“What if my body fails us again?”
“You’re as healthy as can be. Krista and I have made sure of that.”
Krista’s heartfelt grin told me she had forgiven me for my uncontrollable slug to her face. She had already healed herself.
“That day can’t arrive soon enough,” I told Rina. “You were incredibly brave, and I am so proud of you, more than words can express. Dedrick never stood a chance against you.”
“Against us,” she said.
“Against us.” I held Nathaniel’s hand and nodded at the rest of our kindrily. “All of us.”
Dakota moved forward, hovering supportively behind his soul mate. “You and Dakota will be a force to be reckoned with.”
Rina beamed. “Created from love.”
“More love than you can fathom.” I touched her cheek. “I have loved you for so very, very long.” She was the daughter I had prayed for each and every lifetime. “Thank you for choosing me.”
“We chose each other.”
After wiping away my tears, I touched her ethereal light one more time. “Go, so you can hurry back. The stars are waiting for you.”
Carson stepped forward. “I hate to break up the warm and fuzzy moment, but can I say something to Dakota before he goes?”
“Of course.”
Carson tucked his hair behind his ears and stood in front of Dakota. “Dude, I’ll miss you. And I can’t wait for you to come back, but—” His tan cheeks blushed. “Don’t choose me and Krista as your parents, okay? It would be too weird, and I’m just not ready for that kind of responsibility.”
Laughter graced the cliffs and Carson blushed.
Dakota attempted to punch Carson’s shoulder as his light pulsed. “I would never give you the satisfaction of being my father and telling me what I can and can’t do.”
Carson nodded happily. “Cool. Glad we agree.”
“Thank you, Maryah,” Dakota said. “I’m honored that you made me an Element.”
“You did that all on your own.” That wasn’t entirely true. I did have some influence, but Dakota had more than earned his position.
He hugged Faith and Harmony. “Take care of Mom and Dad.”
“We will,” Faith said, wiping away a tear. “See you soon.”
We all watched Rina and Dakota cross through the veil. My heart broke but overflowed all at the same time.
Nathaniel wrapped his arms around my waist. Amber released Eightball, and he galloped over to us then sat at my feet.
“You did it,” Nathaniel said. “As always, you pulled off the impossible. You wrote us a different ending.”
“We did.” I turned around and traced a figure eight around my twin flame’s green eyes. “I knew you and I couldn’t be erased. A love as strong as ours will always burn bright.”
Nathaniel silenced me with a soul-tingling kiss.
I pulled away and peered up at him with a coquettish grin. “Where are we going on our honeymoon?”
His strong hands slid down the back of my waist. “Anywhere and everywhere you desire.”
My insides danced with anticipation. “Let me thank everyone and then we can be on our way.”
He nodded and we made our rounds. I was grateful beyond words for each and every member of our kindrily, and all they had done, but I did my best to tell them so.
When we were finished, I looked at the sky, at mine and Nathaniel’s stars twinkling side by side above Cathedral Rock. Just to the right of us were two younger stars. The other fourteen that represented each member of our kindrily pulsed around us, each with its own unique glow.
“Every soul is a story shelved away in an infinite library in the sky.” I sighed happily, relieved that our stories would continue. We would all shine for eternity.
Nathaniel wrapped his arms around me, preparing to traverse. He smiled then pressed his forehead against mine. “Ready for our next chapter?”
“Always.”
THE END.
For now.
Hello Reader,
You’re still here! Are you scanning for more story, or do you just love reading the Acknowledgments? If it’s for the Acknowledgments then carry on to the next page. If it’s for more story then I’d love to hear from you.
The kindrily are near and dear to my heart. I could probably write about them and their past, present, and future until my dying day. If you love even one of the kindrily members half as much as I do, and don’t want this to be the last of your journey with these characters, then please chime in.
Who is/are your favorite character(s)?
Who do you want to know more about?
Are you aching for a short story about Maryah and Nathan’s honeymoon? *wink wink*
Would you like a companion novel focused on Carson and Krista, or maybe a book that takes place sixteen years later when Dakota and Rina are exploring what it means to be soul mates for the first time?
Would you be interested in a spin-off series about Edgar’s psych patients who are struggling with issues from their past lives?
I have so many fun ideas, but I need to know what you, my beloved readers, want to read next. Your opinions matter to me.
So, please email me, comment on my author page on Facebook and/or the Kindrily FB page, send me a tweet, reply via a letterboxing scavenger hunt, or any other form of contact you prefer. I’d be honored and grateful to hear from you—just as I’m honored and grateful beyond words that you gave your time and attention to Maryah and Nathan’s story.
As always, may you shine forever, and thank you times infinity.
Karen
ACKNOWLDEGMENTS
I keep hoping my Acknowledgments become easier to write with each book, but they don’t. I feel like I can never adequately express my gratitude to all the amazing people who help make my books a reality. I’m also thanking the same people over and over. I wish I could come up with something original and clever each time, but I’m running out of ways to say, “Thank you. You’re awesome. I love you.”
With that being said:
Mom, Dad, John, Marie Jaskulka (editor), Steve Graham (cover designer), Megan McBride and Natalie Bahm (critique partners), Andrea and Ross Reynolds (hand models for cover), Rebecca Zeno (model for Rina on cover/critique partner), Jack Ruskai (globe photographer), Krista and April (dear friends and long-time supporters), every blogger/fan who has ever helped spread the word about any of my books, and each and every reader of The Kindrily series (yes, YOU!)...
Thank you. You’re awesome. I love you.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Karen was born and bred in Baltimore, frolicked and froze in Colorado for a couple of years, and is currently sunning and splashing around Florida with her two beloved rescue dogs. She's addicted to coffee, chocolate, and complicated happily-ever-afters. She is a co-founder of the teen focused blog, YA Confidential, and a proud member of The Indelibles.
Find more information about Karen Amanda Hooper and her books at
http://www.KarenAmandaHooper.com
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