Promise Me (Book One of the Kirkland Family)

Promise Me: Epilogue

Chapter 49  (Epilogue)


“I now pronounce you...Husband and Wife.  You may kiss her now,” Brother Joe said, smiling, after the unusual exchange of vows.

Finally! Justin thought.  Cheers rang out as he bent his new wife over his arm and kissed the mess out of her.  They were married!

The past six days had incorporated more than just a compromise on the date.  Hannah had wanted to get married in a church, but the chapel was unavailable, so she settled for the Kirkland’s backyard.  But Hannah’s old choir minister, Brother Joe, who was also ordained to marry couples, was still available.  

And his brother, Luke, made it to the wedding, standing up as his Best Man.  He arrive two days ago, and the first thing he did when he saw Hannah was to draw her into a hug and a kiss on the lips, knowing it would set Justin’s temper flaring.

Justin almost sent his charming ass back to Spain.

But Hannah seemed immune to his younger brother’s charisma.  She laughed, asked how he’d been all these years, and shared a few fond memories.  But then Hannah turned away from hin and focused her own charm on Luke’s wife and two girls.  Soon, the two women and all three girls -- Josie, included -- were chatting and giggling like old friends.  Justin let out a relieved breath, and smacked Luke upside the head.  That night, all of them had dinner together, and Hannah would look at Luke sometimes and frown, as though trying to determine what she ever saw in him back in high school.  However, as soon as she gazed at Justin, her eyes would light up with delight and desire, and he no longer felt any animosity in the old friendship between her and his little brother.  Luke saw Hannah’s reaction to Justin, too, and he smiled.  Justin needed a woman like Hannah to love him.

And she did love him -- Justin Lewis Jackass Kirkland.  If it hadn’t been for Luke, Justin might not have ever met her.  He could forgive Luke’s pestering behavior for that reason alone.

Along with other family members at the wedding, Hannah’s mother, released from the hospital to enter into a rehabilitation center, was there, as well.  In a wheelchair and pale and exhausted and a bit sick from her treatments, but stubbornly there.  Justin suspected he felt a twinge of respect for the woman, just for that, but it could have been indigestion and nerves.

Olivia Williams was there, too, -- the sound tech, Travis, as her escort -- and she wore a vibrant yellow outfit that suited the outrageous record producer utterly.  She kept trying to corner Justin and tease him about his plans for a honeymoon, hinting at the many week-long rendezvous she’d experienced with her many lovers, and he kept trying avoid her.  Josie finally managed to trap the little woman and Travis inside the house.  Then Justin noticed that Josie seemed to be overly fascinated with the young man, so Justin forced himself to intervene and kept Olivia and Travis within his sight for as long as possible -- and Josie away from Travis -- before the wedding started.

Overall, Justin had assumed they would have a small wedding with just family and some close friends in attendance, but after word got out, half the damn town -- and some of his co-workers from Savannah -- appeared.  His mother scrambled to make sure there was enough cake and refreshments for all of them, but he could see she was happy to do it.  His dad, on the other hand, stayed out of the way as much as possible.  One blow to the knuckles with a wooden spoon for attempting to steal a wedding cookie did that to a man.  

And Hannah took the whole freaking week to decide on her wedding gown.  Josie told him last night that they had gone back to the bridal store -- again -- to make another exchange.  He had no idea what kind of dress she finally chose until she appeared before him and the minister.

The lace gown, belted at the waist, flowed from her hips to the ground and bared her shoulders.  Justin took one look at her and he started shaking.  She had always been beautiful to him, but today, she’d gone beyond the words to describe it.  Her hair fell in waves down her back, and only a clip of pink diamonds -- matching the one on her finger -- held the glorious strands back from her face.

She smiled, and he nearly collapsed.

Through the next few minutes, he couldn’t take his eyes off her.  So enraptured with her indescribable beauty and his love for her, he missed his cue to say his vows.  Hannah had to nudge him.  She thought they would stick with the typical, traditional ones, but Justin had other ideas.  For this reason alone, he was glad he waited all week to marry her.  It had taken him that long just to write out what he wanted to say to the woman he loved more than anything on this earth.  In the end, Josie had to help him...for a price, of course.

Note to self, he thought, you owe Josie a new tablet computer for Christmas...the little con artist!

“Right, um,” he began, pulling a piece of paper out of his suit pocket.  His fingers trembled as he unfolded it, and Hannah rose up, her forehead frowning, as she tried to see what was written there.

“Hannah,” he said in a quiet, thick voice.  “Because of you, I have learned to laugh and smile and love again.  I have dared to dream again.  Today, I become yours forever.  I am forever indebted to you because you have shown me what true love means.  From this day forward, I promise to be true and faithful; you shall never doubt my love for you.  From this day forward, I promise to protect you and yours, and our multitude of children to come, and I promise to be the husband, lover, friend and father that every woman dreams about; you shall never doubt my desire for you, my faith in you, or my pride in standing by your side...”

He paused to swallow the nervous lump in his throat, and Hannah whispered, “Oh, Justin...”

“Hang on, I’m not done...Hannah, I love you.  I am in love with you, and that will never change, falter or expire.  I give you my life, my love, and the burden of taking on a husband and a daughter--”

Josie whispered behind Hannah, “I helped him write it.”  Hannah grinned.

“And I only ask that you promise me one thing...to never be anyone other than who you are.  I love the woman that you are -- faults and all--”

“What faults?”

He now grinned at her.  “And I love that you are always willing to put me in my place when I’m being a jackass.  Even now.  I promise to give you joy and happiness, frustration and endless trials, and I promise you, that no matter how much you beg and plead, no matter how irritated we get with each other, no matter what happens...you will never get rid of me.  I am yours, forever.”

Hannah laughed, her eyes twinkling.  “I didn’t plan any special vows.  But I accept your challenge and your promises, and I also promise to love you forever, and to give you everything you give me, tenfold.”

Justin raised an eyebrow.  “Tenfold?  I’ll hold you to that promise.”

Hannah leaned closer to him, obvious to the crowd of guests watching them and straining to hear what they were saying to each other.  She whispered, “And I’ll promise you three babies.  We’ll see what happens after that.”

“It’s a deal,” Justin said and turned back to Brother Joe.  “Okay, you can continue...quickly.  I’m anxious to kiss my bride.”

Brother Joe finished his duties and declared them, “I now pronounce you...Husband and Wife.  You may kiss her now,”and Justin grabbed his wife and kissed her.  

And he couldn’t stop.

Soon, they’d have to divide their attentions to their guests, but for now, he wanted only to feel Hannah in his arms.  She giggled against his lips, but she didn’t try to pull away.

“I love you so much,” he eventually said as they parted.

“I know,” she replied and clasped his hands as they turned as one toward their family and friends...and a ton of people that Justin had never met before.

“Ladies and Gentlemen,” the minister said behind them.  “Mr. and Mrs. Justin Kirkland!”

Hannah shot the minister a look over her shoulder.  

“Oh, sorry,” he mumbled and grinned.  “Ladies and Gentlemen...Mr. Justin and Mrs. Hannah Kirkland.”

“That’s better,” she said.

“Really?  Was that necessary?” Justin asked as they walked down the aisle between wedding guests.  “I thought you wanted a nice traditional, country wedding.”

She hitched a shoulder and smiled.  “Eh...just letting everyone know who’s the real boss in this marriage.”

Justin chuckled.  “Songbird, they’ve always known.”

Josie raced down the aisle behind them in her rose colored, chiffon Flower “Lady’s” dress and squealed as she hugged them both.  “Yay!  I have a mother and a father now!  When do I get a brother or sister?”

*****

An hour into the reception, Mark approached Hannah and Justin and said, “Hey, um...Kim and I want to ask you a favor but we understand if you’d rather us not impose on your wedding day -- congratulations, by the way...”

“Thanks, Mark,” Hannah said, kissing his cheek.  “What’s your favor?”

“Can we borrow your preacher for a few minutes?”

“Sure, why?”  Then Hannah’s eyes grew wide.  “Really?  You’re going to get married today, too?”

Mark blushed and shrugged.  “We figured that since we’re here and he’s here, and we have the license with us...do you mind?  We’ll be discreet.  No one will have to know.”

“No, we don’t mind!” Hannah exclaimed, elbowing Justin to keep his trap shut.  “Do you need witnesses?”

“Oh...yeah, I guess we do,” Mark said.  Kim came up beside him and said, “Hannah, you look so beautiful!”

“Thank you,” she replied.  “So do you...you’ll make a lovely bride today.”

Kim turned red.  “No, no...it was a stupid idea--”

Justin opened his mouth again, and Hannah jabbed him again.  He grunted, but kept quiet.

“It’s not stupid,” Hannah said.  “Come on.  Let’s go find the minister and we’ll make an announcement to everyone.”

Kim’s eyes rounded out.  “What?  No!  I wouldn’t do that to you!  This is your wedding--”

“Nonsense,” Hannah argued.  “We’re all family now.”  She looked up at Justin, daring him to say something about that.  “Aren’t we, Jack?”

Justin scowled for a moment, but then he stared deeply into Hannah’s eyes, and she knew he’d never deny her anything.  He smiled.  “Yeah...family...every last, crazy one of them.”

The presiding minister was found.  The announcement was made.  And a quick ceremony was performed, with Hannah as the Matron of Honor and Justin as the Best Man.

It was a most unusual way to spend one’s wedding reception.

*****

“So...where exactly are we going?” Hannah asked Justin as they walked through the airport the next morning.  He’d been keeping their honeymoon a secret, but Hannah secretly wondered if he had made any plans beyond a destination, and that was why he wouldn’t tell her.

There were only supposed to be gone a week, since they needed to be back in time for Josie to start school at the junior high.  Eighth grade.  Hannah sighed to herself.  The first time she got to drop her child off for the first day of school, and it was to be in eighth grade.

Don’t worry, her heart told her.  That first day of kindergarten will be here before you know it.

“It’s a secret,” Justin answered her, avoiding her eyes.

Hannah chuckled.  “Is it a secret because all you’ve got planned is plane ride and a hotel room?”

He stopped walking.  “Who told you?  Was it Josie?  I told her not to say anything!  Hell, Hannah, I’m sorry, but I plain forgot about a honeymoon until she brought it up the other night.  I figured we could just wing it.”

She looped her arms through his and prodded him toward the security gate.  “No one said anything, but it was obvious.  And I like winging it.  We’re good at winging it.  We’ve got winging it down to a science.”

“Then we’re winging it in Hawaii.  Is that okay?”

“Hawaii?  You know it’s hurricane season in Hawaii.”

He came to a halt again.  “Well, crap.”

She smiled.  “It’ll give us a reason to stay in the hotel room and work on those babies.”

He grinned.  “Actually, I did manage to get us a villa.  Lots of privacy.”

“Even better.  We won’t get much privacy after this week,” she said and they continued on through the airport...and the rest of their lives together.

*****

It was a tough first couple of months for the newlyweds, adjusting to Justin’s new working situation.  He had to fly back to Georgia several times to get Chad moved, situated and trained, but after the new year, Chad was pretty much running the office on his own, and Justin only had to video-conference with him once a day.  Mostly, Justin worked from the house after that.  He went on a few jobs when necessary, but he tried to schedule them during school breaks so that Hannah and Josie -- and the kids that followed -- could come along with him.  Eventually, the business trips became almost like a game.  They collected bottles of dirt from every place they visited and showcased them on the mantle in the office over the fireplace.  By the time, Justin retired -- at the age of forty-nine, because Chad had exceeded his expectations -- there were over two hundred bottles on display, from eighty-seven different countries.

It was a good life for all of them.

*****

Right after the wedding, Josie thrived in her new home and new school.  She made lots of friends -- decent friends, to Justin’s way of thinking -- and she started playing classical guitar in a local performance band.  She still loved to sing her songs and rock out to modern music, but for some reason, she took joy in learning traditional guitar.  Hannah assumed it had something to do with the pride in Justin’s face that Josie was expanding her musical talent.

Of course, Justin’s face took on a whole other expression when his baby girl went on her first date three years later.  That was a night Hannah would never forget.  When Josie’s date showed up at the front door, the poor boy was greeted by Justin, Ronald Kirkland, and Mark...all toting newly shined and loaded shotguns.

Josie’s date nearly wet himself.  But Josie pushed all the older men out of her way, made her introductions to her date, and kissed her father goodbye.  She had no fear of her father and grandfathers, that was for sure.  She even missed curfew by ten minutes, just to make a point.

Justin grounded her for a month.

*****

Unfortunately for the happy new family, the autumn and winter days after the wedding and honeymoon drifted behind them, and Hannah’s bi-weekly pregnancy tests remained negative.  Until...

One early April morning, Hannah disappeared into the bathroom, and Justin watched her shut the door with more dread in his heart.  They’d been trying so hard.  And the disappointment was mounting.  Maybe it was time for them to seek medical advice.  He saw how Hannah gazed wistfully at Kim’s large belly, and he knew that when the baby -- a boy -- was finally born in a few days, Hannah yearned to be pregnant by then.

But it wasn’t going to happen.

They still had some time.  He promised her a year, and by August, he planned to see a pink positive sign on those damn tests.  To ensure that, he had already made an appointment with a doctor to have his sperm counted...as much as it irritated him to question his virility.  But Hannah wanted a baby so bad, probably more than he did, so he was determined to find out what was wrong between them.

Ten minutes later, Hannah came out of the bathroom and crawled into the bed beside him.  He sighed and wrapped his arms around her.  “Hannah, it’ll be okay,” he said, hearing her soft sobs against his chest.  

“I know it will,” she said quietly, “because...I’m pregnant, Justin.”

His heart stopped beating.

She smiled up at him, and he saw that her tears were of the joyful kind.  “We’re going to have a baby!”

“A baby?” he whispered, barely daring to hope.

“Yes!”

“Just one?”

She slapped him on the arm.  “Oh!  You...jackass!”

He laughed and pulled her under him.  He kissed her senseless, an abundance of happiness and love in that kiss.

“Can I name it Jack?” he asked.

She popped him again.  “No, you may not!  This one is a girl!”

“Oh, hell no!  I want a son, dammit!  I’ve got enough girls in my life.”

“You’ll get your son,” she promised him, “but this one will be a girl.  I can feel it.”

He grinned as he moved his hands to strip her of her pajamas.  “I think I need to go check on that.”

She arched her back and moaned as his hands roved magically over her.  “Okay...go check.  But I’m telling you, it’s a girl.”

*****

It was a boy.

On December 31st of that year, they welcomed James Aaron (Mark’s middle name) Kirkland -- A.K.A. “Jak” -- into the world.

Justin was thrilled.

Hannah was overly-thrilled.  She truly did want Justin to have a son, but she just had to tease him about it.  “The next two better be girls.  You owe me.”

“It’ll be my pleasure,” Justin promised as he held his newborn son close.  Hannah smiled at the two of them.  There would never be any doubt on that boy’s father.  He had Justin’s ears.  The poor child.

And that promise of girls was one Justin managed to keep.  The next pregnancy -- a year later -- resulted in a set of identical, twin girls, who looked and acted just like Hannah.

Justin was in heaven.  He now had four Best Girls in his life.

And Josie became the best, big sister there ever was.  She doted on her younger siblings.  

Kim’s son and Hannah’s son were the best of friends, never mind that one was an uncle and the other a nephew.  And the twins -- Rose and Violet -- looked up to Josie as if the girl could do no wrong.  As the years ensued, Josie eventually went off to college.  Jak discovered a talent for taking things apart -- just to see how they worked -- and not be able to put them back together again without Justin’s help.  And Rose and Violet followed in Hannah’s and Josie’s footsteps, becoming musically inclined.  Rose enjoyed the trumpet and numerous other brass instruments, and her father’s ears suffered from the boom.  And Violet took up the piano.

Life in the Kirkland household was full of chaos, bits and pieces of electronics strewn everywhere, and hours of musical instruments battling for dominance, but none of them would ever change it.


*****

Justin never heard from Beth again, after the court date declaring him sole custody of Josie, once and for all.  Beth didn’t even contest the adoption proceedings during the following September.  Josie was his and Hannah’s forever now.  

Once, about ten years down the road, Justin came across Beth’s second husband, and he briefly learned Beth divorced him and moved off to England...or France...or Oregon, maybe?  No one really knew, and no one really cared.  She was gone.

*****

Hannah’s mother recuperated from her surgery and rehabilitation.  She still had some problems doing the simplest things, so she continued to live in an assisted living complex for nearly two years.  Hannah visited her often, and on many occasions, Lawna was able to join her family during concerts, school events, holidays and birthdays, to name only a few.  

Lawna was there the day Jak was born.  She got to hold her grandson, and tears streamed down her eyes.  Unfortunately for the proud, stubborn grandmother, Justin hovered constantly by her elbow -- in case she accidentally dropped the baby.  It was annoying, and she told him so.  He told her to stuff a sock in it because he wasn’t going anywhere, and she replied with a well-turned phrase of her own.  That was the kind of relationship Lawna and Justin had.  He accepted her in his family, but he never really trusted her.  And she understood, but she refused to back down from his scowls and the grunts from a blond jackass -- yes, she called him that, too.  They bickered constantly, but it never seemed to mind Hannah.  She thought it was funny.

But seven months after Jak was born, Lawna suffered a series of strokes from the remaining tumor still inside her brain.  After a month of hospitalization, she lapsed into a coma and never woke up.

The last thing Lawna ever said to Hannah was, “Never forget that I’ve always loved you, but you must free yourself from this pain and give your love to your own family now.”

Hannah was heartbroken.  “All those years wasted,” she would say.  “I wish we had more time together.”

Lawna died at the end of that summer, two years after Hannah and Justin married, and she was buried next to her beloved James.

*****

Hannah wrote songs for Olivia Williams for the next fifteen years.  She was blessed to witness many of her creations reaching the top, as sung by other artists in the music world.  Sitting in the sidelines as others take credit for her songs, Hannah didn’t mind a bit.  She was a nameless face in a sea of celebrities, and that was just fine with her.  Her songs won her numerous awards -- even a Grammy -- but her real joy was in her family.  She sang for them, and they were her biggest fans.

*****

On one spring evening, about a year before Josie moved off to college, Justin made good on his promise to renovate the attic for their own personal master suite.  At the time, Josie was sleeping down in the office, giving up her room for her sisters, and her brother had the smaller third bedroom.  But Hannah and Justin thought it was important that Josie have her own space, her own room again, even after she left for college.  She needed the privacy.  They would move up a floor and Josie could have their room with the private bathroom.

But it was up to Hannah to clear out the attic.  Not a job she looked forward to.  After three yard sales and about a dozen trips to the goodwill, there was only two trunks left...both of which were full of her father’s personal items.  Hannah couldn’t bear to throw any of it out, but she lovingly went through all of it to see what needed to be preserved, and where she could store the rest.

At the bottom of the second trunk was a small, metal box.  Inside, Hannah found the birth certificates of her grandmother, grandfather, father, and mother.  There were wedding documents and the divorce papers from James’ and Lawna’s ruined marriage.  And underneath all of that, was a discolored envelope with Hannah’s name on it.

She frowned as she opened it and pulled out a letter.

*****

May 1, 1984

My dear daughter,

If you have found this, then maybe by now you know the truth of your parents.  I don’t know if I will be there with you when you discover what happened all these years, but all I can tell you is that I know your mother loved you.  Almost as much as I loved you.  Which was why I chose to keep her secret...a secret she didn’t even know I knew.

Forgive us.

Your loving father,
James.

Hannah’s heart stopped.  He knew?  He’d always known.

Behind the letter was another pieces of paper.  The paternity test results.

Her father knew about Lawna and Mark, and he had never said anything about it.  Mark and Lawna always assumed James didn’t know.  But he had...and he wanted his daughter anyway.

Justin found her that afternoon, weeping on the floor of the attic, covered in dust, with the letter crumbled in her fingers.  She smiled up at him.  “Look, Justin...he knew...he knew and he still wanted me...”

Justin took the letter, read it quickly, and dropped down to gather her in his arms.  “Didn’t I tell you he would have loved you anyway?”

“You did.”

He kissed her softly and said, “And do you know why he loved you?”

“Why?”

“Because it’s kind of hard not to.”

*****

Hannah’s and Justin’s story didn’t completely end there.  They lived a full life together for over fifty-five years.  But the Kirkland tale doesn’t entirely stop with Hannah and Justin....

Twelve years later, a twenty-five year old Josie Kirkland walked into Raw Studios in Memphis.  She’s been granted a job with “Aunt Livie” after she graduated from Berklee with two degrees in music and one in business.  Co-operating a recording studio was her dream job.

But that’s not the real reason she accepted Olivia’s offer.

She’d been in love with Travis Fisher since she was thirteen and first met him at her parent’s wedding.  She stole a kiss from his unsuspecting lips the winter after she turned seventeen, and she spent her college summers, attempting and failing to repeat that kiss, while conveniently visiting her mother, Hannah, as she worked with Olivia at the studio.  Travis was Olivia’s sound technician, and Josie had sat in a corner, drooling over the young man for as long as she knew him.

All her dating and socializing to this point had been practice, guiding her to this day.  Because this was the day that Travis became hers.

Travis had always thought of her as a cute, pesky little sister, and secretly, he had always been a tad bit terrified of her father, Justin Kirkland.  In no way, no how, was he about to compromise the Kirkland princess.

However, Josie was determined to prove him wrong on that.  She was a woman now.  She was all for a little compromising.

But that’s a story for another time.

The End...ish.

*****