Epilogue

Simeon sat in a holding cell, awaiting her bail hearing. After she attacked Davis, she was booked, photographed, and fingerprinted. All of her belongings, along with her blood-stained clothes, were now the temporary property of the State of Georgia. The first phone call she made was to her brother, Richard. The sound of his tears pierced her heart. Of all the people that mattered to her, her brother was number one on her list and she never wanted to hurt him.

When it was time, she was escorted into the courtroom.

Tears streamed down her face as her gaze landed on her brother. He winked at her, showing his support. Beside him sat her father, Samuel Harris. He didn’t try to hide his disappointment, but that’s what Simeon expected out of him. Even when she was on her best behavior, he was never there to offer a kind word. She was an embarrassment to him, once again—she could never make him proud.

Ansley was there along with Ryan and Lanae. Simeon couldn’t believe how supportive Lanae had been. She just knew that Lanae would judge her, but it had been the opposite. Simeon was never strong in faith, but if she ever needed God in her life—she hoped He would have mercy on her now.

“Ms. Harris, do you understand the charges against you?” the judge asked.

“I do, your Honor,” Simeon responded.

“Do you have an attorney available to you?”

“I do, your Honor.”

Her attorney requested that she be released to her family and under doctor’s care to get her medication and counseling for her bipolar disorder.

“Do the People object to this request?”

“The People do not have any reservations about this request.”

“I’ll allow it. Bail is set at $100,000 and trial will be set for 350 calendar days from today. Court is adjourned.”

As Simeon turned around to face her friends and family, she sighed heavily when she saw her father vanish into the hallway.

Richard pulled her close and whispered in her ear. “You know how he is, Simeon. Don’t let that get to you. Right now, you just need to think about your future.”

“Easier said than done, Richie. I just wish he would speak to me,” Simeon revealed.

“You have a long journey ahead of you, but you don’t have to walk it alone.”

“That’s right. I’m here for you too, and will be here for you,” Ansley said as she joined them.

“Yes, we will,” Lanae stated.

Simeon burst into tears. For all of the rude things she had said to Lanae, and the pain that she had brought into Ansley’s life—there she stood here by her side. The road ahead would not be easy, but she hoped that she would be able to make it out of this a better person. Only time would tell what lay ahead for her.

One year later….

Ansley couldn’t believe a year had gone by since Simeon attacked Davis. Sometimes when she closed her eyes, the scene would replay in her head without warning. Simeon’s father retained The Fairell Firm, to represent Simeon when she went to trial. They were among the best attorneys in Atlanta. Ansley knew a few colleagues who used their services and they recommended them to all of their friends and family.

Out of everything that Simeon and Ansley had gone through together, neither ever thought they would add a murder trial to that list.

She couldn’t believe that Simeon had stopped taking her medication months before the incident. It explained so much about the sporadic behavior Simeon had been exhibiting. Then with Davis toying with her emotions—it turned out to be a deadly trigger.

If only she would have shared what she was going through, Ansley could have been there to help her through the dark times.

They would soon know Simeon’s fate, and Ansley hoped if given a second chance, Simeon would get the help she needed before allowing herself to get out of control again.

Ansley had become more accepting of her situation, but when it came to other people knowing about her status, she was always worried what they would say about her.

Ansley was finishing her review of an article she wrote on bipolar disorder. She wanted to get it over to the copy editor before the weekend. Just as she was logging off of the computer, her phone rang. Her heart swelled when she saw that it as Ryan calling.

“Hey baby,” she greeted. “I was just about to leave to meet you at the restaurant. What’s up?”

“I’m glad I caught you before you left then because I need to stop by my place for a minute. Do you mind meeting me there and then we can ride together?” he asked.

“No, that’s fine. Actually, that would be perfect. I have a change of clothes in the car and want to freshen up anyway,” she replied.

“Sounds good, babe. See you in a little bit.”

Thirty minutes later, Ansley was pulling her car into the driveway of Ryan’s ranch-style home. She was enamored with his place. When he told her that he was in the market to purchase a home, she introduced him to the agent that helped her purchase her condo.

Before she could even knock, Ryan opened the door. “It took you long enough, slow poke.”

“Oh hush,” she said. “After submitting my article, I got caught up talking to the copy editor .”

“I put a towel and washcloth in the guest bathroom. Feel free to go ahead and freshen up.”

“Thank you, babe. I promise not to take long.”

“Take all the time you need,” he said before walking into the living room.

As Ansley walked up the stairs, she could not help but think of the feminine flourishes she would add to this place. The walls could use a pop of color—maybe a few pieces of art or family photos.

She laughed out loud when she saw that he had left the buzzer to the Taboo game in the bathroom. Just like a man to have stuff all over the house.

Once Ansley got out of the shower, she was going to put a challenge on the table. She had not played Taboo in a long time. It was about to go down.

Ansley walked down the stairs fifteen minutes later to find Ryan asleep on the sofa.

She understood his pain because she was tired, too. It had been a long, but productive day. Ansley took the throw from the back of the sofa and laid it across Ryan.

Walking into the kitchen, she picked up one of the take-out menus and ordered Sesame chicken for Ryan and General Tso’s chicken for her. After finalizing the order, Ansley walked back upstairs and grabbed some comfortable clothes out of Ryan’s dresser drawer.

She put on what she knew was his favorite collegiate t-shirt and a pair of his boxers.

Ryan was awake when she returned downstairs.

“Is that what you’re wearing to dinner?” he asked, while stretching out his body.

“You were sleeping so I ordered Chinese food. You don’t have to change, but you do have to play me in a round of Taboo.”

“Taboo, what made you want to play that?” he asked with a goofy grin on his face.

“Well, someone apparently likes to take the buzzer with him to the bathroom. I don’t even want to know why it was in there,” she said turning up her nose. “But it was laying on the sink, and I brought it back downstairs so I can show you how a champ does it.”

Ryan broke into a grin. “Is that right? Go ahead, miss mouth all-mighty, grab the box from the top of the closet, and set it up on the table.” He watched her as she walked to the hall closet to get the game out.

Taking the box over to the kitchen table, Ansley opened the lid and stood there in shock. In the spot where the buzzer should go was a ring box. She turned to look at Ryan and he was down on one knee.

“There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t thank God for bringing you back into my life. When we were younger, I thought I was doing the right thing by letting you spread your wings, but I should have fought harder to make you stay. I never want to go another day without seeing your face. I had you help me pick out this home because I wanted you to choose where we would live. You have always had my heart and there is no one else that I would rather share my life with. You are my other half. Ansley Wright, I am certain that I’m meant to be your husband and you are meant to be my wife. Will you marry me?”

She opened the box and saw the engagement ring that he had given her in college. He added more diamonds to the ring, but she could tell it was her original ring. Her heart overflowed with joy. Ryan took the ring and placed it on her finger. She looked into his eyes. “Of course, I’ll marry you. There’s no one else that I would rather devote my heart to than you.”

He stood and pulled her into him, giving her one of those Hollywood kisses. “Ansley Bennett, I like the sound of that,” he said, lifting her up off the ground.

“Wait a minute, wait a minute—this was your plan all along? The Taboo buzzer in the bathroom and the ring sitting in the box?”

“Ding, ding! One point for you, my love,” he said with a laugh. “I knew once you saw that buzzer you were going to challenge me to a game.”

“I’m glad I won,” she said kissing him on the lips.

“Actually baby, this was a tie. There were definitely no losers in this game,” he said.

Ansley agreed. Everything was coming full circle for her—life was good.