Epilogue
T he bright sunshine broke through the clouds and bathed Hathaway House in a warm glow. Standing just inside on the bottom floor, ready to walk out to the makeshift aisle and altar, Dani looked up at her father. “Are you ready for this?” she asked nervously.
He looked down at her, patted her tenderly, and replied, “I’ve been waiting a lifetime for this.”
She smiled, feeling her heart swell and her nerves calm. “So have I,” she muttered. “So have I.”
And as they walked out through the double doors, she heard the music and recognized Lance on the piano, now outside.
He’d come back to play live music for her special day.
Up ahead Aaron stood proud and tall, his brother Levi standing by him as his best man.
She smiled up at Levi, the best friend she could have ever had.
And now to know that she was marrying Aaron, the man she loved after all this time just made her heart swell with joy.
Plus, she had witnesses all around her to share her joy—friends, family, patients, former patients, and friends and family of patients.
It seemed like Hathaway had opened its doors and out had tumbled hundreds and hundreds of people, maybe even thousands.
She had no idea even who all was here, but she could see the staff standing up close to the altar.
They’d put flowers on both sides of the designated seating areas, and animals galore dotted the place, as everybody in the vet clinic was out, animals leashed at their sides, to see a piece of the action as well.
Three-legged Helga walked ahead of Dani, carrying the rings in a bag secured around her collar.
Dani smiled, tears in her eyes, as she whispered, “Look at this, just look at this.”
The Major smiled and chuckled. “I think they had more fun planning this than you did.”
She smiled up at him and nodded. “They wouldn’t let me have a small wedding.”
“Nope, this is very much what you needed.”
“No.” She shook her head. “I just needed Aaron.”
He nodded. “But it’s not just you anymore, sweetheart. It’s Hathaway House too. You created this, and you made this happen, and everybody here wants to let you know just how they feel about you and this special place.”
With more tears collecting in her eyes, she walked down until they were right in front of Aaron.
And then her father handed her off to her husband-to-be, and she stood up at the altar to make her vows.
When the vows were done, and, after they kissed, Aaron lifted his head.
She smiled up at him through the din of the crowd cheering around them, and she whispered, “Finally.”
He chuckled, pulled her close, and whispered, “Finally, indeed. It’s been a long time coming.”
She nodded. “You’re not kidding.”
And she turned to face the crowd, waving, that’s when she saw a beautiful dappled gray mare coming down the pathway toward her, Stan walking calmly at her side.
“Oh my gosh.” Dani gasped as she studied the mare. So beautiful. So familiar. And then it hit her. Sunshine. “No.” She shook her head. “No, it can’t be.”
“Oh, I think it probably can be,” Stan countered, as he led the beautiful horse toward her.
She took one look at him, then the mare, picked up her wedding dress so that she could run, and raced toward Sunshine, throwing her arms up and around the mare’s beautiful neck.
The horse, instead of backing away, leaned in and nickered gently against her neck.
Sunshine remembered Dani. Tears blurred her vision as her throat was choked with emotions.
Letting Sunshine go all those years ago had been the hardest of decisions. To think that she had Sunshine back…
Dani could barely see the crowd around them, her tears nonstop in her eyes.
Stan explained to the audience that this horse was one that Dani had given up after many, many years as a family pet in order to start Hathaway House.
And it was only fair that, as Dani had suffered this loss and had given something from that loss to everybody else, that something good should come from it as well.
And they had worked hard to find the mare and to give Dani back a piece of her soul and a part of her heart that she had given up, just as she continued to give up her heart and soul every day for the last many years for every patient at Hathaway House.
As Dani turned and looked at Stan, with tears rolling down her face, she whispered, “Thank you,” and the rest of the wedding party started to cheer.
This ends the series of heartwarming stories from Hathaway House.