Epilogue – Damian
The kids ran down the beach. Their little legs pumping and their laughter floating on the breeze. I ran after them, pretending to be a big bad sand monster, catching each one in my arms and rolling onto my back on the sand. Gracie jumped on my chest and her little fingers found the ticklish spots on my neck as Gabe and Michael yelled for help.
I yielded, letting them go and sitting up. All three children gave me fierce hugs and I looked beyond my five-year-olds at my wife and friends watching in amusement.
The children ran back to the group and I sighed, feeling the blessings this life had delivered. I stood, swiping the fine grains of sand from my hands and crossed the distance, settling into the chair next to Naomi and picking up my beer.
Five years had changed all our lives. I still held the power of the trinity as well as the magic CJ had given me. The months following Lucifer’s demise had been tough on all of us. For Naomi and me, it was more trying to juggle three infants and sleepless nights than coming to terms with Michael’s death. Even the loss of my father felt surreal, but I suppose that was more easily accepted because he hadn’t been in my life for multiple millenniums.
Steve had the toughest time dealing with the guilt of killing Sarah. He still wonders if he did the right thing, even when I tell him it was better than the alternative. When he came back from taking us to the hospital, he said the entire place was clear. No blood, no bodies, nothing except the swath of burnt ground where I torched Lucifer. As I understand it, Sarah’s disappearance from the house in York is still an open case.
The loss of Ty hasn’t helped him bounce back either. He took it far worse than either CJ or Tom. Regardless of how much he bitched about being saddled with Ty as his guardian angel, the man had become his confidant and best friend.
CJ and Tom adjusted, but then again, they had other things pulling their attention away from their grief.
I sighed, focusing on my daughter. Grace was special in a way that none of us could pinpoint and my boys were just that; wildly active five-year-old identical twins.
Grace wasn’t a third identical twin. She hadn’t shared the same sac, only the same womb and the boys adored her. They were fiercely protective of her, just like the rest of us, and I like to think they know she has an extraordinarily rare gene. I like to think they know she’s a trinity.
My gaze landed on the birthmark on her right shoulder blade. Doctors had given us shit for years on that, but it was natural and not a tattoo as they wrongly assumed. As she got older, the details seemed to be getting crisper, the coloring bolder. When we had checked in at Brooksfield Hospital after the births, they accused us of drawing on our baby girl. That was the first time we saw the etched details of the white winged tiger mark.
From that day forward, whenever we have blood work done, they always tell us it’s been tainted with feline DNA. I just wonder when that tiger is going to come out. I’m hoping it won’t make an appearance, but I know that’s just wishful thinking.
I stared at the sun-drenched ocean, the light dancing on the waves captured my attention, and I wondered how I got to this wonderful station in life and why I was so lucky.
Naomi’s hand covered mine and I smiled, moving my attention away from the waves.
Some other things have changed for the better, too, and I glanced at two of my closest friends. One has known me since she was born, and I couldn’t have picked a better man for her.
Valerie smiled at me like she knew what I was thinking. She ran her hand down CJ’s arm and laced her fingers with his.
He turned toward her, returning her grin before his gaze dropped to her oversized belly. CJ leaned forward, planting a kiss on the swollen skin under her beach dress.
“How you feeling?” he asked.
“Good, considering I’m overdue,” she said. “I swear this boy just doesn’t want to come out.”
Tom and Raven chuckled, turning toward the squealing laugh of their three-year-old daughter. Hannah approached, her tiny hands grasping one of Steve’s and Jennifer’s. She planted her feet and then jumped, letting Steve and Jennifer swing her forward. Her giggle tickled all of us and we exchanged glances before returning our gaze to the wild redhead. She broke free and ran to our three kids, sliding to a stop and dropping into the sand next to them.
Steve and Jennifer approached, dropping into the vacant seats nearest the kids.
“She’s a handful,” Steve smiled.
Tom returned his smile, nodding and signing a simple, “Yes.”
“Have you settled on a name yet?” Naomi asked, her eyes locked on our children building a sand castle a few feet away.
“Ty,” Valerie said, pulling our gazes to her. “Ty Alexander Ryan.”
I smiled, scanning the horizon, wondering if Ty was finally at peace in heaven.