EPILOGUE
A few months later, Hazel stood in the master bedroom of the house at The Meadows and gazed at herself in the wall mirror. It was hard to believe that so much had happened to her in such a short time.
She cradled the small bump in her stomach thinking of the baby she was carrying. This little boy, unlike the man she was about to marry, would experience a kind, loving home where he would always know he was loved.
Hazel gazed down at the puppy at her feet. Dottie had been a gift of love and would, she hoped, become a companion for her child.
At the sound of a knock on the door, she called softly, “Come in.”
Her mother, wearing a dark green silk suit, entered her room. “Is the bride almost ready? Your friends are gathering in the living room.”
“Yes, I just have to fix these flowers in my hair,” said Hazel. She’d chosen to wear a simple white lace, V-neck dress with capped sleeves. Simple but elegant to match her surroundings and this special event.
Her father knocked on the door and entered. “Is my daughter ready for me?”
Hazel and her mother turned as he walked over to them. “The two most beautiful women in the world,” he murmured and kissed each of them on the cheek.
“I’ll walk you, Helena, into the ceremony and come back for you, Hazel. Mike looks like he’s more than ready for you to arrive. It’s a good thing Jed is standing beside him to keep him calm.”
After her parents left the room, Hazel glanced at her image in the mirror, once again surprised to see herself in a wedding dress with a precious baby bump.
The love she shared with Mike had happened quickly, yet it felt as if it was part of a plan that was bigger than they could ever have imagined.
A life destined to become shared with many.
Bringing her thoughts back to the present, Hazel smiled at her father and held out her arm for him to take.
Walking into the living room, she paused to gaze at her friends, old and new, waiting for her there. It seemed appropriate that Eugenie “GG” Wittner was among them because she was very much a matriarch of Lilac Lake.
Hazel lifted her eyes to Mike, and a silent message of love passed between them. She stepped forward to meet him and looked down at Jed, who stared up at her with a wonderous look while he stood proudly next to Mike.
Hazel prayed he’d always be part of their lives.
Mike’s fingers covered hers, and she gazed at him, ready to face the future with him by her side.
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