GRATITUDE
Epilogue
Nine months later, Arabella was
blessed with twins, a boy and a girl. She would, on occasion, have nightmares
about that night on the ship and would dream about the last time she saw
Thomas. After the funeral, Arabella had received a letter from a stewardess who
had been on the Titanic who had survived. The letter said the following:
Mr. Andrews met his fate like
a true hero, realizing the great danger, and gave up his life to save the women
and children of the Titanic. They will find it hard to replace him.
Arabella never re-married, and
because of the will that Thomas had written, re-written when he married Helen,
and then re-written again after Helen and his child died, Arabella was able to
live off of the money that he had left for her. Her mother died seven years
later, and six months later, Thomas's mother and father followed. Arabella was
never courted by anyone. At one point, Matthew's parents did come knocking, but
they were told by Arabella herself that she had no business with them and for
them to please leave her alone. She stayed in contact on a regular basis with
Molly and Rose, writing to them every day. Her son, Jonathan, and daughter,
Margaret grew up to be very successful, never leaving Ireland but still
becoming great people. After her return to Ireland, Arabella never got onto a
boat or ship again. She lived her life carrying out some of the things that she
and Thomas had planned and attended every memorial service that occurred in
Ireland. She died at seventy-two years old, in the home in Southampton that
Thomas had lived in before leaving on the Titanic. She never left the house,
and left the home to her son, who stayed there. The house still remains in the
family.
The End.