Epilogue
The service was over. It’d been a beautiful ceremony, out here in the warm spring air. The happy couple looked twenty years younger. The minister had given them a beautiful verse out of Jeremiah 31:3:
“ I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you.”
It was so appropriate, and brought the crowd to tears, including Alyssa. After the serice, she sat on a small wrought iron bench not far from the tent, wiping her eyes with a tissue. Sonny walked up to her and she smiled nervously and turned her head away, embarrassed.
“I’m sorry. I’m such a mess. I just…” she couldn’t finish.
“It’s okay. And you make a pretty mess.” He smiled.
She blushed and smiled back.
“Are you one of those guys who picks up easy women at these things?”
He laughed. He had a deep, playful laugh. Sincere. She liked it.
“We’ll see, I guess. So, what are your plans? I mean job wise? I know you’ve been with Marie for a long time. You have any idea yet?” He watched her pretty face contort just a tad in thought.
“Well, I guess I’d like to try my hand at building things. I think I’m done with the personal care industry for a very long time. Maybe forever. I just don’t know that I’d want to do this again. Starting over is pretty scary, though. I’m not a spring chicken any more.”
He nodded in acknowledgment, but not in agreement.
“My division has a project starting that I think you’d be perfect for, if you’re interested. I have some pull with the team leader.”
She put away her tissue and looked at him.
“Are you picking me up, or recruiting me?” She asked with a grin.
“Hopefully both.” he answered. “Walt and Ann thought a lot of you. That’s a heck of a recommendation in my book. Plus, I’ve been wanting to ask you out for a cup of coffee since the first time I laid eyes on you. If you worked for me, we could have coffee together every day.”
“How about we go find some place for a cup now, and we’ll talk about it?” she asked.
“I never thought you’d ask. I guess you’re the kind of girl who picks up guys at things like this, then.”
They stood and started walking back to their cars together.
“You know, they were a beautiful couple. It was hard to see, at first. Him being as hard boiled as he is. I knew her from her file, and her work, and I just couldn’t see them together in my mind. Then I saw the VRs of them together, at the silo and other places. They really loved each other. It’s amazing how it lasted all those years, even through all they went through separately. When they finally came back together, it was like they just picked up where they left off.”
“She was like a giddy schoolgirl when he proposed. He made her so happy. I’m glad they got married. It was incredible. One for the record books.” She sighed.
“Yeah,” he said “it would have been great if they’d had more than six months together. I mean, everyone knew Ann wouldn’t last much longer, but how poetic was it that Walt would have a massive coronary within hours of her passing? “ They stopped at his car and he opened the door for her. They both stopped and looked back at the small tent in the cemetery that covered the two new, fresh graves.
“True love finds a way. They found each other because it was meant to be. Time, war, illness, and old age didn’t stop it. Kind of makes you believe, huh?” She gave him a look that spoke more than she said.
“You never know,” he began “where a cup of coffee will take you. I believe I want to find out, Alyssa.” She gave him a long look before stepping into the car. Her hand lightly brushed his as he held open the door. The first of a lifetime of warm feelings ran lightly through both of their souls.
First, though, coffee.
Rolling Stones 