EPILOGUE
Author's note: This epilogue takes a very large time jump but if the demand is great enough I will return to this universe to continue the story of Rick and Kate Rodgers and their family in between the summer of 2015 and this Epilogue.
Cadet chapel, USMA, West Point New York. June 2041
Brigadier General Richard Rodgers (Major General designate) sat with his wife of twenty-five years as their daughter Lisa exchanged vows with her groom; Captain Steven Lane U.S.A. Lisa had turned out to be a spitting image of her mother both in looks and profession. Now a lawyer she followed in her mother's footsteps. She too was marrying a career officer. Steve was also a lawyer assigned to the Judge Advocate Corps. Both her mother and her father defied their age.
Although not as quick as he used to be Richard Rodgers was still a tall, powerfully built man very physically fit and looked ten years younger than he was. Kate was still as slender even after bearing four children with only a slight arch to her abdomen and fuller breasts. More beautiful in maturity than she been when she married. She didn't look her age, either. Two years after they married Kate bore twin sons, Bryan James and Keith Jackson. Their fourth child, Kiera Johanna was born two years after her brothers.
Identical twins, both boys took a delight in confusing people about their identity. Of course they grew out of it for the most part. They never could fool their parents. Both young men were tall, taller than their father but with a slightly more slender build. Both of them had girls flocking after them since they were twelve years old. Bryan was the more serious of the two although both were given to pranks. The family was gathered at West Point for a Tripple celebration. Lisa's wedding, Rick and Kate's silver anniversary and Bryan's graduation from West Point.
Keith had graduated from Harvard earlier that month and was starting on his master's degree in education. Kiera, the youngest was entering her junior year, also at Harvard studying pre-med. Like all the Beckett women Kiera was a beauty. She was taller than Kate with a near perfectly proportioned figure. She had long wavy brunette hair and her father's piercing blue eyes. She also had a razor sharp mind that left any number of self-acclaimed hot guys wondering what hit them in the wake of a scathing put-down. With the teaching of her father and her "Uncle Javi" getting physical with her was a sure path to the Emergency Room.
Both Rick and Kate's careers had blossomed. After eight years at West Point Rick had been reassigned to his beloved Special Forces as a member of the Special Warfare School staff. He was still not deployable. Commandant of the school had followed with promotion to Brigadier and his final assignment before retirement was assignment to the pentagon.
His literary career had also flourished with the Hawk series ending at 20 books. He'd then gone on to writing his first literary love, science fiction. He'd also authored a four volume set, History of America's special operations forces which was now required reading at the service academies.
Kate had carved out a highly successful career as an advocate for women's and children's rights without the stigma of radical feminism or radical anything else for that matter.
Later on that evening the four Rodgers sibling and their significant others were watching their father and mother dance. Not an inch of space between them, her head resting on his shoulder.
Kiera laughed. "After twenty-five years of marriage for those two I can't understand why there are only four of us." Lisa raised an eyebrow.
"What do you mean by that K?"
"Two days ago I guess Dad forgot to close his office door and I saw them going at it, on top of his desk of all places! Good God they're in their fifties when the hell are they going to slow down?"