From this point on, she didn’t care if the whole world knew.
Epilogue
Even though the sun was beginning to set, it was still quite warm on this early July Arkansas evening. A sizable crowd had gathered on the sprawling back lawn of Henry and Deloris Easton’s home for their long-established Independence Day barbecue. Because of Deloris’s health, they’d had to cancel the event for the past two years, but she’d felt well enough this year to insist on reviving the tradition.
Reassuring herself occasionally that her mother was holding up well to the demands of hostessing, Anne mingled with the guests and quietly handled most of the supervision of the catering and festivities. The lawn was attractively crowded with red, white and blue decorated tables and party lights. Discreetly placed fans kept air circulating among the guests, who were heartily enjoying the abundant food offerings. A Dixieland band played on a small, portable stage
in one corner, adding to the festive atmosphere, but not so loud to interfere with conversation. All in all, she deemed the event a great success.
She glanced at a table where her study group friends sat eating and laughing. Her mother had insisted Anne invite those friends who had been so supportive in helping Anne survive the past two years of school, and they had all accepted. Connor was accompanied by his wife, Mia, and their daughter, Alexis. Haley had brought her friend Kris. James and Ron had come stag. Ron was actually being civil to Haley’s date, though Anne still had her suspicions about Ron’s feelings for Haley.
Things would change with the coming school year, Anne thought a bit sadly. After spending four semesters in the same classes, the group would be split up for rotations. Now that they had all taken Step 1, they wouldn’t need to study as a group. They hadn’t received their test results yet, but they were all cautiously optimistic that they had passed. The upcoming demands on their time would make it hard for them to get together very often on a social basis, though they had all promised solemnly that they would not let their friendship end with the change in their schedules. She hoped very much that it would prove to be true.
“Your friends seem to be having a good time,” Anne’s mother commented when their paths crossed at the drinks table. “Go join them. Everything’s going smoothly here.”
“I will,” Anne agreed. “I was just getting a glass of lemonade.”
Leaning only lightly on her cane, her mom smiled at her. “Thank you so much for all your help today, sweetheart. I don’t know how I would have gotten everything done without you. I’m so glad we decided to have the party. I’m having a wonderful time.”
Anne leaned over to brush a quick kiss against her mom’s soft cheek. “It’s a great party, Mother.”
Looking over Anne’s shoulder, her mom smiled more brightly. “I think it’s about to get better for you. Look who’s joined us.”
Turning, Anne caught her breath in surprised pleasure. “Liam!” she called out, waving to get her husband’s attention as he entered the gate to the back lawn.
He greeted her with a hug that brought her feet off the ground, and a kiss that promised much more to come when they were alone. Grinning, he set her back down.
She laughed happily and rested a hand on his chest. “I thought you were going to be tied up until next week in meetings in New York.”
“We wrapped up early. I didn’t want to miss watching the fireworks with you.”
Hugging him again, she said, “I’m so glad you’re here.”
“So am I.” He moved away from her only far enough to greet her mother with a peck on the cheek. Anne noted that he was getting less awkward with her mother as they’d had time to adjust to each other. He and her brother got along quite well, too.
As for her father and grandfather—well, they were coming around, she thought with a wry smile. The fireworks she had expected in response to her marriage announcement had come after everyone was certain that Liam would recover fully from his emergency appendectomy. There had been recriminations and hurt feelings all around, but her family was too tightly knit to allow their disapproval to split them apart. They’d made certain that Anne was able to finish her second year and take her big exam with the support of her family to bolster her.
Her father and grandfather still took great pleasure in referring to her husband as “that McCright boy,” and she couldn’t say they were exactly enthusiastic yet about her springing a surprise marriage on them, but they were all polite enough when the family gathered. Liam had already charmed his way into his mother-in-law’s good graces, and he was making headway with the men. He made the effort for Anne’s sake, and she would always be thankful to him for that, especially knowing that he would have been content to avoid her family altogether.
Liam seemed to have accepted in resignation that Anne’s family was now a permanent and prominent part of his life, too. She hoped there would come a day when he’d be grateful for that, but maybe that was asking a little too much.
He had been spending as much time as he could with Anne since he’d been released from the hospital three days after his surgery. His job would always demand a great deal of travel, but his home base would be with her from now on. They were both content with that arrangement for the present. Perhaps in the future, they had agreed, he would concentrate more on writing and producing so he wouldn’t have to be gone quite so much, but they would concentrate on that later.
Because he loved her, he was making the best of the situation.
“You’re looking well, Deloris,” he said, using Anne’s mother’s first name, as Deloris had requested. “Looks like a great party, too.”
“It’s going very well,” she agreed, “thanks to Anne’s help.”
It had taken her mom a bit to recover from the shock of learning about Anne’s marriage, and from the disappointment that there hadn’t been a big, elaborate wedding to plan. She made no secret that she didn’t entirely approve of the risks Liam sometimes took in pursuit of a story, but she seemed impressed that he would soon be a published author.
“Alice,” she called out, motioning toward a woman passing nearby. “You haven’t had a chance to meet my son-in-law yet, have you? This is Liam McCright. He’s on TV, you know.”
Anne and Liam exchanged a laughing glance before he courteously greeted her mother’s friend. Anne stood nearby while he heaped a plate with barbecue and side dishes. Then they joined her study group, who greeted Liam warmly among them, all of them having met him prior to this gathering.
Surrounded by her family and close friends, Anne realized that she had never been happier. She still had a long way to go in her medical training, lots more hard work, grueling exams and exhausting pressure, but she felt more ready now to face those challenges. She would have a fulfilling career, and she would be married to the man she’d loved from the moment she’d met him.
She couldn’t ask for anything more.