MAKING IT COUNT
Prologue
A Sorrowful Good-bye
July 15, 1913
As the train pulled into the Denver train
station, tears filled the eyes of two dear friends. It was finally time for
Rose to leave, though neither wanted to part from the other.
"I guess this is it, huh?" asked a
teary-eyed Lynn.
"No. Don’t think of it that way. We’ll
see each other lots." Rose tried to lighten the mood, but it wasn’t
working.
"Listen, Rose, I’m not really great at
good-byes, so I wrote you this letter." Lynn handed Rose a light pink
envelope. "I’m sure gonna miss you, Rosie." Over the past year and
two months, Rose had been staying in the Brown household. The two had become
like sisters to each other. It was killing them both to part like this, but it
was something Rose felt she had to do.
"Can I say good-bye to my
Goddaughter?" Lynn asked.
"You don’t need to ask." Rose
gently placed Hope in Lynn’s arms.
"Hey, sweetie." Lynn spoke softly
to the baby. "I’m going to miss you something terrible. You tell your
mommy to come and visit Aunt Lynn a lot. Okay?" She placed one last kiss
on Hope’s forehead and handed her back to her mother.
The train blew its whistle for the third
time. Rose had stayed on the platform for as long as possible. It was time for
her to leave now. Any attempts that Rose had made to restrain her tears had now
failed her.
Rose glanced back at the train, then back to
Lynn. The two embraced each other as tightly as possible without squishing Hope
in the middle. Rose whispered softly in Lynn’s ear, "I love you. Never
give up hope..."
"You really do like that word, huh,
Rosie?"
Rose giggled and whispered, "Bye."
Rose pulled away and looked Lynn in the eyes. There was nothing more to be
said. She turned around and headed for the train; she was off to New York to
start the next chapter of her life. It was another new beginning for Rose
Dawson.