Forever and Always

Epilogue

        Fifteen years later...

        Marius Pontmercy woke up on a bright Sunday morning. The birds were singing and the light of the sun gave the sky a warm, pink tint. Everything about the day was beautiful, especially his dear wife, who still lay fast a asleep in the bed next to him. The years had caused streaks of grey to appear in Cosette's golden hair. Wrinkles outlined her eyes, and she had gained some weight, but she was still beautiful. Ten years of marriage had given the couple a bond so strong that it could not be broken, and Marius knew they had Eponine to thank for their happy marriage. Eponine had taught them the true meaning of love, so Marius and Cosette had taken time to get to know each other and become friends before jumping straight into a relationship. This, Marius knew, had made all the difference in their relationship, for when they did start courting again, they had a strong foundation and knew each other very well. They did not base their relationship off of feelings, but rather off of the sacrifices they were willing to do for each other. In this manner, falling in love with Cosette had been a long and wonderful experience for Marius. After a long while of courting, Marius had proposed to Cosette, and the two had gotten married in a gorgeous church. They took Gavroche, whom Marius had been raising, into their home and treated him as their own son. He soon grew up and left to study medicine, and Marius and Cosette tried to have children of their own. Unfortunately, months came and went, and Cosette was still barren. The couple soon realized that they were unable to conceive a child. Cosette had cried for weeks at this news. However, a few years later, as they were taking a walk through the poor slums, giving alms to the beggars on the streets, they came across a small baby girl, no more than a few months old, lying abandoned on the streets. She was a small, delicate child without a name who had obviously been neglected. Marius and Cosette had searched and searched for the child's parents, but no one claimed the poor girl. She was all alone with no caring parents. Marius and Cosette took the little girl in, named her, and gave her everything they owned, loving her with all their hearts. She grew steadily, with a strong spirit and an independent will. She loved to wander around on her own, and never liked accepting help. Now, she was six years old, and Marius took great care to teach her everything she needed to know. He taught her how to read and write, cook and clean, be kind and be generous, but most importantly, he taught her the lessons of love that Eponine had taught him so many years ago.

        On this particular Sunday morning, Marius was feeling quite melancholy. He stared out the window, remembering Ponine. The years had caused the memories of the way she looked and the sound of her voice to fade, but she still lived on in his heart and in the hearts of Cosette and Gavroche, who now lived quite close and was a wealthy doctor. She was with him every minute of every day, and Marius never stopped loving her, even though he loved Cosette with all his heart.

        "Cherie?" Cosette said. "What is the matter?"

        Marius turned to look at Cosette, who had just woken up. She had a somber expression on her face.

        "Nothing, darling, it's just..."

        "Her," Cosette said, nodding in understanding. "It's the anniversary of her death. I know."

        "Fifteen years," Marius said. "I can't believe it's been so long."

        "Why don't you go wake up the little one and we can go to Gavroche's house for breakfast," Cosette suggested. "He always appreciates company when he's grieving her."

        "Good idea," Marius suggested, kissing his wife on the forehead. He walked down the hallway to his daughter's room and gently pushed open the door. He was surprised  to see that the little girl was already awake, staring out the window with a worried look on her face.

        "What's the matter, dear?" he asked, crouching down next to her so that they were face to face. "Are you worried about something?"

        The child turned to him, sadness in her innocent brown eyes. "Papa... do you love me?" she asked.

        "Of course I do!" Marius exclaimed. "Why would you even ask that?"

        "Well... I was just worried, that's all. I'm not your real daughter, so I thought maybe you'd get bored of me and stop loving me." The little girl looked down at her feet.

        "Don't say such a thing!" Marius told her. "You are a gift from God, and I will never stop loving you. Just because you are not my daughter by blood does not mean you are not my daughter. Family goes beyond blood. Just look at your mother. She was not her Papa's 'real' daughter, but he still loved her with all his heart. I love you in the same way."

        She smiled. "I love you too, Papa," she said, throwing her arms around him. "You promise you'll never stop loving me?"

        "Eponine Pontmercy," Marius said, gazing into his daughter's eyes. "You are named after the woman who taught me that love never dies. My love for you will never die. I will love you forever and always, until the end of time."

           THE END.

        (Author's Note: Thank you so much to everyone who has read this story! I couldn't have done this without your support. You are all amazing! If you liked this story, you might like my other story, A Promise. If anyone has any other suggestions or requests for new stories, don't hesitate to tell me. Thanks again for all your support. Good-bye for now!)