Chapter 13: Epilogue

Olivia's Journal 5th of August 2019

I know I haven't written in my journal for a long time, but I just felt like it. Jeremy and I are still together, in fact we have been for the past two years and I can happily say we are very much in love with each other. Like all couples do we have our ups and downs and do have the occasional disagreement and argument, which is one of the unpleasantries about being in a relationship. Only after getting into a quarrel or any altercation, we just take time away from each other and we come back, kiss and makeup and loving each other more than ever. Being in love is one of the most warm and uplifting feelings one could ever experience. It helps one emotionally recover and see the world as a wonderful vibrant place worth living in.

Whenever I see Jeremy looking sad and disturbed by something, I always hug and kiss him on the cheek and it always brings back the smile on his face. We are always open and share our problems and issues and we both help each other overcome it. It's one of the many tasks of being in a relationship, to be there for one another and work as a team.

One thing Jeremy and I both got into was singing and we became a singing duet. I got more into music during our first anniversary. Jeremy got the street band we met on our first date and he got them to play at a private gig for me. He sung "Sugar Sugar" by the Archies where he played acoustic guitar and sung for me, which made me blush and even giggle out of my nostrils. I remember after the song Jeremy told me I looked so red like a tomato and my face looked like a melting wax mannequin.

Music always did become my most preferred means of catharsis and I never thought I would say this, but I got into metal music after Kathy introduced me to the nu-metal band "Korn". I learnt about the front man's history, Jonathan Davis. He had a difficult childhood at school and also at home, which motivated him to vent all his pain through music. He sung a lot about abuse, suicide and sorrow, even crying in some of his tracks. It's no wonder why metal has its fans, it's been the very thing that has prevented them from committing suicide. Kathy wasn't lying when she told me how Korn helped her during her rough times and trauma experiencing heartbreak, because they too expelled all the negative energy that has been brewing in my system. I also got into other bands through Jeremy like Radiohead and Coldplay, who may not be metal bands, but sung sentimental melancholic songs, which I could personally relate to.

As soon as I got my own acoustic guitar, Jeremy and I would spend jamming sessions together. We would even take it to the next level and play at small gigs and would get positive feedback from our audience. At first I was afraid to sing because I thought I was bad, but Jeremy encouraged me to try it and I got comfortable singing to him and to an audience. Being a musical duo really kept us together as a couple and kept the flame alive in our romance.

Jeremy even compared me to Stevie Nicks, who I later learnt is a member of Fleetwood Mac. It blew me away when I saw what Jeremy was talking about. Stevie Nicks and I do resemble each other in terms of appearance (the blonde hair and pointy chin, just our eye color is different), but I don't sing like a goat, which is something I don't intend to emulate. Jeremy and I sing Fleetwood Mac songs together and that's how I grew fond of Stevie Nicks and she became my idol.

I would be lying if I said Jeremy and I didn't get a little naughty and bold or even a little experimental with our sex-lives. Sex does indeed come with the territory, but we like to think of it as a little treat and not a means of debauchery. I'm not going to go into details about what Jeremy and I did to each other to try and induce pleasure and make our sex more entertaining and adventurous, but I can tell you we did things like role play. Yes we would dress up in silly hilarious costumes and get into character. Guess I'm really getting into the whole lifestyle of a nerd, not something I ever imagined in a million years I would become, and it was all because I started dating one and having sex with one. Yep I'm going to say it, he infected me with the nerd virus. As long as he treats me like a lady he's going to get all the sex he wants, what's the worse that can happen?

Olivia sat alone in the bathroom on the toilet using a pregnancy test. This was the first time she ever used a pregnancy test and was hoping she read the instructions carefully and the result would confirm whether she was pregnant or not. She has recently been getting morning sickness, breasts feeling sensitive and sore and she missed her period. These were signs that she could be pregnant.

Olivia couldn't understand why she was feeling the effects of pregnancy. She did have unprotected sex with Jeremy for the first time and after, before her medication dosage was reduced and she demanded Jeremy wears a condom. Only three days ago did she and Jeremy have sex and it was protected, but there are small chances that women can get pregnant even if their partner wears a condom.

Olivia dipped the pregnancy test stick into the small paper cup of urine and held it there for ten seconds. She removed the stick and watched the small oval window, which would confirm the test result. After three minutes of anxiously waiting the results show up. Her heart skipped a beat and crawled its way up her throat.

Letting out a huff, Olivia threw her arm down to the floor with the pregnancy test still in her hand. She looked out of the window where the sun shone so brightly and pondered on what was to come.

Olivia's Journal 29th of August 2019

Today is a special day, well maybe not as special as tomorrow will be, but one I will never forget. It's Laura's bachelorette Party as well as Marina's, that's right, Laura and Marina are getting married. Both have finished college. Laura finished med school and Marina finished university and obtained a degree in IT. To celebrate they decided to get married. The most rad thing about the wedding and what makes it a blast is that the wedding will take place in Europe, in Poland. Whenever I hear the name "Poland" I don't imagine it being what I expected it to be, but how wrong was I when Poland turned out not to be the drab and dingy place I imagined it to be. Poland is a breathtaking and enchanting place, so different than California in terms of flora and fauna. It was like stepping into a fairytale, it made me feel like Alice in Wonderland where I would be greeted by lush green fields, exotic trees, sparkling clear running streams and friendly locals, happy to see an American.

We stayed in a riverside hotel called Hotel Nidzki, what a funny language Polish is. Jeremy and I got our own room as so did our other friends. I liked that the rooms had Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi that actually works. We got a wonderful view of the river where we could take boat rides, which was one of the things I wanted to do on a romantic evening. One thing that did scare me however was the unexpected sight of llamas, those animals really creep me out. They're like mutant goats with long necks. Jeremy laughed when I got scared after I saw a llama was right next to me and sniffing my hand.

Laura and Marina would take their own private tour up north. Can't remember what it was they wanted to see. What was that place? Russia, Prussia I don't know, I'm no geography geek. They claimed they wanted to visit where their ancestors lived and to learn more about their origin as reincarnations. Okay Laura becoming a history buff is something, but her becoming an occultist or even a pagan I would never have imagined. Only when Marina gave us a magic show did I become more superstitious, only surviving a suicide attempt augmented my belief that there really is a god.

Laura and Marina would have their own separate bachelorette parties, I was invited to Laura's. It was like a girl's night out, just like old times when it was just us three, Laura, Isabel and me. Of course at the least minute we decided to invite Laura's mum, it would feel wrong to leave her out so we decided to let her tag along.

Marina I don't think got much of a bachelorette party, but more of a private hangout with her dad. Yes, the man at her birthday dinner who turned out to be Laura's mum's new boyfriend is her dad. What do you know eh? A lonely girl is reunited with her long lost father and they're having a night out together, talk about the drama.

Jeremy would join Kobe and Gustavo for a night of drinking. Despite coming off of medication, Jeremy still doesn't drink. I guess drinking was never really his thing. Knowing Kobe and Gustavo to be reckless and crazy with their alcohol intake, I'm sure they will respect Jeremy's wish to only consume non alcoholic drinks and be the one to look out for them. One think is for certain, he will entertain them and they'll be laughing their asses off.

Us girls will be having a boat party, just the four of us. There'll be music, dancing, drinks and magnificent sightseeing. We'll be seeing the nightlife of a Polish town not highly rated in Trip Advisor, but will at least make my top 10 list of my most memorable nights.

Olivia's Journal 30th of August 2019

Well this is it, today is the big day, the wedding. In all honesty, weddings are nothing new to me as I've been to many weddings before, more than I have ever been on holiday. The one thing I liked best about weddings were the parties, the food, the dancing and socializing with the other girls my age.

The only difference about this wedding was it was the first one I've been to abroad and the only time I cared for the ones getting married. Laura, one of my best friends is getting married and I along with Isabel are the bride's maids. All I can say when I saw Laura in her wedding dress was how blown away I was with how beautiful and exquisite she looked. Laura was really emotional, even shedding a few happy tears and unable to control her nerves. She was overwhelmingly happy to get married, as I was happy for her too.

The ceremony was at hand and it was an outdoor ceremony, right next to the river bank. Laura walked down the aisle with Kobe, who was the only male who was willing to do the honor, despite knowing Laura had friendzoned him. Marina would be the next one to walk down the aisle with her father escorting her. Marina was also wearing a white wedding dress, matching the same one as Laura. Guess I would have preferred that than Marina wearing a tuxedo, could only imagine how ugly that would have looked.

I normally don't cry at weddings, but I cried at this wedding to see the one who I considered my little sister was getting married. She was going to be looked after and cared for by the one she loves. Resentful of Marina originally, I grew to accept Laura loves her and I began to trust her and wanted her to be happy too. I'm very sure my bridesmaid dress was sullied with tears that leaked out of my eyes and ran down my neck. It was such an unforgettable and romantic scene to see Laura and Marina kiss after they've been pronounced married. It was at this moment I had tears streaming down my face and my nose was stuffy, I don't think I could ever be such an emotional wreck at a time like this. Laura is now officially married and I can't describe my sincere happiness and contentment for her and Marina, knowing that a new chapter in her life has begun. Not only for her, but as for me, which I will tell her at the right time after her honeymoon. First, I had to tell Jeremy.

The wedding party was just as jubilant and frolicsome as I expected. There was plenty to eat and drink and we all got a slice of the wedding cake. Jeremy and I of course danced sprightly to the more energetic songs. When we were tired and we had to sit down, we decided to socialize with one guest who was an acquaintance of Laura and Marina, it was their friend from Berlin. I think I specifically remember his name is James, or it's another name that starts with 'J'. Laura said he was British, but he doesn't look like it. He has long dark hair and a beard, kind of looks like a viking almost. I would have assumed he was Italian or Norwegian, definitely not British. Jeremy didn't think he looked British at first glance and he lived in Britain. James would be sitting alone at one of the tables eating cake with a cup of coffee. He would greet us with a smile and allow us to sit down. Even though he seems pleasant with a warm friendly manner, I could tell a part of him was shy. Jeremy was thrilled to hear that his father was also called Jeremy. He was even fascinated to know about James' background and why he lives in Germany and not the UK, which he openly told us he was born in Germany and always considered it his home. He even divulged about his occupation and clarified he was a history and English teacher. In his part time he likes to study demonology, folklore, mysticism, Baltic mythology and the occult. Whenever we would mention anything relating to Germany and his strange somber hobby, he would go into long vivid detail and would find it hard to know when to stop. We basically had to try and change the subject, which he was more than happy to comply and consider our own interests. After a friendly conversation with James, he happily offered us an invitation to come and visit him in Berlin. Jeremy looking intrigued suggested dropping by before boarding a flight to London. Of course we flew to Berlin from the US, but we didn't get to see the city and took the bus to Poland. Guess we can hang out with James in Berlin before boarding the plane to London. Our reason for traveling to London was Jeremy and I had plans to go and see Samantha's first performance in the West End in London, who I'm sure would be beyond delighted to see us.

Feeling replenished of energy after relaxing and socializing, we took to the dance floor when a slow romantic song started to play. Jeremy noticed the song to be from Phil Collins and I immediately recalled the name as someone Marina was obsessed with and would not shut up about. Even though I thought Phil Collins is a schlimazel who sings nothing but melancholic love songs, I couldn't help but love this song. Looking at Jeremy in the eyes while dancing with him, I was captivated and enraptured by the song's romantic and soothing lyrics.

Suddenly the guests on the dance floor froze and turned to see something that caught their eyes. Jeremy and I also threw our eyes in the direction everyone else was looking in and to our surprise it was the man himself, it was Phil Collins. He came to the wedding to perform exclusively for Laura and Marina who were ecstatic to see him, especially Marina who nearly collapsed to the floor. Phil Collins gave his congratulatory testimony to Laura and Marina and wishing them luck with the future. As Phil Collins continued to sing the rest of the song, his sweet melodic voice and that electric guitar riff amplified my love for Jeremy and I could see the same in his eyes too. We kissed while listening to the end of the song, feeling sheltered and secure in each other's arms and continuing to lavish love for one another.

After the wedding party, Laura and Marina ran to the boat waiting for them by the Krutynia river, while being showered with rice. It was a custom made bowrider, with white leather seats at the back and it was adorned with flowers and ribbons, to imply the couple on board just got married. Laura and Marina had their brief moment with their family before they both took the bouquet and flung it in the air. Olivia originally reluctant to join the others in catching the bouquet, spontaneously joined in the roistering crowd of females and caught the bouquet, feeling victorious and glam.
Olivia watched Laura and Marina climb into the boat and then ride down the river. Feeling sad, but happy for her friends who she knew she wasn't going to be seeing in a long time, turned her attention to the bouquet she held in her arms like a baby. This reminded her of what she had to tell Jeremy. Before she flew to Europe she had an appointment with the doctor who gave her confirmation regarding her pregnancy test. Turning to face Jeremy who previously looked proud of Olivia for catching the bouquet had his back turned to Olivia. He had his hand in his inner jacket pocket and was clearly feeling nervous and tense.

"Jeremy, I have to tell you something," announced Olivia.

"Yeah Liv, me too," said Jeremy, turning around to face Olivia holding something cubic in both his hands.

Jeremy got down on one knee and looked up at Olivia who was smiling and feeling speechless, unsure whether to let Jeremy go first. Both had something to say, whatever it was they had to say would determine their future together as the happy loving couple they are.

The End