By the time the wagons made their way around the field, Michael had turned the ox loose and stood waiting in front of the log house. Beside him were the boy and two women, as well as three smaller children. Andrew set his horse into a lope and hurried ahead of the wagons. He stepped down from the saddle and took one of the women into his arms. That, Annie knew, would be Petra. The other must be Michael’s wife, daughter of the Natchitoches Villarets.

James could not wait for the slow-moving wagons. He raced ahead, dismounting to throw his arms around Michael. He received a hug from each of the two women in turn, looking a little awkward about it.

Michael strode out to meet the wagon as Annie drew the team to a stop. She tried to get a good look at him but could hardly see through the second rush of tears. She heard his voice, a voice that had lived in her memory for most of ten years. “Annie. My little Annie. Come, let me help you down.”

She trembled so that she almost fell as she started to climb down on the wagon wheel. Michael caught her in strong arms and pulled her against his lean, tall frame, holding her for a minute without a word. Whatever the hardships, whatever the frustrations of the long trip had been, they were as nothing now. She clung to him as she had clung to him on their parting a long time ago, trying not to cry but unable to help herself.

“It’s all right,” he said in a gentle voice. “You’re home now.”

She felt it as she had not felt it in a long, long time, not since the family had left Mordecai Lewis’s old log cabin home to move in with Uncle Benjamin on his much bigger farm. This was a different land, far distant from any she had ever known, but somehow she felt that Michael was right: She was at home.

He said finally, “There’s family here that I want you to meet.” He introduced her first to Marie, a slightly-built young woman with the largest, darkest eyes Annie thought she had ever seen, and a smile that left no doubt why Michael had fallen in love with her. Michael said, “This lady gave me life when I thought I’d lost it.”

Annie embraced Marie and said, “For that, I’ve loved you for fifteen years. It is good finally to see and touch you.” She pulled back a little. She had met others of the Villaret family in Louisiana, and she thought she could see a little of their look in Marie’s face. It was the eyes that struck her most, that she knew must have struck Michael. “All of us Lewises are eternally grateful to you, Marie.”

Marie replied quietly, “Whatever I did, I did because I loved Michael. I would do it all again.”

“Let’s hope you never have to, that none of us ever have to.”