Epilogue

Fabian and I were hanging out in my room. It's been 6 months since my mom returned and five months since Joy and Mara moved in with us permanently as my cousins rather than my step-sisters, even though we're as close as real sisters. I asked mom to keep my old room under the terms that I redecorate. That wasn't a problem. My room is now my dream space and I've never been happier. I was sitting crisscrossed between Fabian's legs on my bed, playing around with my new guitar with Fabian's arms wrapped around my waist, when he got up and walked towards the vanity. I stopped playing and watched him as he looked at himself in the mirror. I sensed something odd from him and got up to comfort him. I came up behind him and wrapped my arms around his waist.

Nina: You ok?

Fabian didn't respond. He just stared at the mirror. I put my chin on his shoulder and tilted my head slightly to look at him before calling him by the short little nickname I came up with for him recently.

Nina: A?

That snapped him out of it.

Nina: Are you okay?

Fabian turned towards me and wrapped his hands around my waist.

Fabian: I'm fine, Nay. Just thinking.

I hugged him and played with his hair.

Nina: About?

Fabian: Nay, remember that guitar pick? The one my mom left me?

I nodded and continued to play with his hair.

Nina: Of course I do.

He didn't say another word, which worried me. I pulled away from our hug and looked at his face. I put my hands on his cheeks and looked him in the eyes.

Nina: Fabian, what about it? Is everything okay?

He smiled at me weakly and took my right hand off his left cheek before holding it. I felt him put something in my hand. I looked at the familiar blue guitar pick with white writing on it. "The Light Will Guide Me Out".

Nina: Fabian-

Fabian: Nay, she would have wanted you to have it. "If she knows, then she's yours." Nina-

Nina: Fabian, this is too precious to you. I can't risk-

Fabian: Nina.

I looked at him and saw the sincerity in his eyes.

Fabian: Nina. I want you to have this. Nay, please take it.

He put the guitar pick in my hand and I leaned up to kiss him on the lips. Our lips met and I couldn't help but smile. When we parted, Fabian took a deep breath.

Fabian: Nina, there's something I think you should know something.

Nina: What?

My pulse was racing. This doesn't look good. Is it possible that this whole thing was just a break up? I don't know what I'd do without-

Fabian: When I first met you, I was in a deep state of depression.

I couldn't find any words, so my mouth just hung open.

Nina: I….what-

Fabian: When I moved here and entered the foster home with Victor and Eric, I came here for medical therapy. You know, for depression. My Uncle Ade had a fatal accident because I called him through the phone and-

Nina: A.

He looked at me with glossy eyes and put his hands on my cheeks.

Fabian: The therapy wasn't working. They thought socializing with kids my age would help, so I got enrolled at the school. And then I met you. Meeting you brightened my spirit. It was amazing how sudden the change occurred.

Nina: …Fabian-

Fabian: Nina….you saved me. You were the light in my darkness. You….you were the light that guided me out.

I just looked at him in disbelief before kissing him on the cheek.

Nina: I love you, A.

Fabian: And I love you, Nay.

We hugged one last time before sitting back on the bed the way we had been before. I was just grabbing my guitar when there was a knock on the door.

Nina: Enter!

In came Joy, Mara, Amber, Patricia, Willow, KT, Eddie, Mick, Jerome, and Alfie. They all sat around the bed.

Joy: Oooo, Nina's got her guitar out!

Mara: You gonna play us a song?

I smiled and shook my head.

Willow: Why not?

KT: We all know you can play.

Alfie: Not just that. She can actually play well.

Patricia: Come on, Nina. Please?

Everyone started begging me to play and didn't notice my mom slip into the room. I looked at her, trying to ask for help, but she smiled and shook her head. I groaned and looked at Fabian. He shrugged his shoulders and kissed me on the cheek.

Fabian: Just give them what they want, Nay.

I smiled and gave in to their request, strumming the strings with the guitar pick Fabian gave me. I started playing the introductory cords before singing.

But I see the light

Tomorrow I am on my way

Because I see the path

I won't get lost for anything

No I won't get lost

I'll find my way

The light

Will guide

Me out

The End

I want to dedicate this story to my boyfriend. I officially finished this story on our one year anniversary. It's interesting, back when I had a huge writer's block, he and I were talking and I started self-hating on myself and he told me to stop and he started comforting me by telling me all of the good things I've done. One of the things I did was help him when he was going through a tough spot and he got depressed. Before me, he felt like he was corrupt and full of darkness and such. I helped him break that idea and when we were talking that day, he said, "You were the light that guided me out." He didn't know anything about this story so when he said that I was in shock. As I reread all of the chapters, I realized how much of this had been real life. The jealous Joy was this girl who had been his friend and liked him to the point where it was scary. She threatened me and made my life miserable for a while. Fabian was my boyfriend, being the kind guy I didn't know who knew I was hiding something and wouldn't stop protecting me, even though he kept getting hurt because of it. He just wouldn't let me go and he kept coming back for me. Nina was a representation on me, a girl who endured harsh words from people around her and wanted to be invisible. I actually got the idea for writing on her wrist from myself. I always have words written on my wrists or doodles drawn on my wrists. It's one of the reasons why I always wear sweatshirts. Anyways, I realized how much of the story really related to me. It became my inspiration to keep writing this. He became my inspiration to keep writing.

Thank you to everyone for reading and following up with my chapters, no matter how late they were.

Abhishek: Happy anniversary, love. Thank you for being there the whole time. You have been a wonderful boyfriend and I wouldn't trade our relationship for anything in the word. Thank you for everything. I love you.

Final Sign Off,

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