Sometimes, Allan Miller reflected, life was a mystery after all. He had a hard time figuring it out--not for lack of trying. The merry, impulsive Allan of days of yore had mellowed after coming home from fighting--he spent more hours pensive--not sad, but dreamy.

He had seen many dreadful things in his short life, had Allan, but still was not able to give up on the idea that God would figure it all out in his own way. They missed Maggie dreadfully. Why had she been taken? But God had seen to that--he had given them two baby girls to keep their arms and hearts and minds occupied. The sting of missing Maggie was not as great when they were cuddling a soft, smiling babe to their chests.

Denny came to them after the funeral. They had done up the room next to the nursery for him. He was hesitant at first, but he loved Uncle Allan and Aunt Juliet, and his mother had told him to be a good boy. He was a solid, unruffled child and he had the same otherworldly quality that Maggie had had. He seemed exempt from human emotions--he did not seem to be part of this world.

Allan loved coming home in the evenings now--to see his wife by the fire, knitting, rocking the cradle which held Stella and little Margaret with her foot. Denny would clamber in his lap and take Allan's spectacles off and place them on his own head, and peer around with great, wide eyes. The doctor who delivered the girls had said it would be best not to try for another baby. So though Allan loved his girls with his whole heart, he had already begun to think of Denny as his son. And he was glad he had a boy.

Mona and Barry were married as planned--the wedding was more subdued than they had wanted because they all missed Maggie so. But it couldn't help but be a merry affair. Mona seemed to have sprung into life and behaved in a way they had never seen her. She was so happy. The soloist sang, at their ceremony:

I once was lost

But now am found.

Was blind, but now I see!

And it sent shivers up their spines.

Melanie stayed with Miss Eppie during their honeymoon--a month-long tour of Southeast Asia. They were only just back, and had moved into the house Barry bought for them--a stately, white-brick home, full of charm for a large house--but all the way across town! The War-Widows' cottage was dark and closed up now, and Juliet and Allan could barely stand to see it so.

And now life had thrown them another curve, Allan thought, fingering the letter in his pocket. He had just received it today. Looking at Juliet by the fire he thought that she seemed content--it wasn't fair to spring another change upon her. So he would wait--until the time was right to spring this on her.

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In December, quite near Christmas, Teddy Kent collapsed at his studio and was rushed, by ambulance, to the hospital in Charlottetown. He had not had a heart attack, but it was a like a heart attack--he was stressed and overworked--it was imperative that he not work so hard in the future. Or else next time he might not be so lucky.

Juliet heard the news from her mother over the telephone and crumpled to the floor, sobbing. She was not sure if it was from worry or relief. Her heart felt like it was being pulled from her body--she wanted her mother's arms--she wanted her father to pat her hair and say, "My girl--my girl." She wanted Douglas to talk things over with. She wanted Bea to reassure he it would be all right. She wanted the softened halls of hallowed New Moon, the wind through Lofty John's Bush, long walks on the Tomorrow Road. It struck her with a pang that at this very moment, the halls of New Moon were gleaming quietly--the snow was falling on Lofty John's Bush--and someone was rambling with their true love in the wintry Land of Tomorrow. And she was not there to see it--to see any of it.

"I want to go home," she said to Allan suddenly.

She expected Allan to go to her, to murmur words of comfort to her. She expected he would think she was just upset. She did not expect for him to say, seriously, "Do you really?" And pull a letter from his desk in the study.

Allan read her the letter, then put it down and smiled softly at Juliet.

"Let's go home," he said.

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Home--home--home! The word played over and over in Juliet's mind in the weeks to come. Allan accepted the offer to move back to the bank in Charlottetown--they looked for houses near Blair Water--they packed up their dear cottage and broke the news to their friends. They worried it would not be fair to uproot Denny from the only life he had ever known, but the boy wriggled with excitement at the thought of seeing the places his Auntie and Uncle had told him about.

At night, when her babies were asleep, Juliet donned her robe and walked through the quiet cottage. She was glad to be going--but part of her grieved. This was the first house she and Allan had together--the house Maggie had visited--the house Stella and Margaret were born. The house where Imogene would have been born--the house where they lost her. Juliet could not help her sentimental nature--she cried over her little memories by the light of an old moon--but when the sun rose she was all smiles and excitement again.

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"I've found us a house," said Allan one day, waving a letter triumphantly. "Can you guess where it is?"

"I suppose it's in Charlottetown," said Juliet with a sigh. "I'm used to living in the city after this but I had hoped it would be near New Moon. Well, tell me about it, Allan dearest. Is it a little house?"

"No--quite big. But charming all the same."

"Is there a brook? Are there trees? And if there are, I want old trees--mostly."

"Yes to the brook--yes to the trees--and most of them are quite old."

"I suppose there's no spruce bush near it," Juliet laughed. "That would be too much to ask."

"Well," said Allan. "There is a spruce bush--right by it, actually. A very lofty one."

Juliet's heart skipped a beat. "Allan," she said tremulously. "Who is that letter from?"

"Aunt Elizabeth Priest wrote it," said Allan. "She is tired of living alone--she has invited Bella and Doug to live at Priest Pond. They accepted. And that leaves--"

"New Moon!" Juliet cried. "Oh, Allan--we're going to live at New Moon?"

"I told her we'd have to think it over," said Allan loftily, and Juliet laughed and pinched him playfully. He pinched her back--tickled her--they chased each other around the kitchen like the children they had once been. When they had exhausted themselves they fell into each others arms. Then they sat very still together and watched the stars come out. And dreamed and dreamed.

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Mona and Barry drove them to the airport--there were heaps of tearful goodbyes and promises to visit. One plane ride, one train ride, and then they were on the ferry to the Island. It seemed to happen in no time at all.

Allan held Stella in his arms and Denny held Margaret. Already a bond had been formed between them--a bond stronger than life or death itself. He was very protective of her. In later years, Juliet would look at them together--her son and daughter--and remember them like this, standing at the rail on the top deck of the ferry--her in his arms--both looking toward home.

It was a gray day--overcast--they passed Les iles-de-madelines, which looked dark and gloomy in the fog. But just as the red cliffs burst into view on the horizon, a ray of sun peeked through the clouds and bathed the little family on the deck in its warm, radiant light.

"Look, Denny!" Juliet cried. "Look, Margaret--Stella! Oh, Allan, dearest, we're home!"

The wind picked up and tossed the salt spray in the faces of the passengers who stood at the rail. Most of them recoiled--Allan wiped his spectacles and Denny shrieked--but Stella opened her eyes and cooed and Margaret tossed her arms wide and seemed to be tasting the wind. Juliet laughed.

"Look at that!" she cried. "They're Island girls, after all!"

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The End.

I hope you all liked reading this story as much as I liked writing it. I'm so sad to see the end of Juliet's story, but I'm glad she has her family, and I'm glad she's finally home.