Always on My Mind

Epilogue

Mary Sullivan had always been proud of her children. Not only because of how successful they'd always been, but because of the exceptional men and women they were. And just as she so often had before, she thought about their father Jack and how he would have loved to see another of his precious little girls getting married...

But she'd already cried enough tears today during the beautiful ceremony. She wanted the rest of her day and evening to be filled with smiles, with laughter, with hugs and joy. It was so easy to find that joy, because it was all around her.

Her oldest son Marcus was dancing with his fiancee, Nicola. They would be getting married at his winery and vineyard in Napa Valley later that year and Mary was greatly enjoying helping them plan it, since they were often traveling in support of Nicola's music career. Not everyone understood Nicola and Marcus's relationship - the young pop star and the mature businessman - but Mary couldn't imagine her son with anyone who could have brought him more happiness.

Mary turned her gaze to her next oldest son just as Smith and Valentina gave each other one of their secret smiles. Mary had never admitted as much to anyone, but Smith had been the one she worried about the most over the years. People always told her, "What a charmed life your son must live as a movie star!" but she had known better. Year after year, as his star had grown brighter and brighter, he'd paid a higher and higher personal price for that fame. In Valentina he'd found someone absolutely ideal for him: She understood the demands of his world, but wasn't at all interested in the glitter. It warmed Mary's heart to see the peace, the contentment, on her son's face.

The sound of a little girl giggling drew Mary's attention to Chase, Chloe, and Emma, their daughter. The three of them were over by the barn looking at the pigs, and Emma was clearly delighted by the farm animals. Mary smiled as she watched the way her son Chase took such good care of his family...and her smile grew as she observed Chloe's extra special glow. She couldn't wait for them to have another little boy or girl. Something told her she wouldn't be waiting long.

Over on the grass, Ryan was tossing balls to the kids, and his fiancee Vicki was helping the girls and boys chase them when they tumbled out of their little hands. As soon as her son had brought his best friend home for dinner in high school fifteen years ago, Mary had known they were "the one" for each other. A decade and a half later, they'd both finally realized what they meant to each other in a perfect friends-to-lovers love story that made Mary feel good every time she thought about the two of them.

Not far from the impromptu baseball game, several of the men were gathered around Zach's Ferrari. His fiancee Heather's enormous dog, Atlas, was sitting right beside him and Heather was holding their other, much smaller dog, Cuddles. But while the men were all focused on the car, Zach was reaching out for Heather and running his hand through her long hair, saying something for her ears only that had her laughing. There weren't a lot of women who could have gone toe to toe with Zach, let alone run him in circles. Only the very extraordinary woman he'd fallen in love with. Every time Mary saw the two of them together, she deeply appreciated the ability both her son and Heather had to laugh and love in equal measure.

Mary's firefighter son Gabe was dancing with eight-year-old Summer while Megan sat out the dance in the shade of a large oak tree with their poodle. Mary knew Megan was having a little trouble with morning sickness, but from the huge smile on her face as she watched her husband and daughter dance together, no one would have guessed it. Again, tears threatened as Mary thought about the way Megan and Summer had come into their lives when Gabe had saved them from what could have been a deadly apartment fire. They were all so blessed to have found each other and Mary couldn't wait to hold another baby in her arms come Christmas.

Just then, her daughter Sophie and her husband headed off toward the farmhouse with their twins and diaper bags in their arms, Jake's nose wrinkled as he held little Jackie. Mary laughed, remembering all those years of changing her kids' diapers. Mary would never forget the look on both Sophie's and Jake's faces when they'd seen each other for the first time more than twenty years ago, or the way they only had eyes for each other. Her daughter had been five and Jake had been eleven, but one thing she knew for sure was that true love didn't come with a time line.

And now Lori had found her one true love in Grayson.

Mary gave a happy sigh as she looked out over the large group of Sullivans who had gathered from Seattle, from New York, even from London and Australia. Hopefully, she mused, each of them would soon find their happy endings, too.

"Hey there, beautiful. Care for some company? And a little bubbly?"

Mary smiled at Rafe Sullivan as she took the glass he offered her. He was a private investigator in Seattle and one of her favorites of her husband's brothers' children.

"Best family reunion we've had so far," he said with a grin. "It's not too often you get to see Naughty surprised."

Mary laughed before saying, "Speaking of surprises, is there anybody special in your life we should know about?"

This time Rafe was the one laughing. "I'm thinking we should finish getting your side of the family completely married off before we start looking at mine. Besides, now that all eight of your kids are off on their happily-ever-afters - " He had the same mischievous look he'd had even as a little boy. " - isn't it your turn?"

She shook her head, as though his asking about her love life was a totally ridiculous question at this point in her life. But there was a reason her nephew was such a great investigator: he saw all the clues, big and small.

"Mary?" He looked at her more carefully. "Are you blushing?" When she covered her cheek with her free hand, his voice grew gentle as he said, "You know, if there is somebody special in your life, I think my cousins would understand."

Thankfully, just then the band started playing Always On My Mind. "This has always been one of my favorite songs." Hers and Jack's.

Rafe took her champagne glass and put it down before holding out his hand. "I'm pretty sure everything Lori knows about dancing, she learned from you. Come dance with me, Aunt Mary."

Her nephew led her out on the dance floor, and surrounded by her children and grandchildren and the extended Sullivan family members she loved so dearly, Mary let herself get lost in the pleasure of twirling across the floor.

No question about it, whoever finally stole her nephew Rafe's heart one day was going to be a very lucky woman.

~ THE END ~