Oh, how beautifully poignant, C_A. Perfectly woven. This is definitely going on my Kerth list.
I usually get depressed by stories which separate our heroes for so many years (although that hasn't stopped me enjoying such stories over the years. I'm peverse that way <g>). I can't usually get past the waste of so many years apart, no matter how overjoyed they are to find each other again.
But this story still managed to end on such a hopeful note that for the first time ever I truly buy into the concept that love can survive so many years of loss and that all that wasted time is unimportant.
LabRat
