A/N This came to me and I decided to heed an acquaintance's advice and tack it on as an epilogue.

EPILOGUE

The sun was just beginning to set and a cool breeze blew through the trees making the leaves dance. Luke sat on the porch his mind on his fifteen year old daughter, Melissa. When he heard the door creak open he turned his head. It was Melissa. He quickly stood up and held the screen door open for her.

He watched as she used her steel crutches to get to a chair; they and the braces she wore tore at his heart. She'd been thrown from her horse the month before and the doctors all said she'd probably be in the braces for at least six months or more.

"I'm sorry fer the things I said this mornin'. I let self pity get in my way and forgot that ya have been through worse. Mama was more than happy to remind me." young Melissa sat down and looked at her father.

He smiled with understanding in his eyes. Putting his hand on the young girl's shoulder he said, "Don't worry 'bout it. I made it through my ordeal and so will you."

"What was it like fer ya?" Melissa had never been able to wrap her mind around the story she'd heard from her great Uncle Jesse, "Uncle" Bo and "Aunt" Daisy on more than once occasion. It seemed so unreal.

"Hell," he answered bluntly, "Some folks may not consider it the best word only what else would ya call it when ya wake up unable to do a blasted thing and with only a very small portion of yer mem'ry? I had no idea, at first, if I was supposed ta know yer mother or yer uncles or not. Sure may sound funny but it made my day to have them introduce themselves as total strangers who were only doin' their best to help me."

It was Melissa's turn to chuckle, "Ya, guess it would. It made a difference though, didn't it? I mean, them standin' by ya until life brought ya back to yer own family."

Luke nodded, "It always makes a difference when ya know someone cares; and," due to some things she'd 'thrown out' during her morning fit he leaned forward, "and despite what some have said they did truly care. Also there were some who questioned your mother and I gettin' married. They said I was mistaking gratitude for love and she was mistaking the feeling of compassion for it-some still say it, I admit. Neither one of us is gonna sit and fight with them over it. That takes too much energy. Besides; after twenty years and five children-da ya really think we need to worry 'bout what others may have been sayin' or may still be sayin'?"

Melissa shook her head, "Not really. Guess yer tryin' to say I shouldn't listen to 'those kind of people either?" She thought on the cruel things some of the young boys and girls had been sayin' since her accident.

"'bout the size of it," Luke smiled as turned and looked through the kitchen window. Paula was cleaning the kitchen, "I didn't necessarily enjoy going through hell. Still, it brought a lot of growth to me and a lot of blessin's too." He leaned back in his chair, "Life isn't always what we want it to be, honey. Sure, I was blessed to recover fully when it comes to my physical well being and my speech long since returned to normal only," he turned up the palms of his hands up, "To this day there are a few of my mem'ries still missin'. True, there are but a few still," he sighed, "It's not all that fun on the rare times Bo, Daisy and others start reminiscin' 'bout some event I was supposed ta be involved in and I don't remember it. I truly wish I could. If I chose to listen other people's negative opinion though? I wouldn't be here today." His eyes wandered over the farm.

Melissa felt an inch high after all the negative things she'd blurted out, "So, we take one day at a time, look for the good and quit any whinin'?" She smiled as she recalled a part of her mother's strong rebuke at the way she'd acted towards her father.

He started grinning and answered, "Ya got it, girl!"