Once in Every Life

Finally Jack pulled away. Taking her face in his hands, he stared down into her luminous, love-filled brown eyes and felt a surge of emotion so strong, so big, he almost buckled at the force of it. "I didn't do it," he whispered quietly. "I ... remembered."

There was a long, pregnant pause. Tears sparkled in her eyes. "I never thought you did."

"I love you so much." Jack's throat closed up when he said the words.

"I love you, too, Jack."

He leaned down and kissed her. A slow, lingering kiss that held nothing back. Then he pulled away and whispered, "Let's go home."

She looked up at him, her eyes shining with happy, loving tears. "Home."

That's all she said. Just a single, simple word, but Jack had never heard anything as wonderful in his life. The word sank into his soul and caused a glowing warmth. He looped an arm around her shoulder, and together they stared down the shadowy road toward their farm. They couldn't see any buildings, but in their hearts, they saw it

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all. The picture-memory of it filled their souls, beckoned them to return to the place where it all began.

Home.

Jack bent down and picked up the basket. Caleb blinked up at him and gurgled a welcome.

Jack grinned. "Hey, he smiled at me!"

Lissa slipped her hand in his. "Of course he did." She leaned against his shoulder. "You're his daddy. Now, let's go home."

Epilogue

CHRISTMAS EVE 1873

Tess stood beside Jack, her arm curled around his waist. Outside, a winter storm raged. Rain burst from the heavens in a great whooshing sound and hammered the pitched roof overhead. Running water blurred the small window-pane, turning the glass into a square of undulating silver.

She and Jack stared through the small, waving pane, their gazes searching the darkness for the small white cross on the hillside above the barn. The moon slid past a charcoal gray cloud, sending fingers of blue-white light across the barren landscape.

Tess felt the tremble in Jack's body, and she knew what he was thinking. Though the blackouts were no more, a good hard rain still triggered the painful memories of his past. She sidled closer, letting her body form to his. Her cheek rested on the hard ball of his shoulder.

"I still miss him so much," Jack said in a throaty whisper.

Tess kissed his shoulder. "I know."

Together they stood against the storm, staring out the window. Far in the distance, Tess saw a flash of white in the moonlight. She smiled softly, remembering the day, not so long ago, when Jack placed that plain white cross in the

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ground. It had been sunny that day, the air tinged with the scent of the sea and a million blooming flowers.

The family sat in a circle around the cross, holding hands. Slowly, through tears and laughter and memories, Jack told his children about the uncle they'd never known.

Such a little thing, she thought, making a grave, and yet it had given Jack a place to go where he felt close to Johnny. A way to say good-bye.

Somewhere a bell tinkled, snapping Tess out of her memories.

"What was that?" Tess asked.

Thunder boomed through the night. Jack shivered and crossed his arms, staring intently at the shimmer of white through the night's darkness. In times like this, when the power of the past was strong, Jack focused on the cross and remembered the good times. "What? Huh?"

Tess eased away from him. "I'll be right back." Reaching for her flannel robe, she kissed him good-bye and left the bedroom.