Epilogue

The day Virginia received the phone call about her parent’s death she was in the library at Boston University trying to find a book about child prostitution for an essay she was writing for her Sociology class.

When her phone vibrated in her jacket pocket, Virginia pulled it out only to see Maxine’s, her sister, name flash on her screen. Virginia almost didn’t pick it up. Maxine was notorious for calling her during odd hours to talk about her sex life and over the years Virginia was oddly growing weary of it.

“Max, I’m busy.” Virginia whispered into the phone, sounding as urgent as possible so Maxine wouldn’t keep her long.

“Virg,” Maxine sobbed, “Something terrible has happened.”

Virginia huffed, annoyed. She only had thirty minutes until her next class and this was not the day for her to indulge in Maxine’s antics, especially if it was over a Zack, the only man that could bring Maxine to tears.

Maxine could already hear the impatience in Virginia’s voice and promptly halted her crying and screeched into the phone, “Listen to me.” She paused, waiting for Virginia to realize the importance of this conversation.

“Okay.” Virginia replied, calmly.

Once she knew the Virginia was ready to pay full attention to her news, Maxine allowed herself to continue her sobbing. “You need to come home. Last night, mom and dad were at the shop,” she gulped, “…and this man came in….molding…a jun…and he wantedfoney…endsotten.” She was sobbing so hard now that her words were almost unrecognizable.

“Max, you need to calm down. I don’t know what the fuck you’re saying.”

“They’re dead.” Maxine shouted.

“Whose dead?” Virginia gasped.

“He just came in….came and shot them.”

“Who?” Virginia clutched the phone tightly, biting the bottom of her lip nervously.

“Mom and Dad.” She let out a wail like when they were little kids at the store when she really wanted a toy.

Virginia dropped to the ground in devastation. Only yesterday her mother had called her claiming that she had a dream about her. At the time Virginia was getting prepared to walk out the door to her part-time job at a nearby café. Virginia quickly rushed her mother off the phone, assuring her that everything was fine. Virginia’s mother was a traditionalist at heart. She believed deeply in karma and signs. Was the dream a sign? Was something trying to tell her mother that she needed to have one last conversation with her youngest daughter?

As soon as she hung up the phone with Maxine Virginia rushed back to her dorm room to pack a bag to return home. Waverly, her dorm mate, looked up questioningly at Virginia who seemed more frantic than usual. “What’s wrong?”

“I…I….” Her mind was reeling with disbelief, “My parents…..”

Waverly looked up at her patiently, urging her to continue.

Virginia swallowed, “Max, just called….and….” As the news started settling in the pit of her stomach, Virginia felt her lips start to quiver, “….they died yesterday.” Virginia let out an uncontrollable howl and fell onto her bed soaking her pillow instantaneously.

Waverly quickly ran over to her side. Her mouth still gaped open from shock. Virginia sat up to face her and blubbered something about having to pack and go home to be with her sister.

Waverly rapidly grabbed Virginia’s overnight duffle bag from her closet and started stuffing it full of random clothes from her dresser. She carried Virginia out the door and drove her to the airport, where she immediately purchased a ticket for Virginia, back to California. Virginia hugged Waverly at the gate, grateful that she was there when Virginia didn’t think she could coherently make the arrangements of her flight on her own.

During the flight home Virginia thought about how regretful she was for staying away from her hometown for a year, not even bothering to visit during Christmas Break. She wished she didn’t let the reason that drove her away keep her away. She wasted such valuable time with her parents. She thought about never being able to sit at the kitchen counter with her father again while he talked about his business sense. He was always feeding her the importance of saving a dollar, which Virginia had never been any good at. She started crying again after thinking about how much she would miss her mother’s cooking, it was never really great, but she would miss it all the same.

__________________________________

A week after her parent’s funeral they still hadn’t found the man who killed their parents. Since the investigation wasn’t going anywhere fast, the police turned to the media for help.

Maxine was lying on the couch the night they showed the tape of their parent’s shooting for the first time. Virginia looked up from her magazine when she heard Maxine gasp. Then she saw it, a man wearing black swinging his gun back and forth, shouting and mere seconds later, two quick burst. BANG. BANG. Virginia jumped, as if he were in the room with her and as her parents hit the ground Maxine threw the remote in a fit of sorrow and anger. Their parent’s tragic death couldn’t be more real than at that very moment.

Later that week, Virginia received a call from her father’s attorney. Of course, their parents had left all their assets to their two daughters and the attorney wanted to collaborate with the two girls on what they wanted to do with the worldly possessions they inherited.

The first order of business was what would become of their parent’s dry cleaning business. Their father took a risk when he dumped all his savings into opening it, but it had succeeded in creating a comfortable living for his family. Virginia knew that the business represented a huge achievement for their father, but as soon as Maxine stepped foot in the store front for the first time after their death she wanted to be rid of it.

“We should think more about this, Max.” Virginia didn’t want to give up on the shop that her father and mother spent so much time and dedication on.

“Are you serious?”

“Dad would’ve wanted us to keep it open. He built this place from nothing.” Virginia reminded her.

Maxine stepped behind the counter and pointed at the floor. At the exact spot that she had seen their father fall on the video. “I don’t want to be reminded every day that my parent’s were shot here!”

This one sentence alone convinced Virginia to give it up.

The sell of the store and their parent’s saving added up to lofty inheritance. Virginia remembered her father’s words and opted to keep most of it in a savings account.

Maxine was adamant, however, about keeping the house. She claimed that it was the only place with good memories of their mother and father. So it was a surprise when Virginia found an ad in the local paper that listed the rooms in the house up for rent.

“What is this?” Virginia asked pointing at the small box with their address and phone number listed in it.

Maxine snatched the paper from her, “It’ll help us pay the mortgage.”

“Did you forget that mom and dad left us with quite a bit of money?”

Maxine looked up remorsefully at her sister. “I mean, it will help you pay the mortgage.”

Virginia looked at her curiously.

“I’m leaving.” Maxine confessed.

“Whatever.” Virginia said, not believing her. Maxine had never dared to leave Garden Grove. She loved being in the city that was nearby everything including the happiest place on earth. She was only small drive from the beach and if she ever wanted to wild night out she was only minutes away from the hottest city in California.

A few weeks later, Virginia was introduced to a new roommate named Brittany. She was a college student and a stripper. A couple days after that Virginia walked in to see South Hu, a guy from her high school, leisurely unpacking a box in her living room.

“Hey Viiiiiigin.” He greeted. It was a nickname that he had called her all throughout high school.

She hated it. He knew that she wasn’t a virgin, far from it and yet he insisted on calling her that just to get under her skin. “I can’t believe she rented a room out to you.” Virginia scoffed. South was equally her counterpart and that made him her worse enemy. She secretly resented how he could do everything she could do without the negativity. He was the school stud and she was the school slut.

“You just say that because you missed me.” He teased.

Virginia looked disgusted and started up the stairs to take her frustration out on Maxine. Halfway up, Maxine rushed passed her with a black duffel bag slung across her shoulder. Virginia followed, “where are you going?”

Maxine sauntered out the front door where a man in a leather jacket was anxiously awaiting her on a motorcycle with flames.

“Remember the day you went away to college?” Maxine asked.

Virginia nodded.

“I never understood why you were trying so hard to escape.” Maxine stepped in for a hug. With her arms wrapped around Virginia tightly she whispered, “Now, I do.”

With a wisp of her hair Maxine got on the bike and disappeared into the sunset with a man named Sin.