Epilogue

Memorial Day Bonfire

“Grandmas and Grandpa,” a bright voice called as the door slammed. “Papa said to call all the old folks out to lunch. The grills are cooking.”

“Old folks!” John hmphed as he stood to embrace his youngest granddaughter, Patricia. “I’m finally going to take that boy up in an airplane and push him out. I should have done it years ago, the first time he dated your mother.” He growled but no one believed him in the least.

“But grandpa, then you wouldn’t have me!” Patricia said. John hugged her more fiercely and brought Bea into the hug with them.

“I wouldn’t trade you for the world,” he whispered. “Not for the world.”

“Anybody need help getting outside?” Another voice said from the door as more of the grandchildren entered the house. Jenny Lynn entered the room dragging Drake Irving by the hand. “Come on, Drake. They won’t bite.”

“Y-Your family is ... so big,” the boy stammered. He wasn’t as tall as the Trane boys, but he towered over his parents, Larry, Theresa, and Dawn.

“They’re not all my grandparents,” Jenny Lynn laughed. “But they are all our family.”

“Goodness, Drake! What did they feed you in college? I’m sure you’re six inches taller than you were in the fall!” Anna said as she stood to embrace her granddaughter and ‘the neighbor boy’.

“J-Just two inches. I think ... I’m done now, Ms. Pratt.”

“Calling me Grandma doesn’t imply that you’re getting married,” she laughed. He blushed and squeezed Jenny Lynn’s hand.

“I-I know, Grandma Anna. I just-t get...” His left hand flew in signs. All the children on the ranch had been taught sign language and the adults had learned quickly to understand what was being said.

“Don’t let it bother you, Drake,” Marilyn said as she gave him a squeeze and then turned to embrace her granddaughters. “All God’s children got a voice in the choir. Some sing silently. We love you all.”

More grandkids waited outside as the older folks moved to join the rest of the clan where the guys manning the grills were dropping hamburgers and hotdogs onto the plates of the great grandchildren.

“We love any occasion to get everyone together and Memorial Day is a great opportunity. Now that most of our children are out of high school, they get out earlier in the spring and some have already headed away to their summer jobs. BD and Claudia are building a school in Djibouti and Whitney will be joining them as soon as school is out here. We’re all proud of them as this school will be a memorial to many of Major Anderson’s fallen comrades who served with her there.”

Whitney stepped forward and read the names of the soldiers and Marines she had served with who didn’t make it back, starting with the sergeant she commanded who died in the embassy attack at Dar es Salaam. Both John Clinton and Sly Cortales mentioned the names of other comrades who had fallen and Matthew stepped forward to read the name of Doug’s and Doreen’s uncle and Hayden’s best friend, Darnell Swift. It was a solemn occasion and everyone held a moment of silence when all the names had been read.