The Lost Ending to Love or Justice
Spoiler Alert! If you haven't read Love or Justice, you should go read it right now before reading this alternate ending. It gives away important plot points in the book!
Gradually, as her joy sank in, Laurie became aware of her surroundings. Dante had pulled them into the driveway of a white stucco house. A small peaked entryway supported columns highlighted the white door with the golden brass knocker. Laurie could see one window into the house clearly, which held a large black and orange “For Sale” sign. Another window was barely visible, hidden by small ornamental palm trees. A brick walkway spilled out from the door to the driveway. Another car was parked beside them, a small white sedan that Laurie didn’t recognize.
“Is this your house?” Laurie asked.
“No,” Dante said shaking his head. “This is Mary’s house.”
“Mary?”
“David’s Mary,” Dante replied quietly.
“Oh.”
Dante shook his head, toying nervously with his cell phone.
“I’ve been meaning to come see her, but...I haven’t. Mostly, I just don’t really know what to say, but I feel like I should see her before we leave,” Dante confessed.
“Yes, yes of course,” Laurie replied squeezing his hand. “I didn’t even think she would still be here. I wonder why she hasn’t moved home.”
“Rick’s talked to her a couple of times. She just hasn’t been able to sell the house, take care of the new baby, and find another job back in Alabama. That’s...a lot for her to deal with. But I guess her mom’s been staying with her and helping her out a little,” Dante told her.
“That’s good...that’s really good that she has her mother with her,” Laurie said.
“I should only be a few minutes. You can wait here if you want,” Dante suggested.
“No, no, I...I’d like to meet her,” Laurie told him.
“Are you sure?” he asked.
“Yes, yes,” Laurie said, as she opened her door.
Dante leapt out of the truck, and ran around to the other side, but Laurie was already out of the truck, and slamming her door shut. He opened his mouth to say something, but her impatient look stopped him. Instead, he slid his hand in hers and walked with her towards the front door of the house. He knocked forcefully, and there was a muffled voice, before the front door opened just a crack.
“Hello?” answered a curious, young voice.
“Mary?” Dante asked.
The door flew open, revealing a petite brunette a few years younger than Laurie. Her hair was pulled back into a messy ponytail, and she was wearing a faded t-shirt and a pair of shorts that were large on her small frame. Her brown eyes were wide with surprise, but she smiled brightly.
“What are you doin’ here?” she asked, hugging him.
“I...um...I’ve been meaning to stop by for a while. I just wanted to say hello,” Dante told her.
“And who is this? Is this your girlfriend?” she asked, looking at Laurie.
“Yeah, yeah. This is my fiancée, Laurie,” Dante said.
“Oh, goodness! I didn’t know you were goin’ to be a daddy! That’s so excitin’!” Mary replied, shaking Laurie’s hand.
“It’s really, really wonderful to meet you,” Laurie said.
“Well, why don’t y’all come on in,” Mary said, moving out of the way.
Dante and Laurie entered the house. The living room was dusty, and scattered with the young child’s toys and blankets. It was dimly lit by the one window. Beyond the living room was a small kitchen with a sliding door, and some of the light brightened the house just a hair. To their right, Dante and Laurie saw a large expansive bookshelf, loaded mostly with pictures. There was photo frame after photo frame. And in the center was a wedding picture. David, just a few years younger, smiled up at them both, alongside his bride. Dante and Laurie both looked away quickly.
“I’m sorry the place is such a mess. If I had known y’all was comin’ I would have cleaned up a bit,” Mary said sheepishly, picking up a few toys in their path.
“How’s the baby?” Dante asked, looking around for a crib.
“Oh, he’s good. He’s just lying down, but I’ll be getting him up soon. My mama went for her afternoon walk, but she might be back soon too. Why don’t y’all sit down,” Mary said, gesturing them towards the couch.
“Well, we don’t want to keep you from the baby or anything,” Dante said.
“Oh, no. Like I said, he’s still sleeping,” Mary said, sitting down in a fluffy armchair.
“You don’t...have to watch him while he’s sleeping?” Dante asked, supporting Laurie as she sank down onto the couch.
“Well, of course not! How would I get any sleep myself if I watched him sleep all the time?” Mary answered laughing. She gave a pitying look towards Laurie. “You’re going to have a tough time with this one.”
“Oh, I know. He asks me if I’m doing ok about three or four times in a row,” Laurie told her, as Dante sat down beside her. He smiled, but his cheeks were turning slightly pink, and he coughed uncomfortably.
“Yeah, they’ll do that. Men just don’t quite understand the whole baby thing the first time around,” Mary said laughing.
Dante coughed again.
“Oh, goodness. Look at how red he’s gettin’ now. Don’t you worry, Dante, I didn’t understand that much about it my first time either,” Mary said with a smile. “Now how did you two meet? I feel like the last time I saw you I didn’t know anything about a girlfriend, let alone a fiancé,”
Dante and Laurie exchanged uncomfortable glances.
“You can tell me. Don’t worry, I won’t judge,” Mary said cheerfully.
“Um...well, I was...I was the woman your husband was protecting...when...” Laurie couldn’t finish her sentence.
Mary’s eyes widened and she touched her hand to her mouth.
“That was you?” Mary asked.
“Yes...yes... And your husband was one of, well, he became one of my friends. And I just wanted you to know how sorry I’m that he...died protecting me,” Laurie said, her voice quivering.
Mary nodded and her eyes welled up with tears.
“Wow,” Mary said. “Wow, I didn’t expect all of this today.”
Laurie reached over to take her hand, and Mary wiped away a couple of tears.
“I’m sorry, Mary,” Dante told her. “We both think about that night a lot and...I just wish I had –”
“There was nothing you could have done, Dante,” Mary reassured him. “I know you would have never put David in harm’s way. It’s just the way it turned out is all.”
Mary sniffled and squeezed Laurie’s hand.
“Still, I –” Dante objected.
“No buts... I know that there was nothing you could have done that would have made it turn out any different,” Mary said shaking her head. “And David, well David would have wanted it to turn out the way it did. I don’t mean dying so early, or before the baby even came, but I mean that he would have rather died protecting someone else than for no reason at all...he loved being a Marshal.”
Dante nodded, silently.
“And he was really, really good at his job,” Laurie said, tearfully. “He saved my life, and I’m...enormously grateful...to you and your family.”
Tears began running down Laurie’s face.
“Oh, honey, you don’t have to cry too,” Mary told her. Mary got up, and leaned over Laurie on the couch to hug her. Dante looked onward, choking back his own tears, but he had to reach up and wipe a few of them from his eyes.
After a few minutes of silence, Laurie wiped away the last of her tears, and smiled at Mary gratefully. Mary sat back down, and grabbed a few tissues from the box beside her chair. She handed them first to Laurie, and then took some from herself. Then Mary smiled at both of them.
“You know...its funny,” Mary said, chuckling just a little. “But the first night I met you Dante, when David and I were driving home, I told him that unless you met a female Marshal or someone else on the job you were never gonna get married.”
Mary began to laugh a little.
“I guess I was right,” she said.
Dante laughed and nodded. Smiling, he reached for Laurie’s hand.
“Yeah, I guess you read me pretty well,” he told her.
A sudden piercing wail made Dante jump. The baby began crying in the other room.
“Is he ok? Is something wrong?” Dante asked Mary.
“Oh, no. He’s just waking up,” she replied chuckling. “That’s just what babies do when they want attention. I’ll be right back.”
Mary winked at Laurie as she got up out of the chair and went into the next room. Dante tapped the top of his thigh nervously, half convinced that Mary might scream or call for help. Laurie rubbed his arm soothingly, until Mary reappeared with a softly crying bundle.
“This is David, Jr.,” Mary said as she walked towards the couch. “Would you like to hold him for a little while?”
“Yes, please,” Laurie replied enthusiastically.
Laurie formed a cradle with her arms, and Mary awkwardly bent down to lower David into them. David made a gurgling sound, and stretched one pink, fleshy arm up to her as he yawned. Laurie felt her heart melt right into her ribcage. David yawned again, with one eye closing sleepily; the other eye looked up at Laurie.
“Hi David,” Laurie said rocking him gently in her arms. David replied with several contented cooing sounds.
Dante leaned in over Laurie’s shoulder. Fascinated, he reached his hand toward the infant. Dante stroked his arm, feeling David’s silken skin beneath his rough fingers, and David giggled. Dante smiled back at him, while David rested one of his tiny hands on Dante’s knuckles.
“Hey,” Dante said, leaning in closer. “Hey buddy. How are you?”
David tapped Dante’s hand insistently a couple of times.
“Awwww...” Mary said, as she hovered overhead. “Usually he just cries for a long time after I get him up. He likes you two.”
“He’s perfect, Mary,” Laurie said, glancing up at her. “He’s just perfect.”
“Well, you haven’t known him that long,” Mary joked. “But no, he’s been a blessing...a real blessing.”
They all watched as David wrapped one of his hands around Dante’s finger and began tugging on it. Dante’s smile brightened even more.
“I can’t believe how small he is...how small his hands are...” Dante said in amazement.
“Yeah, but he’s been getting bigger and bigger everyday...that’s what makes me the saddest, I think. That David never got to see him at all. That he never got to hold him, or see him grow for these past few months. That really makes me sad some times,” Mary told him, as she sat down in her chair.
Her face was drawn in saddens, but Mary stared lovingly at her son, holding one of his blankets. Laurie and Dante both nodded, looking up at her. Then they lapsed into silence, as David cooed and gurgled up at Dante and Laurie.
“We should get going,” Dante whispered to Laurie after a little while.
“Yeah,” Laurie agreed, as she continued smiling down at David.
Mary got up from her chair, and reached down to take David from her. David fussed and cried for a couple of minutes, until he settled down into his mother’s arms.
“I’m so glad you both stopped by,” Mary said gratefully, as she rocked David.
Dante helped Laurie up from the couch, and then ran his hand up and down her back as they turned to Mary.
“Thank you for letting us visit for a little while,” Laurie told her. “We’re leaving the island, but we couldn’t leave without stopping in to see you.”
“Thank you. Thank you both,” Mary said, as she reached out with one arm to embrace Laurie. Then Dante hugged Mary gingerly, trying not to bump David in her arms.
“We wish you the best, Mary,” Dante said. “We hope you make it home soon.”
“Oh, well, hopefully. But home is wherever he is, I guess,” Mary replied, giving a nod to the infant in her arms.
Mary walked them both to the door. Dante reached for Laurie’s hand as they stood over the threshold.
“Good luck with everythin’,” Mary said to them. “With the wedding and the baby, and moving!”
“Thank you again, and I’ll send you some contact information so you can keep in touch with us. If you ever need anything, you just let me know,” Dante told her.
“I will sweetheart, I will,” Mary said, as she hugged them both for the last time.
Dante walked Laurie back to the truck, and wordlessly, he opened the door and helped her in.
“Good luck you two! Be safe!” Mary called from the door.
David began to fuss and cry in her arms, so Mary began to rock him gently. Dante and Laurie waived from the truck, before he turned around in his seat and pulled out of the driveway.
“I’m so glad that we did that,” Laurie told him.
“Me too,” he replied, as he drove towards the highway and back to Honolulu.
“Thank you for taking me with you. I feel...better now, you know? I feel like a weight has been lifted from my shoulders,” Laurie said.
“I feel the same way. For months, I’ve felt so bad about losing David...but seeing Mary and her son, and seeing them happy. I feel relieved,” Dante said nodding. “I feel a little more at peace.”
“Me too,” Laurie agreed.
Dante checked the clock on the dashboard.
“Our flight leaves later on tonight. We should make it in plenty of time, so we can probably stop for dinner somewhere too,” he told her.
“Ok,” Laurie said smiling. “I can’t wait to see your mom and dad. I can’t wait to go home.”
“Me neither,” he replied. “Me neither.”
They rolled down the windows, and the cool air and strong Hawaiian sunshine streamed into the truck from all sides. They sped towards the Oahu coast and Honolulu, saying little, but enjoying every minute. They smiled at one another, Dante looking up from the road often as Laurie rubbed her heavy pregnant belly. Relaxed, weightless, excited, they turned all of their attention to the road and flight ahead. They were headed home.
Gradually, as her joy sank in, Laurie became aware of her surroundings. Dante had pulled them into the driveway of a white stucco house. A small peaked entryway supported columns highlighted the white door with the golden brass knocker. Laurie could see one window into the house clearly, which held a large black and orange “For Sale” sign. Another window was barely visible, hidden by small ornamental palm trees. A brick walkway spilled out from the door to the driveway. Another car was parked beside them, a small white sedan that Laurie didn’t recognize.
“Is this your house?” Laurie asked.
“No,” Dante said shaking his head. “This is Mary’s house.”
“Mary?”
“David’s Mary,” Dante replied quietly.
“Oh.”
Dante shook his head, toying nervously with his cell phone.
“I’ve been meaning to come see her, but...I haven’t. Mostly, I just don’t really know what to say, but I feel like I should see her before we leave,” Dante confessed.
“Yes, yes of course,” Laurie replied squeezing his hand. “I didn’t even think she would still be here. I wonder why she hasn’t moved home.”
“Rick’s talked to her a couple of times. She just hasn’t been able to sell the house, take care of the new baby, and find another job back in Alabama. That’s...a lot for her to deal with. But I guess her mom’s been staying with her and helping her out a little,” Dante told her.
“That’s good...that’s really good that she has her mother with her,” Laurie said.
“I should only be a few minutes. You can wait here if you want,” Dante suggested.
“No, no, I...I’d like to meet her,” Laurie told him.
“Are you sure?” he asked.
“Yes, yes,” Laurie said, as she opened her door.
Dante leapt out of the truck, and ran around to the other side, but Laurie was already out of the truck, and slamming her door shut. He opened his mouth to say something, but her impatient look stopped him. Instead, he slid his hand in hers and walked with her towards the front door of the house. He knocked forcefully, and there was a muffled voice, before the front door opened just a crack.
“Hello?” answered a curious, young voice.
“Mary?” Dante asked.
The door flew open, revealing a petite brunette a few years younger than Laurie. Her hair was pulled back into a messy ponytail, and she was wearing a faded t-shirt and a pair of shorts that were large on her small frame. Her brown eyes were wide with surprise, but she smiled brightly.
“What are you doin’ here?” she asked, hugging him.
“I...um...I’ve been meaning to stop by for a while. I just wanted to say hello,” Dante told her.
“And who is this? Is this your girlfriend?” she asked, looking at Laurie.
“Yeah, yeah. This is my fiancée, Laurie,” Dante said.
“Oh, goodness! I didn’t know you were goin’ to be a daddy! That’s so excitin’!” Mary replied, shaking Laurie’s hand.
“It’s really, really wonderful to meet you,” Laurie said.
“Well, why don’t y’all come on in,” Mary said, moving out of the way.
Dante and Laurie entered the house. The living room was dusty, and scattered with the young child’s toys and blankets. It was dimly lit by the one window. Beyond the living room was a small kitchen with a sliding door, and some of the light brightened the house just a hair. To their right, Dante and Laurie saw a large expansive bookshelf, loaded mostly with pictures. There was photo frame after photo frame. And in the center was a wedding picture. David, just a few years younger, smiled up at them both, alongside his bride. Dante and Laurie both looked away quickly.
“I’m sorry the place is such a mess. If I had known y’all was comin’ I would have cleaned up a bit,” Mary said sheepishly, picking up a few toys in their path.
“How’s the baby?” Dante asked, looking around for a crib.
“Oh, he’s good. He’s just lying down, but I’ll be getting him up soon. My mama went for her afternoon walk, but she might be back soon too. Why don’t y’all sit down,” Mary said, gesturing them towards the couch.
“Well, we don’t want to keep you from the baby or anything,” Dante said.
“Oh, no. Like I said, he’s still sleeping,” Mary said, sitting down in a fluffy armchair.
“You don’t...have to watch him while he’s sleeping?” Dante asked, supporting Laurie as she sank down onto the couch.
“Well, of course not! How would I get any sleep myself if I watched him sleep all the time?” Mary answered laughing. She gave a pitying look towards Laurie. “You’re going to have a tough time with this one.”
“Oh, I know. He asks me if I’m doing ok about three or four times in a row,” Laurie told her, as Dante sat down beside her. He smiled, but his cheeks were turning slightly pink, and he coughed uncomfortably.
“Yeah, they’ll do that. Men just don’t quite understand the whole baby thing the first time around,” Mary said laughing.
Dante coughed again.
“Oh, goodness. Look at how red he’s gettin’ now. Don’t you worry, Dante, I didn’t understand that much about it my first time either,” Mary said with a smile. “Now how did you two meet? I feel like the last time I saw you I didn’t know anything about a girlfriend, let alone a fiancé,”
Dante and Laurie exchanged uncomfortable glances.
“You can tell me. Don’t worry, I won’t judge,” Mary said cheerfully.
“Um...well, I was...I was the woman your husband was protecting...when...” Laurie couldn’t finish her sentence.
Mary’s eyes widened and she touched her hand to her mouth.
“That was you?” Mary asked.
“Yes...yes... And your husband was one of, well, he became one of my friends. And I just wanted you to know how sorry I’m that he...died protecting me,” Laurie said, her voice quivering.
Mary nodded and her eyes welled up with tears.
“Wow,” Mary said. “Wow, I didn’t expect all of this today.”
Laurie reached over to take her hand, and Mary wiped away a couple of tears.
“I’m sorry, Mary,” Dante told her. “We both think about that night a lot and...I just wish I had –”
“There was nothing you could have done, Dante,” Mary reassured him. “I know you would have never put David in harm’s way. It’s just the way it turned out is all.”
Mary sniffled and squeezed Laurie’s hand.
“Still, I –” Dante objected.
“No buts... I know that there was nothing you could have done that would have made it turn out any different,” Mary said shaking her head. “And David, well David would have wanted it to turn out the way it did. I don’t mean dying so early, or before the baby even came, but I mean that he would have rather died protecting someone else than for no reason at all...he loved being a Marshal.”
Dante nodded, silently.
“And he was really, really good at his job,” Laurie said, tearfully. “He saved my life, and I’m...enormously grateful...to you and your family.”
Tears began running down Laurie’s face.
“Oh, honey, you don’t have to cry too,” Mary told her. Mary got up, and leaned over Laurie on the couch to hug her. Dante looked onward, choking back his own tears, but he had to reach up and wipe a few of them from his eyes.
After a few minutes of silence, Laurie wiped away the last of her tears, and smiled at Mary gratefully. Mary sat back down, and grabbed a few tissues from the box beside her chair. She handed them first to Laurie, and then took some from herself. Then Mary smiled at both of them.
“You know...its funny,” Mary said, chuckling just a little. “But the first night I met you Dante, when David and I were driving home, I told him that unless you met a female Marshal or someone else on the job you were never gonna get married.”
Mary began to laugh a little.
“I guess I was right,” she said.
Dante laughed and nodded. Smiling, he reached for Laurie’s hand.
“Yeah, I guess you read me pretty well,” he told her.
A sudden piercing wail made Dante jump. The baby began crying in the other room.
“Is he ok? Is something wrong?” Dante asked Mary.
“Oh, no. He’s just waking up,” she replied chuckling. “That’s just what babies do when they want attention. I’ll be right back.”
Mary winked at Laurie as she got up out of the chair and went into the next room. Dante tapped the top of his thigh nervously, half convinced that Mary might scream or call for help. Laurie rubbed his arm soothingly, until Mary reappeared with a softly crying bundle.
“This is David, Jr.,” Mary said as she walked towards the couch. “Would you like to hold him for a little while?”
“Yes, please,” Laurie replied enthusiastically.
Laurie formed a cradle with her arms, and Mary awkwardly bent down to lower David into them. David made a gurgling sound, and stretched one pink, fleshy arm up to her as he yawned. Laurie felt her heart melt right into her ribcage. David yawned again, with one eye closing sleepily; the other eye looked up at Laurie.
“Hi David,” Laurie said rocking him gently in her arms. David replied with several contented cooing sounds.
Dante leaned in over Laurie’s shoulder. Fascinated, he reached his hand toward the infant. Dante stroked his arm, feeling David’s silken skin beneath his rough fingers, and David giggled. Dante smiled back at him, while David rested one of his tiny hands on Dante’s knuckles.
“Hey,” Dante said, leaning in closer. “Hey buddy. How are you?”
David tapped Dante’s hand insistently a couple of times.
“Awwww...” Mary said, as she hovered overhead. “Usually he just cries for a long time after I get him up. He likes you two.”
“He’s perfect, Mary,” Laurie said, glancing up at her. “He’s just perfect.”
“Well, you haven’t known him that long,” Mary joked. “But no, he’s been a blessing...a real blessing.”
They all watched as David wrapped one of his hands around Dante’s finger and began tugging on it. Dante’s smile brightened even more.
“I can’t believe how small he is...how small his hands are...” Dante said in amazement.
“Yeah, but he’s been getting bigger and bigger everyday...that’s what makes me the saddest, I think. That David never got to see him at all. That he never got to hold him, or see him grow for these past few months. That really makes me sad some times,” Mary told him, as she sat down in her chair.
Her face was drawn in saddens, but Mary stared lovingly at her son, holding one of his blankets. Laurie and Dante both nodded, looking up at her. Then they lapsed into silence, as David cooed and gurgled up at Dante and Laurie.
“We should get going,” Dante whispered to Laurie after a little while.
“Yeah,” Laurie agreed, as she continued smiling down at David.
Mary got up from her chair, and reached down to take David from her. David fussed and cried for a couple of minutes, until he settled down into his mother’s arms.
“I’m so glad you both stopped by,” Mary said gratefully, as she rocked David.
Dante helped Laurie up from the couch, and then ran his hand up and down her back as they turned to Mary.
“Thank you for letting us visit for a little while,” Laurie told her. “We’re leaving the island, but we couldn’t leave without stopping in to see you.”
“Thank you. Thank you both,” Mary said, as she reached out with one arm to embrace Laurie. Then Dante hugged Mary gingerly, trying not to bump David in her arms.
“We wish you the best, Mary,” Dante said. “We hope you make it home soon.”
“Oh, well, hopefully. But home is wherever he is, I guess,” Mary replied, giving a nod to the infant in her arms.
Mary walked them both to the door. Dante reached for Laurie’s hand as they stood over the threshold.
“Good luck with everythin’,” Mary said to them. “With the wedding and the baby, and moving!”
“Thank you again, and I’ll send you some contact information so you can keep in touch with us. If you ever need anything, you just let me know,” Dante told her.
“I will sweetheart, I will,” Mary said, as she hugged them both for the last time.
Dante walked Laurie back to the truck, and wordlessly, he opened the door and helped her in.
“Good luck you two! Be safe!” Mary called from the door.
David began to fuss and cry in her arms, so Mary began to rock him gently. Dante and Laurie waived from the truck, before he turned around in his seat and pulled out of the driveway.
“I’m so glad that we did that,” Laurie told him.
“Me too,” he replied, as he drove towards the highway and back to Honolulu.
“Thank you for taking me with you. I feel...better now, you know? I feel like a weight has been lifted from my shoulders,” Laurie said.
“I feel the same way. For months, I’ve felt so bad about losing David...but seeing Mary and her son, and seeing them happy. I feel relieved,” Dante said nodding. “I feel a little more at peace.”
“Me too,” Laurie agreed.
Dante checked the clock on the dashboard.
“Our flight leaves later on tonight. We should make it in plenty of time, so we can probably stop for dinner somewhere too,” he told her.
“Ok,” Laurie said smiling. “I can’t wait to see your mom and dad. I can’t wait to go home.”
“Me neither,” he replied. “Me neither.”
They rolled down the windows, and the cool air and strong Hawaiian sunshine streamed into the truck from all sides. They sped towards the Oahu coast and Honolulu, saying little, but enjoying every minute. They smiled at one another, Dante looking up from the road often as Laurie rubbed her heavy pregnant belly. Relaxed, weightless, excited, they turned all of their attention to the road and flight ahead. They were headed home.