Epilogue
Three months later . . .
The cherry blossoms were at their peak on April 2nd, the day of her wedding. Tate Carlisle looked out the window of the residence at the White House and at the crowd surrounding the fence. They were all there to see her and celebrate her wedding to Birch. But the memories of the last time so many from the media gathered on the grounds made the moment temporarily bitter before fading away.
News of the wedding date was leaked via one Sebastian Abel two days before when asked about backing out as a keynote speaker at a tech conference. “I’m attending a wedding,” he had said.
That was enough for reporters to dig around and discover the president’s schedule had been cleared for the next week. People had started arriving within the hour to surround the White House. While her office refused to furnish any details, Tate did announce she’d make a statement that day. She looked in the mirror once more.
“For love of all that’s holy, hurry up. You look perfect.”
Tate laughed at Valeria sitting in a pink dress and looking as pissed as a wet hen. She wasn’t about to forgive Tate for the pink anytime soon, even though she looked beautiful.
“You better not be a bitch at my wedding or so help me, I’ll shoot you,” Lizzy warned teasingly.
“Have I told you I love you both?” Tate asked, smiling and tearing up at the same time.
“We’ll love you more if you get a move on. The limo is waiting to take us to Marine One so we can all travel incognito,” Val said, looking at her watch.
“I’m ready,” Tate said with a feeling of complete happiness. “I’ll meet you in the limo.”
“Finally,” Val teased as Lizzy grabbed their bags and headed for the garage. “And by the way, you look great.”
“Thank you, Val.”
“Hey, that’s what maids of honor are for.”
Tate was alone then, and she made her way down the red-carpeted stairs of the residence and toward the front door. The staff lined the hallway clapping and some even wiped tears from their eyes. Cheers from the crowds went up as Tate walked out front. She waved and caught sight of a little girl using her cell phone to record the moment. Tate walked forward, making Secret Service nervous, but Tate headed right toward the girl who waved frantically.
“Miss Carlisle, I’m Samantha Young of Jefferson Middle School’s newspaper. Can I ask you a question?” Smiling, Tate walked to the gate as BBN reporters and other national papers tried to get her attention.
“What’s your question, Miss Young?”
“How do you feel about the media now that it’s been exposed to have been corrupted by Molly Dominate?”
Tate couldn’t stop the smile at the girl trying so hard. “I feel we’ve all been given a second chance to be the best people we can be. And with a reporter like you growing up, I have faith the next generation will succeed where others have failed.”
“One more question?” Samantha asked nervously. Tate nodded as the other reporters shouted their questions. “Is this the happiest day of your life?”’
“It sure is. Thank you, everyone. I have a wedding to attend.”
The lawn at Camp David was full of celebration as Tate and Birch smiled happily at each other and cut their wedding cake. Her brother, Tucker, had walked Tate down the aisle of the rustic Evergreen Chapel. Humphrey and Sebastian had served as groomsmen, and Lizzy hadn’t even had to punch Sebastian as he escorted her back down the aisle.
Lizzy smiled as the music began to play and the happy couple took to the dance floor. However, her eyes narrowed at the small band on Valeria’s hand. She never wore rings. “Psst,” Lizzy hissed, waving them over.
Val looked at her with curiosity as she and Grant grabbed their drinks before coming to stand with them.
“What the hell is on your hand?” Lizzy asked as Val suddenly looked nervous.
“Nothing,” she said, holding up her other hand.
“Not that hand.” Lizzy grabbed her left hand and turned her hand palm up. Hiding there was a diamond in the center of a band made up of interlacing trinity knots. “You’re—”
“Shh!” Val admonished as Dalton shook Grant’s hand with an excited smile. “I was hiding that. We don’t want to distract from Tate and Birch’s big day.”
Lizzy flung her arms around Val. “Congratulations. I couldn’t be happier for you.”
“Thanks. Grant asked me three days ago by the river in Quantico. He surprised me with a romantic dinner and boat ride.”
“I hear congratulations are in order,” the deep voice said, drawing Lizzy and everyone else to turn around.
“Sebastian,” Val acknowledged carefully. Sebastian had been noticeably low-key since Bertie’s arrest. He’d helped Senator Epps author a bill to limit the realm in which AI could be used, and he’d been meeting with Birch regularly, but not asking for anything. Instead, he was being a friend. Lizzy didn’t know what to make of it after learning how much of a role Sebastian really had in bringing Mollia Domini down. And she wasn’t going to pretend he did it all because it was the right thing to do. While that may have played into his actions, Sebastian had profited greatly from Bertie’s downfall.
“I heard you tried to buy Jason’s property,” Sebastian said to Dalton and Grant.
“How do you know that?” Dalton asked suspiciously.
“I own the bank in charge of liquidating the Wolskis’ assets. What did you want with it?”
“We wanted to keep it going, to honor Jason and Michelle,” Dalton answered.
“Aye, but someone bought it,” Grant said accusingly.
Sebastian looked to Lizzy and Valeria and then back to Dalton and Grant. “How was that going to work with you all getting married?”
“We would figure it out,” Dalton said defensively. “But we were never given the chance.”
Sebastian nodded his head. “I bought it.”
“What?” Lizzy gasped as she saw Dalton flex his hand into a fist.
“I bought this, too,” he said, handing an envelope to Dalton.
Dalton opened it and scanned it. “It’s a deed made out to the Wolski Veteran Foundation for one hundred acres near Quantico,” Dalton said, turning the page. “And this is a deed to the Jason’s property, also in the name of Wolski Veteran Foundation.”
Dalton looked confused. “There’s one more page,” Sebastian said casually.
Dalton turned to it. He read it and then his eyes shot up to Sebastian’s as he handed it to Grant.
“We’re the president and vice president of the Wolski Veteran Foundation?” Grant asked without looking up. “With a $10,000,000 endowment?”
“Why?” Dalton asked Sebastian.
“Because sometimes even I can do the right thing,” he said, turning to wink at Lizzy. “A full staff has been hired for their camp and the new smaller camp that you two can run near Quantico. You can keep or fire anyone you want. This is your nonprofit to keep their memory alive and to help as many veterans as possible.”
“Just like that?” Grant asked, pulling Valeria to his side as if Sebastian would demand her as payment.
Sebastian grinned in such a way that Lizzy knew he thought the same. “Just like that. Besides, you never know if we’ll get to work together again. Better to keep close in case Birch needs us.”
With a wink to Lizzy, Sebastian sauntered into the crowd. Birch and Tate’s dance finished as they clapped for the happy couple. When Birch and Tate joined them, Humphrey hurried over with handfuls of drinks and handed them out like a proud papa. With champagne flutes filled, they raised their glasses.
“To President and First Lady Stratton,” Humphrey said happily.
“To Jason and Michelle,” Dalton said, showing Birch the papers.
“To Brock,” Val said as Grant put his arm around her.
“To Joel and Sheila,” Tate said with a finality that said their deaths had been avenged.
Lizzy leaned over and kissed Humphrey’s cheek. “Thank you, Humphrey.”
Humphrey turned scarlet as he stuttered, “What was that for?”
“For plucking me from the dark.”
Valeria kissed his other cheek. “For rescuing me from the shadows.”
Tate kissed his forehead. “For helping me see the light.”
Birch held up his glass and tapped it against Tate’s as the group of friends toasted each other and their friendship, laid the past to rest, celebrated the present, and swore to face any conflict that might arise standing shoulder to shoulder. “To a bright future.”
THE END