***
When Luke and Madelaine entered the town hall a short while later, the place was already filled with people.
Luke had seen the inside of the new building before, but the decorations tonight surpassed anything he could have imagined. There were flowers everywhere, filling the air with the scents of roses, lilac, and honeysuckle. When he looked down at his wife, he saw the sheer joy in her eyes as she took it all in.
Everybody was in high spirits, and all the women looked stunning in the latest fashionable dresses, some swirling around the room, dancing to an upbeat waltz. The air was filled with the laughter and celebratory conversation of all those who had fought for this town.
What neither Luke nor Madelaine had anticipated was the reception they would get when they walked inside. All their closest friends and family were already there: Timothy and Mary, Caleb and Evelyn, James, and even Father Davidgreeted them first. But then the music stopped, and suddenly the entire room broke out in ear-shattering cheers and jubilation. Everyone around them was clapping their hands, applauding them, calling out their names.
The overall excitement was palpable. Luke was proud of everything all of them had achieved as a community. It had shaped and formed bonds between these people that could never be broken again, and the neighborly spirit had grown exponentially over these last weeks. Stevensville was flourishing.
While Luke soaked in the moment, holding his beautiful wife’s hand, looking deep into her eyes, he felt closer to God than he ever had before. He felt a certainty which was unshakeable, unrelenting, and never-ending—God was right there, watching over every single one of them.
Epilogue
Peterson Ranch
Four months later
Luke and Caleb walked into the living room carrying an armful of logs for the fireplace while Madelaine and Evelyn were busy decorating the house for Christmas. It was late in the afternoon, almost time for dinner, and thick snowflakes whirled in front of the two large windows in the living room.
“Hello, ladies!” Luke greeted them cheerfully. Madelaine gifted him with the warmest smile. “It’s looking very festive in here already!” he said, rolling the logs off his arm in front of the fireplace.
“You’ve said that the last two times you came in here, too,” Madelaine remarked with a raised eyebrow, trying to hide her smile, but failing.
“Yes! And every time I come back, it’s looking more and more beautiful,” he declared as he brushed some bark from his sleeve. “Just like my wife does, every single day,” he said matter-of-factly. Madelaine shook her head at him, but she could feel her cheeks heating up, and she giggled, nonetheless.
“I’ll have to go out there and cut some more fir branches so we can make a wreath for the door, too,” Caleb offered as he dumped his load of wood logs right next to Luke’s. Both men swiftly began to stack them on top of the existing pile next to the fireplace.
“Oh, yes, please! That would be great,” Evelyn exclaimed, smiling sweetly at her husband. “Can you believe that it’s been a whole year already since everything happened?” Evelyn mused to nobody in particular, half preoccupied with a big red bow she was trying to tie to a beautiful fir garland Caleb had hung up this morning.
“It’s definitely been a wild year, that’s for sure,” Madelaine replied as she affixed yet another pinecone to a string, which she wanted to drape across the garland. “So much has happened!” She smiled at Luke when she said that, and he grinned from ear to ear in response.
She still couldn’t believe the changes he’d gone through during these last few months. He was barely recognizable as the Luke she’d met almost exactly one year ago. There hadn’t been a single day of angry outbursts or grumpy behavior from him. Instead, he’d turned into this amazingly kind, caring, loving husband, praying with them every morning, night, and before meals. He’d taken them to church every single Sunday and all the other times when there was a reason to celebrate his newly found love for the Lord. Madelaine was convinced that she was dreaming.
“One more load oughta do it,” Caleb suggested, already walking back toward the door, where he waited. “Then we’re done for today, I think.”
Luke nodded enthusiastically. “I agree. We’ve loaded up every single room in the house. At this rate, we should have enough firewood until spring!” he chuckled.
“You wish!” Caleb snorted as he patted his friend’s shoulder. “This is going to be a harsh winter. I can feel it.”
“The winter weather makes it so cozy and merry and bright,” Madelaine half sang, “and this year we will celebrate Christmas the way we’re supposed to celebrate it! With family, with love, and with God.”
Luke smiled at that, and Madelaine couldn’t remember the last time she’d looked forward to the season this much. Her heart overflowed with gratitude as she looked around the room.
“Hallelulalalaah!” Belle sang loudly, who sat next to Simon at the table, both making paper garlands they wanted to decorate the Christmas tree with, although Belle hadn’t gotten the hang of it just yet. Being the good brother he was, Simon repeatedly tried to show her how to form the loop of the paper strip so that it would form the next link. She was having a tough time—at three-and-a-half years old, her fingers weren’t very coordinated yet—but she kept trying and managed to add another one for every ten Simon made.
“Oh, this looks so pretty!” Madelaine exclaimed when she looked at their progress. It earned her a beaming smile from her little sister and a wide grin from her little brother.
“We are a great team, aren’t we?” Simon asked, proudly looking down at Belle.
“The best team there ever was!” Evelyn exclaimed, and they all giggled. The men headed back outside as Mrs. Keagan walked into the living room with a beaming smile. Her cheeks were bright red, probably from cooking dinner.
“I just wanted to let you know that dinner will be ready soon,” she announced, looking at the first decorations that adorned the room. “Oh, my, this is so very beautiful already!” she exclaimed happily. “I am so very glad to see this house decorated again,” she added, a little quieter.
“Thank you, I appreciate that,” Madelaine replied, smiling at her warmly.
The men walked back in shortly thereafter, stacked the last wood logs on top of the others, and everybody moved to the dining room to have dinner together.
