91 The End

The months passed. Charlotte recovered physically from the kidnapping but she was left with emotional scars.

Penelope had been convicted as Wendell's accomplice and had been sentenced to prison.

Sara had almost fully recovered and Edward had proposed. Daniel and Grace were expecting a baby! Grace's brother, Andrew, was planning His wedding with Cora that would be on her twentieth birthday. Calvin and Amy were reconciled and still carrying a healthy pregnancy. Michael and Rachel's son was growing daily and bringing joy to everyone who interacted with him.

Life was moving at a fast pace all around them. So it was only fitting that just before the Chinese New Year That Charlotte felt her water break!

She was coming out of the bathroom after having showered and changed into pajamas when she felt a warm wetness as her water broke and ran down.

She stopped in her tracks. Gordon looked up from the financial reports he was reviewing in bed.

"Is everything alright?" He asked with concern. Since the kidnapping he was terrified of anything bad happening to Charlotte.

"I think my water broke." She said softly.

Gordon jumped up from the bed and rushed to Charlotte, scooping her up in his arms and rushing downstairs. He was yelling as he came, "Uncle Arthur, have William bring around the car now! The baby is coming."

"Gordon, there's no need for such urgency. It will take awhile yet. I've read first babies can take awhile to come. Besides, I'd like to change out of these wet clothes." Charlotte said.

Gordon turned around and rushed back up the stairs with her, setting her gently on the bed and finding a soft, clean nightgown for Charlotte, as well as an ankle length coat, and proper outerwear. January was cold!

Soon enough they were on the way to the hospital where Charlotte labored for another twelve hours before pushing a beautiful, chubby baby boy into the world!

They would announce his Chinese name at the red egg and ginger party later, but for now they called him by the English name of Peter.

"Our handsome son! He looks like his daddy." Charlotte said tiredly.

"Charlotte, thank you." Gordon whispered as he kissed her head.

"For what?" She asked.

"For our excellent son." Gordon said as he swallowed a lump in his throat.

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Chinese New Year came and went and soon it was tomb sweeping day. The Ching Ming festival this year was bitter-sweet for Sara. She had always visited James's grave on this day. His own family would've come earlier in the day.

Sara approached his grave and smiled gently at the picture of his handsome, smiling face.

"Hello, James. I'm here. I need to talk to you. I know for all these years I've loved you deeply, and I'll always love you. But now there's another man in my heart. James, he loves me and he loves Bella. We're getting married this summer. I—I hope you can be happy for me. I'll always miss you and wonder what could've been, but I can't live in the past forever. I hope you understand? I have a good relationship with your family now. You'd be proud of them. I promise I'll continue to respect them as if they were my own parents. Wait for me over there, okay? One day I will join you. If there's another lifetime ahead, let's make sure we're together in it, okay? I love you."

As she stood to walk away, she felt a gentle breeze and it was as if it carried James's gentle laughter.

"Hey, Sara? I don't want only this lifetime with you. I want all my other lives with you too!" James said tenderly.

"What if you meet a prettier girl in your next life? One from a good family." Sara had asked.

"Impossible! I'll never met a woman better suited to me than you, so just go ahead and plan on being my woman for the next thousand years." James told her. The memory of his voice that night was as loud as if he really stood before her.

As she walked away, she brushed away her tears. They were sad because she still missed him so badly, but happy also, because she knew James understood and that he'd wait for her, for though they never took their vows, they had promised each other forever. One way or another, they would be together.

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Cora stared into the mirror of the vanity as she prepared her makeup, lost in thought. Today was her birthday. It was also her wedding day.

Grace gently styled her hair and Charlotte, Amy, and Sara passed baby Peter around. Cora felt deep contentment. There was a time, as she'd carried Her ravaged and sore body home, that she believed a day like this would never come. She didn't think there could be a man as understanding and gentle as Andrew. Yet in just a few minutes she would be married to him. Publicly at least. They had already gone to the Civil Affairs Bureau that morning to get their legal license.

The only thing that would make this day better was if her parents were alive to see it. Gordon and Charlotte had graciously filled that role during their engagement party and now her wedding.

"We better head over there!" Charlotte suddenly announced. Everyone hurried out of the room, leaving Cora and Charlotte alone together.

"I'm so happy for you, Cora. You're a beautiful bride and you'll be a wife who brings honor to Anthony. Most of all, you're an amazing woman and a great sister." Charlotte told her.

"Don't forget I'm also an aunt to this little sweetheart." Cora added as she gently touched Peter's tiny nose. He wrinkled it in his sleep.

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Gordon watched as his sister-in-law took wedding vows with one of his best friends. He never imagined that day not so long ago when a young woman had spilled coffee all over him, that she would bring such fullness and joy to his life. From that moment and every moment after that, she had touched his heart and utterly captivated him.

He reached down and took her hand in his, gently rubbing the ring he'd put on her finger. He remembered the when he hired her, how she had praised his creation, that ring, without realizing he had designed it. He had designed it not realizing that his future wife would one day wear it as a symbol of their forever promise.

"I promise to love you forever, Cora!" The voice, Andrew's, was deep and sounded suspiciously of hidden tears, declared publicly his own devotion.

"Forever," Gordon thought. "Forever is not nearly long enough."

The End.

Thanks for reading.