When Two Souls Become One – Extended Epilogue

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5 Years Later

“What do you think?” Tara asked Linda as she hung one of her mother-in-law’s trademark wild rose garlands above the fireplace in the ranch.

“Just a little higher on the right. Here, let me come help you,” Linda said, hustling forward and adjusting the decoration. They were putting the final touches on the ranch before it would be filled with guests that evening, all in honor of Eddie and Elizabeth’s departure to California.

The unlikely pair had been steadily falling in love ever since Nelson and Tara’s wedding, three years earlier. The wedding had been a positively jubilant affair, as the whole city seemed invested in Tara and Nelson’s love. It would certainly go down in Carson City history as one of the most romantic weddings of all time, so it was no wonder that it finally gave Eddie and Elizabeth the chance to share their true feelings with one another. Tara wore an updated version of Mary’s wedding dress, the same one she’d worn to Nelson’s party—a nod to the first time they’d danced and, arguably, the moment they fell in love.

In a gesture of generosity, Nelson and Tara had invited Elaine and Eleanor to their nuptials, though the women had neglected to RSVP.

“Tara, I think we’ve done it!” Linda said, collapsing into the nearest chair with exaggerated exhaustion.

Tara laughed and sat down beside her mother-in-law, who had truly become the maternal figure she had been lacking for so long. Though she often missed her mother dearly, and visited her grave weekly, Tara had made peace with her loss and took comfort in the knowledge that her own daughter would have many strong women in her life to look up to. “Is your father coming this evening?” Linda asked as they relaxed for a moment.

“Yes, he is! My father wouldn’t miss this for the world. He’s lost so much, and he’s known Elizabeth since before she could walk,” Tara replied, smiling as she thought of her father’s fondness for her friend.

“How has he been, generally, since the divorce?”

Tara’s smile dropped. Since the revelations about Tara’s mistreatment at the hands of her step mother and sister, tensions had obviously risen around the Thompson household. Tara and Nelson had had quite a long engagement, and Tara had lived with her father until she and Nelson were finally married. The structure of the household had changed irrevocably. Though Tara took great pleasure in seeing Elaine and Eleanor finally contribute to the chores, and reveled in switching bedrooms with her stepsister, the emotional toll the tension had taken on her father was clear, and it pained Tara to see. Eddie had really started to come into his own, starting to write the most fantastic prose Tara had ever read, and clearly Tara was thriving with her newfound freedom, but Tim’s spirit was being pulled in two.

“Since it was finalized, he’s been in much finer form. It was quite difficult for him to still be with Elaine, despite all she had done to me. The household was, I must admit, not a happy place to be,” Tara responded soberly.

After Tara moved onto the ranch, Eddie took a room in town, unable to stay in the house for a minute longer. That left her father living in the house with Elaine and Eleanor all on his own, and the mood was tense. There was no conversation to be had, and though Elaine had originally sworn to improve herself, it quickly became clear that she had no intention to follow through on that promise. She and Eleanor schemed, whispering in dark corners, and Tim couldn’t help but feel less than safe in his own home.

Finally, he confessed to Elaine that he wanted to separate, which swiftly devolved into an agreement that divorce was the best option for the two of them.

As a woman, Elaine would not be granted the right to request a divorce, but Tim was able to push the paperwork through as quickly as possible. Immediately afterwards, Elaine and Eleanor had moved out of Carson City to make a new start for themselves. Tara thought of them sometimes, acknowledging in her own mind how difficult it would be for them to start over in a new town. As a divorced woman, Elaine was likely to face quite a bit of prejudice, which Tara hoped would humble her, though she had a feeling Elaine would avoid divulging her disgraced status.

For her part, there was still a chance that Eleanor would be able to make a good match, though with every passing year, her dresses would become less and less stylish, and they would have no money for new ones unless one of the mother and daughter duo married. Despite everything they had put him through, Eddie occasionally sent his mother and sister money, whatever he could spare from the serial stories he sold to various newspapers. His notes that accompanied the money were very short on words and emotion, but he couldn’t quite bring himself to completely abandon the only family he had.

“Well, we’ll be sure to show him a very good time this evening. Richard will be entertaining us all with his fiddling, of course. He can hardly put the instrument down now, but I adore the joy it seems to bring him.

Not as much joy as it seems to bring the goats, however,” Linda said, rolling her eyes slightly. Richard had taken to caring for a herd of goats, an activity that was easy enough on his knees and kept him occupied in a meaningful way. There was nothing more entertaining than watching Richard spend an afternoon practicing the fiddle in front of the goats, who leapt and jumped at the sound of the lively music.

The sound of a baby crying interrupted the women’s relaxation, just as Nelson came in the front door from feeding the cattle.

“Well, if it isn’t my two favorite women,” he said, walking swiftly toward Tara and kissing her on the forehead.

“You’re too kind. It sounds like Sarah has woken up from her nap—”

“I’ll see to her, you stay just where you are,” Nelson insisted, going to see his nine-month-old daughter. The baby was the joy of their lives thus far, and parenting clearly suited them both nicely. She was a well-behaved girl who rarely cried, though Linda was quick to remind them that they likely wouldn’t be so lucky with their second child, whenever it came along.

“Like music to my ears, the sound of my granddaughter mewling! When can I be expecting another?” Linda asked, and Tara laughed.

“I’ll let you know when there’s another Cook on the way, though I must warn you, I’m not sure I have the same capacity for child rearing that Michael and Lucy do,” Tara responded, referencing the now four children that Nelson’s old friends had running around their respective ranch. They were a beautiful family, but every time Tara visited them, she couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed by the magnitude of activity.

Just then, Nelson came into the front room again, carrying their young daughter in his arms, and soothing her. Sarah was making happy babbling noises as Nelson looked down on her with such clear love in his eyes. The sight of the man she loved holding the child she couldn’t do without made her swoon, and Tara thought that maybe a second baby wasn’t so far off, after all. The ranch was huge, they would easily have room for three more children.

“I think she needs a bit of a feed, if you don’t mind,” Nelson said, handing the cooing baby to Tara.
“The sight of the three of you gives me hope for the future of this world!” Linda said, gasping at the beauty of this new family.

A few hours later, the guests started streaming in, with open arms and gifts for the couple that was soon to embark on the journey of a lifetime. Though Eddie and Elizabeth clearly had shared an affection for each other that started ages ago, the divorce of Elaine and Tim had affected Eddie in a way he hadn’t expected.

His nerves had gotten the better of him, and it had taken him the better part of four years to finally propose to Elizabeth, wanting to make sure that his life was ready to share with another the way that Elizabeth deserved. He’d worked away on his writing, day after day, until he felt he’d earned enough to begin the next chapter of his life with the woman he loved.

For her part, Elizabeth hadn’t minded the wait. She was the kind of woman who valued her independence, and she feared that she would have to give up her hope of traveling and working as a teacher in exchange for marriage. Slowly but surely, it became clear to her that Eddie was not the kind of man who wanted to hold her back or possess her in the way that other men seemed to, and it was for that reason that she loved him dearly. During their long courtship, Elizabeth had thrown herself into her work at the schoolhouse, where she’d finally been given a full-time job.

Having never forgotten her dream of traveling, Elizabeth wrote with her credentials when she saw a teaching position listed in California. When she was confirmed for the job, she nervously told Eddie, sure that that would be the end of their courtship, but again, she had underestimated the man and his love for her. There weren’t many men who would follow a woman to a distant land, but Eddie was one of them. He was thrilled for the chance to leave behind Carson City and its many painful memories. In order to travel together properly, they had gotten married quickly, and Tara thought she’d never seen such an unconventional yet perfectly-matched couple.

“Tara, this is too much!” Elizabeth said when she walked through the beautifully decorated ranch.

“Nothing is too much when it comes to a farewell party for my best friend in the whole world. My only friend, for a good long time,” Tara said laughingly, throwing her arms around Elizabeth.

“Look at our lives now. Six years ago, could you ever have imagined living in a beautiful ranch like this, with a man like that,” Elizabeth said, gesturing toward where Tara’s tall, dark, and handsome husband was standing with Michael. He had managed somehow to grow even more handsome as each day went by.

“And you! Finally getting to see the world, and the ocean! Honestly, I wasn’t sure that you would ever manage to make all your dreams come true, but you have. You’re a teacher. A real teacher!”

“I know! Do you remember that day we sat on the bridge, despairing over the fact that we would never escape our circumstances? Well, we’ve both done it. And while I didn’t need a man to help me, after all, I so appreciate having mine around,” Elizabeth said, smiling at Eddie and giving him a quick wave. Tara was so impressed with her stepbrother, and they had grown closer than ever. She’d underestimated the depth of his internal character, as he’d always been so quiet when they’d first lived together, but everything about what he’d made of himself surprised her in the best way.

Weaving through the crowd, Tara was stopped by Mary, who smiled and kissed her on the cheek.

“How are you, my dear, and how is that sweet Goddaughter of mine?”

“Growing stronger and bigger every day! I’m continually astonished by her development,” Tara responded with a proud grin. Mary had been a natural choice as a Godmother for Sarah, and Tara looked forward to a day when her daughter would feel all the warmth Mary had to give the way that she had. “And how are you, how’s the shop doing?”

“Not the same without you, of course, but I’ll make do! Michael and Lucy must have a child that they can lend me one of these days,” Mary said, and Tara knew she was only half-joking.

“I don’t think they’d mind if you took one of the older ones off their hands,” Tara said cheekily before making her excuses and continuing her mingling.

“Tara! I was just telling Eddie that I think we’ll have to visit him and Elizabeth in California sooner than later. The two of you are inseparable, after all,” Nelson said, urging Tara toward where he was standing with Eddie.

“Don’t tease me, Nelson, you know I’m not sure what I’ll do without Elizabeth a short ride away. You know, the two of us used to dream of traveling together. Now I’m stuck with you two here,” she responded, referring to Nelson and the baby, “you ought to do your best to keep me happy!” Her joking defiance made the men laugh, and Nelson put his arm around her shoulder.

“You know that I can’t deny any of your desires. If you want to take the baby on a Californian adventure, I don’t see why we can’t make that happen. As long as we can find someone to look after the ranch while we’re gone.”

Tara’s face lit up. “Do you really think we could?”

“I hereby volunteer to take care of the ranch,” Richard said, stepping in after overhearing their conversation.

“Mother would never forgive me,” Nelson said, patting his father on the back.

“Ah, well, I could take care of it in a sort of… managerial sense, overseeing and delegating to others, perhaps. Regardless, don’t let the thought of the ranch keep you from visiting your friends,” Richard said, and Tara laughed to herself. His generosity was sweet, though she knew his offer would bring as much joy to himself as it did them.

“That’s a very kind offer, Father, and I don’t doubt we’ll be taking you up on it.”

“Oh, you have to come visit us once we’re settled!” said Elizabeth, practically jumping for joy, coming toward them and clasping her hands to her heart. “Oh, apologies, I didn’t see you there,” she said in surprise after almost stepping on one of Michael and Lucy’s many children.

“Don’t apologize, it’s not your fault, Elizabeth. They run and run and run, and there’s simply no stopping them,” Lucy said, reaching for her rambunctious daughter and demanding she say sorry to the woman of the hour. “And there she goes, running off to find another victim,” Lucy added with a smile as her daughter slipped out of her hands. “They really are a handful, but I can’t imagine life without them.”

“Which is good, because we have another on the way,” Michael said, piping in. Eyes widened and mouths dropped as everyone who was listening took in this new information.

“Michael! This party is about celebrating Elizabeth and Eddie, bidding them farewell before their grand adventure. We can brag about our growing brood later,” Lucy said, scolding her husband, though her eyes were also filled with a telling joy.

“Are you really expecting again? Oh, Lucy, congratulations! We must make an announcement,” said Elizabeth, reaching for a fork to tap against her glass and call for the room’s attention.

“Oh, you don’t have to do that,” Lucy said in a weak protest before quickly relenting.

“Everyone! Eddie and I are proud to announce that Lucy and Michael are preparing to bring yet another child into this world. Huzzah!”

The room exploded into cheering, and Elizabeth looked pleased to have shifted the focus to someone else for a moment. Never before had Tara seen such a happy group of people, and she felt so lucky to be surrounded by love—love that she’d spent years thinking she may never receive.

Hours later, Tara sat on the porch with her father, looking out at the lanterns disappearing into the distance as all the guests made their way home. It had been a ferociously successful evening, and though she knew she would miss her dear friend, the thought of the exhilarating future ahead of Elizabeth filled Tara with delight.

“And Father? What for you, now that your life is your own again?” Tara asked, leaning her head on his shoulder.

“I expect I’ll continue on as I have been. Though I promise, I will not marry anyone simply because I can’t take care of the house myself. I must admit, the place was eerily quiet up until quite recently. I didn’t tell you, but I’ve hired on a housekeeper, and she’s brought the home to life now. She has a young son herself, and it feels quite nice to give a home to such deserving people. You must promise to visit me! I want to see as much of my grandchild as possible while I’m still alive,” Tim said, growing serious in the late hour.
Tara didn’t like it when her father spoke of a future without him, but she was glad to hear that he was settling into his new life. The two of them had gone through such changes constantly, it was nice to feel like there was finally some certainty to their circumstances.

“Of course, I’ll bring Sarah by as much as possible. You know, Father, I think Mother would be proud of you,” Tara said, intending to encourage Tim.

“Proud of me? I believe my largest accomplishment has been being a father to you, and I haven’t always been terribly good at that. Look at all you’ve achieved. If your mother is looking down on us, I hope she sees the gracious, kind, adventurous woman and mother you’ve become.”

Tim’s words filled Tara’s heart with joy, and she took a deep breath in. As she looked up into the night sky, a shooting star flashed across the darkness, and Tara knew that her mother was, in fact, looking down on and watching over them.

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OFFER: A BRAND NEW SERIES AND 2 FREEBIES FOR YOU!

Grab my new series, " Faith and Love on the Frontier", and get 2 FREE novels as a gift! Have a look here!

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