* * *
I woke early to sneak away while Jerry still slept. There was one last thing I needed to tend to, one last goodbye I had to make.
Hamish was awake when I slipped into his tent. He sat on the edge of his bed, already dressed in his kilt, as if he were waiting for me.
“Ye are leaving then, aye?”
I went over to join him and grabbed his hands as I sat down on the bed.
“Aye. I’ve something I wish to give ye.”
“Ye owe me nothing.”
I smiled and reached up to place one hand on his cheek.
“I owe ye more than ye will ever know. I doona wish to repay ye. I wish to give ye the gift of hope.”
Reaching into the bosom of my dress, I pulled out a folded piece of parchment and extended it in his direction. Smiling, I released my grip on his other hand.
“Open it.”
I watched and waited as he looked down at his own piece of art. When he looked up at me, his brows were furrowed.
“This looks like my hand.”
“’Tis yer hand.” I paused and pointed to the various faces in the portrait. “And that there is ye, although I’ll admit ye’ve allowed yerself to age by the time ye draw this. And there is yer wife, and yer daughter and her husband, and do ye see the wee lad on yer lap? That is little Raudrich. ’Tis yer grandson.”
Hamish’s eyes slowly filled with tears.
“Where did ye get this?”
“It took me most of the day yesterday to land precisely where I wished to, but I traveled to yer future to give ye hope in the now. I know ye love me, Hamish, and I love ye more than I hope Jerry ever knows, but ye yerself said I was meant for another. The love of yer life is meant only for ye. As ye can see, ye do find her.”
Hamish and I visited until dawn then parted ways as the dearest of friends.
The entire village of Allen territory came to see us off. As Jerry and I disappeared into the future, I knew our adventure together was only beginning.
* * *
Note from M.C.:
* * *
Well, there you have it. I told you everything would turn out well in the end, even if there were some heartaches and times of sadness along the way.
Now that you’re finished, I’ve no doubt you must think me completely mad. But isn’t there some tiny part of you that wonders if all of this could be true?
If you wish to find out, you’ll have to come and see for yourself.
We now live in that little inn I saw in my first vision of Jerry’s future. While it is not visible to most, you should have no trouble finding it. Just follow the road leading to Conall Castle. We are on the right, no more than a few miles from the castle gates.
See you soon. I’ll have Jerry put the kettle on straight away.
Epilogue
Present Day
* * *
