“B-roll.”
“I like it.” She patted his arm. “It gives the viewer a little bit of hope. She’s dead but loved, you know?”
“Agree.” Behind him the boys whispered, smacking their baseballs into their gloves. Jeremiah turned, giving them the fatherly eye of “quiet or else.”
“Know what Chris is saying here?” Chloe said. “‘Daschle, what’d you have for breakfast? You weigh a ton.’”
The scene changed once again. Chloe followed the camera into the Kingsley home, into the parlor and the stack of Esther’s books on the desk.
“An epilogue?”
“Something like that.”
The shot moved outside, to an upcountry sunset over the barnyard.
“When was this?” Chloe said, then instantly recognized the first day and the attack of the evil rooster. Esther bumped into Hamilton. “Wait, isn’t that Jesse? Chris wasn’t there yet.”
Jeremiah smirked. “Zarzour said to use B-roll.”
“Jesse as Hamilton is the final scene? But this wasn’t in the script.”
“We came up with the idea later. Well, someone came up with it. A really smart guy suggested it.”
Hamilton walked alongside Esther as the children clung to him, and the lens focused on the American colonies’ flag flapping in the breeze. Freedom.
“What do you think?” Jeremiah angled to see her face.
Chloe turned to him. “Are you telling me that’s the ending?”
“That’s the ending.”
“OfBound by Love? The one where I died so beautifully? Just like Greg ordered.”
“You did die beautifully, Chloe. But this is a love story. And if love doesn’t triumph, we have no movie.”
“So I don’t die. I mean, Esther doesn’t die?”
“She lives. Happily ever after.”
“Oh my gosh...” Laughter bubbled up. “Are you serious? I can’t believe it. Thank you. Truly. Jeremiah, you are the best of the best! And you can tell my father I said so.” She fell into the embrace of her friend, her hero. “This is amazing! Esther doesn’t die. Hear that, boys? She lives. Your dad is a genius.”
“I can’t take the credit. The idea wasn’t mine.”
“Then who? Sharon? Dad? Wouldn’t it be just like him?”
“None of the above. Though I did hear about it through Raymond.” Jeremiah stood, motioning to the kids in the light of the projector. “Come on, let’s go play ball. Leave these two alone.”
Chloe jumped up. “What two? Where are you going?” She snatched her bag up from the floor.
“You’re staying, Chloe.” Jeremiah raised the canned lights just enough for a romantic hue to fill the room. There in the back row sat Jesse, his dark hair loose and flopped over his brow. “With this guy. He’s the genius behind the ending.”
“Jesse.”
He stood. “Hello, Chloe. I got your letter.”
31
JESSE
