Epilogue
Six months later
K atherine pulled in front of the fishing cabin and turned off the ignition. Any visit to the cemetery took a lot out of her and she was looking forward to a weekend of relaxation.
Vickie met her at the door. “Hi,” she said, taking the bag from Katherine’s shoulder. “Lunch is almost ready if you’re hungry.”
“I am.” She stopped in the living room and gave Buster a belly rub. These past months had been difficult. But Katherine knew how many people were on her side, and that had made a huge difference. There were still days that were hard to get through, but she was learning to work through her grief.
Katherine walked into the small kitchen. “It smells great in here. Do I need to help you do anything?”
Vickie smiled as she pulled plates out of the cabinet. “Nope. Everything’s almost ready. She glanced up. “Did you have a good time last night? Your dad said you had a date.”
Katherine giggled. “You should’ve seen him. I think he’s been waiting on that for the past twenty years.” It was the first date she’d gone on since she’d moved from California, and since she was living at the fishing cabin for the summer, Thatcher had insisted on being there when she was picked up. “I’m pretty sure he drove all the way out here just so he could say ‘have her home by a decent hour, son’ in a gruff voice.”
Vickie joined in her laughter. “I’ll bet he loved it.” She made a face. “Did he wait up?”
Katherine shook her head. “No. But Darren is in Dad’s class next fall, so we were back by ten.” She laughed.
Vickie glanced up from the plates she was scooping enchiladas onto. “Dad?”
Katherine nodded. “Last night when I introduced him, I knew it was time. It felt right.” She paused. “I think he got a little misty-eyed when I said it out loud for the first time. But then, so did I.”
Vickie set a steaming plate in front of Katherine, then sat down in the chair across from her. “He’s still out fishing, so he’ll have to eat on his own.”
“That’s fine. I’m starving.” She grinned at Vickie.
“Would you like for me to say the blessing?”
Katherine nodded and they bowed their heads.
Vickie thanked God for the food and for their friendship and asked Him to be with Katherine as she adjusted to all the changes in her life.
“Thanks,” Katherine said, once she was through. “For everything.” She met Vickie’s eyes across the table. God had blessed her in ways she hadn’t expected over the past months, and one of those was her relationship with Vickie. At first, she’d felt awkward spending time with her dad’s fiancée. But soon, she was completely at ease. Over the months, Vickie had become a friend and mentor.
“You’re welcome.” Vickie dug into her enchiladas.
Katherine couldn’t help but smile as she took her first bite. She remembered the day, almost exactly a year ago when she and her mother had left their home in California. On that day, Katherine had wondered if she’d ever feel like she had a home again. And even though she would always miss her mother, at least she had found a place to belong. Even better, her mother would be thrilled if she knew that by finding peace in her life, she’d also helped Katherine find peace as well.