Chapter Twenty Three - Epilogue
Two long years had past, and then some since everything that had happened at Camp Pawa. It had been Seven hundred and forty eight days gone by, things were you could say... were much different.
Camp Pawa had been spared being closed by the board of directors that late summer, and it was rumored that the place was going to be expand even more over the next few years under the continuing leadership of Miss Ashfield. That was one of the terms that had been put into place by the board, at which the woman gladly had jumped at.
Seemed that the expansion was going to being bankrolled by a certain ex-secretary who still had a great love for the place. Nobody had ever expected that the woman who had lovingly helped keep the place going for all of those years, was in fact a multi-millionaire... and one that had secretly kept the funds going in the first place. She had the one stipulation though, that safety in the camp would be a priority.
On the other side, Alison had plead guilty to all of the charges laid against her only a month after everything. Without the need for a trial, the woman was sentenced to three life terms plus ninety nine years with no chance of parole ever.. the stiffest sentence ever handed down in that jurisdiction
Alison seemed to be resigned to the fate that had befallen her, accepting her punishment almost happily. In her final words to the court, she apologized to the camp she had nearly ended up closing down, and to everyone that had been affected by all of the things she had done... taking it like a woman would..
Mandy was in the court room when Alison had been sentenced, knowing full well that the girl was taking responsibility for everything. As she watched her ex be led away to start serving her time at a maximum penitentiary, she found herself feeling a sense of respect towards the woman... Alison had taken it like she was suppose to. With her being pregnant, things went really well in the end.
Alison had the baby in jail just after Christmas that year. She had a beautiful little girl who came out perfectly healthy in every way. The task of finding out who would end up rasing the little one fell to Alison, but the woman ended up surprised everyone with what she ended up deciding.
Alison’s family was thinking that they would be taking the little bundle to raise themselves, but Alison spoke up and made sure that her other ideas for just who it was that she wanted to raise the baby was heard. What she ended up deciding, came as such a huge surprise to everyone in her family.
The family had thankfully listened to Alison’s requests very seriously. After just a short period of discussion and planning, the Grey family all ended up in full agreement with their incarcerated family member... and set the ball in motion to honor Alison’s wishes to the letter. In the end, that whole family was all in agreement and had became more than just happy with the family that Alison had chosen to raise the little one.
Alison had picked the people out carefully... as she knew that her life was to be behind bars. She had picked that Mandy would be the one to adopt little Angelica and raise the little girl as her own daughter... a decision that the woman made so honestly and openly.
In a letter from Alison to Mandy during the process, she layed out just why it was that she wanted this so much. Through the seven pages of this letter, she relayed the respect she had for Mandy, and expressed that it was only Mandy who could instill what she was wanting for this little girl in the future.. and the fact that Mandy would show the type of unconditional love she wished for her little girl
To Mandy, it was more than an honor to be put into this position... through this, she finally found her path to life.
******
Mandy drove up a small residential street in her little banger of a car, a big smile radiating on her face as she did.
She looked over to the house that she had parked in front, noticing that someone was standing on the front steps already. The girl could not help but feel a sense of happiness flood her, as she stepped out, and her quick movements told of that. She looked up and just took in what she was seeing, and a new wave of happiness came over her.
There was her wife, the woman that she had married only a few short months back now. What better thing could she see on such a glorious day like it was, she asked herself as she looked over. There was one thing else, she thought to herself... and that was with the woman on the steps.
Olivia stood on the steps of the little light blue colored house, a toddler wrapped up in a blanket that sat resting on her hip. Both girl’s that were in her life were there to meet Mandy, and that gave her such a sense of belonging, she wanted to cry with the joy she was feeling, but a smile always seemed to get in the way.
Olivia too a step to the edge of the top of the steps, and peered right at the petite woman in the business outfit while the toddler seemed to get very excited, once spotting Mandy standing there.
“ Did you get the job? Did you?” She asked excitedly, as the little girl stared out at Mandy as well.
Mandy smirked with pride, as her wife looked at her while waiting for some reply to come from her. She paused to make the woman wait, but her own exuberance finally made her have the need to divulge it all.
“ I am the new co-advocate of legal services for the Gay and Lesbian society.” Mandy answered back and smiled broadly.
“ You are?” Olivia said, her face glowing.
“ Yes... I start first thing Monday.” Mandy announced, feeling her pride swell in her chest.
Olivia looked like she was going to explode, her smile beamed so brightly as she seemed to celebrate the news right there on the steps.
“ Told you if you aced the bar exam like you did right after graduating last spring... someone would come along and hire you on the spot.” Olivia said, looking proudly at the young woman dressed in a very fetching business outfit.
Mandy chuckled, as they had this conversation many times over, and she had to admit her wife was right.
“ Yes, yes..” She replied. “ I admit it already....You were right.”
“ Course I was, darling..” Jabbed back Olivia with a playful smirk. “ Even our little Angel here thought that I was going to be right..”
“ I will only admit that little one there was right.” Mandy said, hurrying up the steps to join the two. “ But I will accept the fact that you helped her be right in a little part... I guess...” She smirked
Olivia looked at the pretty little girl in her arms, and her huge laugh came out to fill the warm air at which Little Angelica started to laugh as well.
“ I can live with giving Angel here the credit...” Laughed Olivia, looking into the sweet pudgy face of the little one she held. “ See... You were right, precious...”
“ Momma O... you happy...” The toddler said so clearly, her smile sweet on her face as she put a chubby little hand on Olivia’s cheek. “ You happy!!”
“ Yes I am so happy, our little Angel-girl..” Olivia said, making eye contact with the cherub faced child. “ Momma M got the job...”
“ Yay!” Shouted Angelica, her happiness flowing so effortlessly from her as she raised her little arms up in the air.
Mandy leaned in and give the little tyke a sweet peck on the cheek, then gave a more serious kiss to the woman with Angel. The little one giggled softly as she watched the her two mothers kiss.
“ So... what should we do now...” She said, looking at her remarkably gorgeous two girls standing there.
“ We should celebrate... I will give Alexis a shout on the phone, and we will run out to the Camp...” Said Olivia, eyes sparkling. “ She can gather the others to celebrate this together... she has not seen the little Angel her in a few weeks anyways.”
“ She likes being A God Mother, don’t she?” Said Mandy, beaming as the little girl was happy to hear that they were going to take a drive.
“ Yeah... she does...” She smiled “ Now that she has settled down with Sunny as her partner... I’d have to say that she really has embraced it.. to the tenth degree!”
“ I think Angel is going to be so spoiled by her God Mother...” Mandy giggled, as the little girl leaned out, wanting her to hold her now.
“ That she will be...” Laughed Olivia, her eyes sparkling as she handed over the angel to Mandy. “ Come on, you change after saying hi, I will phone out and we’ll get down there.”
Mandy smiled and agreed...this was something to be with friends for. She sighed contentedly and they all went into the little blue house chatting away, her little one raining kisses on her cheek as they did. Things could not be better, she told herself..
Life has ups and downs, but it seemed to always right itself in the end. For the little family, it was a god send.
The end