Epilogue:

Things changed mightily in Sweetcreek after that day. Josh and Sarah left with Amanda. They still come back to visit at the holidays. Katie moved in with Beckie. They turned Miss Beckie’s place back into the kind of establishment it was originally intended to be.

Lance and Cassie got married within two weeks after he came to his senses. She stopped teaching before the twins were born . . . first ones in Sweetcreek. Prettiest little things you ever did see. Lance’s sister Sarah surprised everyone by up and marrying that lawyer, Kirkpatrick. It was him that filled in the gaps in the story about Marianne and Joseph. Apparently, the lawyers he worked for had somehow been involved.

Seems the Fatones had heard things about Marianne that weren’t true, but they had believed them and decided it was for Joseph’s own good for her to leave. She got sick and they told her that Rachel did too, and died. They intercepted the couple’s letters and wrote a false one to Marianne while her man was away on a family business trip. Then they told him she died in a freak accident after she left so he wouldn’t look for her.

The sheriff left town for some reason. Nobody ever found out why, but he just resigned and disappeared. Anna took over the job. Her brother Justin became her deputy. He was cleared of all charges after Joseph’s brother admitted to setting him up, just to get him out of the way so they could get rid of Marianne.

Marianne and Joseph stayed in Sweetcreek. Rachel was joined by two brothers and three sisters. With Josh gone, the town needed a new mayor. Bill stepped in until the next election, which Joseph won by a landslide without even campaigning.

Heather and Bill had three more girls and finally, when Bill joked he had given up hope, a boy.

Justin gave the puppy to Katie. She named him ransom. Her being so young, he still had his doubts. He spent quite a bit of time with Miss Elisabeth the first year or two, ‘til Katie got a bit older. Then he finally married her.

Folks still talk about the day the Ice Angel melted. After she got her husband and daughter back, folks saw that she was one of the warmest creatures on the face of the planet. Some kept calling her Angel, saying she deserved the name. Her husband had always thought so. He was the one that started it before they were ever married. Of course there were those who never forgot her past, and wouldn’t let her either, but she was a forgiving soul. She never let it bother her too badly, just smiled and went on her way.

That’s the story, the one my grandmother told me, and her grandmother Rachel told her. Some might not believe it, and that’s their business. When she told me the story, she gave me the two gold lockets Rachel and her mama wore all their lives. And now I’m giving them to you child. So you always remember . . .

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