EPILOGUE
The late August sun beat down on Lexi as she waited for Miriam to finish speaking with Misha. It was still early in the morning, but already the heat was taking hold. The temperature in Thailand was higher and more humid than in Serenity, and it had taken some getting used to the lack of air conditioning. But it had been worth it to experience what she had for the past month.
If someone had told her back in the spring, when they’d first met, that she’d come to consider Miriam a good friend, Lexi would have thought they were crazy. But over the time they’d been at the orphanage, she and the woman had gotten to know each other quite well. Lexi now considered her a good friend.
“It’s been so great having you here,” Miriam said to Lexi as Misha turned to talk to Miriam’s mom. “I’m going to miss you.”
“I’ve really enjoyed getting a chance to spend some time here,” Lexi told her as they hugged. “And look forward to doing it again.”
“We’ve got to go,” Miriam’s dad called over to them from the vehicle he was using to drive them to the airport. “I want to make sure we’ve got some time to spare, since I don’t know what the traffic is going to be like.”
All their bags were already loaded up in the back of it, so after a final wave, they climbed inside. Peyton sat in the front between Miriam’s dad and Jay, while Lexi sat in the back with Wilder and Misha.
Lexi and Wilder had come to Thailand a month ago, then two weeks ago, Misha and Jay had arrived with Peyton.
She’d been very nervous about the trip and had almost backed out at the last minute. Wilder hadn’t pressured her, though. He’d told her that if she really didn’t want to go, he wouldn’t force her and that it wouldn’t change anything between them. But he still planned to go. With or without her.
It might have been the thought of Wilder spending an entire month with Miriam that had gotten Lexi on that plane out of Spokane. But now that they were preparing to leave Thailand, she was sad that their time was over. The only thing that made the goodbyes easier was knowing that they would be back. Of that, she was certain.
“Doing okay?” Wilder asked as he took her hand once the vehicle had started to move, heading for the large, guarded gate that led out of the compound.
“I am,” she assured him. He’d made a point to check in on her frequently, and his care and concern had drawn them even closer together. Her love for this man was beyond anything she’d ever experienced before.
As Miriam’s dad drove, Lexi leaned against Wilder and looked out the window. Thailand was a beautiful country, but she’d also come to know the beauty of the Thai people. Their culture and their resilience had been a joy to experience.
The orphanage was part of a compound. An expansive piece of land that was fenced in with several buildings, along with a large garden and a fruit tree orchard. In addition to the dormitories for the children, there was a large house with several bedrooms, which was where Miriam and her folks lived, and where they had stayed.
A couple of years ago, volunteers had come from the US and built a school, and one of the projects they’d helped with over the past month they’d been there had been a new building for women who needed a safe place to live. Wilder had taken videos of a lot of the work they did, as well as interviewing Miriam’s parents about their vision for the ministry, hoping to use the video to share more about the work there with churches in the US.
The one thing that had taken some getting used to for Lexi was the presence of armed security guards that patrolled the perimeter and the gate of the compound twenty-four/seven. Wilder had explained why it was necessary, and once again, it was such a foreign thing to her. But taking children off the street and helping women escape abuse drew the attention of people who didn’t want them to be safe and out of their sinister reach.
She had also worked alongside Misha and Miriam in the small clinic that served not just the compound, but the surrounding area. The poverty and physical suffering she’d seen had left an indelible mark on her heart. There had been difficult moments, but she would be back. If God allowed her to return, she would be back.
When they reached the airport, it didn’t take long to unload their bags, say goodbye to Miriam’s dad, and head into the terminal. Wilder and Jay took charge of guiding them to where they needed to be, making sure everything was in order for check in.
Once that was done, they headed for the security checkpoint. As they walked through the airport, Lexi marveled at the beauty of the space. It was a mix of glass and steel, with décor and stores that featured the cultures of the east and the west.
“Ready to go home?” Wilder asked as they settled onto padded seats near their gate.
“I wasn’t when we were still at the compound, but now that we’re here, I wish we were home already.”
“Yeah. The twenty-four hours it takes to get home can be a killer. The first stretch is short. Just five hours to Seoul, South Korea, but then there’s an almost eleven hour flight from there to Sea-Tac.”
“Can you go with me to get a drink, Uncle Wilder?” Peyton asked from where he sat beside Wilder.
“Sure thing, buddy.” Wilder turned to Lexi. “Want something?”
“Iced coffee if they have it, please.”
After asking Jay and Misha what they wanted, Lexi watched the pair walk away, Wilder with his arm around Peyton’s shoulders. In that moment, she knew with one hundred percent certainty that she wanted to marry that man.
Over the past several months, her love for him had only grown, as had his for her. She knew that, because he told her all the time how much he loved her.
When she spotted the pair coming back, it was clear from the expression on Peyton’s face how much he adored Wilder. Over the past two weeks, Peyton had shadowed Wilder even more than his own dad. And Wilder had had so much patience as he showed him what to do so that he could help at the orphanage.
She hoped that it was God’s will for this man to be her husband and the father of her children.
When he handed her an iced coffee, she smiled up at him. “Thank you.”
“You’re very welcome.”
Peyton had handed Misha the drink she’d asked for, but before she could take a drink, Jay, who hadn’t ordered a drink, covered her hand with his and lifted it to take a sip. “That’s perfect.”
“Uncle Wilder said we needed to get a large because you were probably going to make Mom share,” Peyton said with a grin.
“I appreciate that, sweetie,” Misha told him.
Lexi took a sip, humming in appreciation. “This is perfect.”
It wasn’t a surprise since Wilder was very familiar with how she liked her drink.
Wilder sat down beside her again, stretching out his legs as he took a sip of his own drink. He put his free arm around the back of Lexi’s seat. Lexi leaned into him as she continued to drink her iced coffee.
“Are you excited to get back to the rink?” Wilder asked.
“I am, especially to coaching Amelia and Layla. With Amelia’s first competition coming up soon, we’ll need to focus on polishing up her program.”
She’d found a rink in Coeur d’Alene that had opportunities for beginner skaters to compete. It wasn’t tied to the bigger events sponsored by the national organization, which wasn’t an issue. This was just to get Amelia’s feet wet in the world of competitive figure skating. If she did well and enjoyed it, then Lexi would look at what steps were necessary to get her into competitions that were part of the national organization.
When the airline attendant called for their row to board, they dropped their empty cups into the garbage, then lined up to get onto the plane. After they found their seats, Wilder put their bags into the overhead compartment, then sat down beside her.
Though they weren’t traveling first class, they’d decided that for the comfort of the guys—especially Jay—they would lay out the extra money to get premium seats. Their seat configuration meant there were only the two of them next to the window, and there was no one in front of them. Jay, Misha, and Peyton were in the middle section of the same row.
As the plane backed away from the terminal, Wilder took Lexi’s hand, then together, they prayed for the trip that lay ahead. Lexi continued to hold Wilder’s hand through take-off. She wasn’t necessarily scared of flying, but the take-offs and landings were always a little nerve-wracking for her.
She hoped that this was just the first of many trips that they took together. After spending time immersed in the culture and beauty of another country, Lexi thought she might be more interested in traveling with Wilder, as long as her budget and schedule allowed it.
He handled all the aspects of traveling with ease because he’d done so much of it. That made things less stressful for Lexi, which meant she was willing to do more of it.
Throughout the flight to Seoul, they chatted about their plans for the next few months. It wasn’t unusual for them to seek input from each other on things that might impact their future as a couple. How he sought her input and offered his was just one more thing she loved about him.
She’d received an email while in Thailand from the parents of a girl who had been taking skating lessons for four years, but now they wanted to get more serious with her training. They happened to live in Spokane, so at least they wouldn’t have to uproot their entire life to accommodate training, as long as they didn’t mind commuting for a little over an hour one way.
“Are you going to take her on?” Wilder asked.
“I want to meet with her first and see how she handles her skating ability.”
“Do you rely on chemistry at all?” he asked. “Like if you get along?”
“We don’t necessarily have to get along, but I need to know she respects our roles and is willing to listen and do what I ask of her. I didn’t get along with my coaches all the time, but I respected their knowledge and did what they wanted.”
“How are you feeling about it? Optimistic? Wary? Excited?”
Lexi considered his question for a moment, then said, “All of the above? Can I claim that?”
“You certainly can.” Wilder gave her hand a squeeze. “Also, I think we need to seriously consider doing a skating video to upload to your channel.”
Lexi still wasn’t sure if that would be something that people would actually want to watch. But she had the time to do it and was willing to give it a try. Plus, being able to do something with Wilder always made her feel good. She thought they made a good team.
She might not be making plans for the Olympics or a World Championship, but these plans with Wilder still felt significant. They were working together for their future.
Two years ago, her world had fallen apart. She’d tried putting it back together herself, but had continued to struggle. Her mom had moved forward so quickly after the upheaval of their lives and had expected Lexi to do the same, but she just hadn’t been able to.
It wasn’t until she’d come to Serenity that she’d met people who’d showed her the importance of God in her life and had offered friendship and acceptance that had nothing to do with how many medals she had or what her father had done.
God had placed Wilder and his family in her life, and he had helped her figure out a way to put the shattered pieces of her life back together. And in the process, he’d taught her about love and how God intended it to be lived out in one’s life.
Lexi leaned against Wilder’s arm as she smiled up at him. “I love you.”
Wilder’s eyes shone as he smiled back, then he gave her a kiss. “I love you too.”
~*~
“This looks even better than last year,” Kayleigh said as she stood beside Wilder, taking in the transformed rink. “The community support is amazing.”
Wilder couldn’t help but agree, and it made him so happy. The more people that turned out, the more word of the orphanages spread. And the more money they were able to raise.
His gaze skipped over the crowd in search of one person. His person. The one he’d come to love above all others in his life.
No surprise, he found Lexi on the ice, and she wasn’t alone. Over the past few months, the number of students she coached had grown. It was amazing to see how she’d blossomed as she found her footing in her new life.
Even her mom had come around and accepted that Serenity was where her daughter wanted to be, and that she was truly happy there. At that moment, Eileen stood at the boards with her husband, Leland, watching Lexi skate with some of her students.
Eileen and Leland were in town for the fundraiser, but they planned to stay through the new year, so they’d be there for Christmas. When his mom had heard that they were going to be in town, she’d extended an invitation for them to stay at the big family house. Lexi had been surprised, but happy, when her mom had accepted.
Alexander and his family were going to be there as well, and this year, Hudson and Kayleigh had invited them to also be part of the Halverson Christmas celebration. It was going to be chaos—as usual. And Wilder couldn’t wait. The wilder the better.
“Santa!” Ciara came running over to Wilder, and, without hesitation, he scooped her up.
“How’s Princess Ci?” Wilder asked her. “Have you been a good girl?”
“Yep!”
“How about when you punched Peyton?”
The little girl’s light brown eyes grew wide. “How do you know that?”
He winked at her. “I’m Santa.”
She stared at him for a long moment, then narrowed her eyes at him, looking well beyond her four years. “Are you really?”
Kayleigh started laughing, then reached out to take Ciara before Wilder had to reveal the truth. “Why don’t we get your skates on?”
Ciara looked at Wilder, then over at Lexi. She had started to take lessons with Lexi too, and seemed to love it. “Yep. I want to skate.”
As they moved off to find Jay or Misha to get her skates, Wilder headed over to where Janessa and Will stood next to the tables that held all the goodies for the bake sale. “Where’s Slugger?”
Janessa rolled her eyes at him. “Stop calling Liam Slugger.”
“Why? It’s a special nickname between him and me.” It seemed whenever Wilder held Liam, the baby took a swing at Wilder’s face. He bopped Wilder on the nose or cheek with amazing accuracy. “I love my little slugger.”
“Mom has him,” Janessa told him with a shake of her head. “So if you’re looking to get knocked out, you can go fight her for him.”
“Thanks. I will.”
Wilder found his mom with Liam in her arms, talking to some people by the large display that was set up for the orphanages. She and his dad had taken on the role of spokespeople for the fundraiser since they were as familiar with the orphan ministry now as Wilder. Maybe even more so.
When the person moved on, Wilder stepped up to her. His mom greeted him with a wide, knowing smile.
“Nervous, sweetheart?” she asked.
“A little,” he admitted. “Though I don’t know why. I’m positive she’s going to say yes.”
“I’m positive she’s going to say yes too,” his mom said. “Eileen and I are very excited about planning a wedding.”
Wilder tried not to frown as he had a vision of what the pair might come up with. If Lexi got too overwhelmed, he’d have a word with his mom. Lexi, though, would have to handle her mom.
That was crossing the bridge before he got to it, however. Even though he was pretty sure that bridge was ready and waiting for him.
After giving his mom a hug and dropping a kiss on Liam’s dark curls, he moved on, continuing his journey around the rink. Lots of kids wanted to talk to him, which he happily did, until he found himself back at the entrance to the ice.
It was almost time for him and Lexi to skate together again. He’d decided to propose during one of their programs in the middle of the afternoon. It was the time when all of his local family was going to be present. Most of them were already standing at the boards, making sure they had a good view of what was to come.
Wilder stood for a moment, watching Lexi skate with the kids. When they’d first met, she’d always had such an intensity around her when she skated. But now, it seemed like she had a real joy in skating. More often than not, she had a smile on her face when she was on the ice. Her genuine one, not her professional one.
As she turned on the ice, their gazes met, and immediately, her smile grew, lighting up her beautiful face. She left the kids to continue their skating and came over to where Wilder waited.
“Hello, Santa,” she said with a flirtatious smile.
“Well, hello there, Mrs. Claus.” He gave her a wink. “Are you ready for another whirl on the ice?”
“With you? Always.”
For a moment, Wilder had a glimpse of them in the future. Hopefully, they’d still be skating hand in hand, sporting actual gray hair—not just wigs—and a few more wrinkles, but still as much in love as they were at that moment. Or maybe more. Already, his love for Lexi had grown well beyond what he’d felt initially.
It took a few minutes for them to clear the ice and get things set up for the programs. This year, Amelia, Layla, and one other girl that Lexi had been training had a little program that they performed first. Skating to the music of Up on the Housetop , the girls garnered lots of applause and cheers from the people gathered around the boards.
When they finished their program, Lexi and Wilder took their positions. They were still skating to Here Comes Santa Claus , but Lexi had updated the choreography a bit. However, Wilder had insisted that they still have the same ending pose that they’d had the previous year. He had an ulterior motive for wanting that, but Lexi hadn’t protested at all.
Amelia and Layla were on the ice with them, and they skated their parts perfectly. When Wilder took Lexi into his arms to guide her around the ice, he couldn’t help but smile. His heart felt like it was going to explode with the love he had for her.
“You are the most beautiful Mrs. Claus ever,” Wilder told her as they skated. They’d performed the program enough that they didn’t need to focus too much on it.
“And you’re the most handsome Santa.”
The joy on her face matched what he felt in his heart. They might have two different approaches to life, but they’d learned to compromise and to talk through situations to come up with the best way to move forward. Having to do that had brought them closer together.
“Ciara didn’t recognize me earlier,” Wilder said. “So I’m not sure how I can be the most handsome Santa when I don’t look like myself.”
Lexi tipped her head back in laughter. “And your humility is just so amazing.”
“I know, right?”
They completed a lap around the rink, then they each skated with one of the girls before coming back for the last part. As they settled into their final pose, with Wilder on one knee and Lexi perched on his other, he reached into the pocket and pulled out the ring he’d chosen for her.
The clapping and cheering immediately died down as people realized what was going on. Lexi glanced around, then looked down at Wilder, her eyes going wide. Her mouth dropped down as she stared at him.
“Lexi, my love, since we officially started dating, I have known that you were the one I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. You’ve brought joy to my life and love to my heart in amounts I didn’t know were possible. I want us to share that love and joy forever. Will you marry me?”
Lexi reached out and stroked her fingers along his cheek. “You met me at one of the lowest points in my life, and when I wasn’t the nicest person. However, you stuck around and offered me support and understanding while I tried to find a new direction for my life. I’m just so glad that that direction has aligned with yours. I’d love nothing more than to be your wife and to continue our journey together. I love you.”
“I love you too.” Emotion choked Wilder, but he still managed to get the words out.
Cheers and applause echoed around the rink as he slid the ring on her finger. As they shared their first kiss as an engaged couple, Wilder thanked God for bringing Lexi into his life and for filling his heart with a willingness to change the way he’d been living.
She might have been queen of the ice when they’d met, but now, she was queen of his heart. Though they might only rarely be partners on the ice, off the ice, they were going to be partners for life, and nothing could bring him more joy.
~*~
Dear Reader ~ As I prepare this book for upload, the Summer Olympics in Paris is starting, and I’m looking forward to watching a few different sports. My favorite sport, however, is not part of this Olympics.
I am a big figure skating fan. I love the combination of athleticism and artistry that is part of the sport. It was my love for figure skating that brought the character of Lexi to life for me. I had fun writing Lexi and Wilder’s story, and I hope that you enjoyed reading it.
Next up is Zane’s story. He has only made a few appearances in the previous stories, but now it’s time for him to be in the spotlight. A tragic accident leaves him with amnesia, robbing him of memories of his career and… his wife.
Zane’s book will be available in Fall 2024, but you can pre-order it now!
Happy Reading!