EPILOGUE:


MARY ANNE:

Once school ended for the day six months later, I logged into my e-mail in my office and checked it. There were ee's from Sharon and Dawn. Sharon asked how Lazarus High was treating me. *It's going along fine!* I ee'd back. *I was a bit nervous that first day and it was a bit weird seeing my name on the door of the principal's office, but I'm getting used to it...* I added some more things, such as that I should get a response any day now about the book I'd submitted back in September and that it had gotten colder here this week, being mid-November. And that the girls and I had gone for a walk through an autumn trail in upstate New York two weeks ago when the trees were in their peak. And asked Sharon if she was still coming over here for Thanksgiving, that I'd already ordered the pre-cooked turkey. Hard to believe these past six months have flown by and it was nearing the end of another year. And in another year, it would be 2030, the start of a new decade, I thought as I logged out and closed down the computer. I'd still kept in touch with Leah Silverbein and she'd told me she'd felt a little strange too seeing her name on the office door. Kristy ee'd and told me about the new line of products her business was now selling now that electricity has been changed while Claud's doing the advertising for the appliances again as well as picking up other business deals with neotricty products. Stacey won an award in August for her invention, the Mayer-Goppert Prize. Mallory has started on another series. Jessi's teaching even bigger classes this year and is branching out into modern dance. Dawn's coming up here for the holidays once again. Once I got home, Tam called out that I had mail from the publisher.

"I think it's about the book," she called.

"Thanks, honey..." I took off my jacket and headed into my room, where sure enough, there was a manila envelope. The letter told me that the publisher could buy it and I'd be published! I gasped and dropped the letter on my desk and grabbed tissues. I'd written articles over the years, but now I'd have a book out! Wow!

"You made it, right?" Tam asked with a grin from the door. I nodded and gave her a hug, then Alma, who'd come in behind her. They can always tell when my tears are happy ones. It was Friday evening, so we decided to head into downtown Manhattan to eat. I'd ee my friends later to tell them. As my family and I headed home after our dinner, I thought over how so many of my dreams came true. Living here in New York had been my biggest one as a child. Then becoming independent as a teenager, then entering the education field. Then as an adult, having a wonderful family...my late dear husband Owen and my two wonderful daughters, who are so dear to me. My thoughts wandered over to my friends and I knew they were fortunate too. We were fortunate to be living in this era, us BSC and our kids. My friends and I had all dreamed back when we were young, then grew up realizing that it would take a lot of hard work on our parts to make those dreams reality. We'd had our heartaches over the years, survived them and triumphed over them. *It looks like it all paid off,* I thought contentedly with a soft smile.





~~Storyline Copyright 2002 by CNJ~~