37

Hunnicutt Home, Crabapple Cove, Maine
March 1985

"I have something I need to ask you."

"What is?" B.J. asked.

"I don't know how to say this."

"Just say it you know you can tell us anything."

"Uncle Beej, Aunt Peg, you know how Henry McIntyre has been helping me, well I wanted the two of you to be the first to know."

"What sweetie?"

"Henry asked me to marry him, and I didn't say yes or no yet because I wanted to ask your permission first."

"Elizabeth, Ben would have wanted you too be happy," said Peg.

"And we want you to be happy so you have our permission," said B.J.

"I'm not changing the children's last names, and I plan to hyphenate mine so I will be Elizabeth Margaret Jan Pierce- Hunnicutt- McIntyre."

B.J. laughed as he said, "That sure is a long name."

"Are you sure you want to hyphenate that?"

"Yes, Aunt Peg, that way I'll always have a part of Ben aside from the children, that way."

"You know Peg and I were just talking about this the other day, and we can't be more proud of you. Raising those kids on your own and working on a new movie."

"Thanks Uncle Beej."

Not a month later Henry Blake McIntyre and Elizabeth Margaret Jane Pierce- Hunnicutt were married in a small ceremony in a Catholic church in Crabapple Cove. They went on their honeymoon to Martha's Vineyard for the weekend and returned home to the home that Elizabeth and Ben had built to their kids and parents. It was time to make a life there with Henry now, but Elizabeth would never forget the life she had with Ben.