Tessa and June remained close. Tessa would come over and play with the children. Tessa and June would talk about their different lives, June a mother of five and Tessa a single working woman.

Tessa didn’t let the broken engagement get her down for long. She had her work at the paper to keep her occupied, after all. Though she was given the viewed lesser columns to work on, she hoped to one day move up and do some real journalism.

Henry had been surprised and then angry. He really believed that she would “come to her senses” and change her mind. Being a journalist was too important to her to give it up for anyone.

Word got back to work that she was no longer engaged. She was called old maid behind her back and she heard snickers as she walked past her colleagues. She was nearing 30 and had no husband. Who does she think she is? Does she really think she will find someone at her age? It was as if the sole purpose of a woman’s life was to be a wife. She needed more. She would be a journalist and her father would be looking down on her proud as can be.

Tessa ignored the comments as best as she could. She worked hard, came early, left late, volunteered to do other jobs no one wanted to do. All this paid off and she received a promotion. She had watched the few women who worked at the paper be passed over for promotions that were given to men that worked there a shorter period of time. Most women at the paper had quit after getting married or becoming pregnant. Now that she was single for the unforeseen future, she was fit for a promotion. Getting the promotion filled her with glee.

It was during this time of celebration that she met Trevor. Her colleagues had been wrong. A working woman nearly thirty could still interest a man.

Trevor was intelligent. They had long conversations and Trevor was genuinely interested in Tessa’s views.

There was also passion. Tessa had loved Henry or at least she thought she had, but the feeling did not compare to how she felt about Trevor.

Trevor began talking about sharing a life together. Tessa would change the subject. What was she doing, she asked herself. She had finally gotten a promotion. She couldn’t get involved with a man. She refused to give up her dreams.

She began to avoid Trevor’s calls and invites to dinner.

After a couple weeks of abrupt phone calls and excuses, Trevor knocked on her door.

“Did I do something to upset you?” Trevor asked,”Have you met someone else?”

Tessa shook her head. She had missed him. She looked down.

“Tessa, what’s going on? I care deeply for you and you seem to be pulling away.”

“I’m sorry,” Tessa said. “I shouldn’t have gotten close to you. Things won’t work.”

“Do you not want to get married?” Trevor asked,”or do you just not want to marry me?”

“Oh, Trevor,” she answered wiping a tear,”It’s not you. I have dreamed of being a journalist like my father since I was a little girl. I enjoy my job and I don’t want to have to give it up for anyone. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have encouraged you.”

“Give up your job?” Trevor laughed,” I don’t expect you to give up your job. I love that you have a career that you are passionate about. I love the conversations we have. I love you, Tessa.”

“I don’t plan to quit when I have children. Journalism is not a hobby for me,” Tessa said firmly.

“I didn’t think it was and I wouldn’t expect that of you. I’m not Henry and I don’t have the same views as he does. I love you for you,” Trevor said brushing her cheek. He got down on one knee and took her hand.

“Tessa, will you marry me? Be my journalist wife?”

“Yes,” answered Tessa.

Tessa wasn’t the only one married and in love, Stella had the life she always wanted. She had a beautiful wedding with Jake. It was even better than she had imagined.

Stella had pleaded with her mother to not bring Neil. She hadn’t told Jake about him, yet. She would she promised. Just not yet. Let her have this moment of happiness after so much heartache. She would tell him after the honeymoon. Sadie reluctantly agreed. Sadie was happy that Neil would at least have a father soon and be reunited with his mother.

Sadie waited patiently. Stella came back from her honeymoon. She needed to fix up the house before Neil joined them. Then she was pregnant. Wait until the baby is born. Next she had to recover from the birth and adjust to having one child first before having two.

Sadie didn’t push it. She was disappointed in her daughter’s choice, but she didn’t push it. Her relationship with her daughter was fragile and she didn’t want to lose what she had with her or her other grandchild.

By the time Stella had her second child with Jake, Sadie had to admit to herself that Stella was not going to tell Jake about Neil. She stopped bringing the topic up and Stella rarely asked about Neil.

She had a new daughter and son, Vivian and Jason. As she held Jason, thoughts of her first son would creep into her head. She would quickly push them away. Things were as they had to be.

Sadie liked having Neil around, but she felt it was important that he have a father figure. Though Kerry’s father wasn’t around, he had had Cal to do things with.

Sadie would take Neil to visit Kerry during summers when he wasn’t on an expedition. Neil seemed happier. Kerry and Neil both had endless energy and would roughhouse or play basketball together.

Neil would chatter excitedly about all the fun they had together when Sadie came to take him back to farm.

“Why do I have to leave?” Neil whined. Sadie tucked him in for his last night with Kerry.

Sadie sat with Kerry and his wife, Genesis. She talked about how worried she was about Neil. Kerry and Genesis had exchanged a look.

“We talked about it,” Kerry said holding Genesis’s hand.”We are willing to raise Neil. We weren’t sure how you would feel, but we are happy to take him.”

Sadie nodded. She would miss him greatly, but if Stella was unwilling then this was the next best thing.

Sadie called Stella the next day, giving her one last chance to collect her son. Stella thought that was a good idea, that Neil would be happy. She then changed the subject to her other children.

Neil seemed excited about the idea.

“But what about you? Will I see you again?” Neil asked worriedly.

“Of course, I have to get back to the farm, but I will come back this winter. I could never forget you,” Sadie reassured the little boy.

Sadie wasn’t the only one that couldn’t forget someone.

When he got his new job as a police officer, Leo threw him a party. Todd felt a little uncomfortable being the center of attention.

“Your mother would be so proud of you,” Leo told him patting him on the back.

He saw a young woman, back to him. He wondered who it was. She turned around and he recognized Heidi. She was no longer a little girl. She was quite pretty in his opinion.

Todd had mostly seen Heidi over the summers. She came to his high school graduation. He had gone to college and became a police officer. He was so focused on his goals and getting promoted that he saw his extended family little during that time.

They spoke a little. Todd was too shy to say much. As he talked to other family members, his eyes would drift to look at Heidi.

As the party ended, June invited Todd over for dinner and Todd accepted. It would be good to see his cousins and Heidi.