Epilogue

Halloween had always been a favorite time of year for Sarah. She always enjoyed the feeling of fall beginning to change to winter in Georgia, and even more so, she enjoyed seeing the excitement on the faces of the children she taught as they dressed in various costumes and worked on Halloween crafts while waiting for the end of the day to arrive.

With a slight little smile, Sarah saw her last student off safely to the dismissal area and wondered why this Halloween seemed so different from the others she'd experienced. Maybe it was because of Luke.

As if just thinking about him had conjured him in the flesh, she felt a pair of strong arms slide around her waist from behind as she was writing the next day's lesson on the chalkboard. With a happy sigh, he leaned his head on her shoulder and said, "Aren't you finished yet? Jack is dying to show you his costume."

She smiled to herself. She suspected it was Luke who was dying to see her costume rather than Jack showing her his. Luke had made a game of Halloween this year. They, along with Edna of course, were set to attend a Halloween party at the Kincaid house after they took Jack trick or treating. Luke had decided none of them would show the others their costume until Halloween night. Jack had been the exception, of course, but he'd chosen to let Luke help him pick out his costume this year, keeping it a secret from Sarah.

"I suppose I can call it a day," she said, turning to give him a teasing kiss. "Besides, I need to get home and get dressed soon, don't I?"

"Sure, and I'll be glad to help with that last part."

She eyed him haughtily in mock disgust and couldn't help but smile inside knowing how lucky they were. She'd almost lost him three times now, but thank goodness, luck had been on their side.

He'd saved Bree-Anne's life and managed only to get grazed by the bullet, but when he'd passed out and she'd seen the blood, Sarah had been certain he'd been fatally wounded. The grief she'd experienced in that minute had been overwhelming. To have had him back again only to lose him so soon had seemed like the cruelest of fates. He'd woken up just as the paramedics had arrived, only to look at Sarah and say, "Hey, if it gets me this much attention, maybe I should keep having more accidents. What do you think?" Then he'd smiled, and she'd cried in relief.

The months following had been a time of transition for her, Luke and Jack. Luke still hadn't fully recovered all of his memories. It seemed likely he never would. But he didn't seem to mind anymore, and a lot of the memories he could now access were of the early days, when he and Sarah had been so much in love. Sure, they still had their awkward moments, but they were getting through them.

Jack had tested Luke's authority something fierce those first few weeks, but Luke seemed to know just what to do to keep their son in line. He and Jack were fast becoming best friends, and although Sarah sometimes felt oddly jealous and left out, she was willing to step aside and share her son with his father.

Luke had also continued his friendship with A.J., and Sarah had found a kindred soul in A.J.'s wife too. Luckily their new friends also had two kids, one of which was a little boy a year older than Jack. The two families often did things together now that Sarah hadn't had an opportunity to do when it was just her and Jack.

"So, what's your costume, mister?" Sarah asked Luke as he drove her home.

"What? Isn't it obvious? I'm Perry Mason, of course!" he said, then sent her a teasing smile as he flipped his tie up. On a trial basis, he was working at a small lawyer's office near the school she taught at. This time around, however, Luke was making a point of taking cases that truly helped people who couldn't afford big fees and who had legitimate cases. He seemed happy doing it, and that's all that mattered to her.