Elna felt a twinge of sadness, but she offered Raymond a smile. It was for the best, wasn’t it? “I think that sounds like a great idea, Raymond. I’m sure you’ll all be very happy together.”
“I think so,” Raymond replied. “Danny and Chloe are best friends now, and Miriam and I have been getting to know each other. It seems a little bit like destiny.”
Elna had to walk away. She wasn’t ready for goodbyes, even though she’d expected them. She approached Selene and Dr. Ruzka next, refilling their cups.
“Thanks, Elna,” Selene said. “You know, I’ve been talking with the doctor here, and…”
Another goodbye. Elna saw it coming and braced herself. “You’re leaving the island, too,” she said. “Is that what you’re about to tell me?”
“Well, I think we’re headed to Manchester,” Selene said. “We’ve practically become sisters, you know? She’s like family to me, and she’s going to find me a position at the clinic there. The sailboat’s no longer seaworthy, of course. The Betty Lynn is half-sunk beside the fishing dock, but a Navy ship has offered transportation when they head south in a few days.”
“We work well together,” Dr. Ruzka said. “We might incorporate some of Selene’s natural remedies into our treatment at the clinic.”
“That’s sound great,” Elna replied. “What about Sniffy?”
“Oh.” A brief wistful look came over Selene’s face. “I’m happy for him. He was with me through so much. I’ll be grateful to that little guy forever, but I think he’s found the right family now. I just want him to be happy.”
“Sniffy sure loves Chloe,” Elna said. “Anyway, I’m sure you’re making the right decision, Selene. We’ll miss you. Write us sometime.”
“If there’s a postal service, I’ll send a card once I’ve settled in at the clinic,” Selene replied.
“That would be nice.”
And on some level, some deeper level, this all felt right to Elna. People had to move on with their lives. Still, she felt an ache as she walked away. She walked back across the room, setting the pitcher on the table in passing, and sat down beside Malin. He put his arms around her.
“Are you okay?” he asked. “I heard a whole lot of goodbyes just now.”
“I’m fine,” she said. “Better than ever, actually. I’ll miss our people when they leave, of course, but it’s good for them. They’re building new lives in a healing country, and isn’t that what we want?”
“It is,” he said, kissing her on the cheek.
“You’re not going anywhere, I hope,” she said.
“Never,” he said. And when she turned toward him, he kissed her on the lips. “I’ll stay as long as you’ll have me.”
“How about…one whole, entire lifetime,” she said.
“You got it, Elna Pasqualee. One whole, entire lifetime.”
Epilogue
Elna, Malin, and George stood together beside the first trellis, gazing out across the vineyard. The grapes were coming in, and they looked healthy. It seemed like it was going to be a good harvest this season, and Malin was already daydreaming about the first taste of new wine. For him, that seemed like it would be the best and clearest sign that life was getting back to some semblance of normal.
“We’re going to rebuild it all, of course,” George said. The old man seemed a bit healthier now that all the turmoil and trauma was past him. Still, he was leaning on a cane as he gazed out at the trellises and the growing vines. Trimming his beard had made the biggest difference in his appearance. He looked ten years younger—though Malin kind of missed the old Santa Claus look. “The new vineyard will be new, fully modern, and more secure. What do you think, Elna?”
“We’re on the same page, Pop,” she said, patting him on the back. “I’ve already been working on some plans. With the bridges repaired, we have access to the mainland again, and no militia to worry about, so we can obtain supplies. We need bigger, stronger trellises for the vines, and we should probably replace the old water tank. Anyway, I guess all of the turmoil was good for the grapes. They’re coming in really well. We’ll have a late harvest, of course, but we’ll get to spend the winter making wine. We should be tasting it by Christmas.”
“That’s all I really wanted,” Pop replied. “It’ll be the best Christmas in years.”
“That’s right,” she said.
Malin looked at Elna and Pop. They were his family now. His whole world. He could think of no better future than to rebuild and help them run the vineyard here on the island for the rest of his life, as the nation came back to life across the bay. The military was already crawling all over the old lighthouse area, building a newer and better bunker, but he’d been told that more were on the way. The US military intended to fully secure the West Coast against further attack. Indeed, another company of Marines had marched across the causeway just that morning.
There remained a lot of uncertainty about the future, of course. Nothing was guaranteed. But Malin felt confident that they would face it together. He reached over and took Elna’s hand as the three of them gazed out across the vineyard—their home—and dared to dream about a better tomorrow.
Christmas on the island meant a drop of about ten degrees in temperature—not a big change and certainly no snow. Still, they managed to decorate the winery and the new house for the season. A small pine tree from the mainland served as a Christmas tree from its place in the corner of the new dining room. Of course, the new house wasn’t nearly as fancy as the old guesthouse. It was smaller, simpler, but also quaint.
Access to the mainland had reopened supply lines, and power had been restored by the military. Still, Elna felt like she was in
