A Reborn Bride Pearl Emerging from Dust

Neil turned to Calliope, his voice warm with gratitude. "Callie, I know you barely had a bite to eat before jumping in to help us. Really, thank you so much. If it weren't for you, we wouldn't have been this lucky."

Without Calliope, there was no doubt Oxcreek Town would've been bulldozed by Ivory Town again. Ivory Town always showed up in droves, young and strong, and Oxcreek just couldn't match their numbers. Every time, it ended badly for the home team.

But this time, with Calliope around, things were different.

"Neil, I'm serious. If anyone from Ivory Town ever gives you trouble again, promise me you'll call. I mean it! I've got connections in town, and this kind of thing isn't hard to handle."

She shot a look over at the folks from Ivory Town. "Alright, it's over. Everyone, head home, okay?"

"Yeah, let's get back to dinner. We didn't even finish our food!" someone chimed

in.

"Gosh, the pot roast will be ice-cold by now!"

"No kidding, let's go warm it up!"

Everyone started drifting back toward the community hall.

Inside, the place bustled as folks reheated casseroles, mashed potatoes, and pies. Soon, the tables were crowded and the laughter was back.

At Neil's table, he and a few others chatted with Calliope, finally realizing-she knew the county commissioner, and a bunch of people downtown. She was someone they could count on.

"If Ivory Town ever stirs up trouble, just tell me, alright? No secrets," Calliope said with a grin.

"Having you here, Callie, makes us the luckiest town around!"

"She's our lucky charm!" someone called out, raising a glass.

"Callie, you barely ever come back, and you end up saving the day," another neighbor said.

"It's true. If you hadn't been here, we'd be in real trouble again. Ivory Town never lets up."

Everyone clinked glasses to Calliope and Silas, offering cheers and heartfelt thanks.

Dinner stretched late into the night, but no one seemed to mind. The food was good, and spirits were high.

Afterwards, instead of staying at the old family house, Calliope and Silas headed to the hotel in town for the night.

The next morning, bright and early, they drove back out to the town.

First stop: Ivory Town, where Calliope made sure Isaiah understood what would happen if he ever messed with Oxcreek again.

Only then did they return to Oxcreek

Town, stopping by Calliope's old- family home. Most of the packing was done, boxes stacked neatly in the living room.

"Sir, ma'am," one of the henchmen said, waving them over. "We found this box while we were sorting things. It looked valuable, so we set it aside." noveldrama

Silas glanced at Calliope, then took the box and handed it to her.

It was old, antique, really, and looked expensive. But Calliope had never seen it before, and had no idea what might be inside.

Curious, she lifted the lid. Inside was a letter, addressed in her grandfather's familiar hand: "For Callie, to open."

She glanced at Silas, her heart skipping a beat.

The letter must be from Grandpa Kermit. He'd never mentioned it before and she'd never even seen this box.

With trembling hands, she unfolded the letter, ready to discover whatever secret her grandfather had left just for her.