Lizzie - Epilogue - The Acceptance

"Lizzie, are you almost ready? We need to leave soon or you'll be late!"

"Just getting dressed, I'll be down in a second!"

Lizzie took one last look into the mirror. Her wavy hair cascaded down the sides of her face, framing the sharp confidence in her eyes. And her light-blue blouse and dress pants completed her look. 

She adjusted her pants, making sure to cover the little bit of pink peeking out from the top of the waistband. 

She poked, feeling the thin padding between her legs as she bit her lip. Was this the right choice? Just weeks ago, the thought alone would've sent her spiraling.

But after thinking back to the last tournament and her game with Madison, remembering the stress, frustration, and anxiety, she'd realized that in the midst of an intense game, her bladder was the last thing she wanted to worry about.

It hadn't been an easy decision. Even just the night before, she'd spent hours standing in front of the mirror, switching back and forth between her goodnite and regular underwear, until she'd finally made up her mind. 

Now, staring at herself, the padding that wrapped around her didn't shake her. Rather, it felt reassuring, comfortable, familiar.

She took a deep breath, all things she needed for today. 

It was the right choice, she was sure of it.

The doorbell rung.

"Lizzie!" 

"Coming!"

She grabbed her bag and bounded down the stairs just as her dad opened the door. 

"Wow, look at you, all dressed for success," Madison said as she noticed her at the stairwell. 

"Are you girls ready for the big day?" Philip asked.

"Honestly, I'm not sure," Madison said, running a hand through her hair.

"We got this!" Lizzie said. "Win or lose, it'll be fun either way. I just hope we both get some good games." 

"That's the spirit," Jennifer said, joining them at the door. "One last thing before we go Lizzie, your father and I have a small early present for you."

Lizzie took the small box from her mom's hand. It was wrapped in light blue and a white ribbon.

She opened it, finding a box that opened to reveal a silver necklace, a small elegant key rested in the center, decorated with small gems.

"Oh my god, it's so pretty!" Madison said as Lizzie took it out.

"Help me put it on, help me put it on!" Lizzie exclaimed, the two rushing over to a mirror.

Lizzie stared at her reflection as her friend helped her.

As the necklace wrapped around her, Lizzie saw something new. 

The little girl who once lived in fear — bound by the limitations of her body — was gone. And in her place stood someone new, tall beyond her stature, no longer afraid of who she was.

"Do you like it?"

"I love it." Lizzie smiled, feeling herself glow.

***

They were only halfway through the tournament, but it was already proving to be a blast. While she'd both tied and lost a game already, every game had been an educational challenge, and she'd also managed to defeat some amazing players.

Now on her fifth match, the position quickly evolved to a complex middle-game, but Lizzie wasn't worried. Complicated positions were her forte, and with a couple tactics, she found herself entering the end-game up two pawns. 

But everyone at this tournament had proven to be fighters, and her opponent was no exception. He was resilient, continually finding resources that stalled out the game.

This normally wouldn't have been an issue, except for the fact that her bladder had started growing during the opening, and now it was beginning to feel painful.

Lizzie cursed herself for not having rushed to the restroom after her previous match, and at the now-empty Fanta can by her side of the table.

Why didn't she ever learn?

She played a move, only to wince as she realized she'd just lost a pawn, which her opponent quickly capitalized on. The pain was steadily growing, and at this rate…

She squirmed, and suddenly, she felt the padding between her legs. 

Ew, no way! Don't you dare! The voice in her head yelled. Why are you even considering this? Are you seriously going to wet yourself in public, on purpose?! Everyone's going to see, they're going to find out your secret, then they'll…

Lizzie shut her eyes, letting the thoughts in her head swirl, letting the shouts echo until they faded into the abyss. And in the silence, a new voice spoke. 

No, this is exactly why I chose to wear it today. 

This was her tool, the tool for her unique challenge. She was done letting her wetting control her, and now it was time to prove it. She bit her lip, willing herself to relax into the comfort of her goodnite.

She sat there for a minute, coaxing herself to let go, and for a moment, she wasn't sure if she could do it.

Then it began. It started as a trickle, the warmth touching her for a moment before vanishing. She shivered slightly, the sensation was somehow both familiar and strange, but surprisingly, not entirely uncomfortable. With a deep breath, her body let go, and her floodgates burst open.

It was a sensation like nothing she'd ever experienced before. To go into her protection, fully of her own volition, while sitting amongst so many people. It was weird. It was a bit embarrassing. 

But somehow, it was freeing.

Along with the stream, she felt her stress flow out of her, her trusty goodnite absorbing it all without complaint.

Her eyes fluttered open, scanning the board with renewed energy. Her fingers fiddled with her necklace, spinning the key until she found it.

The line that would seal her victory.

With a smile, she played her move, a forced trade of rooks. Little now stood between both player's past pawns and promotion. It was an all-out race that would decide the fate of the game. 

Her opponent's pawn was closer, but true to her calculations, her knight reached it just in time, preventing its promotion. Across the board, her king began escorting her pawn up. Her opponent tried to bring his king into the game, but that's when she struck, seizing the pawns on the other side. Torn between both ends of the board, her opponent soon realized the inevitable, and after just a few more moves, he resigned.

They shook hands, and Lizzie smiled as she went to tell her parents the good news. They celebrated for a moment, before she grabbed her bag and excused herself. She rushed to the restroom, proud of herself for having brought several spares.

***

Lizzie finished the day with four wins, two draws, one loss, and a ton of smiles.

Everyone had been there to cheer them on: her parents, Ivie, Mr. Henning, and several chess club and choir members. Even Vanessa had showed up, despite hardly knowing the rules.

Neither she nor Madison won the tournament, but they were both more than happy with their performance. And as they were wrapping up, to her surprise, her mom invited everyone out to dinner to celebrate.

They headed over to a small barbecue restaurant, and as soon as they got off the car, the smell hit them. Rich, smoky, and warm, with a hint of sweet and spicy. Lizzie's mouth watered.

The group soon found themselves laughing and chatting as they feasted on piles of ribs, pork belly, and brisket. Sticky fingers made a mess while the smoky scent of barbecue filled the air.

One minute, Lizzie was breaking down her games, discussing strategy with her fellow club members, and the next, she was wolfing down her food, napkins barely able to keep her hands and mouth clean. 

"Hey Lizzie, do you have a moment?"

She turned around to see Mr. Henning alongside some of the chess club members.

"Hey Jessica, Mark, and Sophie, what's up?" 

"We… we just um… wanted to say thank you for running the club, and for always being so willing to coach us newer players," Jessica said, before quickly nudging Mark.

"So… so we wanted to give you a little token of our appreciation," he said, handing her a navy-blue bag. 

"It's a chess bag, there's a chess set and notation notebook and space for your chess clock too. Mr. Henning and Madison helped us pick it out," Sophie explained.

"The others also got you a couple of chess books."

"Oh my god, you guys shouldn't have, thank you so much!"

"Oh, are we doing presents already?" Vanessa asked. "Here, this is from Madison and I." She handed her a small bag. 

"I got you an eyeshadow palette and mascara," Madison said, "and this is Nessa's favorite blush. Oh and we got you this cute little bag to hold it all." 

"Thank you! You two will come over and help me practice, right?" 

"Of course!"

Several more gifts soon joined the pile, a small karaoke set from her choir friends, a simple, yet elegant pair of heels from Ivie, and a brand new phone from her parents. 

As she went back over each gift, thanking each person individually, Lizzie suddenly felt a wave wash over her. She bit her lip, she couldn't remember the last time a friend other than Ivie had gotten her a present.

But before she could continue her thoughts, the lights dimmed.

"Happy birthday to you…" Lizzie turned around to see her mom and dad bringing out a large ice cream cake.

"Happy birthday to you…" the entire group soon joined in.

"Happy birthday dear Lizzie… Happy birthday to you!" 

"Make a wish!" Madison said.

Lizzie looked around the table, her gaze slowly moved from person to person, meeting the eyes of her each individual.

So much had changed since that magical day she'd volunteered to help Lucas. She never would've guessed how that one choice would unravel her world, launching her through a series of trials that nearly tore her life apart.

But now, as her eyes found Madison's, then Ivie's, and finally her parents', she felt something settle deep within her. 

Those grueling months had brought her new friends, unexpected experiences, and a renewed bond with her parents.

But perhaps most importantly, she'd found something she hadn't even known she was searching for.

Peace, perhaps. 

No… She shifted, feeling the goodnite between her legs. 

Acceptance.

She had discovered who she was.

I wish…

---

The End

Thank you so much for reading Lizzie. Seriously, if you've reached here since starting from Chapter 1, you don't know how much it means to me... I have a lot to say, but I don't want to clutter up the end of the story, so if you'd like to read the final author's note for Lizzie, please click here. But otherwise, thank you for being a part of this journey. Hopefully I'll have more stories for you to enjoy in the near future.

For those that have questions regarding anything to do with Lizzie, my writing process, or anything of that like - please share them in the AMA (ask me anything) post here

As always, I would love to hear your final thoughts on this chapter / the story as a whole, so please share :)

Riven