Harvest of Love

Epilog

"That's some story," the sales clerk says as she boxes up my purchase. "She's a lucky girl."

"I'm the lucky one," I say as I reach to take the small bag from her. I head back out into the beautiful spring sunshine whistling as I go. It's crazy to think that a year and a half has already passed. So much has changed, and so much more is yet to come, I think with a smile. I did end up going back to see my folks, but I brought Clem and Rebecca along with me. My mother was thrilled to meet Rebecca and instantly jumped ahead to visions of grand-babies. As awkward as that was, I was just relieved to see her back to her old self again. I could tell she had lost weight and her hair had more grey, but the light was back in her eyes. She no longer had that far away look, like she was dead inside. When she hugged me so tightly that I could hardly breathe, I was taken back to my childhood, and the reassurance her hugs gave me that everything would be okay. My father seemed better as well, or at least as good as I'd expect from him. He didn't apologize per se, but he gave me a firm hand shake and stated,

"It's real good to see you, son."

Rebecca and Clem spent a week at my parents' house, and during that time, Rebecca would go with me to the house hunt while Clem enjoyed swapping stories with my dad. By the week's end, we had found a very quaint apartment complex. I put down the required rent and moved in fairly quickly, being that I only had my bedroom furniture and belongs to transfer. Rebecca and Clem went back to the farm, albeit temporarily, before moving into the same apartment complex as me within six months' time.

We each had our own unit, but we congregated at one place or another daily. Mr. Thomas even would come on occasion to visit after he came to terms with the past and Clem's rightful place as Rebecca's grandfather. I never heard from Harlow, thankfully, after Rebecca talked to him one more time to officially end things. Good Ole Clem is now happily retired. He and Rebecca are making up the lost time and are as close as ever. Rebecca made it her mission to find out where Ellie was buried. And on Clem's seventy-fifth birthday, we took him to where she was laid to rest. It was bittersweet to see the emotional response Clem had. He was beyond grateful. We left him alone for over an hour as he made his peace with the woman he loved and lost too soon.

I'm gainfully employed at a factory job I enjoy while Rebecca is attending a local college and working part-time at a high-end clothing boutique. She keeps in touch with MaryBeth, and from time to time, they meet up for a 'girls' day.' I haven't really seen MaryBeth face to face, which is understandable with all things considered. I wish her the best life can offer, and she knows that just as I know, she wishes the same for me. I was truly overjoyed to hear from Rebecca recently that there was a 'prince charming' in MaryBeth's life and that it seemed to have a lot of potential for a happily ever after.

And that's what got me thinking about my own fairy tale ending. When I think about my future, I always see Rebecca. Her wearing a beautiful gown and marching toward me down a church aisle, holding a baby and looking up at me triumphantly for what our love has created, and us old and grey sitting in rocking chairs reminiscing over a lifetime of memories. I intend to take that next step to make it a reality. I reach into the small bag and pull out the black velvet box. With a simple flick of my finger, it pops open to reveal the firey ruby surrounded by diamonds. As soon as I saw it, I knew it was the one. It might not be your traditional engagement ring, but it reminded me of the fire that I always long to see in Rebecca's eyes. Whether in anger, joy, or passion, it draws me like a moth to a flame. I want to be the one to comfort her when she needs it, her protector from harm, and be the one who ignites the flame of desire. I carefully close the lid and tuck the box into my pant's pocket. Then, for the first time in my life, I stride confidently into my future, thanking God every step of the way.