Epilogue

Keely

"It's been two years today since the night of the accident," I tell Reeve, lying in bed in our new, bigger apartment at The Commons while he scrolls through YouTube to find the series we've been watching from a vlogger who travels around all the most barren or desolate areas of the earth to discover the tribes or colonies that still live there. In this next episode, he's supposed to be in Siberia.

He's home for a couple more days with the Hawkeyes until they head back out on the road for four nights.

Though his prognosis didn't look good after the night of the accident, Reeve worked his butt off and was cleared the week before Christmas to play again. Dr. Morgan was in the stands that night, wearing an AISA jersey… and so was I.

"You think of it as the night I got hit by that car?" he asks, still scrolling through our 'favorites' list where we've kept it since he's been out of town on games and we haven't gotten to watch it yet.

The driver was finally caught… oddly enough, by my uncle who drove around town for months on end finally did result in the discovery of a car parked at a body shop to get fixed.

It turns out that it wasn't a drunk driver at all, but a seventeen-year-old kid who took his parents' expensive luxury car out for a joy ride when they were out of town and dropped his cell phone right before we walked out into the crosswalk. He told his parents he hit a deer.

The reason he gave for not stopping—he got scared after seeing me and Reeve laid out on the asphalt so he took off. Then when the media got ahold of the story, he was too scared to come forward due to the backlash.

"Yeah… what do you think of it as?"

His eyes turn down to me, tucked at his side, my body plastered against his— my leg curling around his thigh as I try to get as close as physically possible.

"The night I met you."

I can't help the wide grin I give him.

He bends down and kisses me.

"I love you, Keely.

"I love you too.

Then his attention moves back to the YouTube channel.

"Oh look, he's live tonight," Reeve says, and clicks on the video.

As the livestream begins, we see the familiar face of the travel vlogger, bundled up against the Siberian cold. He's standing in front of a vast, snow-covered landscape, his breath visible in the frigid air.

"Hello, viewers! We're coming to you live from the heart of Siberia," he begins, his voice slightly crackly through our phone speakers. "But before we dive into today's adventure, I have a special message for two of our most dedicated viewers."

My heart skips a beat as I glance up at Reeve, but his eyes are fixed on the screen, a small smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

The vlogger continues, "Keely and Reeve, this one's for you." He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a small velvet box. "Reeve asked me to help him with something very important tonight."

Suddenly, I feel Reeve shift beside me. He sits up, gently pulling me with him, and takes my hands in his.

"Keely," Reeve says. "Two years ago, our lives changed forever. What could have been the worst night of my life became the best, because it brought you to me. Every day since then, you've shown me what true strength and love look like. When people say to make sure and marry your best friend, I never knew what they meant until I met you."

Tears well up in my eyes as Reeve reaches for something on the nightstand – an identical velvet box to the one on screen. He opens it, revealing a beautiful ring that glimmers in the soft light of our bedroom.

"Will you marry me?" Reeve asks.

Overwhelmed with emotion, I throw my arms around Reeve's neck, nodding vigorously. "Yes!" I manage to choke out between happy sobs. "Yes, of course I will!"

As Reeve slips the ring onto my finger, we embrace in a kiss, a kiss that means forever.

THE END