But despite Cosette's newly hopeful attitude, she did not even see Marius for months. There were two reasons for this, the first being that Valjean was barely allowing her out of the house anymore, citing at first her broken arm, and after it had healed, her rash actions on the day of the barricades.

She spent a lot of her time, therefore, sitting at home and wondering where to look next and if she would be able to find Marius wherever she looked. She also spent more time than she had in years with Valjean, an activity she found she had missed.

The other reason was one she never knew. Marius never came out onto the streets anymore, unless it was to go to work, or do something necessary like buy food. Cosette simply wasn't looking in the right places. It was a complete accident, actually, when she stumbled across him again. She had been doing something—something she could never remember in years to come—when she looked across a busy street, and there he was.

The next few minutes were a blur of pursuit, and the next thing she could remember, she was embracing him, and he had his arms around her… mothers on the street were guiding their children away from the two, but neither cared.

--

Although to others it might seem hasty for Marius to propose to Cosette only two months after this, to the two concerned it seemed completely natural. After all, two months was enough to ask everything that needed asking, and tell everything that needed telling. It was enough time for Cosette to know everything about Marius, and Marius to know everything about Cosette.

They were happy.

Even his job and her past were not enough to postpone the wedding. Neither cared. Marius had even spoken vaugely about given up his job after a year or two and looking into law, something Cosette protested because she knew he loved his job and didn't want him to leave just for her.

--

It was actually a little over a year later that Marius began studying law, after Cosette confronted him one morning and informed him that he should hurry up and make up his mind career-wise because when their son or daughter was born several months from now, the salary he was paid now would go a very short way before it wouldn't be enough to keep food on the table.

Marius, a little weak-kneed at this sudden information, nodded and wandered off in a daze.

Both Marius' grandfather (who was now back in the grandson's good graces) and Valjean had offered the couple financial assistance, but neither liked the idea of living on money others had made. As Marius said, "It takes away independence." Or, as Cosette said, "It takes all the fun out of life."

--

Valjean lived just long enough to see the fifth birthday of Marius and Cosette's third child (their first daughter) before he died peacefully, surrounded by Cosette and her family.

--

The last image of this family that the reader should leave with is this one—The two parents and three children sitting in their youngest child's bedroom along with Valjean (less than a year away from his death at this point) as the younger generation hears for the first time the strange story of how their parents met. No sooner is the story over than the middle child starts talking (at the speed of sound) I might add, the youngest one gets teary over what to her four year old ears constitutes a scary story, Cosette start berating her husband for telling her at such a young age (while he insists it was her idea all along) and their eldest son looks at Valjean and asks if it is all true.

Why this image? Because it so perfectly defines the chaotic but peacefull life that the little family lead for so many years. Only a few minutes after the story ended, everyone had once again calmed, and they sat together in silence and peace.

--

And it's over. Hopefully someone out there had as much fun reading this as I did writing it. Bye now!