aftermath

Ricki was happy to see Topher find her at the wreck of the grocery store. She hugged him and he wasn't letting go.

Honestly, she was surprised. It was like a wakeup call.

Their kiss got snapped by a photographer.

Topher was staring at the newspaper now in the motel room where they were staying. Their home was a mess. There was no livingroom and it was too dangerous to even go upstairs.

"Too bad that photo can't earn us some money." Topher admitted with a shrug.

"The insurance is going to take care of it, right?" She glared at him as if he'd better been paying the house insurance. "Right?"

He nodded. Still, they might have to find housing, elsewhere for a while. Carson went to stay with his cousin and Shan and his little sister went to his boyfriend's family. Nora went to stay with Grayson's family.

They were lucky to be OK.

"OH, GOD.." Ricki just realized Lena and Tony were suppose to have their wedding at the park. "Do you think its still on?"

Garvin was finishing up the last of the photos with Lena and her bridesmaids. He had a little bit of a business on the side. He was still doing the other photography work with the textbook company and the nature magazine. He'd taken some photos for the local newspaper of the aftermath of the tornado.

Life marched on. And he was busy. So busy that he hadn't a second thought of getting the dog for Avery. The less he thought about it, he was sure the better. And luckily, maybe the dog did the trick.

He'd seen first hand that Oliver's family was happy now. He saw them from a distance at the park. They were together. Garvin couldn't help but expose a grin.

"And what are you so happy about?" Somebody asked. For a moment he forgot he was at a wedding. Thankfully, their was Vera's eye to help him with the photos, later, but she wasn't here.

"Oh, its a wedding." Garvin simply put it as he looked down at Eli's tiny sister Martha, she was quite the spit fire, but she wasn't dressed in pale colors like the rest. She wasn't even a bride's maid.

"Why aren't you in the wedding?" Garvin winced. She was a big part of it. She'd helped with the decorations in the gazebo.

"She doesn't even know me. This is for her friends and her family."  Martha didn't crack a smile. She didn't exactly seem the happy sort, yet she was doing everything she could to make sure it was perfection.

"Right." Garvin nodded. He was still a little shocked that she was Eli's sister.

Funny, he never knew he'd find this many new people in his extended family. No, he guessed he wasn't exactly family, but it felt like it, and he was hanging around for the party, afterwards.