The Mail Order's Bride Eve of Hope Bonus Scene

"Finally!"

Blanche laughed as her mother stepped through the doorway to envelop her in a tight hug.

She wrapped her arms around Eva, loving how familiar the woman still felt after all this time. "I told you we would be here, didn't I?"

It was just over fifteen years ago that Blanche had moved into this house with her adoptive mother and father to start a brand-new life.

She could hardly believe how much time had passed since then.

"Yes, but you certainly took your time," her mother scolded her playfully as she pulled away. "Ruby and Phillip, is that you? You're so big! Come here, my darlings."

Blanche watched as Eva hugged the two kids who had jumped into her arms. It was a lovely sight to see that warmed her heart.

She couldn't help but reconsider the move that she had made a few years ago.

It was almost eight years ago when she had met Thomas Quarry in Little Westbury on one of her trips while she was visiting Ishtasapa and helping Harry with his deliveries.

Blanche had stumbled in the street just after arriving and sprained her wrist. There had been a new doctor in town, and Blanche quickly learned about the way someone could make her heart skip a beat.

Since he had his office set up there, she had visited him frequently, and he had come to visit her.

When they grew tired of traveling so much and knew the future they wanted, Thomas asked her to marry him.

It had made sense for her to move there after the wedding, but it was strange being away from her family. Even after eight years, she still expected to see her mother and father around every corner.

"Don't just stand outside," Desmond called from down the hall in his deep, joyful voice. "Eva, let them in already. We might be getting another blizzard tonight."

"Don't say that," Eva responded with a dramatic pout. "If we don't think about it, it might not happen."

That garnered a chuckle from Blanche and Thomas. Even the children giggled as they trampled inside.

Shaking off the snow from their long wagon ride over, she helped her six-year-old daughter and three-year-old son with their hats and mittens.

"Go see your grandfather," she beckoned them afterward. Letting Thomas help her with her coat, Blanche turned to her mother. "Is everyone else already here?"

Chuckling, Eva gave her a nod. "Of course, they are. It's not a New Year's Eve supper unless everyone is here. Come, come, you two. No need to dawdle."

"All right, we're coming. Oh, and we brought pie," Thomas said with a grin as he picked up the box he'd set down a moment ago. "We can never have enough pie, right?"

Blanche couldn't help but roll her eyes as she started forward. She nudged him forward, realizing that she could already hear the voices in the kitchen. Loud cheers erupted as they saw her children arrive.

It had only been a few months since she visited, but Blanche had missed being there terribly.

Since her arrival fifteen years ago, the house had an extra room and a loft added during her time with her adoptive parents. It felt as though there was always someone new coming to their home.

She wasn't the last child to be taken in by Desmond or Eva.

When Harry brought three-year-old twins over after their parents passed away in town, just days after Eva had announced her first pregnancy, Blanche remembered being fearful that they might not love her as much with other children on the way.

But the love never stopped coming. If anything, it continued to grow within the Delaney home.

The twins, Leslie and Lily, were fun to be around. Blanche never had siblings before and loved the company.

As the years passed, their family grew.

Eva gave birth to William later that year, followed by Daisy and Melanie. On top of adopting Blanche and the twins, they had taken in another four children named Quincy, Norm, Tess, and Paula.

Ten children in the happiest of homes.

Sometimes, there had been moments when Blanche thought she was being ignored. But it was always quickly remedied with a hug from Eva or a conversation with Desmond.

They always seemed to know when someone needed some extra love and attention.

"You are always loved," Eva would tell her at night. She would tell this to Blanche and every other child. "Loved and adored and heard. You belong here and you will always have a home here. I promise you."

Over the years, the ranch had grown, and so had their family. It was always a full house.

Even now, four of them still lived at home, with another four living around White River. Daisy had taken on a role caring for a family on the border of North Dakota, and now could only visit for holidays such as this one.

Then Lily was married with a husband and four children of her own, and Norm had just wed a widow with twins.

A broad smile slipped onto Blanche's face as she stepped into the kitchen.

Everyone cheered for her as well. "Blanche!"

They filled up the room with their bright smiles and cheerful attitudes.

It seemed as though there was never a quiet moment in their home. Someone was always talking or laughing or screaming in excitement. And there were so many smiles. Her heart warmed at the sight before her.

Melanie, the baby of the family, cheered the loudest as she ran over to give Blanche a hug.

Her little sister Melanie looked like a miniature version of Eva, with her long dark hair and brown eyes.

"Finally!" the eight-year-old cried out. "We missed you on Christmas!"

Groaning dramatically, Blanche gave her an extra squeeze. "I know! I'm sorry, Mel. Ruby was sick and I didn't want to make her travel or let anyone else fall ill. But at least we're here now, aren't we? Now you can tell me all about your Christmas."

"I will. Come sit with me," the little girl demanded before tugging her through the kitchen.

All of the young children were seated on someone's lap by that point. More chairs would need to be built soon, and possibly another table.

Blanche looked up, grinning as she watched how Desmond and Leslie were moving around the tables squished in the kitchen. They were working to set all the food down and then were joined as Eva hurried over to help them.

"What were you saying about Ruby?" Quincy asked from the other end of the table. Looking up, she grinned at the sight of his unruly red hair. It appeared that Ruby was in his lap and already tugging on his curls. "What happened?"

"A fever," Blanche said with a sigh. "Luckily, she's been doing wonderfully for the last two days. Haven't you, Ruby?"

"Yes!" she cried out with a jerky nod before turning back to her uncle. "Why can't I have your hair?"

Blanche chuckled and turned to look for her husband.

After he set the pies down, Thomas grabbed a chair and squeezed it in beside her. He offered her a sheepish smile as Melanie squealed and jumped into his lap.

Blanche opened her mouth to tell her sister to get down, but her husband shook his head.

He was an only child who had left Philadelphia to open a practice out West. His parents had passed away when he was young, leaving him nothing but a trust fund.

She remembered bringing him home to her family that first evening when her parents insisted on meeting the young man who had stolen her heart.

That evening had been a mess.

Everyone had been home. Though she had tried to warn him about her family, it was hard to put it into words.

Thomas had assured her that since he had survived college in New York City, he could do anything. That hardly meant anything to her, however, knowing how rambunctious her family could be.

Both Desmond and Eva were protective over their family, after all, and all the children had loud personalities with a penchant for teasing.

"Mother, please," Blanche had groaned that evening after Eva had made a joke about defending her family against unworthy suitors. "Thomas, she's only kidding."

Then her father had arrived from working on the ranch all day, covered in sweat and grime.

"She might be joking, but I'm not. You're the one seeking to court my eldest, are you?"

Blanche had remembered then just how intimidating Desmond could appear. Then she had thought about all those years ago when she was twelve years old and had been caught in his wagon after escaping her kidnappers.

Big, hairy, and terrifying. Desmond's voice was a deep rumble, and one had to know him well enough to recognize the twinkle in his eyes.

Thomas had stiffened before shakily offering his hand to Desmond.

Thomas was an educated man who was tall with a rather slim build. She knew that if her father wanted to, he could have knocked her beau down with the back of his hand.

"Father, please," Blanche had begged him. "Wash up and be kind. You're embarrassing me."

"Nonsense," her mother had responded. "If anyone is going to embarrass you, it's Lily. Now where is that girl? You didn't forget her in town again, did you?"

"That only happened once!"

Now, years later at her family's table, Blanche shook her head in disbelief.

She could hardly believe this was how her life had turned out. Not only was she lucky to have ended up with the perfect husband that Thomas was, but she had been incredibly blessed to have such a good family.

It could have been that she had never been kidnapped and stayed with her birth parents all her life.

Though she considered searching for them, eventually Blanche convinced herself not to. It was for the best.

"Are you sleeping, Blanche?"

She hadn't realized her eyes had been closed while she was lost in thought.

Turning to Melanie on her husband's lap, Blanche wrinkled her nose. "Of course not. How could I sleep during such an exciting supper?"

Her little sister didn't have time to answer as Desmond started clapping. He stood at the other end of the table with his wife seated beside him. It only took three loud claps for everyone to quiet down.

"Thank you," her father announced before taking his seat. He cleared his throat and then surveyed the room.

Blanche wondered what he saw when he looked at them. The man spoke occasionally of the family he had before, and everyone went to visit the two small graves out in the grove once in a while in their memory.

She couldn't comprehend the pain he had been through during those years. Sometimes she could see the pain of the past in his eyes.

It never stayed long. Even now, he studied his family soberly before offering them a small smile. His beard was neatly combed, and it looked as if he was wearing a new shirt.

At forty-five years of age, he was already showing some premature gray at his temples. There were a few more lines in his face than what she remembered seeing as a child. They looked like laugh lines more than anything else.

Blanche watched as her mother slipped her hand into Desmond's.

She looked as lovely as ever, Blanche thought. Hopefully in another fifteen years, she would look half as beautiful.

"Thank you for joining us, everyone," Desmond spoke up. His voice was weighed down with emotion. "It is good to have my family here on such a special day as we prepare for a brand-new year. Before I say grace, I just wanted to let you know that. It means a lot to have everyone gathered here."

He gave them one more look before nodding and offering his other hand to William beside him.

Everyone around the tables linked hands before bowing their heads.

As her father said grace, Blanche couldn't help but gaze around the room to marvel about how lucky she and her family had been over the years.

Everyone worked hard on the ranch or in other jobs, building their own lives. And still after all they had been through, after all this time, they were a close-knit family.

She could hear it in Desmond's voice when he talked about them, knowing that he had found peace and love.

He held his first wife and child close in his heart, just like he held Eva and the rest of the children there.

Blanche could see this in the way he let the children climb over him and how he was always ready to teach someone a new skill or listen to someone's story.

Desmond had opened up over the years, and he seemed to continue growing happier.

It had to help him to have Eva at his side. She was a strong and beautiful partner in their marriage.

Blanche had grown up to see the differences in this marriage compared to her other parents. More than anything, she wanted to be just like Eva.

The woman had the biggest heart that Blanche knew of, and she was always there to hug someone or hold them.

Blanche knew that she was truly lucky.

"Blanche?" Turning to her husband with his questioning face, she gave him a wide grin. "I'm good," she assured him. "I'm perfectly happy."

Her heart was full of love for the family she had grown up with and the family she had started with her husband. Eva and Desmond had done so much for her just by taking her in. It was a kind gesture that Blanche would be grateful for for the rest of her life.

She couldn't imagine wanting anything else. There was no better place to be than in her parents' home.

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