I Won't Mind (BWWM)(#Wattys2015)

Epilogue Pt. 3

Hi! Well, this is the last part and final chapter. There will be a flashback this part and a time skip. I hope that you enjoyed this story as much as I have. Anyway, here's the last of it. Btw, I would really like feedback on the story if that's not asking too much. Thanks in advance to anyone who leaves some! This is edited. ✌
_______

Keyton laid on his bed staring at the ceiling. His mind was still reeling from what happened that day. How had such an innocent day turn so dark and twisted? He had lost someone that was close to him. He doesn't really know how to feel about that development. He remembers that day. It haunts him. The way he felt, what he saw forever engraved in his mind and soul.

He felt like he was going to have a heart attack. His heart was beating so fast and hard in his ribcage. His body felt like it was filled with stone fore it felt so heavy. His ears were ringing from that blood curdling scream. It was so close, so near yet so far. He was scared. Yes, he was undeniably scared.

Not only for himself but whoever made that last plea for help. He was mortified at the thought of the shooter or shooters getting into the store where he and his children are and harming them. He was petrified that his darling was out there in the crossfire. His darling, she was out there and regardless of how scared he was, he had to go find and save her and their baby. His chest was heaving as he forced himself to continue on towards the exit into the mall. It had felt like he had walked for days when he finally made it to his destination.

Keyton's body was shaking with fear of the unknown as he walked closer to the exit and peered out through the gate that locked them in the store. He held his breath as he listened for anything that would indicate that he was in any danger. When he didn't hear anything he sighed in relief before checking out in the open. At first he didn't notice it, but there was a body a few meters away from him on the ground. When he finally did he gasped. He quickly did a scan of the area again before crouching down so he wasn't easily seen.

"Hey? Hey are you still alive?", he called in a low voice so he wouldn't easily be heard from a distance. The body shook and released a sob. He tried shushing the person but they just kept crying. "Shh, shh, hey? We'll get out of here. Help's coming, just save as much of your energy as possible", he cooed. The person whimpered something he couldn't make out. "What did you say?", he asked. They whimpered again, "Ma-my ba-aby", they stuttered. He froze his muscles tensing more than they have ever tensed before.

He swallowed thickly, "What happened to your baby?", he asked feeling pity for the person he was able to now identify as a woman. She hiccupped, "I-It hu-hurts. Ple-please do-on't l-let my ba-aby die", she sobbed a stuttering mess. He felt his heart breaking for the woman. "My fa-family. Ma-my b-ba-abies. My b-bub", she stuttered in between sobs. Keyton felt his world disintegrate.

The woman he was trying to see about and reassure was his darling and she's hurt. He felt the tears falling down his face as the feeling of helplessness swallowed him whole. "Octavia?", he called. "Ke-Key-eyt-ton?", she sobbed in response. He tried pulling on the gate. "Darling", he said louder as he pushed against the gate. She started sobbing louder now.

"Darling? Octavia!", he called trying to lift the gate now. "Darling! I'm coming baby, just hold on, ok? Help! Somebody help!" Keyton was screaming now. "Darling, I love you! I fucking love you! I'm coming baby!", he screamed in between ramming his body into the gate. "Octavia? Help!", he screamed. He noticed that her sobbing was getting lower by the minute and he knew that was not a good thing. No matter how hard he tried to get through to her he couldn't.

He fell to his knees sobbing not caring about the danger of getting shot anymore. He was trapped in safety while his wife was out there just out of reach in the danger zone dying right in front of him. His wife and unborn child, that hasn't even gotten the chance to live yet, are dying. Keyton feels like a helpless child. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry darling. I should've been with you", he sobbed shaking the gating. "I-I love y-you, bub", he heard his wife sob before her sobbing drastically died down until she was whimpering. "Babe? Octavia? Baby? Darling? Darling!?", he called using the gate to get to his feet. He held his breath and listened. Nothing, then gunshots. "Octavia! Darling! Darling, wake up! Help! Someone help, please!? God, help! Octavia, don't you die on me! Octavia!? Help!"

It was all over the news. That day 9 people died, including the 3 gunmen. Keyton had heard the story about why it happened but it had went in one ear and out the other. So he didn't know. He did not care. All he cared about was his family.

His family. Just less than half an hour before the shooting he was promising to ruin someone's life to protect them and then he failed them 23 minutes later. When he close his eyes he still sees his wife laying still on the ground with a bullet wound in her back. Now here he is laying on their bed dressed in black slacks with a white button up and tie staring at the ceiling. We encounter people all of the time but the scariest part is not knowing whom you have encountered. That day Keyton encountered evil for the first time.

He glanced over at his nightstand and saw the time. It was time to go. He got out of bed and stepped into his black dress shoes while grabbing his blazer off the other side of the bed and slipping it on. He heard the little pitter patter of feet before his youngest daughter came running into his room. "It's time to go daddy", Kianni announced. He nodded and lifted his daughter off of her feet putting her on his hip causing her to squeal in surprise. He carried her downstairs to the kitchen where his family were all piling out of the garage door into the garage into the car.

When he got in the car he adjusted the rearview mirror and looked at his children that were lined up in two's across the second and third row of their family Expedition. He smiled looking at his sleeping newborn son, Kayden before looking to the passenger seat at his wife, his darling. She reached across the console of the car and took his hand into hers intertwining their figures. She smiled softly at him and gave his hand a squeeze. "Are you ready to say your final goodbyes, bub?", she asked. He sighed, "Yeah. I just can't believe that she's gone. We had just talked then...", he said leaving it open. His darling hummed in understanding, "Yeah, but she has a part of her living on for her. You both may not have been on good terms when Natalie died but I know you still cared for her baby, and that's ok. She was a part of your life for years and gave you a daughter, us an amazing little girl. She was just a woman that wanted love from he wrong person, love and unfortunately, she will never get to experience what we have. But we can and we will continue on loving each other and our children like we do with her in mind because she can't. So let's go say our goodbyes and continue on with our lives", she said assuring and finishing up for her husband.

And they did. After Natalie's funeral they continued their life together loving one another and raising their children. Life was not all peaches and cream but it was well worth it when they laid down at night in their bed cuddled up close facing each other with there hands linked together, fingers intertwined. Every night he says, 'I love you, darling' and every night she says, 'I love you, bub' before they would drift off to sleep. Yes, they fussed and fought, but they always made sure that they worked things out. They always made sure that they made even the littlest of things count because although love is forever, life is not and they wanted the other to know that at every hour, minute, second of the day, they are loved. No, their love story was not a fairytale, but it was a story worth telling others about. Because love does not come unless you are willing to put it all out there and fight for it. So yeah, they won't mind.

_______
Well, that's the end. Until next time everyone!✌