Falling Apart

Epilogue

Since I wrote this years ago with the first epilogue, I decided to make a second one with a DIFFERENT ending.
So please do not get confused by the old comments about the OLD epilogue.

UNEDITED
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Epilogue

Three years later

NARRATOR'S POV

Going up stage in front of thousands of people is the most nerve racking thing. Making a speech, every word that comes out of your mouth is being analyzed, every action done is observed, your looks are scanned from head to toe and you never know what are people's thoughts.

Are they good? Bad? Are they gossiping over something specific about me? Are they pointing out something? Does anyone of them hate me?

Even after years of going up the big stage and giving multiple speeches, Madeline had the same thoughts but tonight it was an important day. She was getting an award for her fashion show.

She was finally an owner, an owner of her own business.

She was free and did what she loved. She continued working hard, achieving a lot, making so many changes in her field until she got what she wanted. Her own business.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, please welcome the beautiful Madeline Lopez." The room echoed with applauds, people stood up as they cheered for Madeline as she walked up on the stage to receive her award.

She thanked the woman next to her, gave a smile to everyone and slowly waited for them to calm down. She was overwhelmed with all the cheering, feeling so appreciated and loved by the guests.

"Thank you, thank you so much." She started still the applauds continuing as she nodded and then people finally sat down and the room went quite leaving Madeline to start her speech.

She took a few breaths scanning the room, the second row having her family, her mother, Brady, Arabella, Elena and Ethaneal.

"I want to start of and say thank you, I am extremely overwhelmed with this love and I don't know what I did to deserve it." She paused her eyes shifted to Elena who smiled at her as an assurance to keep going.

"I never thought that I would ever be here, have my own brand and receive such an award. The nominees are all people who I grew up watching, they deserve it way more than I do." Some applauds erupted when Madeline said that part.

"This might get personal....." She closed her eyes looking down at her heels, she prayed she wouldn't cry in the middle of it.

"I fought so hard to reach this place, to be here on top of this stage. The stage where I had seen multiple winners receive their awards and wondered, when will it ever be my turn. My designs 3 years ago were not fully made with love, they were mainly an escape. I hated them, I treated art as something to take advantage of whenever I was feeling down. That's why the art produced was missing something, something that most people don't realize it's value and how much of an influence it has." She paused, smiling down at her mother who wiped a tear.

"Self love. It takes time to gain but it is what makes you feel complete. You know exactly that no matter what, you are confident and you that nothing in this world can stop you. The power of loving yourself, nothing could ever defeat it. I didn't realize how much of void was inside of me until I started loving myself." She could feel her eyes start watering but she didn't allow her tears to fall. "You are the best source of happiness and love for yourself. Never let that source be someone else but you because trust you will feel lost, incomplete and there is nothing worse than that. Be that source, go out, create and enjoy life."