Sisterhood Of Lake Alice (31 page)

In front of her was a sculpture of an angel that stood eight feet tall. Her arms were stretched out as if she was welcoming you to come and be embraced. Her face looked just like Rebecca, and even in this bronze statue, you could almost see her eyes twinkling. She wore a gentle smile. Her presence gave off a sense of comfort and peace. A local artist named Leon had taken on the project, and although he never knew Rebecca, he had perfectly captured her spirit in this stunning sculpture. There was a brass plate on the base of the statue that had Rebecca’s name, followed by, “
From the SOLA girls with love forever
.” It was the final touch to Rebecca’s legacy.

Now it was time to give the gift to all those who would need to discover the comfort of Rebecca’s Place. Monica would be there to welcome their first guests and for many days to come.

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She was so pleased that she was going to share a dinner with the girls at Emily’s house to celebrate Rebecca’s life.

The Dinner

It was a typical winter evening in Fergus Falls. The air was cold and crisp as the snowflakes softly fell to the ground. As each of the guests arrived, they watched the ice-skaters as they glided across Lake Alice. Their sounds of laughter brought back memories of four girls many years ago.

The table was set just as it had been more than two years ago at Christmas. Each place setting had hand-painted plates and satin napkins, and candles and flowers filled the middle of the table. They hugged each other and then silently walked into the dining room that had given them all so much happiness in the past. Each of them took their turn lifting their glass to toast their beloved friend. They spent hours around the table. They laughed, they cried, they shared their memories, and they celebrated.

They celebrated the Brooks twins and Grace’s wonderful new life. They celebrated Emily’s new challenges as mayor and were anxious to see her in action. She bragged about her Rebecca and told them that they were planning a little two-day trip to Chicago to become better acquainted. They celebrated the opening of Rebecca’s Place and Lindy’s marriage to Dr. Sal. They celebrated their many blessings and their futures.

Finally, at midnight, they bundled up in their heavy winter coats, hats, and gloves and went outside. Emily carried the small bronze container that Monica had given to her with instructions to do whatever the girls all felt was best. Silently, they walked onto the ice of Lake Alice’s center. Emily looked up and let out a gasp as she gazed at the midnight sky. There were thousands of twinkling lights in the dark winter sky. As they all gazed into the heavens, they saw four shooting stars. Emily opened the small container, which held Rebecca’s ashes, just as a wind blew in from the west. The ashes flowed from the container, swirling into the sky with a gentle breeze that had not been there just moments before.

Without saying a word, Emily, Grace, Lindy, and Monica held hands as they began to sing “Amazing Grace” one more time. Their eyes looked at the heavens. They saw one shooting star after another; and when they finished singing, so did the shooting stars.

As they walked back to Emily’s house, they knew that this was their last gift to Rebecca. The peace and joy that had spread over Lake Alice that night would continue to spread in the many years to come. They had gathered on this cold day in January and witnessed the joy of their timeless friendship once again. It had been their time to come together to celebrate their friend and to give thanks for their many blessings, both in the past and in the future.

Yes, life was good in Fergus Falls.