Page 67 of Elsie's Strong Shelter
Mrs. Collins approached and placed a kiss on Elsie’s forehead as Mila walked to her side to give her a hug.
“You do so much for everyone else,” Mila said. “We wanted to do something for you.”
Dean hooked a hand around her waist and snagged her close to his side. “Everyone pitched in.”
Emotion clogged her throat. Tears filled her eyes as she struggled to find the right words. “But everything was destroyed. Shattered. All of it was gone. This must have taken so much time. So much money.”
“All it took was a community of people who wanted to give back to one of their own,” Dean said.
She stared at the smiling faces of that community. Of her friends and family. The women she volunteered her time with at the shelter, and some she’d helped there as well. Children giggled and ducked in and out of hiding spots, and Boo wagged his tail at Jimmy’s side.
“Thank you all so much. How did I ever get to be so lucky?”
Dean leaned down and gave her one more kiss. “It’s not luck, babe. It’s love. Everyone here loves you so damn much, but I love you most of all—and will continue to love you for the rest of your life.”
Elsie wrapped her arms around him, savoring every second of time she was given with him—with everyone else in the room. “You’re right. My life isn’t built on luck. It’s built on choices, and every choice I made led me straight to you. You’re worth every bump in the road.”
“Honey, if I have anything to say about it, there will be no more bumps for us. From here on out, nothing but smooth sailing.”
Jimmy rushed forward and threw his arms around them both. “Yeah, Elsie. Smooth sailing and plenty of ice cream.”
