Chapter Eleven: Years Later

Time went on and my tears dried. My friendship with Tommy became stronger. We allowed some time to pass after my divorce before we officially started dating. For one year we dated before we found ourselves in Angel Grove. A friend of ours, Billy Cranston was having a welcome home party after being away traveling for years. Excited, we showed up at the old park together. We saw all of our old friends and I realized how much I missed them. We all caught up on our lives.

My divorce and being reunited with Tommy. Tommy becoming a paleontologist and a teacher. I learned that Zack Taylor returned to Angel Grove, married Angela (a girl he liked in High School), and was expecting their third child. Katherine "Kat" Hillard met Billy in Australia and they were currently dating. Tanya Sloan and Adam Park married two years after college. They had one child. Jason Lee Scott and Trini Kwan were engaged and had been dating for three years. They said they always felt like something was missing, me. They were my longest friends and felt they couldn't marry without me there. Rocky DeSantos and Aisha Campbell had just begun dating a month before. They had remained in contact after they left Angel Grove but danced around each other until Adam, their longest friend, set them up on a blind date.

Being in Angel Grove felt like home and it brought back so many old memories. Happy memories of meeting Jason during a playdate at four. First grade and meeting Trini and Billy. Third-grade meeting Zack. Tenth-grade meeting and dating Tommy. Jason, Trini, and Zack moving away. Making friends with Aisha, Rocky, and Adam. Meeting Kat. Angel Grove meant so much to me.

Returning home after the weekend visit to Angel Grove was very hard for me. Home no longer felt like home Tommy felt the same way and soon we made plans to move back to Angel Grove.

We quit our jobs, we packed our things and moved back home. We got a three bedroom, light green house, with one and two halves bathrooms. Two stories. A white picket fence. I thought the house was too big for just the two of us. Tommy joked saying it won't always be just the two of us. I smiled brightly at him. The thought of children with Tommy didn't scare me like it always had with Lee. I was more than ready to start a family.

"But first," Tommy said. "I want to marry you."

He got down on bended knee and pulled out a ring I didn't know he had.

"Kimberly Ann Hart," Tommy said. "Will you marry me?"

"Yes," I said without hesitation.

We moved to Angel Grove during the mid-summer. We married the following spring. By the next fall, I was pregnant with our son, Caiden. Two years later, our second son, Elliot was born. We were happy.

One day, I got an invitation from Karah. She and her husband were renewing their vows. Tommy and I agreed to go. We left the boys with Tommy's friends. It was Spring Break, so Tommy was on vacation. I took the week off. I was now a gymnastics coach at the local center. I was much happier there than I ever was at the office.

The ceremony was beautiful. Lucy and I were bridesmaids. We cried happily as our friend and her husband spoke their vows.

We caught up during the small reception after with Lucy's family was there. Marcus was a bit grayer and rounder than the last time I saw him. Her sons Patrick and Sammy had grown a lot.

During the reception, Karah announced she was pregnant and we all cheered. Tommy and I shared a soft look. We had just found out I was pregnant with a girl the week before.

Later, on the way to the hotel we were staying at, Tommy and I ran into Lee and his wife. They were dressed for a night out.

"Hi," I said with a friendly smile.

"Hi," Lee said.

"This is my husband, Tommy," I said.

"Hi," Tommy said holding out his hand which Lee took and shook.

"This is Rachel," Lee said.

I shook her hand. I was surprised at how much I no longer cared that Rachel was the woman Lee had left me for. The anger had long gone. All that was left was the memory.

"How are you?" Lee asked.

"We're good," I said. "And You?"

"Us too," Lee said.

"Your baby?" I asked.

"Katie, she's fine," Lee said. "Any children?"

"Yes," Tommy answered. "Two boys and we're expecting a girl this summer."

"Congratulations," Rachel said.

"Thank you," I said.

"Honey, we should be going," Rachel said. "We have to make sure the sitter doesn't stay out too late."

"Ok," Lee said. "It was good seeing you, Kim."

"You too," I said.

Tommy and I watched them walk to their car.

"Do you regret how everything turned out?" Tommy asked.

I thought about everything that happened. Meeting Lee, marrying Lee, meeting Tommy again, Lee cheating on me, the divorce, moving back to Angel Grove and marrying Tommy, our sons and now our daughter.

"No," I said smiling up at him. "No regrets. I would do it all again. Everything that happened leads me to my happiness."

"I love you," Tommy said leaning down to kiss me.

"I love you, too."

END.