Josh turned to me and smiled softly. "That's all that matters to me."
He took my hand and squeezed, and it was then I finally knew that everything was going to be all right.
20
Josh
EPILOGUE
While Ella packed her bag, I sat at the kitchen island and spoke with Mrs. Carter.
"What advice do you have for me in dealing with Governor Carter?" I asked, sipping the fresh cup of coffee she made for me. She'd invited me back to Concord at Christmas so I could meet the Governor.
"Be forthright and honest," Mrs. Carter said. "He doesn't have time for games and doesn't tolerate them in others. If you do that, you should be fine with him. He's sometimes blunt -- brutally blunt -- but he doesn't lie so you always know where you stand with him."
"That's a good trait to have. I admire honesty."
She smiled. "Then you two should get along fine."
Ella came out of the bedroom, her overnight bag in hand.
"Sorry to leave but Josh wanted us to go to his house in Montauk. The weather's good this weekend and it's probably one of the last nice weekends we'll get until spring."
"Don't you worry about it," Mrs. Carter said. "You two go and enjoy the weather. I'm all booked up with bridge and a girl's night out tonight, so I'll be fine."
While Ella and her mom kissed and hugged each other, I carried Ella's bag out to the car.
"Nice to meet you," I said to Mrs. Carter and gave her a hug. She kissed my cheek and then wiped it off.
"So good to meet you, Josh. You come up for Christmas and spend some time with us. I'll make sure Ella's father is on his best behavior."
"I look forward to it."
Then, we drove off, back down the coast to Montauk to spend the rest of the weekend at the house.
The house had been empty for months, and it smelled a bit stale, so I opened the patio doors leading onto the deck. The wind off the ocean brought in the fresh salty air, the lace curtains billowing around me. Down below, a hundred feet away, I could hear the waves crash against the surf.
"My God, Josh, this house is amazing."
Ella stood beside me and I heard her take in a deep breath. She had her eyes closed, clearly enjoying the smell of the salt air.
"The house is beautiful,
but if I was here by myself, I'd be unhappy. There are so many memories here for me of my mother and father. You're so lucky you still have both of them."
"I know," she said and took my hand. "I am lucky."
We spent the last few hours of sunlight walking the beach, hand in hand. Then, we went inside and spent some time getting our meal ready. We'd stopped in town on the way to the house to pick up some food and planned on grilling some steaks. While I seasoned the meat, Ella made a fresh salad and slipped a loaf of French Bread in the oven.
"This kitchen is a cook's fantasy," she said and ran her fingers along the countertop. "The refrigerator, the range, the sinks..."
"My mother loved to cook. We could have had a chef, but we only did for special occasions. The rest of the time, my mother spent planning and preparing our meals. She should have been a caterer, she enjoyed it so much. So, my father made sure to build her the very best kitchen possible."
"He must have loved her," she said and smiled.
"He did," I said, remembering my father's words in his letter to us boys.
My one piece of advice on how to have a happy life? Marry well. Have a family with many children. Love your family with all your heart, the way I did you and your mother.