“What about the other families?” Noah had asked. Diana had no answer for him then.
Noah had refused to attend any memorial. Nathaniel had been cremated. Noah had no idea what had been done with the ashes, and he didn’t care.
A week later, a letter had arrived addressed to Noah. It was from Nathaniel. It didn’t have a long, drawn-out request for forgiveness. It simply said, “Happy Birthday, Noah.”
The rest of it was a list of the names of all of Nathaniel’s victims and where each of them was buried. It covered every name he had revealed to Noah in the past, every name Noah had expected to get out of Nathaniel over the next few years, and a dozen more that Noah hadn’t even known existed.
He had turned the list over to the FBI. If he ever spared a thought about it, Noah’s thoughts were of the victims and their families.
After dinner, dishes were washed, coffee was made, and dessert was served. Noah asked everyone if he could have their attention. He pulled Cassie with him to stand in front of them.
“I have a couple of things I’d like to share,” Noah said. “One of the questions I’m often asked is why I kept the name Hunt. Everyone here knows the reason and why the reason doesn’t apply anymore. Therefore, I want to announce that I am legally changing my last name from Hunt to Collins. I’ll carry the name of my mother and grandfather. Diana has gotten me a date with a judge this Monday. So as of then, I will be Noah Collins.”
There were cheers, hoots, and everyone yelled his name.
“There’s one more thing,” Noah said. He turned to Cassie. “There was a time when I couldn’t utter the words I love you because I felt like it was a curse. Cassie, you helped me realize that it isn’t. That I deserve to be happy. And nothing makes me happier than you. Come Monday, I’ll be getting a new last name. One that I’m very proud of. What I would like more than anything in the world is to share that name with you.”
Noah knelt down on one knee and pulled a small velvet box from his pocket. Opening it up, he showed Cassie a beautiful gold ring with a tear-shaped diamond.
“Cassie Shaw,” Noah said, “will you marry me?”
Everyone smiled as Cassie cried and nodded. Noah slipped the ring onto her finger and then he rose and kissed her.
“Oh God,” she said through tears. “I… I love you so… Oh…” She sniffed.
“It’s okay,” Noah said. “We’ve got our whole lives together. For now, just breathe.”
About the Author
Born and raised in Brooklyn NY, Vincent Morrone now resides in Upstate NY with his wife. (Although he can still speak fluent Brooklynese.) His twin daughters remain not only his biggest fans, but usually are the first to read all of his work. Their home is run and operated for the comfort and convenience of their dogs. Vincent has been writing fiction, poetry and song lyrics for as long as he can remember, most of which involve magical misfits, paranormal prodigies and even on occasion superheroes and their sidekicks. As they say in Brooklyn: Yo, you got something to say to Vincent? Check out vincentmorrone.com where you can learn about Vincent and leave him a comment.
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