29EPILOGUE
Davey Taylor squinted his eyes as Barrister Hampton escorted him out of Strangeway's Prison and into freedom. When he stepped out onto the sidewalk he came face to face with his former cell mate, who was dressed in a brown suit and t-shirt and standing by a car with a contented smile on his face.
"Welcome to your future, Davey." Adrian said, as Davey fought hard to hold back the myriad of emotions flooding his system at that moment.
"I don't know what to say." Said Davey, wiping a tear from his eye. "I mean, I knew someday I'd be free, but I didn't know that it would be this soon."
"Say you will live a good and happy life." Adrian responded. "And say you will continue to take that passion you have with you and get whatever you need to qualify you to help bring about justice for the guilty AND the innocent on the other side of those bars."
"I will do that, my friend." Davey said, giving Monk a big bear hug. Monk winced at first but then relaxed and just enjoyed the significance of the emotion that was being shared with him in that moment.
Adrian bid Davey adieu and watched as Hampton walked with Davey and told him how he would be going to a half-way house to help him with life skills coming back to society. After that he told him he wanted him to come work in his law office while he decided which avenue he would eventually take.
Getting into the car, Adrian watched the two and felt gratified at seeing something good and peaceful for a change. So much of his work was filled with darkness. Moments like these, however, made it worth it.
Back at the hotel, Randy and Sharona let the Monks and Stottlemeyers know that they would be staying in England a little longer. Sharona wanted to go to Buckingham Palace to see where her cousins lived and Randy wanted to visit Liverpool and hoped to maybe run into Sir Paul McCartney while he was there. After goodbyes, Adrian climbed into the front seat beside Leland ,and Natalie and TK rode behind them in Leland's rented SUV. They were finally going home.
At the airport, things were not as peaceful. Adrian's nerves were starting to get the better of him as he thought about the transatlantic flight. He wanted to know if Natalie had packed a travel pillow for him, and if his sleep mask was there, and if she had her book. He didn't want to be in pain when they landed like he had been when they arrived.
Leland surprised them all by having their seats upgraded to first class, something that Adrian expressed appreciation for when they boarded, and Natalie expressed appreciation for when Adrian slept comfortably throughout most of their flight.
As he laid his head quietly on her shoulder, she read the book that he brought on board for their honeymoon trip and couldn't help but fall in love with him all over again. Regardless what had transpired on their trip or how much a disaster it felt like it was, he really had extended himself far beyond his comfort zone in giving her the trip and had shown her in so many ways how very much he cherished their time together. How happy she was to be his wife.
Early the next morning she shook him awake and had him look out the window as the San Francisco skyline came into view. It was a beautiful sight to be sure, and very familiar. But for Adrian it presented a strange and wonderful sight because when he saw it, he didn't think "home." Rather, he thought "That is a town where I live." Home was with Natalie, whether that was in San Francisco or Washington DC or in not-so-merry Old England. Home was where love was found. There was truly nothing like it in the world. What a blessed man he was to know that love.