Page 58 of The Promise in Poppies
“I may have stopped believing in its magical powers,” Cassie confessed, unclasping the chain. “But I realized it represented something far more important.”
Donna swept aside her hair as her daughter draped the pendant around her neck and secured the clasp, meeting her gaze with a look that said more than words. A look that said she understood her gesture of love all those years ago, bestowed in the midst of her brokenness.
With trembling fingers, Donna traced the faint outline against her clavicle, recalling her mother’s counsel.If the Lord takes care of the sparrows, how much more will He take care of you?
She thought her mother’s letter would be the last time she ever heard her voice—their final sliver of connection. But in this moment, a reassuring truth became remarkably clear. A loved one never truly left your side. They remained in the quiet corners of your mind, sheltered in sweet memories, forever nestled in your heart.
As the walls of this home once again reverberated with laughter and the blissful sounds of shared lives, both her parents would be present in the pieces of her soul they’d shaped together.
When it comes to family—both given and chosen—there’s no such thing as goodbye.
EPILOGUE
While other wedding guests admired the newlyweds on the dance floor, Cassie couldn’t tear her gaze from the beautiful bundle in her arms. Edith Hope Davis, the most breathtaking sight she’d ever beheld.
“She’s amazing, isn’t she?” Luke murmured over her shoulder. He hadn’t been able to take his eyes off their daughter all evening, either, and frequently snuck peeks from beneath the swaddle of warm blankets guarding against the late autumn chill.
“Sometimes, I still can’t believe she’s ours.” Cassie gently stroked a silky wisp of hair, careful not to disturb their sleeping angel who’d managed to doze through an entire wedding ceremony and now, Bill and Irene’s raucous first dance song.
“Except for the fact that she has your stunning eyes.” Luke’s adoring gaze traveled from daughter to mother and back to daughter again.
“And your thick, wavy hair,” she pointed out with a pleased smile, convinced they had the most perfect child in the world.
While new motherhood wasn’t without its difficulties, and she still had moments of insecurities, wondering how many mistakes she’d make as she figured things out along the way, something had clicked the moment the doctor first laid her daughter in her arms. A connection, overwhelming in its intensity, drew tears that transcended her exhaustion. A connection she couldn’t describe, but one that changed everything in the most glorious way possible.
“Let’s just hope she doesn’t get his bulbous nose, too,” Colt teased from beside his brother at the large round table where all their friends had squeezed in together, transforming a twelve-person seating arrangement into a snug fourteen.
“Hush. Luke doesn’t have a big nose. And neither will Edie,” Penny playfully scolded her husband, although every inch of her body indicated she felt anything but cross with him. With their chairs scooted side by side, she leaned against him, their heads bent together, arms entwined.
Ever since they returned from their anniversary trip to Greece, they acted like two lovesick teens, completely besotted, and Cassie couldn’t be happier for her sister-in-law. Before they left, Penny had confided that Colt’s surprise bid on Landon’s villa had opened a dialogue between them that assuaged her concerns.
Turns out, Cassie had been right. Now that Colt had found his passion in life, he’d put pressure on himself to assure the restaurant succeeded. When he realized his professional ambitions had taken a toll on his loved ones, he bid on the villa, intent on finding a healthier balance between work and family. Especially since they both wanted kids in the near future.
“She’s gorgeous,” Olivia cooed, leaning over Cassie for a closer look. “And such a good sleeper.”
“Ben was like that at this age, too,” Eliza said with a smile. “I swear, he’d snooze through an explosion without so much as a fluttering eyelid. I hope his sister is the same way.” Beaming, she placed a loving hand on her protruding belly. Thanks to her petite frame, even at five months pregnant, she appeared poised to give birth at any moment, and Cassie could hardly wait to raise their daughters together.
“Either way, we can say goodbye to sleep for a while,” Grant teased, looking perfectly content with the impending insomnia.
“That’s true,” Luke said with a soft chuckle. “I don’t think I’ve slept more than a few hours at a time since this little beauty arrived.”
“What about you two?” Eliza asked Olivia. “Now that you’ve been married a few months, any thoughts as to when you want to start popping out babies?”
Olivia laughed before exchanging a starry-eyed gaze with Reed. “Not yet. I’m still reliving our perfect honeymoon and wedding. It all feels like a dream.”
“Your weddingwasperfect,” Eliza admitted. “And this one that you originally planned is surprisingly well-suited to Bill and Irene. Especially once you added a few personal touches.”
“I couldn’t agree more.” Cassie admired the floral centerpieces combining dahlias and roses in shades of burgundy, blush, and mauve with special additions from Bill’s farm like miniature white pumpkins and dried wheat stalks. Olivia had even enlisted Grant’s artistic expertise to create elegant place cards with sketches of different animals in homage to Irene.
Cassie stole a glance at the dance floor where other couples had joined the newlyweds, including her mother and Rhett. Her mother looked stunning in her maid-of-honor gown of mauve velvet that hugged her curves and paired beautifully with the rose-quartz bracelet gifted to her by Rhett. As they swayed in each other’s arms to Neil Diamond’s “Forever in Blue Jeans,” both their faces radiated happiness.
“You really do have a gift, Olivia,” Kat agreed. “Tonight almost makes me want to reconsider and get married here instead of in Primrose Valley next spring.”
Jack leaned forward, but before he could speak, Kat laughed and held up her hand. “I saidalmost. The wedding your mother is planning will be equally wonderful. It’s just, this night has been so perfect, it’s hard to imagine another evening more lovely than this one.”
Cassie knew exactly how she felt. Bathed in soft silvery moonlight, the Sterling Rose Estate transcended earthly realms, like a slice of heaven on earth. And the way her daughter’s face glowed in the amber candlelight, so sweet and precious, made her heart ache with love. She would echo Kat’s sentiments out loud—that nothing could top this moment—except she knew the wonder of the evening wasn’t over yet.
At the end of the night, when Irene positioned herself on the edge of the dance floor in preparation for the bouquet toss, Cassie hid a smile as all the single women clustered together. Donna and Stephanie hovered near the back, and when the latter met her gaze, she waved, grinning with bright eyes and cheeks flushed from dancing. Over the last several months, Cassie had come to love the girl like a sister, and although Stephanie’s future might take her away from Poppy Creek one day, she’d forever be a part of their family.
