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30. A soft epilogue.

      On Adaline's last day of her first year of college, everyone is there.

It's not that big of a deal to most people who are experiencing the same thing as her. To them, they are celebrating the end of a year, the freedom of summer. To her, and to everyone with her, she is celebrating Adaline.

She is a different person now then she was in August. A different person then she was in October, January, a month ago, a week ago, yesterday. She is changing every day, learning something new about herself and the world around her. There is nothing quite like the accomplishment of growing into a person you want to be. How could she ever have not wanted this? How could she ever have lived her life the way that she did?

Standing here with Clay, her boyfriend, the love of her life, in her room is enough for her to die happily. Let alone every other little thing going on around her. The little one year old cat they adopted together, the one that lives at her apartment instead of his house, is pawing at her legs. Her sister is in the living room on the phone with her girlfriend. There is a ring on Madi's finger.

As a poet once said, we deserve a soft epilogue.

A soft epilogue is what they are getting.

Things have fallen into place in such an imperfect way, but all of the pieces make a beautiful picture. It doesn't matter if they didn't fit right the first few tries, what matters is that they fit now. It matters they Adaline and Clay are together in a way neither of them would have ever anticipated.

      "Hey, Ads?" Clay says, standing across from in her room. Those perfect green eyes and his messy blonde hair, he is love in human form when Adaline looks at him. 

      "Yeah, Clay?" Adaline asks. She's wearing a sweatshirt like always, but this time it's his.

      "I really, really, love you." 

All she can do is beam. 

      "I really, really, love you too."

Adaline doesn't really, properly, truly, believe in soulmates. Nothing about the way she grew up let her do that. But she believes in her and Clay, and that truly is the only thing she needs to believe in. 

Word count: 384

A/N: This is it. The ending of the first book in the Trending series. You thought I could just let go of Adaline and Clay like that? No way. 

The truth is, this book has saved my life. When I was in the hospital at my very lowest I would cry about how much I missed being able to write about these two wonderfully fucked up people, about how I couldn't make people smile with my words. It's a privilege to be able to do this. I love this craft, the art that is writing. I'm even editing this book to be full of original characters so I can get it published for real! I poured my everything into this story, and I will continue to do so until the end. Thank you for all being here through the ride, and I'll see you on the flip side. This isn't a goodbye, but I'll see you when I see you.