F is for future and R is for recently

Epilogue-FFF/Prologue-RRR

The fire engine red Royal Mail truck zoomed towards Glenbogle House just before the mail carrier stepped on the break, shifted into park and the door wheeled open. The carrier snatched a stack of mail and then strode over to the house.

Jess was the one at the door to accept the tower of bills, letters and one very important post card which lie on top. "Hi, thanks, yeah," Jess replied as she waved the postman on. Jess sorted through the mail and placed piles for everyone…Archie, Lexie, House, Duncan, Claire, Ewan, Molly, Lizzie…while Jess figured out which mail went where Sean appeared at the top of the steps. Sean watched Jess for a few moments before descending down the stairs. Sean tip toed up behind Jess as she sorted the mail…Sean embraced her from behind as Jess tried to continue her sorting job… "This is for you."

Jess wiggled out of his arms with a big grin and handed him a letter. Sean added, "It's from the university."

"Important?" Jess eyed Sean intently as he opened the letter and skimmed down the page while unfolding it.

"Very," Sean sighed as Jess stared at him and then became impatient for an answer other than 'very.'

"What's this about Sean? You've been up here for days…"

"Jess, I know you weren't ready to live together. I know my coming here out of the blue was a shock…"

"It wasn't just a shock, it burst the bubble," Jess joked as Sean laughed. The last conversation that they had had before Jess broke it off was about Sean's bubble theory for his economics class. The past few days…Sean and Jess were back on.

"I got my sabbatical…"

"Which means you got the grant!" Sean nodded his head as Jess threw her arms around him and then planted a sweet kiss to his cheek.

Just as Sean and Jess cheered about Sean's letter…Lizzie and Graeme wandered right in. Lizzie chanted instantly, "You two look cozy…why the smiling happy faces?"

"Sean got the grant for his sabbatical!" Jess piped right up. Lizzie and Graeme beamed, "Congrats! Well done!"

"For how long?" Lizzie asked while Sean replied, "One year."

Lizzie picked up her mail pile, as she shifted through it, an air mail letter with pc type—Lizzie's name and Martha's came. Graeme glanced at Lizzie, "Everything all right?"

Jess and Sean looked at each other and then at a perplexed Lizzie.

"I'm fine. Just a letter, nothing major I'll open it later on." Lizzie smiled, just as Lexie and Archie rolled in.

"How was the scan?" Lizzie asked hopeful and cheery as she shoved the letter into her handbag and grinned ear to ear.

Lexie said with pride, "It's a girl…"

"Well that's what the midwife thinks," Archie replied slightly disappointed.

Lexie put an arm around her husband and added warmly, "Poor Arch—he wanted another 'man' around the house."

Jess handed Archie a stack of mail as he stopped pouting, brushed his lips to Lexie's cheek while they placed their hand on the postcard of Ireland. Lexie zoomed in on the photo on the postcard, "Ireland?" she asked while staring at Archie.

img src"http/img. alt"Image hosted by Lizzie brightly beamed, while she concluded, "It's gotta be Katrina! Right Arch?"

Archie read the back of the postcard, scanning his eyes along Katrina's penmanship as Lexie joined Lizzie and began to pester him for information—Katrina's big news.

img src"http/img. alt"Image hosted by handed the postcard to Lizzie who jumped up and down and hugged Graeme tight. "She's pregnant! I'm going to be a god mother! I'll ring her right now!"

Lexie replied with a grin, "Sounds like wedded bliss is still with them…" Lizzie took off to the phone table. She snatched up the phone, undoing the phone from the jack and plug before venturing away, in hopes to call Katrina and Fergal.

"Hello Susan," Sean spoke up, as Susan smiled at Sean, "I still can't believe you're here you know!" Susan said excitedly, "I bet you can't either, Jess?"

Jess immediately defined, "No I can't either."

Jess didn't have issues with Susan and Sean knowing each other years and years ago whilst at university—they were chummy, dated once or twice, but decided they were better off as friends--- and lost touch when Susan started her career eons ago. It was Paul, who did, and he shot Sean a very strict and slightly irritated glance, but the letter in Jess's hands distracted him from saying some clever retort. Archie noted another important piece of business…a letter from Lagganmore Distillery or Amanda MacLeish as Archie was about to accept it from Jess...

"I'll take that," Paul grabbed the letter from Jess before it went into Archie's hands as Archie looked at his brother, "What do you mean?"

"I dealt with her, and I'll see what it is she also wants."

"I know you gave her three barrels of special malt whiskey so you could keep Ghillie's and my 15,000 pounds---the price of those shares, I would have done it too---aside from also giving Amanda 20 percent of the business profits for the next six months." Archie stated bluntly.

"You know what they say bribery works quite well," Paul grinned at Archie.

"Paul?" Susan asked as she watched him read the letter.

Paul solidly nodded his head, and answered back, "Amanda's dropped the court hearing against us and she's happy to do business."

A wave of relief swept over all of their faces except Archie's.

"The question is how we are going to get by," Archie frowned as Sean spoke up, "For a land dinosaur, I have just the solution for you. Do you have the time to chat?"

Archie gave Sean a look of interest while they made way to the library, "I might say I do."

Graeme had his own business to tend too. He kissed Lizzie lightly while she hid herself in the utility closet near by and sat on a chair trying to dial Katrina's number.

Graeme inquired sweetly, "Dinner?"

"Okay, I'll see you then." Lizzie added as she waved him away before rattling into the receiver, "Katrina! Hey! Yes, I got it you silly woman!"

Graeme walked out of the house and just as he reached his car, he pulled out a black box, cracked it open to display…a diamond ring.