Epilogue

The afternoon sun was just beginning to set as he pulled his car up. Streaks of light streamed through the trees touching each leaf with gold. There was a scent of fall in the air. It was the crisp scent that lets everyone know summer is over and winter is on the way. He could hear the birds as they sang, and their soft songs seemed to contribute to the serenity of the cemetery. As he stepped out of the car, he turned slightly to fee the warmth of the few rays of the sun before it slipped below the horizon.

Turning away from the beauty of the setting sun, Grissom peered across the rows of silent graves to spot Sara standing alone at a small pile of dirt. As he began waling across the grass, it pained him to know that once again, she was all alone.

Sara looked up to see Grissom crossing the rows of graves to come to her side. She smiled as he came next to her and put an arm around her shoulder. "Hi," she said quietly.

"How are you doing?" he asked.

"Actually, I'm pretty good," she answered. "I didn't know if I'd feel this good when you left last week, but I really am doing well."

"Are you here all alone?" he asked, concerned.

"Yeah, the chaplain from the prison called. There was a suicide attempt at the prison, and he's part of their crisis response team. And, I tried every way I could to think of to find my brother, but I wasn't successful. I'll probably keep trying when I get home. I've decided that I need some family around me. But, I am glad that you were able to come." She leaned her head on his shoulder.

He pulled her closer against him. Hesitantly, he asked, "Did you think about my suggestion? About writing a letter?"

She looked directly at him. "I did," she replied. "I was up late last night writing. It started out really angry, but by the end, I had forgiven. I guess I started to see things from her perspective. I mean, she felt completely powerless, and then I come along expecting her to fix everything. It was an impossible situation, and she reacted the only way she could. So, by the end of the letter, I was able to forgive her. I mean, the abortion was my decision, and I have to deal with the consequences on my own. Don't you agree?"

He nodded silently.

"So, I decided to take you suggestion a little bit further. I also write a letter to my baby. I told her, I guess of always thought of the baby as a her, how I felt. I told her how much I missed her, and how much I wished I'd thought the whole decision through. Who knows, I might have come to the same decisions, but at least, I would've dealt with all of the ramifications before I did anything."

He was so proud of her; he thought his heart would burst. "So, what did you do with the letters?"

She took a deep breath. "I buried them. I think the cemetery guys thought I was nuts standing here all by myself trying to not fall in as I dropped those two letters in." She laughed softly at the memory.

He pulled her back against him, "So, why did you bury them?"

"I guess, because it was symbolic. I'm burying my anger and bitterness. I'm leaving it all behind me. It's time for me to move on."

She looked up into his eyes, and Grissom was amazed by the peace he saw in them. She had truly begun to move on, and before he could stop himself he leaned down to softly kiss her. Her eyes widened slightly, and then she turned to put her arms around his neck. They stood there for many minutes before Grissom pulled away. "Ready to come with me?" he whispered.

Smiling at him, she responded, "Of course, I am." As they began to walk back to the cars with their arms around each other, Sara stopped for a second to turn back to the lonely grave. "Good-bye, Mom," she whispered, "I love you."

Then, Sara turned back to face her future with the man she loved by her side.

The End

A/N: And so, we've reached the end. This has been a great trip for me, and I appreciate all of you who've read it. Thank you for all of the kind reviews and encouragement. I'm already starting on something new, so look for it soon!