The Happiest Day (31 page)

Epilogue

“Grandma?”

“Mm?” Rachel looked
up from her work.  Her twelve year old granddaughter, Holly was visiting her
today and was perusing the books on the library shelves.  “What is it,
darling?”

“Which of these is
your favorite book?”

“Oh, that’s hard
to say.”  She laid down her pen and leaned back to think.  “Why do you ask?”

“I have to do a
book report for school on a book I’ve never read before.  I’ve read all the
books at my house.”

“I’m partial to
Wuthering
Heights.
”

“Mm,” Holly
responded, sounding unimpressed.  “Who’s this?  Edgar Allen Poe?”  She pulled a
well-worn volume off the shelf.

“He was an author
and a poet.  That is a collection of his poetry.”

“Do you like him?”

“He’s a very dark
writer.  Most of his stories reference death or the macabre.”  Rachel smiled a
bit.  “Your grandfather’s favorite poem is in that book.”

Holly’s interest
was sparked.  “It is?  Which one?”

“It’s called
The
Happiest Day
.”

Holly flipped
through the book until she came to the poem.  Her lips moved slightly as she
read the poem, and then looked up with her eyebrows scrunched together.  “I
don’t think I get it.”

“Well, it basically
says the higher you fly, the harder you fall.  He believed that there is always
a downfall after your happiest day.”

Holly boosted
herself up on the side of Rachel’s desk, looking down at the book again.  “Do
you believe that?”

Rachel shrugged. 
“I don’t know.  To me, it seems like too sad of a way to look at life, whether
it is true or not.”

“Me, too,” the
younger girl agreed.  “I’m not sure I like this poem, but I like reading
something that I know Grandpa read.”  She looked back up at her grandmother,
her brown eyes expressive.  “Do you ever miss him, Grandma?”

“Every moment of
every day of every year,” Rachel answered.  “He was the love of my life.  That
feeling doesn’t go away.”  She swallowed hard.  “I know we’ll be together again
someday, though.”

“Don’t say that!”
Holly cried, aghast.  “That means you would be dead, too, and I don’t ever want
to be without you.”

Rachel knew that
death was an unpleasant concept for a twelve year old to accept but didn’t want
her to be afraid of it.  “Holly, I’ve lost many people in my life, starting
with my parents when I was just eight years old.  Each time I lost somebody,
the pain was overwhelming.  There were times that I didn’t know how to put one
foot in front of the other.  I’ve learned something, though.  It’s best to
embrace the pain, because it won’t last forever and it’s a necessary part of
the journey to feel happy again.  When your grandfather died, I hurt so badly
that it hurt to breathe.  I didn’t see the point in living without him.  I had
made a promise to your grandfather, though, that I would keep on searching for
the good things in life.”

“When did you
become happy again?”

“It didn’t happen
all at once,” Rachel explained.  “When spring came, and the flowers started
poking out of the ground, I felt a kernel of happiness.  When your mother
married your father, I was happy enough to smile.  On the day that you were
born, I fell in love all over again.”

“Oh, Grandma,”
Holly said with a grin, bending down to kiss her on the cheek.  “I don’t know
why everyone says you’re so tough.  I think you’re a marshmallow.”

“Thanks, I think.”
Rachel winked and, picking up her pen, returned to her work

“Grandma?”

 “Yes, Holly?”

“What was your
happiest day ever?”

Rachel thought all
the way back to her parents.  She pictured herself and Laurie dancing around
the living room with Norris while her mother played the piano and her father
laughed and clapped.  She thought of holding David in her arms…her first born,
her very special boy, followed by the other children, each one unique in their
own way.  She thought of laughing and exchanging secrets with Maryanne, riding
horses with Geoff, and celebrating a news story with Bert.  She remembered
those early days with Theo and the later days with Peter.  Feeling tears prickling
the corner of her eyes, she remembered that last beautiful day with Peter and
his request that she never stop searching for her happiest day.  She looked up
at her granddaughter, so full of life and promise.  Her heart swelled with love
and pride.

“Today, Holly. 
Today is my happiest day.”