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Epilogue
“You asked me to know you through the people you knew,” said Elisa into her recorder as she stared up at the star-filled night through the skylight in her bedroom.“Well, if you’re out there listening somewhere Mom, I guess I’ve met all of the important ones now. Those few days in Sunnydale helped put a lot of things in perspective for me, helped me to understand a lot about you and Dad and especially about the kind of effect you had on people’s lives.
“And this whole thing’s reminded me how lucky I am to have Dad, who’s always been there for me and who’s been as good a father as any kid could ever ask for. I know you’d be proud of him if you were here. A lot of the time I don’t think I appreciate him as much as I should. We argue and I get mad, and it’s always stupid things. But maybe it’s better to argue about the silly stuff, curfews and dating and clothes, and know that all the really important things will always be there between us without even having to talk about them.
“As for Willow, I should have known she wouldn’t let a little thing like a bullet keep her down for long. She’s something else, but I’m with Dad in not knowing what she ever saw in Harris, or what you did for that matter. Maybe you just had to be there, back with you guys, to understand it. Dad and I, in our own ways, are both outsiders to that bond you three had. I mean, I’ve got friends, and a couple of them I’d like to think are really good ones. But to face what you three faced … I don’t know if I could do it, and I don’t know I’d ever have friends who would stand by me and help see me through that sort of thing.
“I’m not sure what I’m trying to say. I guess it’s that in the end, your friendships outlasted your life, and they saved Dad’s. That’s pretty amazing, and it says a lot about you and what you must have meant to the people around you. I’ve got to hand it to you, Mom — you’re over ten years gone now and you’re still saving people. Don’t you ever quit?
“Well, I’ve just about run out of things to say, so that’s it for tonight. We’ll talk again real soon. Promise. Goodnight, Mom. Wherever you are.”
END