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Epilogue
Pam Corrigan stoodbeside her best friend, Mark Shields as they softly sang Silent Night with the rest of the congregation who had gathered at the church in Strawberry Sands on Christmas Eve.
She’d lived for over a half a century and Christmas Eve had always been her favorite day of the year. It was always extra sweet to spend it with Mark, her best friend for the last decade. Although she wished her girls had come home. But they were with her mother and would be coming tomorrow for dinner.
And she would survive another Christmas after her cheating husband had divorced her.
She hadn’t expected to spend her life alone. Not after she’d gotten married and pledged her life to someone.
But she had Mark. He’d be there, too. Which was great. Maybe she’d be able to talk to him about the conditions at the school where she taught. The older administrators had been retiring one by one, with new, younger ones taking over. This year had been the worst yet. She wasn’t allowed to talk to the children about the Lord, and she’d been told she couldn’t have her Bible at her desk, nor offer any advice that hinted of religion.
She’d been quoted the fake wall of separation that did not appear in any founding documents.
Mark would ease her mind. He always did. He’d talk her out of quitting her job and using her savings to buy the old inn. She knew it was foolish to even think about doing that, but every time she did, it felt like exactly the right thing to do.
Her eyes moved from the sparkling candles in the corner to Eleanor and Franklin, who stood in the row ahead of her and to the left, holding hands and glowing like a couple in love.
Pam wouldn’t mind getting stranded in a snowstorm with a great guy who would then fall in love with her and make her as happy as Eleanor obviously was.
Of course, that kind of thing didn’t happen to normal people like her, although she was happy for Eleanor, who deserved every happiness.
At least she had a solid, life time friend in Mark. She looked over at him again. He wasn’t exactly handsome, but he was loyal and fun and he made her laugh. Plus, he loved the Lord and knew the Bible as well as anyone she knew. He always gave her the best advice and listened to her problems, really listened.
She was blessed to have a neighbor like him. She advised herself to be happy with her blessings and not worry about the things she didn’t have. A good friend was far better than a bad husband. She ought to know.
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