An Old Friend: Version B Epilogue

Gazing fondly at the baby girl asleep in her arms, Lisa sighed. Marianne was now six days old and had been home from the hospital for four of those days. She was such a good baby, taking naps often and never seeming fussy when she ate. She seemed so vibrant and full of life. Lisa wondered if she'd end up as talkative (and charming) as her loving husband.

Speaking of which, Michael had left for the States with some of the other Pythons two days earlier. They had agreed that he would go even though he was very reluctant to do so. She'd insisted she would be fine; he'd only be gone about a week and Lisa had the help of her mother – who had come to stay with her in Michael's absence – as well as Tricia who promised to drop in every other day or so. Well aware of the time difference, they'd made an arrangement where Michael would ring her in the early morning, his time in the States, every day to see how she and little Marianne were doing.  

“Well, darling, I think it's time to put you down for a nap,” she said, more to herself than to her slumbering baby daughter. She gently lowered her into the small crib that now occupied the former sewing room. Rising from her chair, she softly made her way out of the room and out into the lounge.

Passing a table with photographs propped up on top, she stopped, catching a glimpse of a photo of her and Michael from their wedding. Gazing at the photo, she felt herself beaming with love and contentment. Her mind drifted, thinking about Michael and how wonderful she felt being reunited with him after five long years. She'd always loved him and not only was she now sharing a life with him, but they had brought a new, precious, little life into the world.

And to think, it all started as a date with an old friend …

THE END