Epilogue
“Ladies and gentleman, may I present to you, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Crawford! You may kiss the bride!”
The audience exploded in cheers and clapping as Robert lifted the long, white lacy veil that separated him from his bride and pressed his lips to hers. Carrie felt a flutter in her chest as her heart began to beat differently. Now, her heart would always beat in time with his.
With wide smiles on their faces, the two of them turned to face the crowd, and the cheering continued. Together, they walked hand-in-hand down the aisle of the massive historical church Carrie had chosen for their ceremony. She grasped a bouquet of white lilies in her free hand as she smiled at her friends and family. The Ashtons had paid for her family to travel to the city for the wedding, and her parents beamed at her from the front row where they sat right next to Charlie, Meg, Henry, Johanna, Jonathan, and Edward. On the other side, her new family, Robert’s family, grinned at them as well.
They made their way down the aisle with joy bubbling up in their chests. Once they were through the doors, they took a moment to kiss again. “I can’t believe you’re my wife,” Robert whispered. Soon enough, they’d be waiting for their guests to filter by and tell them congratulations before heading off to have their portrait made and then take part in a reception so grand Carrie couldn’t bring herself to look at the final bill. Charlie had said not to worry about it, so she was trying her best not to.
Not that Robert couldn’t afford to pay for it himself now. In the six months since they’d returned from their journey, he’d taken a lucrative position in one of Charlie’s companies, and the two of them had worked together to get his motorcoach patent accepted. Now, Charlie owned a new company which was working with motorcoach manufacturers to implement Robert’s new technology, and he had already made over a hundred thousand dollars from the royalties alone. After their honeymoon in Upstate New York, they’d be moving into a grand home a few blocks away from Meg and Charlie. Carrie was so proud of everything he’d accomplished. That wasn‘t all he had in mind, though, and she loved chatting with him over tea about his other ideas. It was quite clear Robert Crawford was a talented, ambitious man who was on his way to improving their world in ways she couldn’t even comprehend.
“I love you so much,” he whispered as the first guests reached them.
“I love you, too.”
“I’m so proud of you. My petite modeste.”
Carrie couldn’t help but laugh as Meg wrapped her in a tight hug and congratulated her. Robert had taken to calling her that since she opened her first dress shop a few months ago. She was hardly a modeste, but with Meg’s influence, many of New York’s most prominent women requested designer gowns regularly. Carrie had designed several that had quickly become the talk of the town and the hit of the season. Her heart swelled with overwhelming pride and love.
“Congratulations,” Charlie told her, hugging her tightly. “I’m so proud of you, Carrie.”
“Thank you, Mr.--Charlie.” Old habits died hard. Sometimes, she still wanted to call them Mr. and Mrs. Ashton. He chuckled and pounded Robert on the back hardily.
When Jonathan reached her, Carrie felt the sting of tears in her eyes. She’d always been fond of the liegeman, but now, the two of them shared a bond no one else would ever understand. He was like a brother to her, and she couldn’t wait to have children of her own for him to toss in the air and tickle until they squealed with laughter.
“Well done, Carrie,” he whispered as they embraced. “I’m so happy for you.”
“Thank you, my friend.” It was hard to let him go when he’d been her lifeline for so long, but she knew that Robert would always be there for her. With a deep breath, she released the man who had saved her life and locked eyes with the man who had her heart.
The reception was wonderful, with tasty food and exquisite decorations. Carrie didn’t have much time to take it all in. Everything happened so quickly, she hardly had time to taste the cake or smell the flowers.
But before they left to catch a private car to Niagara Falls, Carrie found herself wrapped up in Robert’s arms once more for one last dance on their wedding day. It wouldn’t be the last time she danced with her wonderful husband, though. Every chance she got for however many years she was blessed to spend with him, she’d take his hand and let him lead her out on the dance floor. When she closed her eyes, she saw a field of stars above her and heard the sweet refrain of Gretchen Flynn’s voice as she sang a love song.
Not all of Carrie’s memories of Lusitania were tragic.
“What are you thinking about, my love?” Robert whispered.
Carrie opened her eyes and stared into his dark orbs. “I was thinking… I’m so blessed to be your wife. And… I want to have a little boy with eyes just like yours.”
A chuckle escaped Robert’s lips. “I think we should get started on that right away. Now, if you’re ready, let’s start our next adventure.”
Carrie smiled back. “As long as it doesn’t involve a boat, I’m game.”
Hand-in-hand, they set off together to start their next journey confident that they could survive anything as long as they were together.
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