Watch Me Drown

Epilogue: Grammy's

(Abby's point of view)

4 months later...

"Come on, come on, they're starting!!" I yelled.

Ethan and Lucas ran into the living room and dived onto the couch. Ezra giggled and climbed into my lap. Even the dogs watched the TV.

I was at their house, and we were all rushing and piling onto the couch to watch the Grammys. Boygenius was nominated for seven awards. We weren't going to miss a thing.

The actual Grammys weren't on yet. We were watching the part before, where smaller awards were handed out. I had been messaging Julien all day. She had given me the schedule and other important stuff like that.

We were all super pumped up. I was practically shaking from adrenaline and anxiety, Ethan was freaking out because his cousin was a Grammy nominated artist, Lucas's excitement was the same as Ethan's, though less intense, and Ezra was just excited to stay up late. I couldn't imagine how Julien was feeling.

Anxiously, we all waited for a category that the band was nominated in. Even Ezra was totally focused, which was impressive for a toddler.

I was wearing the boygenius hoodie that Julien, Phoebe, and Lucy had left me so many months ago. Lucas was wearing a Phoebe Bridgers shirt that he had owned for years. Ethan was wearing a boygenius t-shirt, the one with the blue rats on it.

"Aren't they nominated in this category?" Ethan said when "Best Rock Performance" was up.

"Um..." I thought hard. "Yes. Oh my God. They are. Yes."

It was so quiet, you'd think all of our mouths were wired shut. This was it. The moment we had been waiting for for months was finally here. Remember, they have other nominations if they don't get this one, I thought to myself a few times.

But then the host announced that the award went to them. To boygenius. They won. They won a Grammy.

"Oh my god!!" I screeched. "They won, they won!!!"

We all jumped up, screaming and dancing and some of us crying a little bit. Lucas grabbed Ezra, who understood that his aunt had just experienced something huge, and tossed him in the air, then caught him easily every time. Me and Ethan were the ones crying. He pulled me to him and we hugged, celebrating our beloved Julien. When Lucy started the acceptance speech, we all froze, watching and listening.

It was like that with every win. The excitement never died down. Even when Ezra fell asleep, cuddled into my side, us adults whispered about the achievement that our family and friends had made.

When Lucas took Ezra upstairs to his bedroom, me and Ethan called Julien.

"Hey, Grammy winner!!!!" Me and him said when she answered.

"Hey, guys," Julien giggled.

"Is that my Grammy winning cousin-in-law?!" Lucas came into the kitchen, where we were.

We all squealed about the band's wins for a minute, then Lucas and Ethan went up to bed, so I was (technically) alone with Julien.

"Julien, I am so proud of you." I told her. "You just won three Grammys."

"It's batshit crazy." Julien said. "I'm losing my shit a little."

That's when I noticed that it sounded like she was crying.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"This is a lot." She sniffled.

"Aw, honey." I said softly. "Don't cry. It's alright. You'll be home before you know it."

"Yeah, I know. This is pretty impressive."

"Yes, it is!"

I heard an oddly familiar voice on her side shout, "Julien, come take a quick picture with us, just for our living room walls!"

"Are you taking pictures with Taylor fucking Swift right now?!" I squeaked.

"Um, yes...I should probably go get back to that." Julien laughed a little. "Taylor's trying to balance a Grammy on Lucy's head."

"Go, go! Take pictures with Taylor Swift!" I urged her. "You're such a rockstar. I love you."

"I love you too!"

As I was falling asleep in the guest bedroom, my phone buzzed. It was Julien, sending me a photo of her and Taylor Swift, with the message "She says hi!"

"This really is batshit crazy." I chuckled to myself.

***

Julien, Phoebe, and Lucy came home the next day. The arena where the Grammys was held was only a few hours away, but me and Julien agreed that it was best for me to stay. I had been doing pretty good. We had figured out ways to manage my health, and I only passed out a few times each month.

We also started couples therapy. As much as I hated to admit it, my illness had affected us, and we needed to work through it. The very first day, our therapist told us that we were one of the few couples she saw who really loved each other. I knew we'd be alright.

Me and Julien are getting married in the spring. The date and reservations are set. It will be a small ceremony, with only our closest friends and family. My parents are not coming, but I think they'll send a gift. You can only hate your parents so much, and I think they truly are sorry.

When the boys came home, me, Ethan, Lucas, and Ezra were all waiting in our apartment. When the door opened, and Julien stepped in, we all lunged at them. After the reunion was over, and I had hugged Julien for two minutes straight, we ate lunch.

They told us all about the Grammys. I still couldn't believe that my fiance was a Grammy winner.

My life was never going to be fair. It just couldn't be that way. But I had some good people around me to make up for it. If I ever had to drown again, I knew they wouldn't just watch me. They would dive in to help.

The End.