well! Although this may seem horrible, I'm glad people cried - it proves that my writing had gotten to a point where it's good enough to evoke strong emotions from my readers. Thank you for the wonderful comment.

Life - Be as cheesy as you want - cheesiness is what makes life so beautifully tasty! :) And thank you so much for your amazing feedback!

Amanda Coath - Thank you! And I hope that next time, I won't take my story down the death-and-loss route. I've made way too many people cry, and I'm looking to ammend that by writing a cheery story!

Nessy - Thank you - I hope I write a novel good enough to evoke emotion like this one story did! Thanks for all the positive feedback and I'm pretty sure I'm not one of the best writers - although I like to wish I might be! :)

Amen - I'm sorry, I just had to ask this - you were attracted to her? Really, truly, really? Because that would mean I made people cry, AND I made people feel other emotions for my direct characters. THANK YOU!

MINIMAN - I'm glad you liked it - this one was dedicated to you, after all! :)

And thank you everybody else - you won't ever understand how much I (or any other writer for that matter) appreciate good feedback! And this authors note has grown way too long. I think I should shut up now.

:)

Enjoy!

P.S: (Damn, it's getting longer!) This picture I found just now, and I almost squealed. Yes, squealed. How appropriate is it? Amazing - it was so meant to be!

:)

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It’s been a full year. A depressing, heartbreakingly empty year. I feel empty, hollow, inside. So hollow.

At night, I turn over in my bed and my arms instinctively reach for her, but she just … isn’t there. My fingers ache with longing – they want to entangle themselves with hers again. Without her arms, I feel homeless.

Ella taught me so much.

She taught me how to love again, taught me that everything happens for a reason, and gently guided me into believing in destiny. My Ella.
I’m sitting on my window seat, writing this. Outside, people have set up seats and blankets in their gardens and streets – we’re expecting a meteor shower. My little sister, Lucy, runs into my room.

"Blaze! Daddy says do you want hot chocolate?" she asks lispingly, her pretty little smile lighting up her whole face. I reach for the little girl I neglected, pull her into my lap and cradle her against my chest, enjoying the feeling of having somebody to hold again.

"No, sweetheart. I’m okay." I tell her lovingly, kissing her dark curls and smiling weakly as she places her arms around my neck. She’s wearing a little pink dress that Ella bought for her. So cute.

I would have loved to have had a baby with Ella. I can imagine her now; with Ella’s curls, Ella’s eyes, Ella’s lips, Ella’s nose, Ella’s skin … basically just a little Ella. I smile at the thought.

"Love you, Blaze. When’s aunty Elle-Elle coming back? Daddy says she’s on holiday." Lucy asks inquiringly, almost as if she’s read my mind, her dark liquid eyes peering up at me through long lashes.

The familiar lump in my throat is prominent once again, and the tears spill over from my eyes.

"Never, sweetheart. Never." I tell her huskily, and then gently set her on the floor and send her off.

"I love aunty Elle-Elle, Blaze. I love you." She tells me seriously, her eyes very wide. I smile at her amidst my tears.

"She loves you, too, sweetheart. As do I." I reply gently, running my hand over her hair. "Now go."

Lucy, smiling, nods once, and then skips off happily. Ella did love her. She was great with Lucy – like the big sister that she’s never had. She bought her little things, took her out to the garden to play, and generally fussed over her in a sweet, motherly way. Secretly, I think she daydreamed that Lucy was ours. Oh, how I wish.

Life without meaning. Hm. It hasn’t been as bad as I thought. It’s been worse.

I try to think of what I did before Ella, but my memory is hazy, like there wasn’t real life before her. I sit around, doing nothing, just thinking of her. Her mother, who I pay frequent visits to, gave me some of her things when they cleared out her room.

Her favourite tee shirt. A tiny, emerald green little tee shirt that always showed a golden strip of her midriff, a garment so plain and simple I knew other girls would go out of their way to accessorise it. But Ella just wore it with her slouchy, low hung combat jeans – and I’ve never thought her more beautiful.

The little crystal bauble that she used for some calming object or something – a little teardrop shaped thing that I knew she clutched at whenever she was stressed.

All the pictures she kept of us, the secret scrapbook under her bed that her mother found that was full of her and me and Lucy and her and me and her mum and just her and me, alone. I opened it, and it felt like reading her diary – she had written little random love quotes everywhere and if I ever need assurance that she loved me, I look at the book.

It’s as plain as plain can be.

Just thinking about her now keeps the steady streams of tears flowing, and I breathe deeply, calmly, trying to stop myself from sinking any deeper into depression. There was this girl at school – Judith, I think she’s called – that had been through the same thing.

The first day back to school after Ella passed away, she came up to me and silently sat next to me, eating her lunch. I knew she knew that all I needed was assurance that I wasn’t alone, and, in a tiny way, it helped, having somebody there. Now, she’s my friend. Sort of. I focussed on her soothing voice telling me how I needed to just let it all out, to breathe in, breathe out, calm as calm could be.

I feel myself relaxing.

Just as the last tear falls onto my cheek, a burning ball of liquid fire goes shooting across the sky. Everyone outside gasps in excitement. I close my eyes, and begin to pray.

"Hey, mom. Help Ella to heaven. And keep her there. Soon, the rest of us will be there, too, and we can be together. You’re going to like her. She’s so beautiful, mom, you wouldn’t even imagine. And the sweetest little thing ever. I was planning on proposing to her. But I can do that when we meet up again, right? Mom, please, keep her safe. If I find you two once more, I don’t want to lose you again. It hurts too much. Stay safe, mom. I love you. And tell Ella I love her, too. And that I’m just biding my time. Waiting till I can see her smile again. Waiting till we can be together in heaven."

I open my eyes and smile.

Ella and me, living amongst the stars, forever and eternally, there in heaven. There never is a promise of tomorrow, but once we make it there, to the one place where she deserves to be, heaven is where we’ll stay, but together this time.

And that’s one thing the stars can guarantee.