Jesse threaded his way over to her, his gaze meeting hers, the love she saw there making her heart swell.
She stood, slipped into the sanctuary of his embrace, the feel of his arms around her smoothing away her jagged edges.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
She smiled, nodded. “Yeah. How about you?”
“I’m good. I thought that since these monkeys were so good, we should go get some ice cream.” He scooped the kids up, one in each arm. “You want ice cream?”
The kids nodded, big smiles on their faces.
In the distance, a bugler was playing “Taps.”
A life ended. A new life beginning.
Ellie sent a silent farewell to Dan, then fell in beside Jesse, the path ahead of them bright with sunshine.