Last Train Home

Epilogue

•❅──✧❅✦❅✧──❅•

S I X    M O N T H S    L A T E R

•❅──✧❅✦❅✧──❅•

I stare at the beer as he takes a tiny sip. I only got him half a pint because he's driving home, plus he has an important video call later on. But he deserves it after this.

"How'd it go?" I ask him.

He sighs. My heart lurches and sinks.

Then he smiles, and the bungee jumper in my chest goes back to the top safely.

"I got it! I got the contract. I officially have my first ten clients. Rose's Accounting will officially be breaking even," he announces.

The relief washes over me like a tsunami and I kiss his marshmallow-like lips, which taste bitter because of the beer, but still remind me of the pink marshmallows, because they taste better in that colour.

"I'm so proud of you, Wyatt," I exclaim.

"Thanks, I'm actually quite proud of myself," he says. I let him go and he smooths down his suit jacket.

"And I must admit again how hot you look in a suit," I add with a cheeky wink.

"Oh, don't worry, I'll keep it on until later. You can take it off for me when we get home," he teases.

It still sounds weird, we get home. Our home. His parents had been renting out his owned flat for him while he was in France, and after Rose's death, he took it back after a few weeks when the tenants moved out. I had to move out of my student flat two months ago, so he suggested we move in together. After six months together – and navigating his grief – it felt a bit too soon for me, but he insisted he was ready. It seems to have worked, so I'm not complaining.

His grief turned into determination, and he got his accountancy business set up in Rose's name, and everything seems to have given him a push. His grief wasn't too life-consuming, and he still has natural off days, but both he and his parents seem to be okay.

"That sounds like a plan, Mister Larsen," I tease back. I finish my glass of wine. "I went by the museum while you were in the meeting."

"Oh? To talk about the job?" he asks.

I nod. "I said I'd take it. It's not quite teaching in Egypt, but it's a job, and I love working there, so it seems to work."

He grins, kisses my forehead and sips his beer again. "I'm so proud of you."

"We both did good," I exclaim.

"Did you phone your mum?" he asks seriously.

I sigh and nod. Things after Christmas have been a bit rocky with my mum over what happened with Bruno – who Wyatt and I vow not to talk about – and though she apologised, and I forgave, it's still a tar on our relationship. Though she didn't do what he did, she had her part to play.

I promised to phone her today, and with Wyatt's persuasion, I promised to set up a parent-parent meeting between my family and his, finally.

"Yes. They're coming at the weekend as your mum said. She apologised again, and I forgave her again. The only thing she asked is if I'd heard from him. Apparently, he tried to contact me, but having him blocked, I wouldn't know," I answer. "She knows now what happened, anyway, so I don't know why she's so insistent. But once she meets you, she'll get it. Anyway, he did get married to this Kim girl, and they're expecting a baby."

Wyatt snorts. "Probably to try and keep her with him. I feel sorry for her and the baby."

I grin. "Me too."

He finishes his beer. "Let's go home. We need to celebrate."

I smile and slip my hand in his. Though it's only been six months, it feels like we've been this way forever.

It's funny because I'd known Bruno for so, so many years and I thought I knew him like the days of the week. But it turned out I didn't, I just saw the charming side of him. I didn't know the manipulative, hurtful side of him because he didn't show it to me. I've known Wyatt for six months now, but it feels like I've known him all my life. We went through something weird and intense, and I suppose that's helped secure our connection, but we've also been through grief together.

I knew Rose for less than twelve hours, but I felt the impact of her loss in a small and strange way, and through Wyatt, I knew a lot about her. I helped him and his parents through their grief and solidified a connection through her with them, and them with me.

The past six months have taught me a lot, and one of those things is that time isn't really a measure in which you can know someone. People have many sides to them, and they pick and choose which ones to show you, and when.

When Rose died, I thought that train hadn't saved me, but condemned me and Wyatt. But the more that time passes, I was right all along. It saved both of us and showed us a different way to view our lives. It brought us together.

Who knew a stupid thing like a train could bring two totally opposite people together? It was an angel, after all. Not a fallen one like I thought it was. That last train home was actually a guardian angel.

•❅──✧❅✦❅✧──❅•

T H E    E N D

•❅──✧❅✦❅✧──❅•