Epilogue 20 Years Later.

Christmas Eve introduced a time of laughter, joy, and warmth throughout the Ridge house. It took some time for things to fall back into place, but it happened eventually. Twenty years after the death of baby Gwen, and twenty-one years after my death, the Ridge home filled with laughter and warmth and family.
One of the largest Christmas trees imaginable sat in the living room on Christmas Eve, covered in trinkets and ornament, and surrounded by brightly wrapped gifts. Christmas lights twinkled around the windows and around the tree, and soft music blended in with the laughter.
Evan and Meredith, now in their sixties, sat by the fireplace, watching and laughing as their children dealt with their own children. My grandbabies have babies now. Oh, how I regret not being there.
As the years passed, Meredith retired from producing, but not without passing on the love of the business to her son Dale. Evan still participates in psychology, but in a couple years he'll retire, wanting to spend his time with his family. Amelia went on to art school, where she met her husband Rick. After several years her sculptures caught someone's eye and ever since then she's been a busy bee. She went on to have three daughters, the oldest being nine years old. Chad and Brett started their own ad agency, which went on to grow bigger than either imagined. They each married; Chad went on to have four children - two girls, two boys -, and Brett had three - one girl and two boys.
Like I said before, Dale took over Meredith's company. At first he hesitated. After all, what man wanted to run a company called Little Miss Independent? But eventually he caved in and started working at the company before running it. He married a nice girl and has a daughter and a son. Felicity immediately went on to work for Jason at the law firm. She eventually became just as tough as Warren had been and, admittedly, she was a bit tough on her own children, as Warren was. She's been married for several years now, and has one daughter.
Ethan is still single, but he's busy working in the military. His history classes have always interested him, so I wasn't surprised to learn he would take in a career in the military. However, I'm sad to report he'll die in battle with a pregnant fiancé left behind.
Gavin is in the middle of a relationship right now with a nice girl, but the relationship won't last long. She doesn't like the fact that he's out all hours of the night, swimming. In a couple years Gavin will become quite a swimmer, and one of the best teams around will recruit him. Later on he'll figure something out about himself that he never expected. A couple years later after he meets a nice young man, he'll tell the rest of the family he's gay.
Glenn and Ross, now in their late fifties, sat at the table sitting off to the side of the living room, laughing as Polly told them of the latest antics her own children were pulling these days. After the break up of The Green Fairies several years after baby Gwen's death Polly and Conn married and moved off to Washington, where Conn became part of the secret service, and Polly became interested in journalism. They had four children, two girls and two boys.
Vicki is unmarried and is just fine with that. She's a wedding planner and a damned good one at that. Since her business has just started she thinks she should focus on that rather than her love life. Roni is an elementary school teacher. She's married with a one-year-old daughter. Gregg is studying medicine right now, and has been since he graduated high school eight years ago. He wants to be a surgeon.
Klein and Nicole stood on the other side of the Christmas tree, now in their early fifties. Klein still writes as much as he possibly can. After Klein's first few bestsellers Nicole finally decided to get in on the action. They've had so many books come out in the years it's hard to keep track. Lily, their eldest, worked at a publishing company. She's just recently met her future husband (She doesn't know he's her husband, of course.) and they're soon to go on their first date. Mark is in college studying archeology. Someday he'll become quite the archeologist, but for now he's just a student.
At the young age of fifteen, Candace got pregnant. Now, five years later, her daughter Jerri sat next to the tree, her hands itching to get to the presents. Candace is now going to college to earn her degree. Jerri's father and Candace married soon after they found out she was pregnant. In a couple years from now they'll divorce, and Candace will find someone else.
And then there's Em. Oh, my sweet Em. Almost two years after baby Gwen's death Hunter and Em were blessed with another baby girl. Em begged Hunter for her name to be Dylan. If she couldn't have a Gwen then she wanted a Dylan. Two years later they had a little boy they named Cole. Every name Hunter and Em looked at their children, even eighteen years, their hearts would soar, and they would remember the lost baby. Dylan will be graduating this year. She plans on becoming an OB/GYN.
My family. All of them are so different and wonderful. I've missed them in the past twenty years. I've missed not experiencing life with them. But I've been able to watch from afar, in Limbo. There's one person I've missed so desperately I've refused to go on up to Heaven. Keith.
Giving my dear family one more look, I turned to float up the stairs, where Keith sat. He planned on going downstairs, but memories invaded his mind, causing him to sit down and think. I took a breath before entering the bedroom we shared for so many years in my life. Keith sat next to the window, his eyes staring outside. His blonde hair turned into a snow white over the many years, and it rounded his balding head. His golden brown eyes dulled a bit after my death, but he still held a bit of happiness, what with still being a father, grandfather, and great grandfather.
"Why did you have to leave, Gwen?" He whispered so lowly it's amazing I even heard him.
"Happy would-be-sixtieth anniversary to you too." I greeted, stepping into the room I haven't been in for twenty years.
"Gwen?" His gaze turned over to me. I knew I must have been a sight. After all, I didn't look like how I did when I died anymore. In this visit I insisted on looking as I did sixty-one years ago, when we first met. My hair fell down, once again, around my waist, and I wore a flowing dress to my knees.
"Merry Christmas, Keith," I floated in front of him. He stared up at me in amazement. A pang went off in my heart. Though I'd been gone for twenty years, it felt like much more.
He slowly got to his aching feet. "Gwen? What are you doing here?"
"I came to visit." Well, that was partly true.
"Liar," He grinned. "There's something more. Have you come to take me away finally?"
"You must know that you've managed to outlive our expectations. Last year was supposed to be the year of your death." I informed him.
"What can I say?" He grinned. "If I managed to piss off my father, and yet still catch his approval of my lifestyle, I should be able to cheat death."
I lifted out my hand and softly caressed his cheek. "I missed you."
"Oh, I've missed you to, Gwen. Why did you leave? There was no reason for you to have been taken from me."
I shook my head, "I don't know. You don't know how much it hurts to watch life as it goes on without you. To watch you when I can't be with you."
"It hurt so much when they told me you died. I couldn't believe it was of a heart attack. I didn't want to live anymore. I wanted nothing more than to just lie in bed forever. I planned on selling the house. There were just to many memories of you here. But Em finally snapped me back to reality." With each passing word his features changed until he grew younger and younger. Now, a twenty-one year old Keith Ridge stood before me.
"I know. I watched you and the kids as much as possible. I hurt just as much as you did." I pushed back a lock of golden blonde hair.
He took my wrist and pulled me into an embrace, one I haven't experienced since my death. In his arms I felt safe, whether we were young or old. I pressed my cheek against his chest as I wrapped my arms around him. He
"I love you, Gwen," He murmured.
"I love you too, Keith." I murmured. "I always have, and I always will for forever and a day."
The room around us shattered. We stood with our arms wrapped around together in darkness for several moments before the sound of waterfalls rushing met our ears. Slowly but surely the images appeared around us. When he finally looked up, he let out a breath. "Whoa."
I smiled up at him. We stood in the middle of the man made waterfalls Keith took me to so many years ago. The same waterfalls where I gave birth to Meredith sixty years ago. He brought his golden brown eyes to me. The spark that had disappeared for so long shone brightly as he pressed my body closer to his.
"Is this heaven?" He asked lowly.
"I don't think so," I answered, not completely sure myself. "But we can just pretend, can't we?"
"Of course." With that he leaned his head forward and covered my lips with his own in a single, sweet kiss. A kiss that managed to produce a spark as strong as the first time we kissed. To think, back then I thought that this was just a spark. Back then I thought the spark meant nothing, when, in truth, it meant everything.