EPILOGUE

When Myrtle became pregnant with their first child, she began thinking seriously about a change of lifestyle. She worked through her first trimester, but Dick’s term as Chairman was soon up and there was no guarantee he’d be reinstated. Nor was Dick sure he wanted to be. Myrtle wasn’t really looking forward to breaking in a new chairman.

Pelham’s lawsuit had been dismissed and his former course was now being taught by a new instructor, who was, in fact, one of the young men who’d come to their rescue when Pelham was fired. Myrtle found it strange that the Dean still avoided her though. “All’s well that ends well” apparently didn’t apply in this case. The more she thought about her job, the more she thought the only people she’d really, truly miss were Winn and Horace Dilby. But Horace had, in fact, become a regular at the farm. Myrtle thought he might actually start a late-in-life romance with Mabel, but it was actually Millie and her greenhouses that interested him most. Though he liked Mabel too, the attraction to Myrtle’s aunts and the farm had more to do with platonic friendship and shared interests, than with romance. So it wasn’t unusual for Fred and Myrtle to encounter the good professor already at the farm when they arrived on a weekend, either watering plants in the gardens, greenhouses, or barbequing tofu shish-ka-bobs on the porch, which were a favourite of his.

It was when Mabel had a little heart attack that Myrtle made up her mind. They visited Mabel in the ICU in Upton while she was there. A full recovery was expected, but during her recovery, Millie was busier than ever, with only Fred, Myrtle and Horace to help, all the way from Upton, which was a little awkward. Millie wanted to hire some help, and that was fine for the short term, but Myrtle decided it was time to make a move for the future. There wouldn’t be room in the cottage for a family, and she now knew that the farm was in her name, along with her aunts, because it had been paid off, in part, by her parents’ insurance. She was also the heir in both her aunts’ wills. So regardless of what else Myrtle did, and where else she went, the farm was her home. With Myrtle expecting, she wanted to go home.

The only problem was, there still wasn’t enough income in the farm for them all. Fred needed to keep working. So he approached Helen and Mr. Grieves with some trepidation, but it turned out there was no problem. Fred had passed his courses at Upton College with flying colours, enjoying many a lunch hour with Myrtle during them. And he was already being farmed out on data analysis projects for the larger corporation from time to time, faxing his reports to the other companies from his office. Mr. Grieves saw no reason why he couldn’t do the same thing from the farm.

So Fred and Myrtle moved to the farm. They kept the cottage for the time being, knowing they could sell it if needed. But they thought it would be good to keep for a back up, and also handy for trips to Upton. They also had an office built for Fred in a corner of the barn, insulated and fitted with enough power for his computer, fax machine and more. Fred still had to drive to Upton about three times a month for meetings and reports, but the rest of the time he reported to work across the barn yard, near the chickens, which made him nervous at first, but he got used to them. And as long as he faxed the results of his work to the companies involved, they were happy.

Myrtle's insurance claim was finally settled and the proceeds helped with the move and with preparing for the baby. Their first born was a son, Fred the third, who later in his childhood, decided that he preferred to be called “Three.” After that, two daughters were born, Katherine (Myrtle’s mother’s name) Mabel (Kate), and Myrtle Millicent (Cen’). Aside from raising her kids, Myrtle helped with the work of the farm, which she enjoyed immensely. She had more of an affinity with the paperwork, like Mabel, but she loved working with the plants as well.

Bill visited the farm with Billy almost as often as Horace. In fact, Billy became something of a fixture there whenever Bill had to take trips. Cynthia, it turned out, had enough of motherhood early and ran off with a show promoter, hoping for a career in Vegas. Bill, still the doting father, was raising Billy on his own, with the help of Fred and Myrtle, Mabel and Millie. Flora passed on before Three was born, of heart disease related to her size, temperament, and diabetes, in her truck, in the parking lot of an Upton truck accessory shop. Her secret wasn’t quite buried with her, but the others had no intention of blabbing. Bill was her executor, and he opted to sell Flora’s house and truck, and cut the proceeds in three: one part for himself, one for Billy’s education and one for Fred, who was surprised and grateful, especially since it helped pay for that office in the barn. And so life went on.

The End...... or is it?