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Epilogue

EPILOGUE

EMERIE

Five Years Later

“Be careful, sweetie,” I say to Levinia as we walk along the pathway through the cemetery to the military section. While Levi could’ve been buried in a national cemetery, Miriam and Dale wanted him home in Possum Creek. Still, he has a beautiful headstone with the picture of him in his uniform embossed in the center, along with the Navy insignia, and beloved son, brother, and father on the bottom below his dash.

“I am, Mama!” she exclaims, skipping along. “I want Daddy to meet my bubba!”

My tears well up and spill over as I feel his arm wrap around my waist, while his other carries our one-week-old son, Levi.

When we arrive at Levi’s headstone, I watch as Levinia places the flowers in the vase at the base. We’ve visited often over the years, as have my parents and his, so she knows how to remove the old ones and put the new ones in by now. Damien reaches over and places a quarter on the top, right next to the line of quarters he’s left before.

Damien clears his throat and says, “Hey, man, sure do miss the fu-fudge out of you. Want to introduce you to our son, your namesake, Levi Jonathan Strong.”

“I’m a big sissy now, Daddy,” Levinia chimes in, causing Damien to chuckle as I swipe at my eyes. “Papa Damien says he looks like you did when you were a baby. Memaw showed him pictures!”

“He’s the spitting image of you, man, but then again, you and I always favored one another too, so that’s probably why.”

“Daddy, can Papa Damien adopt me? I would still have your last name too, but I would hyphen it.”

“Hyphenate, Levinia,” I add.

“Yeah, what Mama said,” she says. “That way, Little Levi and I can have the same last name. I’m going to protect him like you did Mama when she was little. I know I’m just a girl, but Pappy and Papa Damien said I’m strong like you were, so I can do it!” she exclaims.

I hear soft laughter coming from behind me and turn to see Miriam and Dale, as well as my parents standing there just listening to their granddaughter.

“Figured y’all would be here,” Dale states, coming alongside and reaching for the baby. “Wanted to invite y’all out for supper.”

“Sounds good to me, Dale,” Damien replies. “That okay with you, Em?”

“I wanna go,” Levinia says. “Please, Mama, can we? I need to gather the eggs so me and Memaw are ready to take them to the farmer’s market.”

I shake my head while laughter threatens to burst free. My daughter has embraced country living to the fullest and can often be found alongside Miriam as she crafts her jams and jellies, as well as her pies, for the farmer’s market and county fair. Levi may not still be on this side of the grass and there’s a part of me that will always miss him, but he gave me a beautiful girl and his best friend so I could keep on living, and I can’t argue that my life is sweeter because of his gift.

“Absolutely!” I tell her before I place my own coin on the headstone. A shiny penny that sits next to the others I’ve put there over the years, the patina still a sharp, copper color. Leaning closer, I whisper, “Thank you, Levi, for everything. The gifts you gave me are priceless, and I’ll cherish them as long as I have breath.”

Stepping back, we let the two couples have their time, with Levinia clutching both of her grandmothers’ hands, while Damien holds me. “Love you, Emerie Strong.”

“I love you more, Damien Strong. Thank you for this beautiful life.”

Thanks for visiting Possum Creek! I have no clue if I’ll expand this one or not but if you’re in my reader’s group, you’ll be among the first to know!

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