Epilogue/Author's Note:
It was a week before Christmas break when the weather decided to suddenly turn warm and sunny. Gretchen and Regina waited outside for their parents only in sweaters and jeans. "So what are you going to tell your parents?" Regina asked. She hadn't wanted to bring it up, but, since Lisa and Gregory Weiners were due to appear in less than an hour, she figured it wouldn't hurt for Gretchen to think about how she and her parents would get along over the break.
Gretchen shrugged lightly. "Haven't thought about it," she said. "I guess something along the lines of I'm sorry and it won't happen again?" She sipped her drink and smiled.
"What are you drinking, anyway?" Regina asked.
"Hot chocolate," Gretchen replied, even though it was far too warm for hot drinks.
"Oh, we have that now?" Regina asked, briefly remembering the vile hot strawberry and their "What kind of a college person doesn't have hot chocolate?" conversation.
Gretchen nodded. "I put a peppermint tea bag in it, too," she said.
Regina wrinkled her nose. "Ew," she said. "Why?"
Gretchen shrugged. "Because it's Christmastime and you're supposed to have mint and chocolate together. And this was the only mint flavored stuff we had. Well, besides toothpaste."
"You don't even celebrate Christmas," Regina reminded her. "Is mint and chocolate even a Hanukah thing?"
"I guess. It's not NOT a Hanukah thing," said Gretchen.
They both laughed and Regina was surprised at how light the mood was – full of good cheer, comfort and joy - jolly, even. It had been the most exhausting couple of months of either of their lives and yet, here they were, happily waiting for their parents even though Gretchen would have to report her failing grades and Regina still hadn't made any actual new friends and Karen still had bulimia and Regina would probably still have nightmares for, if not the rest of her life, for a very long time. Yet, she couldn't help remembering what Heather had said. That sometimes just getting through it was enough.
"Well," said Gretchen as her mother pulled in front of the building in her flashy black car, her classical music wafting through the slightly open windows. "Wish me luck."
Regina smiled at Lisa and nodded. "Good f-ing luck," she said. "You'll need it."
Gretchen raised her coffee mug. "See you next year!" she called.
Author's Note:
Thanks for reading everyone! I have had a really fun time writing about Regina and Gretchen and hope to spend more time with them in the future, as the story is certainly not over yet!
Anyway, if you liked this story, be sure to check out my friend DiamondIsis's "First Breath After a Coma" (Link here: s/11202925/1/First-Breath-After-A-Coma) as it takes place in the same universe and continues Gretchen and Mike's story from here.
Thanks for reading and hopefully I will be back with more soon!
New Konoiche