We Were There: Emmeline's Story

Alternative Ending

I told Darla how I managed to wait patiently for the next monstrous storm to roll in before making a break for it, detailing vividly the challenges I faced while running through the high winds and pelting rain, how I sheltered in what I thought a safe place but it turned out to be an old river bed that washed me out in a mini flood. I told her how I never stopped looking over my shoulder, expecting the Lerners - Robert mostly - to come jumping out of the shadows to get me. It was a fear I never got over until the day Speirs took care of him for good - the rest of the story, Darla knew through our numerous letters and conversations since.

When I finished regaling her with my story, she sat there in contemplation for a moment. I worried she was about to tell me goodbye and never speak to me again. I probably wouldn't have blamed her for doing so. She cleared her throat and I expected her to say something condescending like, 'Oh, poor you' but to my genuine surprise, she dropped a couple of bills onto the table to pay for our pie and coffee, saying, "We need to go to Montana."

My eyes widened at her completely stunned by her words. "Why?" 

She smiled as she lifted her gaze to meet mine. "Because you have some unfinished business there." With that said, she stood and made her way toward the door of the cafe.

"W-What business is that?" I asked confused as I tripped over my feet to follow her out of the diner.

"Closure."

Darla wasted no time in making the appropriate arrangements. She phoned her fiancé to tell him where she was heading next and he told her it was important that she be there for me. Once she hung up the receiver on the payphone, she hailed a taxi to take us to the nearest bus station where she bought our tickets to begin the long journey back to Montana.

Along the way, Darla thought it best to stop and visit Charlotte's and Sarah's parents, allowing us to kill two birds with one stone, so to speak, and more importantly, it allowed me time to adjust to the surprise bomb she dropped on my lap regarding going back to the one place I swore I'd never return to.

Our first stop would be Charlotte's. Since her untimely death, I thought of her often. I wondered how life would have been for her had she survived. Would she have married Luz? Would she have the same glowing personality after seeing all of the terrible things throughout the course of the war, and even the year in England afterward? I wondered if we would have kept in touch when all of us returned home again.

Standing outside of Charlotte's childhood home, I saw why she was who she was. Her modest home was neat, clean, orderly with everything in its proper place. The delicate colorful wildflowers blooming along the red brick walkway that led to the white-painted wooden door of the house, swaying tall and proud as they showed off their wide blooms, giving off a vibe that said everything was going to be okay. The pale-red brick house standing erect before us was strong, comforting. The blue shutters hanging beside the windows were freshly painted, almost giving new hope for the days to come. I hoped her family would give off the same vibe.

Speaking to Charlotte's parents went about as smoothly as it ever could have. Darla did the majority of the speaking. They laughed at some of our stories during training, cried when they heard about her death, and wondered if she suffered. Darla reassured them she didn't, apologized for not being able to protect their daughter. They embraced both of us, crying into our shoulders, thanking us for coming and personally seeing this through. It was clear to me that they needed this more than we did - they needed to know the details surrounding their daughter's death, to get that last bit of closure. They didn't yell at us. They didn't curse at us or wonder why we lived when their daughter didn't like I feared they would. Instead, by the end of our visit, they were at peace.