Mrs. Brisby let her tears fall on the old, yellowed pages. The
paper was itself already wrinkled and frail from another’s tears. She continued
to hold the book for a long time, her eyes closed and her mind working in rapid
jumps to try and comprehend it all. So, he had suffered more than she could
have ever imagined, even more than she had when the day had come when he did
not return home and his covenant had been broken. The diary, however, had
replaced the old promise with a new one, and that promise went beyond the
boundaries of death. Their love had been eternal, and now she loved Jonathan
more than ever, her heart aching for him. The feeling of loss was not gone, but
it had been comforted by the knowledge that no matter what happened, their love
for each other was, indeed, everlasting.

For what seemed like hours, she sat thinking and letting her
sobs die down. Once they had nearly ceased, she spoke. "Jonathan,"
she whispered to the silent, yet strangely vibrant air, "I give you my
love forever."