Page 136 of My Family

But he holds on just as tightly.

We fall back onto the bed.

He climbs onto my chest and kisses me, settling his weight over me.

I wrap both arms around him.

Three months.

I still have to tell him.

I still have to ask Auntie.

I still have to figure out where I'm going to live and how I'm going to work and what happens after I walk through those gates.

But this part is decided.

Him.

Us.

Whatever comes next.

We stay tangled together until we fall asleep, his temporary ring wrapped around his finger and mine drawn in black ink.

Epilogue. Liam

Six o'clock.

The fucking buzzer. The fucking lights come on. Everybody grunting. We're out the door by six-fifteen.

It's snowing outside again, so we're all in the indoor gymnasium. Griff is reading names off his clipboard.

"Ethan," he says, because he knows Ethan doesn't like to be called Farley.

"Present, sir," Ethan says beside me.

"Tyler Farley," Griff continues.

"Here," Tyler says.

He's in the last row, far from us, next to his own friends, which I know makes Ethan the proudest big brother ever and also makes him watch Tyler like a hawk because he doesn't want him hanging out with the wrong crew.

Griff keeps calling names in alphabetical order until he gets to mine.

"Marsal."

"Present."

The word is a Pavlovian response. I'm too sleepy to think. I hate waking up. Waking up is a violence against myself.

Griff keeps reading.

"Perry."

"Here!"

Jack's voice is louder than necessary because he's already a hundred percent electric and ready to go.