Epilogue~
AND THEY LIVED…HAPPILY EVER AFTER
Marilyn
Eight months later
Ricky and I stand as Justin comes in our direction. As we were what seems like years ago, we’re in the hospital waiting room. It’s not just the two of us. We’re surrounded by Devan and Justin’s family and friends. It’s a regular reunion, and unlike when we were here for Justin’s accident, this is a joyous occasion.
With each step, Justin shifts his weight to the cane. A few months ago, a therapist told Justin he might never walk again. Justin proved him wrong on many counts. If his determination—or stubbornness—is anything, soon the cane will be gone too. As it is, he’s driving tractors, walking fence lines, and caring for his wife. Oh, and he’s constantly complaining about not playing softball.
“Tell us,” Kandace says.
I reach for Ricky’s hand.
“We have a boy,” Justin announces. His smile is ear to ear.
Ricky and I wait as the grandparents give him hugs, and then Kandace and Dax. Finally, we step forward. Ricky lets go of my hand to embrace Justin.
I can’t stop my tears.
The two men in front of me have traveled a long road together. From childhood through achieving their life’s dreams. Through thick and thin, good and bad, they have been at each other’s side. Today, instead of sadness, we’re all filled with joy.
“What’s his name?” Bridget asks.
“We haven’t completely decided,” Justin says.
“Come on,” Ricky jokes, “you’ve had nine months.”
“We’ll announce soon.” He waves to the grandparents. “They said the four of you can come back.”
“Justin,” Kandace says with her hand on her hip.
“You’re next.” He turns toward us. “And you two, too.”
I watch as Bridget Sheers and Janet Dunn smile gleefully at each other, and they all follow Justin through the wide double doors.
Beyond the windows of the waiting room, the leaves on the trees are beginning to change, from green to orange, red, and yellow. In Carmel, Ricky is now living with me. The agricultural wealth perspective is a working entity. That means his days at Parker and Stevens have increased.
His work in Riverbend is nearly complete. There are still fields to harvest. Thanks to the work of many people and a good year of sunshine and rain, the Sheers farm will have a profitable harvest.
Ricky and I take our seats on the far side of the waiting room. He covers my hand with his. “You know, I was waiting until their little guy was born. I didn’t want to tempt fate.”
“Tempt fate?”
“Too many good things at once.”
I let out a sigh. “I think we had enough difficult to warrant more good.”
Ricky sits up and smiles at me. “I have something for you.”
“For me?” I ask gleefully. “What?”
He removes something from his pocket. Whatever he has is hidden in his grasp. “Close your eyes and give me your hand.”
“You’re asking a lot.”
“You can trust me.”
It’s taken three tries, but he’s right. I trust him.
Closing my eyes, I open my hand.
Ricky takes my fingers and closes them to a fist. “Open your eyes.”
“I don’t feel anything…” I open my fingers. “What?”
He reaches forward and lifts the string that seems to come from somewhere. “It’s a string.”
“A string?”
“Pull it.”
“That sounds like a bad dad joke.”
His dimples show. “Trust me.”
I begin to pull the string and pull and pull. I gasp as a diamond ring attached to the string falls from his pocket. “Ricky?”
He falls to his knees on the floor and, lifting the ring, asks, “Marilyn, will you spend the rest of your life with me and do me the honor of being my wife?”
Before I answer, I look around, seeing members of our family and friends watching. “You planned this?”
“As much as you can plan around the birth of a baby.” He lifts his eyebrows. “Will you?”
“Yes, I will.”
Thank you for reading ONE STRING, Ricky and Marilyn’s story. Riverbend is full of fun stories. If you haven’t read Dax and Kandace’s second-chance romance, get QUINTESSENTIALLY THE ONE. Or if you haven’t read how Justin and Devan came to be, get their age-gap small-town romance, ONE KISS.
Aleatha’s lighter ones include many stand-alone stories. PLUS ONE, ONE NIGHT, ANOTHER ONE, MY ALWAYS ONE. Enjoy them all!