Epilogue

You wake up again. But this time you’re dressed differently. No scratches, cuts, or bruises. No breaks, sprains, or bleeding. Sit up. Look around you. The sky is the perfect shade of blue. Birds chirp as they fly from tree to tree. You realize you’re on the porch of your camp. Sitting in the rocking chair, looking at the lake. How is this possible? The water is as blue as the sky. The leaves on the trees are at their peak. Different reds, oranges, and yellows. You hear a rustle coming from inside. It grows louder. Then a noise. A familiar noise. Stand up and turn around. In the doorway stands a familiar face. Tail wags. Excitement on his face. Is this heaven?

You’ve seen this before. It didn’t end well. Now he’s staring you in the face again. TV is playing in the background. Take a step. Then another. More stable than before. There’s no cane. Tan work pants, tan work boots, a long-sleeved work shirt and fleece vest is what you wear now. You smell of gas, oil, and tree sap. Walk past the other two rocking chairs. Face the face and the wagging tail. He doesn’t run this time. He comes up to you and sniffs your pants. Reach out. Pet him. Holy shit. You feel his groomed fur run through your fingers. Is this heaven?

The TV volume grows louder as you continue to pet him. The news is on. Stop petting him for a moment. Walk through the doorway into the living room. The recliner sits in front of the TV. The favorite green couch is to your right, dining room table to your left. The potbelly stove is empty. That sits next to the TV. You hear another familiar noise. Look down at the recliner. Hear it again. Now spin the chair around. There’s the other familiar face. Meowing. Looking for attention. What the fuck? Begin petting him now. The first familiar face is next to you too. Is this heaven?

Look up at the TV. Pay attention. The anchor begins to speak.

Sentencing begins today for the man charged with 2nd degree manslaughter and driving under the influence. He drove his SUV on the wrong side of Interstate 5, crashing into another vehicle back in the summer. That driver later died from injuries sustained from the crash.

A noise coming from the kitchen pulls you away from the TV. Look through the doorway that leads into the kitchen. The front door opens and quickly closes. You see long dark hair sway as the door shuts. Stop petting the familiar faces. Is this heaven?

Banging and clanging begins and the two run into the kitchen. You freeze. What is this? The TV noise is drowned out. The long dark hair becomes visible. Now you see those hazel eyes. Your hands begin to shake. Look at them. You notice something on your left ring finger. It’s gold. Look back up. The most familiar face is now smiling at you through the kitchen doorway. That perfect smile. The one you love. You look at her left hand. A big diamond sits on it. You take a step. So does she. Now you’re hugging her. Kiss her on the top of the head. Then forehead. Squeeze her tight. You don’t want to let go. The two familiar faces are rubbing against you two. She slightly pulls away. You lean in and kiss her. Kiss her for a long time. This is what you’ve been waiting for. Look up for a moment. There’s a sign over the doorway. It wasn’t there before. Read it:

WELCOME TO HEAVEN.