Under the Moonlight Sky-Epilogue: Under the Starry Future

Gabriela Vo

Trigger warnings: Nothing, thank you all for reading.

I tiptoe, trying to put the violin on top of the shelf. The height of this hanging shelf almost seems like a personal jab against my height, somehow being in just the right position to watch me struggle, but not too out of reach that I would need a ladder. Almost there, old friend… just need to push a little more… Oh no… No… Don't fall… A firm hand holds my violin back from falling, carefully put it in place. After twelve years together, my violin finally receives its temporary retirement, sitting comfortably on the white shelf of my… our new apartment. One day, you will sing your melodies again dearest friend, perhaps in the hand of one of our children. I let my weight shift back, relieve my feet from the pressure of tiptoeing. I stumble back a bit, falling right into an embrace that I am too familiar with now. Damien gives me a loving squeeze, pampering my hair with soft kisses.

"Thank you."

I grip his arms, letting the fuzziness of affection claims me as it did so many times before.

"I got you."

We could have stayed like this for forever, but there are still boxes with items to organize. I look around the apartment, excited to decorate our new home.

"Hey. We still need to finish moving in."

"Um. Just a bit longer."

When he says things so soft and longing like that, I never could turn down his request. There is no rush, so there's no harm on relaxing a little more. I close my eyes, purring slightly as his tender touches.

"Umm… I love you."

"I love you too."

You've chained the monster deep inside~

The slow, acoustic version of Chained the Monster plays from my phone, making Damien loosens his hug so I can accept the call. Rose is on the other side of the line.

"Rose?"

"Cres. When you two come by tonight, can you buy some color papers on the way? Jackie ran out of those for her science project."

"Okay. We will. See you then."

"See you then. Love you, dear."

"Love you too sis."

"Alright. I guess we have to finish unpacking."

Damien says, letting go of the embrace. I turn around, smiling at him.

"A kiss, first?"

This earns me an affectionate smile from him, clearly happy at my effort of making the move.

"Of course."

I wrap my arms around his neck, pulling us closer together. Our lips find each other in a sweet dance, as kind and warm as the crackling fireplace.

It takes a while to finish plating the food on the long table. The orphanage is certainly expanding, and we find ourselves surrounded by more energetic children during each of our visits. Mothers give us both kisses on the cheeks as we come. With time passing by, I am happy to see them treating Damien more and more like their own son. He shares this sentiment, caring for them as he would his own mother. Dinner was lively with all the kids excited to share about how their days went. As we finished dinner, they help putting the food and dishes away before going off to do their own thing. My heart couldn't be filled with more joy, chiming vibrantly like bells. Jackie thanked us about the coloring paper before going back to her shared room with her twin to finish the project. Finally, it was just Mothers, Rose, Lil, Damien and I in the now reconstructed dining room. We chat excitedly about our plans for the near future until Rose interrupt us with an announcement.

"I was hired as assistant for a fashion designer in New York, I am set in moving there in a month and a half."

We all stare at Rose out of pure shock. Lil was the first to regain control over her body, launching herself toward our older sister and hugging her tightly.

"Holy sh-shirt you did it!"

"Ha ha. I guess I did."

"R-rose… that is amazing…"

I still have trouble getting a grasp of what she just says. For years, she turned down various adoption chances and dream job opportunities to help Mothers with the orphanage. Now, she finally embraces her dream and makes the decision for herself. We couldn't be happier for her. The future has so much to offer for all of us. We left the orphanage a little later than usual, celebrating Rose's new beginning. On our drive back, Damien holds my hand just a little tighter.

"Crescent. How are you?"

"Huh? I am… good. I am so excited for Rose. She is going to pursue her dream at last."

"Yeah. That is exciting."

"Are you worried about me feeling sad about…"

"I am."

"I was going to tell you this later but… Damien. I was hired to compose songs for an upcoming musical."

He pulls over, eyes widened.

"Cres…"

"The director saw a footage of me playing 'The ballad of the lost children' that night at Heartland Café. She has been trying to track me down since then for her musical. It took some convincing, but the production ultimately decided to hire an unknown musician like me to write the songs. I am going to become a composer. I already talked to my adviser about it."

"Cres. I-I am so happy for you."

Happy. Proud. Ecstatic. Different positive emotions shown in his handsome face and through his beautiful eyes. We get out of the car, feeling the need to celebrate in each other arms.

"I wanted to tell you sooner, but I didn't know if it would go through. Damien, I wouldn't have gotten this opportunity if you didn't help me that night. You guided my life to such a bright future that I never thought was possible. Words can't describe how much I love you for that alone."

There were tears of joy in his eyes. He pulls me into a deep kiss under the starry sky. Everything in our future is going to be as brilliant as the stars.