Thomas and Alice came for a short while, but they left before Ruth and the children arrived. It was the only way my parents could handle the situation for now. I was sad that I didn’t get to say goodbye to Andrew, but he’d made his decisions, and I couldn’t force him to turn away from them. I would pray for him, as I knew my parents and Ruth would, and hope he could find his way back to Ruth and the children.
But it was the arrival of Lewis that I anticipated the most. Asthe children played in the parlor and my parents visited with Ruth and Irene, I saw Lewis pull up in his Chevy.
I excused myself and walked out onto the porch.
It was still raining, so I waited for him. He got out of his vehicle and raced up the sidewalk to the house. When he reached the porch, he looked up and smiled.
“Hello, Carrie.”
“Hello, Lewis.”
“I was surprised to get your invitation today.”
“I’m happy you could come. Will you sit out here with me for a minute?”
“Of course.”
We went to the swing and took a seat.
The rain fell in a steady cadence, dripping on the green leaves of the trees and the blades of grass in the lawn. Mother’s mums were just starting to bloom, and they opened their petals to the life-giving rain.
“I don’t know how to tell you this,” I said to Lewis, “but today is my last day here.”
“What?” He turned to me. “What does that mean?”
“I spoke to one of my relatives in Salem Village yesterday, and she told me that I must choose which life I want on my twenty-first birthday. I’ve decided to stay in 1727.”
“For Marcus?” he asked.
“His real name is Maxwell MacDougal, and yes. I’m staying for him.” I explained to Lewis how we’d gone to the governor, and Maxwell had been given a pardon. “He’s a good man, and I love him very much.”
“You’d have to, to give up all of this.”
“It won’t be easy, but I’m grateful I have Hope to help guide me. I also have other family members there.” I pulled a letter from my pocket, one I’d written earlier in the day. “This is for Annie. I’ve explained everything to her. Will you see that she gets it? She deserves to understand this gift we’ve been given.”
He took the letter and slowly nodded. “I will.”
“Thank you.”
We continued to swing, neither of us speaking for a moment. A gentle breeze blew onto the porch, ruffling my hair and the hem of my skirt.
“I love you, Carrie,” he said as he touched the edges of the envelope. “I’ve loved you my whole life, and I don’t think I’ll ever stop.”
I took his hand in both of mine. “I love you, too, Lewis.”
“Just not in the way I’d always hoped.”
“I’m sorry.”
He let out a sigh and lifted my hand to his lips to give it a kiss. “I am, too. But I’m starting to realize it’s for the best.”
“Because of Irene?”
He nodded and smiled, then he stood and drew me to my feet. “Come on, Curly Carrie. Let’s not waste this last night together mourning the past or the future.”
He started to tug me into the house, but I stopped him. “Be good to her,” I said.
His face softened, and he said, “I’ll tease her incessantly.”
