Desired

Epilogue

'I don't think she needs any more books,' Zach says from behind me.

'You can never have too many books.' I pull another book from the shelf and add it to the pile next to me.

'You can when you're a year old, can't read and your house is a tiny cabin.'

I grab the pile of books and stand. 'Are you jealous that I'm looking for books for her rather than you?'

'No,' Zach pouts.

'You said that a little too quickly to sound believable.' I smirk walking over to him. 'Zach, you don't need to be jealous of a one-year-old. I don't love her like I love you.' I brush my lips against his.

'You're such an idiot.' Zach shakes his head but can't stop the grin spreading across his face.

'Takes one to know one.' I place the pile of books on the table next to his sketchpad. It's open, allowing me to see a drawing of me and him which is identical to the photo laying next to the page. We're both laughing while looking into the Polaroid camera we found. It had taken quite a few attempts until we'd finally been able to get a photo which contained both of our faces.

Taking a photo and not being able to see where it's pointed, ended up being more difficult than we anticipated.

It was also funnier.

I focus on the drawing and run a finger over the pencil lines Zach has drawn to create our faces. 'This is amazing. It looks better than the photo.'

'No, it doesn't,' Zach says. 'But I thought you could give it to your brother.'

'Thank you.' I smile widely and look at the drawing. 'But I'll give it to Mia, she needs to know what her aunt and uncle look like.'

Zach picks up a pencil and writes To Mia at the top of the page then pauses. 'I'm too young to be an uncle. Can't I be the cool big brother?'

'That would make you my nephew which is all sorts of weird.' I cross my arms and give my best impression of disgust. 'I'm starting to get worried about you, Zach. First, you want me to pee on you, then you want to love me like my brother does and now you want me to be your aunt. You're a little sick in the head.'

'Well, I remember you once telling me you used to like touching your brother and parents which must make you a little sick in the head too, so I guess we make the perfect couple.' Zach grins, grabs my hand and pulls me down so I'm sitting on his lap.

'I guess we do,' I laugh.

He places one arm around my waist and with the other he adds at the bottom of the page from your very cool Aunt Kit and Uncle Zach. He removes the page from the sketchpad and places it on the top of the pile of books.

It still hurts that I have a one-year-old niece who I haven't met. A niece I may not ever meet.

Jerico has tried to get me access to them. He's met with the Naturalist Council Leaders but they're adamant I can't go in and since my exile, they've changed the rules to forbid anyone from leaving the settlement. No one can visit the woods and even the students who leave to attend the school won't have to soon, due to the small school currently being built in the Naturalist Settlement for the growing population of Naturalist children.

It makes me sad. Mattan's hopes for change aren't happening, if anything Naturalists are isolating themselves more. However, I am allowed to leave things for him in the quarantine storage cabin which I have, including lots of books for Mia and recently, a charged camera for him to take photos which I hid among the baby clothes, blankets and other items I left.