Chapter Eighty-Five: Two Months Later
The morning sun streamed through the windows like it always had.
Jay woke up in Keifer's arms, the way she always did.
But something was different.
The weight in her chest—the one that had been there for two months—was lighter today.
Not gone. Never gone. But lighter.
She pressed a kiss to Keifer's chest.
He stirred. "Morning."
"Morning."
"How are you feeling?"
She thought about it. Really thought.
"Okay," she said. "I think I'm okay today."
He pulled her closer. "That's all I want. Okay is enough."
---
Downstairs, the kitchen was chaos.
Normal chaos.
Akshi was attempting to cook something that was definitely burning. Chethan was "helping" by making it worse.
Shreya sat at the table, coffee in hand, watching them with amusement.
Mithun sat beside her, reading, occasionally glancing up to smile at her.
Keiran was running in circles with Rex and Ganesha, shouting something about a dinosaur adventure.
Keigan was on his phone, pretending to be too cool for everything, but smiling anyway.
Jay stopped in the doorway. Took it in.
This.
This was what she'd missed.
---
Akshi spotted her first. "JAY! Good morning! I'm making breakfast! It's burning but it's fine!"
Jay laughed. Actually laughed. "It's smoking, Akshi."
"SMOKING IS FINE! SMOKING MEANS IT'S COOKING!"
Chethan grabbed the pan. "It's ON FIRE."
"THAT'S EXTRA COOKING!"
Shreya buried her face in her hands, shoulders shaking with laughter.
Mithun patted her back. "Breathe."
"I can't. They're going to burn the house down."
"Worth it for the entertainment."
---
Jay sat at the table. Keifer beside her.
Shreya reached over, squeezed her hand. "You okay?"
Jay nodded. "Today I am."
Shreya's eyes glistened, but she smiled. "Good."
Akshi appeared with a plate of... something. "BREAKFAST! ...Kind of."
Everyone stared at the blackened objects.
Percy chose that moment to burst through the door, Honey behind him. "I SMELL FOOD! AND SMOKE! IS THERE A FIRE?"
"Just Akshi cooking."
"AH. NORMAL THEN."
---
They ate—or pretended to eat—Akshi's creation.
Percy somehow managed to finish his entire plate. "DELICIOUS!"
Honey stared at him. "Babe, it's charcoal."
"CHARCOAL IS FLAVOR!"
C.N. pushed his plate away gently. "Statistically, this is the worst meal I've ever been served."
Rakii snapped a photo. "For the 'Akshi's Cooking Adventures' album."
Akshi pointed at her. "THAT ALBUM EXISTS?"
"Volume three."
---
After breakfast, they spilled into the living room.
Keiran demanded a movie. "ENCANTO! AGAIN!"
Percy groaned. "We watched it last week!"
"WATCH AGAIN!"
"KEIRAN—"
"REX WANTS ENCANTO!"
Percy looked at the dinosaur. Rex stared back.
"Fine. Encanto."
Keiran cheered.
---
They settled in—all of them.
Keifer and Jay on one couch, Jay tucked against his side.
Shreya and Mithun on another, her head on his shoulder.
Akshi and Chethan on the floor, surrounded by pillows.
Keigan in a chair, pretending not to watch but definitely watching.
Percy and Honey sprawled on a third couch.
C.N. and Rakii in the corner, C.N. taking mental notes, Rakii occasionally snapping photos.
David and Freya curled up together.
Felix and Bridget sharing a blanket.
Mica and Calix on a beanbag, Mica actually still for once.
Yuri in the corner, filming but smiling.
---
The movie played.
Keiran sang along.
Rex and Ganesha danced.
Everyone laughed.
Normal.
Beautiful, chaotic, perfect normal.
---
Halfway through, Jay looked around.
At her family.
Her ridiculous, loud, loving family.
Two months ago, she didn't think she'd ever feel okay again.
But here she was.
Okay.
Not healed. Not over it. But okay.
And surrounded by people who had carried her through the worst.
---
Shreya caught her eye across the room.
Smiled.
Jay smiled back.
No words needed.
They understood.
---
Keifer kissed her temple. "You okay?"
"Yeah." She leaned into him. "I really am."
"Good."
"I love you."
"I love you too. More than everything."
She looked at the screen. At her family. At her life.
"The baby—she's still with us. In here." She touched her heart.
"Always."
"And she'd want us to be happy."
"She'd want us to be exactly this."
Jay nodded. "Then let's be exactly this."
---
The movie ended.
Percy immediately demanded a sequel. "WE NEED ENCANTO 2!"
Honey patted his arm. "Babe, there is no Encanto 2."
"THEN WE MAKE ONE! WITH ALL OF US!"
Akshi jumped up. "I CALL BEING MIRABEL!"
Chethan grabbed her. "You're more like Luisa."
"I'M STRONG!"
"You're chaotic. Same thing."
---
Keiran ran to Jay. "Mamma! Did you like the movie?"
"I loved it, baby."
"Rex loved it too."
"Rex has excellent taste."
"Rex says you're the best Mamma."
Jay's eyes filled with tears—but good tears. Happy tears.
"Tell Rex he's the best dinosaur."
Keiran nodded solemnly. "Rex knows."
---
That night, Jay stood on the balcony with Keifer.
The stars were bright.
Somewhere up there, a tiny light was watching.
"Hi, baby," she whispered. "We miss you. We love you. And we're okay. We're going to be okay."
Keifer wrapped his arms around her.
"She knows," he said. "She's proud of you."
"Of us."
"Of us."
They stood together.
Grieving still. But living too.
That's what she would have wanted.
---
End of Chapter Eighty-Five