A Triumph of Love Over Sorrow – Extended Epilogue

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Erica hummed a soft tune while she prepared the afternoon meal. She’d had a busy morning, and yet it felt as if the time flew by. She loved working in the kitchen on these days, and feeling energetic while she did it.

She placed the plates on the table, then walked to the front of the house to call Jack and Lewis to eat. Lewis was almost two, and yet he acted as if he were already grown. She paused at the doorway, looking out at where Jack and Lewis were playing together. Jack was lifting Lewis over his head, spinning him as the little boy laughed.

Lewis was the biggest thing that had changed in their lives since the time that they’d married. They were still helplessly in love with one another. When she’d gotten pregnant with Lewis, the two of them were so happy. They both wanted children, and a family full of love and happiness. Lewis was their first son, and they both found it fitting to name him after Jack’s little brother.

Jack wanted the name to remember the friend and brother he’d lost, and Erica loved the name because she loved the memories Jack shared with her about Lewis. She loved it that Jack was a wonderful father. She could see that he enjoyed giving their son everything that his father never gave him.

Jack looked up from his game and their gazes met.

“It’s time to eat, you two.” Erica laughed as Jack swung Lewis over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes and headed up to the house. Jack handed her Lewis as they approached.

“I found this little thief out in the yard. I think he was trying to get into the hen house.”

Erica hugged Lewis close and balanced him on her hip. “Is that right? Maybe we should call the sheriff.”

“No!” Lewis laughed at their made-up accusations. “I hungry.”

“I know you are.” Erica kissed him on the forehead, moving his blond hair out of the way. She had felt the true meaning of a mother’s love when she’d had Lewis. He was more than she’d ever imagined. She carried Lewis into the kitchen and set him down at the table and started dishing up the food. They were a tiny family of three, but it was all they needed.

As they were finishing their meal, their dog, Red, began to bark. They’d gotten him nearly a month ago in hopes that he would help with protecting the chickens, and he’d proven good at announcing visitors or any sort of threat. Erica stood and gathered the dirty dishes, then hurried to the door.

She smiled when she spotted Diana. It had been a few weeks since she’d seen her best friend. Even though the marriage had changed her life in a lot of ways, her friendship with Diana had stayed the same. They still visited and spoke of the future, as well as the past. Erica opened the door and went out to the porch to wait for her.

“Erica!” Diana hurried her step as she grew closer.

“It’s good to see you. Come in.” Erica opened the door wide so Diana could come in. She led her friend into the parlor. Lewis came running in and Jack said a polite hello.

“I’m headed out to the pastures for a while. We have some things to take care of, so I’ll leave him with you, all right?”

Erica nodded, pulling Lewis onto her lap.

“Hey, little one.” Diana smiled at Lewis, reaching out to tousle his hair. It was clear her friend loved Lewis. She’d already decided to teach Lewis to call her Aunt Diana, as Diana was as much of an aunt as Lewis would ever have.

Jack kissed Erica gently on the forehead before hurrying out the front door to take care of the ranch. He was always so good about managing the place and making sure things were in order. Erica still helped with accounting, and the little details of the ranch, but she had to admit that Jack had taken over most of the difficult things.

“How have you been?” Erica asked. She missed her and Diana’s long conversations. It felt like she and Diana didn’t have as much time as before. Their life had grown busier and fuller, which meant it was harder to find the time to sit down and visit. Lewis wiggled off of her lap and toddled over in front of the fireplace to play with a few of the little wooden toys that Jack had made him.

Diana smiled. “Things with Franklyn have been going quite well. He proposed. The other day, he took me on a lovely carriage ride and a picnic. I never suspected that things had gotten to this point, but he proposed. I said yes!” Her cheeks were rosy and her eyes full of excitement as she visibly struggled not to jump out of her chair while telling the news.

“I am so happy for you!” Erica stood and pulled her friend up to give her a quick hug. Ever since Diana had started seeing Franklyn, she’d hoped that they would stay together and that Franklyn would be the man that Diana needed.

She wanted to see Diana happy and enjoying life like she was. There was a certain thing about marrying a man that you loved and wanted to be with forever that completed a person. She knew some women preferred to never marry, but she’d never seen Diana as one of those people.

“Tell me all the details. When will you be married? How? And does your family know?”

Diana sat back down and folded her hands in her lap. “Apparently, Franklyn asked my father for his permission on Sunday at church, so he already knew it would happen. I assume that he told my mother because neither of them seemed surprised when I told them. The rest of my family is very happy, even Luisa.”

“When will you be married?”

“In three weeks. I know it seems fast, but we’re both ready to start our life together. We’ve already discussed it, and the minister will marry us at the church. My parents are going to let us stay at the extra cabin on the ranch. Franklyn will help my father with the chores around the house.

“I’m so happy for you, Diana. I suppose we had better start sewing a dress.” Erica giggled like a schoolgirl. She remembered the whirlwind of a wedding she’d had to Jack, and she wanted just as much for Diana if not more. There were so many preparations to take care of. They had to sew a dress and prepare a place for the wedding to take place. They had to invite everyone in town and give time for people to prepare. Many people would want to celebrate Diana with her union to Franklyn.

“Thank you, I can’t wait either, and I’m so glad you’ll help me.”

Erica looked over at Lewis. Maybe soon enough, Diana would have a child of her own, and their children would play together, just like they’d always talked about.

—*—

Jack sat down on the pasture fence and pulled a letter from his jacket pocket. His brother was writing him more often now, and they were slowly building their relationship once again. Slowly, through a lot of conversation, they were repairing what he’d thought was broken forever.

He pulled out the crisp pieces of lined paper and began to read.

Jack,

It’s been a while since I’ve written. There’s so much to tell you, I’m not sure where to start. I will start with some news that is sad in a way, but also the start of a fresh life for both of us.

Father passed away a week ago, most likely around two weeks by the time you receive this. He has caused both of us so much pain and difficulty, so I am not sure how you will take this. I took it hard in a way, because as much as I disliked my father, he was a part of our life, and helped us start our life, no matter how we feel about that.

It is hard to accept everything we went through, and all the consequences of the vices our father had. If he had been a responsible man, a hardworking man, perhaps Lewis would be with us today. I don’t know. I suppose what I have come to think is that it is not worth holding on to the grudges of the past.

Father has passed on now, and my being bitter and angry about it will change nothing. It will only make my life worse and would cause bitterness I can’t afford. I hope that this finds you well, and you can work through this in a similar way as I have.

“I know you have been asking me about any news of Mason’s connections here in New York. You will be happy to know, that the whole operation toppled recently. Mason’s father managed to stay under the radar all of this time, but eventually, the debt got to him. He tried to turn in the gang that he earned money from, and as a result, he got his own operation dismantled and has now joined his son in prison.

I don’t believe either of them will live another free day in all of their life. You should find peace in this news as you have nothing to worry about as far as retaliation from either of them. How have you and Erica been doing? I am assuming that little Lewis has grown quite large by now.

Julie and I have been talking. We want our children to know yours, and we want to meet Erica. If you and Erica are agreeable, we are ready to plan a trip to see you both. We would like to get to know Colorado, and the more I think about it, the more I realize we have nothing to hold us here in the city anymore.

Julie does not have any family here, and neither do I. Perhaps we would be happier coming closer to both of you. I will be anxiously awaiting your reply on this matter. I must go, as I have many things to finish before the day’s end, but I hope you are well, and that you receive this letter in good health.

Say hello to Erica and Lewis for me.

Your brother, Charles.

Jack folded the letter. The news about his father surprised him. He didn’t know how to react to it. Charles was right, a bit part of him wanted to be happy, relieved, and just glad that the part of his life that could threaten his happiness and his family was over. There was a part of him, however, that felt sad. It was a strange feeling.

His father had brought him into this world, and while he was young, had most likely helped raise him in some sort of way. Even though he would never condone his father’s actions, or understand the way he acted during his life, he’d still been a large part of him, and everything that he’d come to do. If it hadn’t been for his dislike of his father’s attitude, and the way that his father managed his life, then he might not have come to Colorado and done what he did. He might not have built anything as he had, and he would have had a very different life. Perhaps as Mason had once told him, living on the edge was where he found his happiness.

The sun was starting to set, and it was time to get back to the house. He’d spent most of the afternoon in the fields, setting up new pastures for yet another group of cattle that they would be receiving the next week.

A sound by the house made him look up. Erica was walking toward him, two cups in her hand. Jack smiled. The tradition which she had introduced to him at their wedding continued to this day. It was something he’d come to cherish and look forward to every evening. She would make tea, or coffee and the two of them would sit outside and talk about their day.

Erica was just as beautiful as the day he met her. Her hair fell softly in gentle waves down her back, and she swayed gracefully in a dark green dress. There was tiredness in her eyes, but the kind that came from a hard day’s work that had been used wisely. He had nothing but respect and admiration for Erica.

When she arrived, she handed him his cup of tea and sat down on the fence beside him. Their shoulders were touching, and she rested her head gently against his.

“I thought I’d come out here instead of waiting on the porch for you. Is everything alright?”

“It’s fine. I got another letter from my brother. My father passed away.”

“Oh, I’m sorry.” Erica’s voice was full of understanding. Over the years, they’d had many opportunities to discuss the real man that his father was, and what a different relationship Jack had with him compared to the relationship Erica had with her own father. “How do you feel?”

“Honestly, I’m not quite sure. I am sad in a way, I suppose because now I know that he will never change. He will never become the man that I always wanted him to be. But maybe I just needed to accept him for the man that he was, and accept the things he contributed to my life.”

Erica pulled her head away and turned to face him, her eyes pools of sadness and loving understanding. “You wouldn’t be who you are without him, but that doesn’t mean that what he did was right. He should have been a good father to you. You deserved that much.”

“Thank you. I liked to think that maybe there was still hope for him, you know? I guess I will never understand why he made the choices that he did.”

Erica nodded.

“My brother wants to visit with his wife and children. I don’t know when they are coming, but it will be good to see him again. Our families will be together again. I only wish that Lewis was here to enjoy it too.”

Erica touched his arm, her skin soft against his. “I know. I wish that too, but he’s up there somewhere, watching, and I think it will be a happy moment for him to see the two of you connect again and reunite your families. That is what is important, finding family we still have left and appreciating them. If they come next year, there might be four of us.”

“What?” Jack turned to look at her, then recognized a little glint in her eye as she glanced at her stomach. “You’re…”

“We are expecting another baby. I know you wanted a bit of a family, so it seems we are on our way to that.” Erica laughed. “Maybe this time it will be a girl. Would you be happy about that?”

“Of course, I would.” Jack wrapped his free around her and pulled her close. “She will be beautiful and smart and strong, just like her mother. We both know that Lewis would love a sister. And if it is a boy, well, a brother would be good too. More help around this place.” Jack laughed again. His family was growing. It was strange to think that two short years ago, he’d been alone on his ranch, unaware of the changes that were taking place that would change his life forever. He never would have guessed that he would have two children, a beautiful wife, two large ranches, success, and an adventure to tell to his grandchildren all together. As much suffering and pain as he’d gone through to reach all of this, he couldn’t choose a thing he would change, because it would also change the outcome.

“You know, I’m grateful for every step of the journey we’ve been through together. It’s led us to a beautiful place.”

“I know.” Erica kissed his cheek. “I thought that my life was over when I went to find you in Farrington and convince you to sell me a place to live, and then I met you and you changed everything. You were the person in my life that I didn’t know I needed.”

Jack chuckled. Erica could never know how much her words meant to him. He loved her more than life itself, and he was so blessed to have her as the mother of his children, and the person that he could stand by and depend on. He wanted to grow his life with her. He had so many dreams for the future, so many plans. He could already see their children growing and helping them with their ranch.

He wanted to give them a great childhood, one where they would remember him fondly. He’d heard stories about how a bad father passed on those traits to their children, but he would not be that father. He was going to break the cycle that his father had started. He was going to start a new future, one for his children where they would know what it was like to see their parents love each other, and where they knew what it was like for their father to love them.

He had so many things to look forward to, and yet, right then on the pasture fence, with the woman of his dreams and his heart sitting beside him, he was more than happy to live in the moment. He squeezed Erica a bit closer. He had the biggest blessing of his life, and he couldn’t ask for more. Living in the moment with her, was what he should do every second of his life because things could change at any moment, but he had to believe, there were many more good moments to come for the both of them.

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