you know what an epilogue is.

  Emerson's fingers curl around Claire's petite hand as they help each other up onto the rock, the sound of flowing water entering his senses.

"You got it?" He asks her with a teasing smile as she fights to stand up with a grunt.

"I'm fine." She huffs, pulling her hand from his.

It's only been a few days since they got back from Hawaii and, since he hasn't seen her in those few short but very long days, he's not sure exactly how to act around her anymore. But he's having fun finding out.

"Okay." He laughs, walking away and turning around slowly to face the water. The smile falls from his face as his mind is taken back to that day. The loud crack of his head hitting rock fights to overtake him but he clenches his fists and closes his jaw, his eyes closed together tightly as releases a slow breath to calm himself. When he opens them again she's next to him, a concerned expression on her fair face.

"Hey, you okay? You sure you want to do this?" She reaches for his arm, turning him towards her. His eyes remain locked on the moving water below and soon he feels her hand on his face, "Emerson."

"Sorry." He laughs nervously, looking down at their feet, "I guess I'm a little on edge."

"You don't have to do this, okay?" She reminds him softly, "If you feel this is something you need to do, great. I'm here with you whatever you decide. We have a nice lunch packed, we can always hide out in the car." Her smile and smooth tone relaxes his shoulders as he releases a low breath.

"No." He responds, taking her hands from his face and holding them in his own, "I think I need to do this."

"Okay." She nods, "Then let's do it." As soon as he releases her, she begins to pull her shorts down her legs and removes her t-shirt, tossing it aside, it begins to feel real. He's here. He's actually doing this.

Throwing his shirt off to the side with the rest or their belongings, he shakes his hands at his side to rid himself of nerves. He made sure to check the conditions and triple check that today is a safe day to jump.

"Ready?" He asks Claire as she takes his hand, looking a tad bit pale. She was never here with them before when they would make this jump almost every weekend during the summers so he guesses she may be a little nervous as well.

She simply nods, taking a deep breath before they both leap off of the side. They fall for what feels like forever before hitting the surface of the water. Emerson feels pure panic as he fights to kick upward.

As soon as he takes a few breaths, he begins to feel elation spread across his entire being. A loud laugh escapes him as Claire's head pops up out of the water, her lips sputtering as she sucks in a large breath.

Swimming over to her, he pushes the dark hair from her eyes. As soon as they open, a large grin spreads across her face. "We did it!" She laughs, "You did it! I'm so proud of you." Her arms are thrown over his shoulders as they exchange a hug.

"Thanks for doing this with me." He mumbles onto the top of her head.

"Of course." She looks up at him as they release each other. It becomes a bit difficult to hug while fighting to stay afloat. "You didn't think I'd let you do this alone, did you?"

"Knowing you, not really." He responds, "Now let's get out of here and eat, this water is freezing."

"Yeah I agree. Those sandwiches and cookies are calling my name." She shivers, swimming towards the bank of the body of water. He follows directly after her, ready to wrap himself in a towel and sit in the warm sun.

As he dries himself off, he realizes that making that jump was a lot easier and simpler than he thought. All he had to do was - do it.

"Pretzel?" Claire offers him the bag of crunchy snacks. Nodding, he reaches into the bag and pops a single pretzel into his mouth.

"Hey, can I ask you something?"

"Anything."

"What was it like?" Claire asks him, shielding her eyes from the glaring sun, the heat from its light beating on his back effectively warming him up.

"What was what like?" He asks absentmindedly as he reaches for the strawberries at her side.

She hands them to him gently before replying slowly, "Waking up." His eyes immediately meet hers and he stops chewing before swallowing.

"In the hospital?" She nods. He never realized until now just how little he has talked about his experience. After the accident, all he and his family wanted to do was for him to get better and then forget all about it. To get on with life.

Emerson thinks back to the moment his eyes opened, his mother asleep in the sofa chair to his left and his father speaking lowly on his cell phone
at the door, papers from work in his hand as he rubs his forehead with the back of his wrist, crumpling the papers frustratedly. He remembers wondering what was making him so upset.

"I was thirsty." He chuckles just as he grabs a can of lemonade from their mini cooler, popping the cap open, "But my throat was too dry to speak."

"Then what?" She asks curiously, clearly eager to finally know any details he's willing to give. He supposes he was afraid before. Afraid to open the door to the memories because the pain and fear was too much to bear. But now, sitting here with Claire, feeling completely and totally free from all bondage that kept him in that dark place, he's not across anymore.

"I guess my heart rate went up and then my mom woke up. She used to say she had memorized the pattern of my heartbeat so that even as she slept she knew I was still okay." He tells her with a grim smile. Claire reaches for his hand and he gladly lets her have it, "Then my dad kind of disappeared. I still don't know where he went but, when he came back, he was collected and strong. He was exactly what my mom and I needed. Coraline was away with my aunt at the time. I guess my parents didn't want to have to worry about her too."

"Did it hurt?" She asks him, playing with his fingers absentmindedly as she holds his hand in her lap.

"No." He grins, "Too many drugs." Her brown eyes roll and he chuckles slightly, "I'm just kidding. It hurt a bit but not that bad. My collar bone was in better shape than when I first went out. My body had time to heal during the coma so I suppose that's one good thing that came out of it."

"It made you stronger too." She tells him, "I want you to know I really admire your strength." Emerson takes in the golden specks of light in her dark brown eyes that the sun casts inside of them. Her clear skin glistens and her full lips are pulled into a smile that makes his heart melt. He wonders how he ever thought he could see her as anything less than the most beautiful girl he's ever encountered. Her heart is pure gold and he knows that's always what he's loved most about her. She's so intrinsically good and it makes him better.

"Yeah it did." He agrees, "And I got through it."

"You sure did. You're truly amazing." She grins widely in the stunning way she does, squeezing his hand. After a moments thought, he pulls it from her grasp, watching her look of confusion, he leans forward placing his hand on either side of her, the palms of his hands resting on the cool rock beneath them.

Claire remains still as his nose brushes against hers. He kisses her surely and positively as if it's an answer to a question he's answered one hundred times. Her eyes flutter closed when one of his hands cups the back of her neck, his thumb grazing her cheek softly. He pulls always, sitting back in his spot with a shy smile.

"A thank you would have sufficed." She smirks and, in response, he gives a shrug.

"I have made the decision to live my life intrepidly. So that includes doing what I want to do." He pops a strawberry into his mouth.

"Intrepid." She tries the word out, "That's a good word."

"Why thank you." He winks.

"You're most welcome." Claire replies, "Now why don't you intrepidly eat that sandwich I made for you." She points to the cooler.

"Oh I definitely will." He rubs his hands together, "Oh and Claire?"

"Yes?"

"I intrepidly love you." He gives her a goofy grin, pecking her on the lips before she can respond.

She rolls her eyes, "I love you too."

☆★☆★

the end

...

or i guess more like the beginning