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Epilogue
Alina
Two Years Later…
It hadn’t always been smooth sailing, far from it, but we were becoming skilled sailors, Callum and I.
We’d compromised and fought hard over the years to be where we are now, and it had been so worth it.
We had spent months toiling and tweaking the formula with the lab guys for the end results to be as Momma would have dreamed.
We forged a new future for the two of us.
Sometimes, it was all giving while the other was busy taking. Other times, I supposed it was the opposite, the beauty of yin and yang.
Callum had the patience of a saint. He’d moved into my apartment, where we spent a few months working through our baggage.
The house on the estate had sold within weeks to a couple with a young daughter looking for a change of pace and a fresh start. A story I knew well myself.
I met them by accident. Joan had convinced me to take a trip back to Wisteria Pine with her. She’d guided me gently back to the estate with a tremendous amount of love and support.
While we’d been strolling the fields, a car meandered down the driveway, only to slow to a crawl on approach to the house before coming to a complete and desperate stop. Three doors opened in quick succession, a blonde-haired woman, a darker-haired man, and a little girl who couldn’t have been more than five, at a guess.
“Can we help you?”
Joan had led the way, and I followed behind as she approached the visitors.
“Oh, I’m so glad to see you. I think we took the wrong turn back there.” The woman pointed back toward the way they had come.
The man smoothed the map across the car’s hood as the little girl spun circles on the grass, the skirt of her bright yellow sundress spread wide as she twirled.
“We’re lost,” she gushed, embarrassed.
Joan smiled. “Ah… yes, not very well signposted, this old track. I did the same thing trying to find this place myself, except I ended up who knows where.” Stepping closer to the couple, Joan showed them the way back and the right turn they should have taken.
I watched the girl spin, a wide smile on her angelic face. She paused, her innocent, curious eyes on me. “Hello.”
“Hello,” I answered her with a gentle smile.
“My name’s Martha. What’s yours?” She tilted her head while regarding me.
For a moment, I froze, forcing the air in and out of my lungs. “Alina.”
“That’s a pretty name.” Martha moved closer, spinning in circles again until she was in front of me.
“Thank you.” Crouching down to the little girl’s eye level, I took in every feature of her angelic face. “That’s a beautiful dress, Martha.”
I was rewarded with a beautiful smile. “Yes, it’s my favorite. Yellow is a sunny color. My momma always tells me when I wear it. No one can be sad when I wear this dress.”
“Yes, it certainly would be impossible,” I agreed with her.
Finished with Joan and equipped with their new directions, the couple called for Martha to climb back into the car.
“It was nice to meet you, Alina.” She turned, skipping her way back to the car.
Joan and I waved as the family made their way back down the driveway. They hadn’t traveled more than a few yards before the brake lights glowed. The reverse lights followed immediately after.
We watched as the passenger side window slowly rolled down.
