Epilogue

We left the inn early the next morning and continued our journey to explore the small town of Gorham, New Hampshire. It turned out to be a very charming, quaint place. The striking backdrop of the mountains and deep forests gave it almost an adventurous feel. I found I was distracted though, willing myself to concentrate on the details of our potential new home, instead of just gazing at Carlisle or my beautiful engagement ring.

As we walked down the streets, I wrapped my left hand around his arm. It was almost an unconscious gesture at first. I didn't mean to show off, but I was just so ecstatic. I wanted to tell every stranger who we passed that this amazing man was now my future husband. It was all I could do to contain my joy.

Carlisle told me that he had already been offered a position at the local hospital, and we found a house that we both adored, so when we returned home, we were full of exciting news for Edward. Naturally, he wasn't very surprised by all of this, but he was happy for us and assured me that, of course, he would come with us—something I had been quite worried about on the drive home.

The day following our return, I went downstairs after Carlisle had gone to work to find a large ivory envelope with my name written on it lying the coffee table. I picked it up, tracing the curling letters with my finger, Carlisle's handwriting. Noting that it was rather heavy to be a card, I sat on the couch, opening it carefully. It was a card, but there was a silken purple ribbon attached to it, tucked inside like a bookmark with a sizable, rather ornate key hanging from it. It wasn't just a decoration or meant for a piece of jewelry; it was a real door key and not from a contemporary lock either.

I knew it couldn't be to our new house. We had those keys already. I blinked at it, moving it aside to read the handwritten message inside: I believe in you and want to share all of your dreams. Happy Valentine's Day, Esme. Love always, Carlisle.

It registered so quickly that I let out a sharp cry of surprise before I even thought about trying to stop it. Edward was in the room almost instantly.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Carlisle bought me a house!" I exclaimed, still holding the card in front of me in one hand, the other covering my open mouth.

"I know. . ." he began.

"No, no, not that one," I interrupted, reaching out to lift the key in my fingers. "When we were in Gorham, I saw this wonderful but neglected Victorian house, like the ones I used to dream of living in when we went to the city when I was a little girl. I made him stop the car so I could get out to look at it." I laughed softly at the memory. "I told him that I had always wanted to have a house just like that one, but that I wouldn't even know where to begin to restore it."

I glanced over and Edward smiled at me, shaking his head slightly.

"I have to go thank him right now," I said, untying the ribbon from the card and putting it around my neck instead. I jumped up, grapping the first of my coats I came across and sliding my feet into the closest pair of shoes as I put it on.

It didn't dawn on me until I was walking down the sidewalk through town, forcing myself to keep a human pace, that I had never been to where Carlisle worked. In fact, I never really came out on my own, especially during the day. But it was early on a cloudy, blustery, snowy morning and not many people were out.

I caught my reflection in a window and noted that I looked as happy as I felt. Just over a year ago, I thought I could never be happy again. My belief that life wasn't worth living at all had been completely turned around to an overwhelming sense of gratitude and happiness for the inevitable amount of time I had here. When my faith in love had been shattered in my human life, my heart simply could not bear the thought of being in this world without it. And now I was convinced that I had the greatest love the world had ever known.