Mon Amour

Epilogue

Epilogue

*50 years later*

"Grandma, please tell us again! Caleb wasn't paying attention last time!"

"I was, too!"

"Children, Children. Settle down. I'm happy to tell it again."

"Start from where you ran off." Mallory insisted.

"Yeah, that's my favorite part." Caleb said, with a smile.

"No! That's my favorite part!"

"You're just copying me!"

"No I'm not!"

"Mallory, Caleb! I'll only tell it if you promise me you won't fight anymore."

The kids gave a defeated sigh as they spoke in unison, "I promise."

"Now, let's see... My memory might be hazy, but I could never forget a thing like this."

"Hurry, Grandma!"

"Ok, ok. Let me find my place." Anna mumbled. She loved her grandchildren, but she couldn't deny that they were a handful. She loved spending time with them, but they always left her drained of all energy.

"You ran from the funeral and into the woods and then-"

"Caleb, Let grandma tell it!" Mallory whined, causing her brother to quieten down.

Anna cleared her throat. She loved to tell her story to her grandchildren, but a story like this had to be told right.

"I ran from my grandpa's funeral. I was so devastated. All I wanted to do was get out of that place. So I ran. I ran into the woods. It was such a foolish thing to do, but I knew no one could bother me there."

"Weren't you scared of the woods, Grandma?"

"She wasn't scared until that werewolf came and got her. Isn't that right, Grandma?" Caleb asked, causing Anna to laugh the best laugh she had in weeks.

"That's right, sweetheart."

"They're called shifters, Caleb." Mallory remembered.

"What did they smell like?" Caleb asked, completely ignoring his sister's comment. Everyone knew Mallory was a bit of a know-it-all.

"Oh, I'll never forget it! They smelled like... power. I'm not sure how else to describe it." AnnaLee said thoughtfully. The old woman's favorite thing to do was reminisce over the past.

"Did you really love that wolf, Grandma?" Mallory wondered with thoughtful eyes.

"Do we have to take about that again?" Caleb whined.

"Of course, I did. He was the only man I've ever loved." Anna said. It was true, but sometimes the truth was bittersweet.

"But what about daddy?"

"The day I adopted your daddy was the happiest day of my life. I love your daddy with all of my heart. He was the only thing that kept me going." Anna saw movement on the other end of her living room and looked up. "Speaking of your daddy... He's here to pick you up."

At the mention of their father's arrival, the children spun around with wide smiles.

"Daddy!"

"Hey, Kiddos. Did you have fun with your grandma?" Luke asked as he came through the door.

"Yeah! She told us the wolf story again." Caleb exclaimed.

At the mention of the famous tale, Luke gave his mother a knowing look. She was up to her old tricks.

"It's not a wolf story! It's a love story." Mallory countered.

"Oh yeah, well-"

"Mallory, why don't you and your brother go wait in the car. I need to talk to Grandma about something."

"But we were gonna-"

"I stopped and got you some candy on the way home. Go get some."

"Before dinner?" the children asked in shock.

"As long as you don't tell your mother. Then we will both be in trouble." Luke said with a wink.

With candy in their future, the two troublesome youngsters did as they were told.

"How is Elizabeth? She doesn't come around much." Anna asked.

"Mom, don't try to change the subject. I thought we finally settled this. You agreed to stop feeding the kids all those fairy tales. What happened?" Luke asked.

He loved his mother, but knew that she could always make up a good story. The only problem was she believed them and so did his children.

He was told the same tale when he was their age. All his life he grew up believing his mother, until he shared the story with his friends... He thought they would enjoy it, but instead they made fun of him.

"You know how much my memories mean to me. I have to share them."

With a big sigh, Luke decided to drop the subject. Nothing was worth upsetting his mother.

"I know, Ma, I know."

***

Sitting on her porch that night in her rocking chair, Anna thought about her life.

She still had the sweet memories of her grandpa, which she cherished.

She remembered the unwavering faith she had in that old man. She could only hope that her own grandchildren felt that way about her.

She remembered Nik. Her faithful friend, who vowed never to leave her. To always watch after her until she passed. Anna knew he made good on his promise for every night a pair of familiar electric green eyes could be seen in the tree line, watching her.

And then she remembered Maksim. Oh, sweet Maksim. It was quiet nights like this, nights were she sat in her lonely house by the woods, when she missed him most.

Anna wondered what her life could have been, had he survived that day.

Would they have had their own children and then grandchildren? Would they have gotten married? Would she have two rocking chairs sitting on her porch instead of one?

She learned to let go of the life she could have had long ago, but every now and again, she dreamed that Maks was still with her. To love her. To protect her. In sickness and in health. Til death caused them to part.