Keep My Heart

Epilogue

Unedited. Read at your own risk:)

Epilogue

About 5 years later.

Millie came inside the house after a long day of work in the corn fields, her back aching and her hands blistered. The past few years had been hard on the entire crew at the Shannon Plantation, but she finally felt like they were on the upswing. She had put in long days alongside Clayton and Price in the fields, along with the rest of their hired workers, but when she looked out over the golden fields, she felt a sense of pride that she hadn’t felt before. There was something about being a part of her husband’s dream that warmed her heart.

Walking stiffly up the winding staircase like she had millions of times before, and walked down the hall to look in to the four children that the plantation now had romping around their halls. They were all asleep, and Millie slowly walked to Quinn’s bed. He had turned eight last month, and he was quickly following in his father’s footsteps. He was turning into quite the man of the house. Quietly exiting the room, Millie walked down to her room where Jess had drawn a hot bath for her. She couldn’t wait to feel the warm water on her sore muscles, so she wasted no time lowering herself in. The hot fire in the fireplace crackled and popped, giving her a relaxed feeling as it sent shadows dancing across the room. She undid her upswept red hair, and it’s long curls cascaded around her shoulders, their softness caressing the skin they touch. She heaved a contented sigh and calculated the day. Trey should be home any day now, and her heart sped up with seeing him again. It was a long ride from the state prison, and there was no telling when he would get home. She had forgotten to ask Mariah if there was any news from him, but she figured that the cook would tell her if there was any news at all.

She finished her bath and donned her cotton nightgown before grabbing her brush and sitting on the hearth next to the fire. Pulling all of her hair to the side closest to the fire, she ran her brush slowly through it as it slowly dried. She began humming and was surprised to recognize the tune “Auld Lang Syne”. She smiled, remembering her argument with Trey all those years ago. How she wished she could take back all of those names she had called him.

She heard a rustle behind her, and whirled around. “Hello?”

Nothing.

She eyed her shoes that were only a few feet away and rushed to grab one of them. “Who’s there?”

She heard another rustle to the side and whirled in that direction.

She saw nothing.

Raising her shoe, she gritted her teeth and listened.

“I might feel more welcome if you’d put that thing down. You’re positively dangerous with shoes” a voice said.

She remembered that voice. She whirled around and saw a tall, broad figure standing there, the fire reflecting off of it’s face. She grinned.

“Trey! What’re you…umph” she found herself tightly wrapped in her husband’s arms, his lips gently caressing hers with a fervor that stirred her very soul. After a few moments, he gently lessened his hold on her, but she refused to break the kiss. It had been too long since she had been in his arms, and she had not intention of cutting the moment short. She wrapped her small arms around his neck and melted into him, her heart pounding in her ears.

Trey smiled as his wife shushed him and they entered what used to be the nursery. Someone had taken the wall out that had separated the spare bedroom from the nursery and made it one big room that fit four children.

She led him up to Quinn’s bed, and he knelt beside it.

“He’s gotten so big” he whispered.