Time's Tragedies- The Books Of Beginning [2]

Epilogue: Past, Present, And Future

The air was cool and sweet as the last of Lili's relatives departed from her birthday party  - Gabriel and Emma, retiring to their cabin so that Emma could crash for the night. The others had already left, with Lili's cousins getting fussy and the Savages needing to return to their city. They had all left with many hugs, and the warmth from their embraces still buzzed in Lili's veins. As did the feeling of jubilation that had hit her the moment she and Eternity's lips touched.

Lili burrowed into the softness of the couch as her dad showed her aunt and honorary granddad to the door. She felt light and airy, as if she was suspended in one of those foam pits little kids loved to play in, as if she was a strawberry in a jello mold - content just to be in the happy squelch of it all.

"Did you have a good birthday?" Jake asked kindly. He was perched in an armchair, his legs kicked up over the side of it, as he fiddled with a Rubik's cube.

"Yeah," Lili said with a grin, "I really, really did."

It had indeed been a good birthday. The people she loved were there, the cake was delicious, there was music and magic... everything was celebratory and bright. And if there was another, far more intimate reason why this was probably the best birthday Lili had ever had, well then, that was for her to know and Jake to find out another time.

Jake smiled, "I'm glad. You deserve it."

"Thanks. I do feel kinda bad though. I think chasing our cousins around tired Abby out."

"No duh," Jake said, eyes flicking to where their little sister was curled up on the love seat, a blanket draped over her sleeping form. "It's kind of their own fault though. Hughie shoulda known better than to steal a forkful of her cake."

Lili shook her head fondly, "a forkful of cake turning into an ultimate game of tag while dad made magic fireworks in the backyard is honestly the most Wibberly thing ever. I blame aunt Em's influence."

"That's Uncle Michael erasure. He may deny it, but he's chaotic too," Jake pointed out. "But we can add it to the list of things that might as well be our family sport."

That was a running joke from the past month. Time travel, resurrections, making Gabriel sigh heavily... there were many things that the Wibberly family, for better or worse, did like no one else.

"Fair enough," Lili chuckled. She rolled to the side and swung her legs off the couch, getting to her feet and dropping a kiss on the top of Jake's head as she walked past him. "I'm gonna go get some water. Need anything?"

"Nah," Jake said. "I'm gonna put on the TV and hope Abby doesn't start snoring."

"Hate to break it to you, but you snore louder than her."

"Do not!"

"Keep telling yourself that."

Lili giggled to herself at Jake's indignation, the scorn only an adolescent could muster, and made her way into the kitchen. Her dad was in there doing the dishes, humming something tuneless and happy to himself.

"Hey dad," Lili said, reaching past him to grab a glass.

"Hey Kiddo," Rafe replied. "Good birthday?"

Lili nodded, "the best."

"I'm glad. You deserve it. Did you get everything you wanted?"

"Did I ever," Lili said. A smirk played on her lips, and Rafe narrowed his eyes as he took in her amused expression.

"Something you wanna tell me?"

"Yes. But not now. Tomorrow. That ok?"

"Sure," Rafe said skeptically, "So long as you're alright."