Page 8 of Finding Justice

As long as we’re together, we can overcome anything.

Epilogue One

Clive- Six years later…

Ipour a shot of whiskey and place it on Cole's headstone. He would’ve been twenty-one and my plan had always been to take him out for a drink to celebrate. It took years for Naomi and I to fully grasp that he was gone, and sometimes we still struggle with it. Deep down, there’s a part of me that continues to blame myself. All the evidence we needed to charge Jimmy and his distributor, Blue’s Farm, was found in that hangar. Sorting through everything was a long and arduous process, and while I wish I could’ve ended the bastard’s life, I take satisfaction in knowing he’s spending the rest of it rotting in prison.

"Happy birthday, buddy," I say as I raise my own and chug it.

Continuing without Cole has been hard, yet I’m also unbelievably happy because of Naomi. We both do what we can to help the residents, as well as helping Miss Dawn at the Youth Center as much as possible, including fostering kids as needed.

Four years ago, we had a big church wedding and exchanged vows in front of those we love. Much to Caleb’s delight, I got rid of my trailer and moved in with her. It’s surreal living in the house I’d always envisioned buying, yet I know it would be empty without her. Shortly after getting married, we discovered we were pregnant with our son, Cole.

"Hey, man," Caleb greets me. "How are you?"

I shrug and reply, "Rough day as usual, but I'll manage."

He nods in sympathy, knowing I struggle with this day every year. “You always do.” Caleb took that job as intended with Casper and actually met his now wife on his first case. Of course, she was on trial and he was prosecuting her, which is an interesting story. Glancing at his watch, he reaches for the bottle of whiskey with the other and takes a sip before suggesting, “We should get going. You know our women hate when we’re late.”

That causes me to smile. Naomi will scold me, but Caleb's wife would throat punch him. It amazes me how two women that couldn’t be more different are the best of friends.

Placing my hand on the headstone beside Cole’s glass, I tell him I’ll be back. I often think of what he’d be like had he been able to grow up, but the possibilities hurt so much. Instead, I focus on him hopefully finding a peace he never could while he was here. and pride in himself for helping us close the investigation and the number of lives he saved.

I wish he was here with us, yet I’m grateful for everything I have. I will thank Cole every day for bringing Naomi to me and helping close an investigation that eluded us for too long.

Taking one last look at where he rests, I whisper, “Be proud of yourself, buddy. I know I am of you. You saved a lot of people, including me.” It’s because of Cole that I have Naomi and I will be eternally grateful for her and our son. I don’t know if I would have survived losing him without them.

Epilogue Two

Naomi- Five years after that…

Ifeel Clive’s hands grip my hips as I bend over to double-check the roast in the oven, happy to see that it’s coming along nicely.

"Why do you always fuss when Caleb and his family come over?" He grumbles.

"Because they’re our best friends," I remind him.

Clive rolls his eyes, then gives me a kiss before asking, "Where's Cole?"

"In back with Cooper and Evan." Evan is a little boy we’ve been fostering for a few months, though Miss Dawn believes she found a forever family for him.

"He’s finally taken to Cooper, huh?" It took a bit for Cole to adjust to our dog, but now he loves him, which is exactly what I tell Clive as I start the salad.

Cole’s death will always haunt us, but I find solace in knowing Jimmy got what he deserved. Aside from the pain of losing him, the years have been good to us. Clive is currently running for Chief of Police and has a lot of support. Which isn’t surprising as he’s well-liked throughout the town. Finishing my task, I head to check on the boys, only to have Clive hug me, breathing in my scent.

“We should take a vacation,” he suggests. This is a shock as we’re both homebodies, but I’m not turning it down.

"Where were you thinking?"

He grins as he answers, "Hawaii."

My reaction is obviously what he was hoping for because he laughs as I jump into his arms. He catches me without hesitation as I place kisses all over his face. We’re frugal with what we have as neither of our chosen professions have us racking in the dough, so I would’ve never expected this.

"Clive! Thank you!" I squeal. "We’re going to have so much fun."

"Your happiness is all I want, sweetheart." His eyes soften and he says, “We can splurge this one time, don’t you think?” He leans in and kisses my forehead. "That's all I ever want." His eyes get soft and sweet.

I agree that we can, but he must know one fact first. "As long as I have my family, I don’t need anything else."