Sincerely, Emily ✓

Epilogue • Sincerely, Emily

A YEAR LATER. . .

"VAL." 

Her dark hair was pulled up into a ponytail and she was running towards me like her life depended on it. The closer she got, the more I noticed how different she was. Her face was sharper and I had no doubt that she was still taller than me.

When she did finally reach me, she crouched down and hugged me so tight I was actually afraid I couldn't breathe. Well, I guessed that's what you would do when you hadn't seen a person for almost seven months.

"Look at you!" she shrieked. "You in your glasses look cuter in person! And oh my God, you cut your hair!"

It was true. Instead of it hanging down on my back, it was just barely reaching my shoulders. I quite like the style; it was part of me starting new and fresh again.

"I love it!" she rejoiced. "I can't believe you're really here. Alive and breathing! And all of us thought you were going to die in your eighteenth birthday. But you didn't. And look at you. I just knew it." She looked like she was about to cry.

Then she really did.

My caretaker, Thirty-Something Shannon, escorted us both inside the main lobby. Val signed the guest list sheet; she was going to spend the whole day here with me.

Broadview Health Care Center was pretty much heaven to me. There were basically gardens wherever you went to, and fountains were present on every edge of the establishment. Everyday, three or more people would be outside, enjoying the fresh air and sitting on the benches with their caretakers.

Broadview had more than enough facilities and services. There was a cafeteria, a gym (although there were only, like, three people ever going there), a library and a few rooms that also included the main room (where everyone would hang out to either play chess, dance around or play bingo.) Each of us had one or two caretakers that were practically our babysitters 24/7. There were two floors: the first one was for the daily activities and such, while the second floor housed the rooms and medical stuff that we needed.

Tom was right. I was the youngest. When I arrived, all the other members just stared at me like I was some alien. It wasn't everyday an eighteen-year-old came living in a nursing home of some sorts. Although, what I liked about the place was that it was more than just a nursing home, like I had described before.

When we were walking to the main room, I saw one of my closest friends―Catherine, also known as Devon's grandmother. I didn't find that weird at all, actually. When I approached her and told her I was Devon's friend, she instantly warmed up to me, despite being intimidating at first.

Yes, yes. All my close friends were older than sixty.

But hey, they're pretty cool.

"HEY, CATH," I greeted when Val, Shannon and I reached her.

She turned and smiled at me, a huge grin on her wrinkled face.

Catherine had asthma ever since she was thirteen years old. Now, she was seventy-two, living as bright as ever. Seriously, I thought Cath was one of the most eccentric people I've ever met.

"Hi, Emily." Her smile faded as her gaze switched to Val. "Valerie?"

Val had gone pale. It was like all the colors had drained from her face. She gulped, taking a deep breath. "Uh — Catherine. I mean, ma'am. Nice me meet you. I-I mean, nice to meet you again."