Chapter Fifteen: Years Later…:

On July seventh, 2113, the war finally ended. It was safe to say that both sides grew tired of all of the fighting. Their leaders began to wonder what was the point to all of this anymore. Supplies ended up running low and the cost ran too high. In the end, they remembered that war didn’t really amount to much in the long run.

At first, it took many days and weeks to get started. The islands wanted each other to start the conversation. Before that could happen, they had to get their foot in the door. Their leaders didn’t even want to be in the same room with each other. It would take months of protests and walk-outs of jobs for the leaders of the island to suck it up and walk into the council building on the main Greek island.

As predicted, the road to peace didn’t come so easily. First came the shouting matches. One side just had to prove that their way of thinking was right. For fifteen days, nothing got finished. Finally, a leader from a lesser island drew up a treaty. Even this went through different changes for weeks. Some things were taken out and then put back in. Others were added and then taken out. Even the date to end the war was pushed up and down. All of the islands worried that there would be no end in sight. At last on July seventh, 2113, everyone settled on a compromise and the Row Flower War came to an end.

Cephalla turned twenty on that day. Her grandmother raced into her room when the news broke.

“Cephalla! Cephalla!” she shouted. “Turn on your laptop!” The younger woman rolled over in bed, groaning.

“What is it, grandma?” she grumbled, turning her head.

“Turn on your laptop!” Eumelia repeated. Her granddaughter gave her a strange look.

“Why?” she asked.

“Just do it!”

Cephalla groaned and rolled her eyes. “Okay, okay. Fine.” The young woman climbed out of bed and walked over to the desk. She mumbled something under her breath as she booted up her laptop.

“Hurry up!” her grandmother shouted.

“Okay, okay,” Cephalla mumbled. Once the screen came up, the young woman logged in and clicked on Google Chrome. Emelia leaned over her shoulder and clicked on the news.

“Behold,” she said. It didn’t take long for Cephalla to see the truth when she read the headline. She turned to her grandmother with her jaw dropped.

“Are you serious?” she asked. Her grandmother broke into a huge smile.

“Happy birthday, sweetheart,” she told her. Cephalla wildly hugged her grandmother before racing to the bathroom. Emelia leaned against the doorframe, panting.

“You’re welcome,” she said.

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Despite not participating in the war, the island of Creila gave into celebration. Cephalla couldn’t ride her bike without hearing fireworks going off in the sky. The bright sun drowned out their festive colors. The young woman grinned to herself.

I am the War Maiden no more! Cephalla rode her bike down to the post office. She hadn’t really expected more good news today as she walked through the glass doors.

“Good morning,” she greeted the old post man inside. He gave her a quick wave from the front desk.

“How are your grandkids doing these days?” she asked.

“Great,” he answered. “The youngest one starts grade school later this year.”

“You don’t say.”

“Yeah, I can’t believe how much time has gone by.”

“Do you have anything for me today?” She braced herself to joke around and hand in her bills after being rejected.

“Why yes I do,” the mail man replied. A puzzled expression came over Cephalla’s face.

“What?” she asked.

“Hang on,” the mailman said. He reached under his desk and pulled out a postcard. Cephalla looked at the skyscrapers on the front.

“What is this?” she asked. The young woman turned it over. The name on the back made her eyes grow wide. Michael? Her eyes scanned further down on the post card. Meet me by the beach? Cephalla jerked her head upwards.

“When did you get this?” she asked. The post man counted down in his head.

“About ten days ago,” he replied. Her jaw dropped.

“Ten days ago?!” she asked.

“Yes,” the mail man replied. Cephalla turned and rushed out the doors.

“Cephalla?” the mail man asked as the doors swung closed.

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Cephalla pedaled her bicycle down the roads like a mad woman. This can’t be? Did he really come back to this island? He can’t be serious! Her determination drowned out her surroundings as she headed straight for the beach. She dropped her bike in the grass before running down the sand. Her flip flops flew off along the path. Michael! Michael! Michael! Cephalla spotted an older man wandering around near the waves in the wet sand. She narrowed her eyes as the figure moved further down the beach.

“Michael!” Cephalla shouted as she ran towards the man. The gentleman froze as he spotted her running towards him. Cephalla stopped when she came within inches of him to catch her breath. The man raised an eyebrow at her.

“Cephalla?” he asked. When the woman caught her breath, she looked the man straight into his eyes.

“Michael?” she asked. The photographer gave her a little smile.

“Long time no see,” he said. Cephalla frowned and smacked him on the arm.

“Ow!” he yelped. “What was that for?”

“Why didn’t you call me?!” she shouted.  Michael gave her a cheesy grin as he shrugged, shaking his head.

“I forgot…?”

Cephalla puffed up her cheeks. “You idiot!” She leapt forward and embraced him with all of her might. Michael sighed and took her into his arms.

“Oh you…” he whispered into her hair. It looked like she would have him in the end after.