Page 127 of Always to Remember

Beneath the words, he’d inscribed the names of Will Herkimer, the man they’d tortured beside him, and Franz Schultz, whom they’d hanged because he wanted to work a stone quarry and didn’t believe in the war. Every name on the monument represented a man who had given his life standing for what he believed in.

Lifting his son into his arms, Clay unfolded his body and wrapped his hand around Meg’s. Slowly, they walked away from the monument. He felt his son’s head grow heavy on his shoulder and knew he’d fallen asleep as he did every night. Clay wasn’t even certain if the boy knew how to fall asleep in bed. He always drifted to sleep on Clay’s shoulder, and Clay would tuck him into bed in the room he shared with the twins.

Tomorrow, Joe and Josh would leave with them. Lucian and Taffy would stay behind to manage the farm and raise their own family.

Stopping, he drew Meg against his side. They turned to look one last time at the monument they’d created together. Like their love, it would survive the storms that swept over it.

“We’ll come back, Meg.”

Reaching up, she caressed his face. “Wherever your dreams take you, Clay, that’s where I’ll go.”

“They’ll bring us back here.”

With his arm around her, he led her into the shadows where their dreams waited.