beyond the monotonous city

Epilogue

The nightmares never went away.

Somedays they were the same old events that happened to her, just mere flashbacks like the accident with Alex, and seeing Camila die right in front of her. Somedays they were worse and it brought her to tears, waking up, covered in sweat.

But that didn't matter then.

Lucy would just hold her, looking at her with her dark brown eyes. Her words of reassurance were soft as honey but Lauren knew it was her fight and none of anyone's words, even Lucy's, could change how she deals with it. She hasn't relapsed as worse as she did before, but there were good days and bad days. You get over it, but the scars never really leave you.

They were in their New York apartment, just having moved in recently after graduation. Lauren was planning to take a few months off before answering job applications. She felt like she deserved a break. She had lots of trips right after graduation, stopping in places she never heard before in Africa, Europe and even Asia. Some were educational trips while some were made just for fun. The need to go around and see the world never left her.

She began to enjoy adventure and that made her happy somehow. Somehow her life had turned for the better and though it had a few bumps here and there, she was content with everything.

She was headed back to Miami, to visit her parents and her sister who just graduated high school. It had been a long trip as she had just came from Egypt but she decided that she missed home. The last time she was there was when she was still in college.

As she took a cab back home, she watched the all too familiar suburbia, the concrete streets, the warm breeze, and she knew she was right back where she belonged.

Her parents were doing fine and she couldn't be happier to see them that way. Mike had gotten the VP position in his company and provided well enough for their family while Clara was now the principal in the school she taught at. Taylor had grown up so much already and was college bound already, going to NYU just like Keana did. Chris was away at college.

As Lauren spent her morning at their house, she couldn't help but look across. The Cabello's home which had been so lively and homely, was now foreclosed. Seeing the sign in front of the house unsettled Lauren.

"What happened?" she asked. The last time she was in Miami, more than a year ago, she had been inside that house to greet the Cabellos and they've been well.

"They moved to Orlando." Clara explained as she cleaned up the kitchen. "It was closer to where Alejandro worked and was more convenient for them."

Lauren nodded. It was practical yet it made Lauren sad that their street would never be the same. "How long?"

"It's been almost a year. That house has been empty since. They sold it back to the realtors, got a moving truck and all."

Lauren went up to her old room and looked at how most of her stuff were still where they were, just covered in plastic sheets to keep the dust away. She peeked out the window. The window level hers used to belong to her friend. It was shut and so were the blinds. She sighed. That roomed housed a lot of memories.

"So where are you up to, Lauren?" Clara asked as Lauren found herself watching National Geographic to pass the time. It became a habit, even though it stopped reminding her of someone.

"I'm going to drop by somewhere. Then I'll stay at Keana's. Do some catching up." She explained.

"Do you want me to drop you off?" Clara offered, smiling.

"Mom, I'm 23 I can do it by myself." Lauren said laughing.

When the show finished, she got up and rode her mom's car.