Epilogue
One Month Later
Parker
The leaves had changed colors and long since fallen off the branches of every deciduous tree in the area, but the orchard looking brown and barren hadn’t made it any less beautiful or fun to be in.Parker smiled as she and Travis walked through the few trees that lay between the apartment and the Kemp home, swinging Kit’s arm happily between them as the little girl hummed a tune from a tune fromThe Nightmare Before Christmas.In the past, Parker had found herself scrambling for materials the day before the candy-centric holiday in an attempt to throw something together for Kit that looked halfway decent, but Halloween hadn’t had a chance to sneak up on them this year.
The moment the first day of October had come upon them, Kit came home from school and announced that they needed to watch as many Halloween movies as possible so she could have the best costume for the holiday celebration in her class.It only took one viewing ofThe Nightmare Before Christmason the third night before Kit was declaring it her favorite and making Parker and Travis sit through it at least another fifteen times before the end of the month.Kit had worn the patchwork Sally costume she’d created with Cora to school that morning and was still wearing it now as the three of them headed toward the back porch where a gathering was already underway.
Only about half of the Kemp’s were in attendance for the pre-trick-or-treating dinner, but the noise coming from the porch would have anyone believing otherwise.Parker glanced over at Travis who was already slipping a plug into one of his ears, winking at her as they strolled up the few steps.Parker blushed, just as she did anytime she got any attention from her man.The day after he’d showed her the farm next door, he and Parker had sat down and made a plan for it.They had a lot of work ahead of them, but the possibility of having her own cherry farm next door to the place that had made so many wonderful things happen for her and her daughter outweighed the thought of more years of hard work.
Even after their talk, Travis had still been a little worried about how Kit would react to the news of her mom and him, but when they’d sat down after dinner and told her how they were a couple and wanted to build up a place for the three of them to live, her daughter had squealed so excitedly that Parker worried for Travis.Instead of finding him wincing at the piercing sound, she saw him smiling at the reaction, and that was before Kit jumped into his arms and gave him a hug so big it turned his face a funny shade of purple.At that point, Travis had looked at her, his expression so happy that Parker felt herself wishing they could skip to the end and just be in their new home already.The journey of her life had never been smooth, but at least this time she had someone to shoulder the hard stuff with her and also bring about a whole lot of good.
“C’mon, guys,” Kit urged, finger scratching beneath her long red wig.“We gotta eat fast.I don’t want to miss all the candy.”
Travis laughed gruffly.“Won’t miss a thing.Even if you did, I know where my mom hides all the full sized bars for the few kids who make the trek out this way.”
Kit’s eyes widened.“Cool.Can we bring some for my friends?”
Parker smiled and tried to untangle a few strands of Kit’s wig.This was the first year Kit had a group of friends to actually go trick-or-treating with, and as excited as her daughter was, Parker was overjoyed.Kit finally having a few kids that she clicked with, people that cared about her that were her own age and that she could play with was something Parker had always wanted Kit to have but had just never happened.Once again, Parker sent up a silent prayer of thanks for this place, which seemed to have brought so much happiness and luck into their lives.
“That’s a question for Cora.We don’t want to leave her with nothing for the other kids.”
Cora scoffed.“Please take as many as you like,” she told Kit, pulling her into a side-hug.“I’ve got more where they came from and I’m happy to help pad yours and your friends treat buckets.”Kit smiled and ran into the house, her red wig tumbling to the ground in her wake.
Travis picked it up and draped it over the back of a chair.“I’ll make sure she doesn’t take too much,” he promised, following Kit inside.
Nodding her thanks and taking her own seat, Parker smiled at Travis’s mom.“Thanks for dinner, Cora.With all the craziness of reapplying Kit’s makeup, I’m not sure I would have had the energy in me to put together anything other than crackers and string cheese.”
Smiling, Cora passed over a platter piled high with cornbread to go along with the three bean chili that had already been served up for everyone at the table, minus Willa who was still dealing with enough morning sickness that she was still on a carb-only diet.“My pleasure.”Parker took a piece of the golden bread and split it in half, taking a pad of homemade honey-butter and slapping it on the top.Stifling a moan as the rich, slightly sweetened flavor hit her tongue, she glanced over to see Cora looking at her with an expression Parker couldn’t quite read.Leaning forward, Cora lowered her voice.“I will make you and that sweet little girl in there a thousand more dinners if only to thank you for bringing such happiness to my son.”She sniffled slightly before leaning back.
Nolan wrapped his arm around her and kissed her temple.“Come on now, Love.I didn’t make the chili that spicy.”
After smacking her husband lightly on the chest, Cora leaned her head against his, looking as peaceful as Parker felt the moment Travis and Kit wandered back outside.Kit dropped an armful of candy bars into her orange jack-o-lantern shaped bucket.
When Parker raised a brow at Travis, he simply shrugged and got Kit set up with her dinner before taking his seat next to her.“Didn’t see the harm in letting her get a little more than necessary.”
