“No, Cupcake, she can’t,” Kell answered softly as he brushed her hair back from her face. He was still amazed each time she actually talked to him --- something she seemed to be doing quite a bit more since Julie had come into their lives. “Mommie wants to do it, but there are lots of special rules about people doing things like that . . . . . . . .”

“She’s the best mommy . . . . . . . .” Kevin interrupted.

Kell reached across the table and ruffled his son’s hair. “Yes, I know she is, but sometimes . . . . . . . .” The jangle of the telephone interrupted his explanation; he hurried to answer before the ringing disturbed Dixie.

“Doctor Brackett.”

He listened a minute or two. “Sure,” he said, “we can do that. When?” Another couple of minutes of silent listening yielded, “Fine. Whatever you think.” After a moment, he added, “Go ahead and do it.” He listened some more, then offered, “Sure. Just let us know what we need to do. Thanks.”

Stunned, he hung up the phone in a daze, checked to make sure the twins had enough breakfast, and went to wake Dixie.

é é é é é é é é

It’s a very long shot,” Martin told them, “but it is the only way I have been able to find that you can even hope to be able to adopt this child.

“I’m not sure I understand this,” sighed Dixie. “Didn’t you tell Kell we couldn’t adopt Stacey? Didn’t you say a home would be found for her and she would be placed somewhere before the Children’s Services people were able to complete a background check on us so that we could become adoptive parents?”

“Yes,” nodded Martin. “That’s right. And, generally, what I told Kell yesterday is how the adoption system works. But last night when I was researching a precedent for a brief I’m working on, I stumbled across a case reference where the adoptive parents were in the same situation as the two of you --- namely, the dying parent entrusted the care of a minor child to them. And in that case, the court ruled that the dying parent’s wishes had the same weight as a dying declaration in a criminal case and, therefore, had to be upheld as long as the prospective adoptive parents were fit to raise the child.”

“So we do the same thing? Ask the court to bypass the normal procedures in order to honor the mother’s request for Dixie to take care of her child?”

Martin nodded again. “But you have to understand, Kell, that there is no guarantee it will work out the same way in this case. We can cite the precedent, and make our case before the family court, but the decision ultimately rests with the judge.”

“How long will it take to do all this?” queried Dixie anxiously.

“Most likely, it will be fast . . . . . . . . we can request preferential scheduling based on the needs of the minor child and the unique situation established by the mother’s deathbed request. In fact, to make our case as strong as possible, we have to ask for that. Then we present our case to the family court. The only drawback is that we are bound by the decision the judge makes in the case. There is no recourse to appeal --- if he rules the child is to go to Children’s Services for placement, we will not be able to prevent that from happening.” He paused, then added, “And you would have no chance at all to adopt her.”

“But we can’t adopt her now, can we?” countered Dixie.

Martin sighed. “No. No, you can’t.”

She held her breath and looked at Kell.

“So, let’s go to court,” Kell affirmed.

é é é é é é é é

“Kell?”

“Hhhmmmm?”

“I’m sorry . . . . . . . . about last night . . . . . . . .”

Kell, sitting at the breakfast room table with a cup of coffee, looked up from checkbook register he was trying to balance. Dixie was leaning against the doorframe, looking rueful. He dropped the pencil onto the table as he stood up and moved to her side. He put his arms around her. “Sorry for what? For caring about what happens to a little girl who needs you?”

Her eyes downcast, she shook her head. “For treating you so awful. It certainly wasn’t your fault tha - . . . . . . . .” Her words were stifled as Kell put his hand under her chin, gently lifted her head, and kissed her.

“No apologies, Dix,” he softly reprimanded. “Not for being the person you are, not for caring so much, and certainly not for being the woman I love.” His eyes smiled at her as he pulled her close and turned his attention to kissing her once again.

é é é é é é é é

Unbidden memories demanded his attention; he shook his head, relegating the distraction to his subconscious and allowed the testimony in the case before him to continue, occasionally interjecting a question as a little corner of his mind tried to untangle the mystery surrounding her presence in his courtroom.

“What exactly did she say?”

“She grabbed my arm. She begged me to promise.”

“Promise what?”

“To take care of her child for her. She said, ‘Promise; take care of Stacey,’ . . . . . . . . and she was gone.” Tears brimmed in Dixie’s eyes.

“What I don’t understand is why you didn’t go to get some help for the woman? Why didn’t you go call an ambulance, try to get her to the hospital?”

Dixie sighed. “I’m a nurse. I did what I could. The injuries were too severe . . . . . . . .”

Distracted, he shuffled through the papers in front of him, finally pulling out the medical examiner’s report. Its contents made it clear that she had assessed the victim’s situation accurately.

“By the time I could have gotten to a phone, called for an ambulance, and returned, she would have been dead.” She blinked fast to keep the tears the memory evoked under control. “And I just couldn’t leave her there all alone.” Her voice faded away as she murmured, “No one should die abandoned and alone.”

Christopher Logan startled at her comment. A flash of buried memory solved the mystery and answered every question he had ever had to ask.

é é é é é é é é

“Yes?” Kelly Brackett called out as he looked up from the stack of paperwork covering his desk. “Come in.” He’d spent most of the day playing catch-up, and any interruption at all was definitely welcome.

Joe Early walked through the door. Kell’s harried look did not escape his immediate notice. “Want to join Julie and me for dinner?” he queried brightly, hoping to dissolve a bit of the tension that had settled itself around his friend. Neither he nor Julie could do much to alleviate the pressure Kell and Dixie were under, but he felt compelled to make an effort, even if it was just to shore up frayed nerves and soothe worried spirits.

Kell sighed. “Thanks, Joe, but I think I’ll have to pass.” Indicating the stack of paperwork, he sighed as he added, “Got to get through all this.”

“You still need to eat, you know. I’m sure the twins would like to see you, and Dixie could probably use some of your moral support right about now,” Joe persisted.

Chagrined, Kell smiled ruefully as he pushed the paperwork aside and shook his head in amazement. Sometimes he was hard pressed to figure out exactly what it was that he had ever done to deserve a friend like Joe Early. “Sure, Joe, dinner sounds great,” he replied with a small chuckle. “Are you sure you can stand us for that long?”

Joe laughed. “No doubt about it.” Evaluating the time that might be needed to address the remaining work facing his friend, he added, “I’ll stop back in an hour.”

“Fine,” he said absently as the stack of paperwork claimed his attention once more.

Joe sighed as he closed the door behind him. It was going to be a very difficult wait.

é é é é é é é é

“There’s no way to tell,” Martin said carefully. “He listened, he has all the notes and references. He’ll study all the documents, review the testimony, study the case law, and make his decision. And we’ll all find out what that is at two o’clock next Friday afternoon.” Preparing to leave, he stood.

“Ooohhhh, that’s an awfully long time,” lamented Dixie.

Kell moved out from behind his desk and crossed the office to put his arm around her shoulders, giving her a gentle hug. “We’ll get there,” he promised, “together.”

é é é é é é é é

Roy and Johnny sauntered up to the counter. “Hi, Dix.”

Dixie looked up. It had been a quiet morning, and she had almost figured out the duty schedule. “Hi. What brings you two here?”

“Just wanted to see a friendly face,” teased Johnny lightly as Roy replied, “Supplies.”

Dixie laughed, much to the pleasure of the two paramedics. It seemed to them as if she laughed much too seldom these days. “Well, what do you need?” she asked, and the three of them set about getting the necessary supplies for the squad.

é é é é é é é é

Judge Christopher Logan looked at the group of people gathered before him. “Before we get to the ruling, I want to make it absolutely clear that the only consideration in this case is the welfare of the child. A ruling in favor of Children’s Services is not a ruling against Kelly and Dixie Brackett. Nor would a ruling in their favor be a ruling against Children’s Services. I’m sure we all want what is best for Stacey McCallister, and that is the only consideration worthy of this court’s time.”

Dixie grabbed hold of Kell’s hand and squeezed it tightly as he put his arm around her shoulders. Martin glanced at them out of the corner of his eye, a small smile briefly passing across his face. This case had been a revelation to him; he and Kelly Brackett had been friends for years and he thought he knew him pretty well. He’d not had the opportunity to really talk to Dixie until that day she and Kell had come to the office to talk about the case. His years in the courtroom had made him a seasoned people observer, but the depth of feeling obviously shared by Dixie and Kell came as a surprise to him. It had pushed him to search out every possible avenue of support for the case, hoping to bring them the result they so desperately sought. Now that the decision was at hand, he found himself more nervous that he could remember being in years.

“It’s always difficult when a parent dies and leaves a child alone. As a society, I am certain we do not always make the right decision in providing care for children in this sad situation. In this case, I believe everyone here truly seeks to do the right thing for this youngster.” Judge Logan paused, then looked directly at Dixie. “Certainly no one questions the compassion Dixie Brackett showed to the young mother who lost her life in this tragic accident. A mother with no recourse who, perhaps panicked and certainly realizing she was dying, asked a total stranger to care for her daughter. But the court rightly questions whether a single act of compassion can be sufficient reason to bypass established procedures in the placement of a child.”

Tears brimmed in her eyes as she fought to control her emotions. She’d placed all her hope in this decision; now it sounded as if the judge was going to leave Stacey’s welfare in the hands of Children’s Services. She couldn’t breathe; everything swam around her and time seemed to stand still.

“This court can only concern itself with what is finds to be in the best interest of the minor child, Stacey McCallister,” the judge continued. “Therefore, my decision is that permanent custody be granted to Dixie and Kelly Brackett.”

Unable to control the tears, Dixie sagged against Kell. Grinning broadly, Martin turned to Kell to declare, “Yes!” Kell, who had not realized he was holding his breath, heaved a huge sigh of relief and joy as he hugged Dixie tightly. He grinned back at Martin. “Thank you. Thank you.” He swiped at his eyes with the back of his hand.

It took only a few minutes and a brief conversation with the social service worker for Martin to make all the arrangements for Dixie and Kell to take Stacey home. Dixie had finally managed to stop crying and she and Kell were engrossed in an animated conversation. They were the only ones left in the courtroom and Martin smiled to himself as he watched Kell and Dixie’s happiness over the ruling. He had to admit he was just a bit surprised that it had turned out that way. Although he had said nothing, he’d been quite sure that, despite the precedent from the earlier case, the judge was leaning toward maintaining the status quo with Children’s Services handling the placement of the little girl.

Christopher Logan walked across the courtroom and stood in front of the table. He knew he had made the right decision. And now it was time for an explanation. She deserved that.

Martin was startled by the judge’s sudden reappearance in the courtroom. “Judge Logan?”

Dixie stopped in mid-sentence and turned in her chair to face the judge. Was he going to say he had made a mistake? Could he do that? She fought down the panic rising inside her, but she could not keep the fear out of her eyes.

“It took me a while to figure it out,” he said softly. “But I did, and no other decision was possible.” Christopher Logan looked into Dixie’s eyes. Trembling and overcome with fear, she somehow kept her gaze steady. Thank goodness for Kell’s arm around her!

“Cynthia was my daughter.”

Dixie felt as if she had been slammed in the chest and fought to catch her breath. “Oh-h-h-h, I’m so sorry,” she finally managed.

“When I realized that you were her, then there was no doubt --- I knew Stacey would be in the right place if she was with you.”

“Thank you,” she whispered as the judge turned and slowly walked away.

“I’m sorry,” he suddenly said as he turned back to face her once more. “I have to ask . . . . . . . . I need to know,” he admitted. He fought for composure. “What did you say to Cynthia?” The pain in his voice pierced her heart.

“I sang her a lullaby,” Dixie answered softly. “From Hansel and Gretel . . . . . . . . When At Night I Go To Sleep.”

“I’m not familiar with it,” he replied sadly.

Dixie sighed. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she softly sang the little lullaby she had not sung since the day of the fire at Children’s Hospital all those years ago.

When at night I go to sleep

Fourteen angels watch do keep

Two my head are guarding

Two my feet are guiding

Two are on my right hand

Two are on my left hand

Two who warmly cover

Two who o’er me hover

Two to whom ‘tis given

To guide my steps to Heaven

Tears glistened on his cheeks. “Thank you,” he whispered.

In the end of all things lie the seeds of new beginnings.

é é é é é é é é

“We need a bigger house.”

Looking up from the medical journal he was reading, Kell laughed. “Tell me about it.”

Ever since they had picked Stacey up from McLaren Hall and brought her home, they had been tripping over baby swings, high chairs, and toys. Kell’s study had been hastily turned into a nursery, but there simply wasn’t enough room in their cozy little house any more. The twins had been delighted at the prospect of having a baby sister, but Kevin was beginning to grumble about not having enough room for his cars and Kelsie had taken to reading her books at the breakfast room table. Dixie knew it was tight, but didn’t actually comprehend just how bad it was until she realized that she was seriously considering hanging the crib from the ceiling just to get a bit more room!

Dixie looked around her. “I love this house,” she sighed, “but the children really need more room.”

Kell nodded in agreement. “Not to mention the mom and dad!” Dixie rolled her eyes in exasperation while admitting to herself that he was absolutely right.

“That would be why I found us a bigger house.”

“You what?” she demanded in surprise.

“Found us a bigger house. Want to go see it?”

Dixie glanced at the clock. “Julie will be dropping the twins off in an hour,” she reminded him.

“Plenty of time!”

“Sure,” she responded dubiously. “I’ll get Stacey.”

é é é é é é é é

“Anyone who ever moves has got to be crazy!” grumbled Kelly Brackett in annoyance. “How in the world can we possibly have so much stuff, anyway?”

Dixie laughed as she worked at unpacking another carton. “We have children!”

Kell just glared at her from across the room. Joe and Julie had taken pity on them and, to make the move easier, had taken all three children for the weekend while Kell and Dixie moved their family into their new house.

Dixie had spent the day moving small boxes from the old house to the new house, keeping Kell busy loading and unloading her car. While he did the lifting and carrying she was no longer allowed to do, she got the phone connected and the utilities turned on in the new house. The bedroom furniture had been delivered and set up and the movers were due at six in the morning with the rest of the things from their old house.

The only glitch in the whole thing, aside from short tempers and the inevitable frustrations associated with packing and moving five people and all the contents of an entire house, was that their old house was not yet sold. Part of Dixie was glad . . . . . . . . The new house was nice, but she simply couldn’t imagine anyone else living in their house. At the same time, she most definitely understood the practicalities of the situation, and she knew that they needed to sell the house soon.

“Phew!” she sighed as she finished unpacking the small cartons she and Kell had moved over themselves. “I’m beat!”

Kell came up behind her and put his arms around her. “So, let’s go to bed. Six o’clock will be here before you know it.” Dixie sighed and let herself be led off to the bedroom.

Still in her jeans, she collapsed onto the bed and was asleep before her head even hit the pillow.

é é é é é é é é

The distant ringing of a telephone crept into his consciousness. He slid out of bed, careful not to waken Dixie, and headed for the kitchen. He checked the time --- almost midnight. “Doctor Brackett,” he mumbled sleepily as he grabbed the receiver. He followed a moment of listening with a terse, “I’ll be right there.”

After hastily pulling on his jeans and shirt, Kell scrawled a brief message to let Dixie know where he had gone. He wouldn’t be gone more than an hour, two at the most --- but if she were to wake up . . . . . . . . On his way out, he propped the note up in plain sight on the kitchen counter and quietly locked the front door as he left the house and quickly headed for Rampart.

é é é é é é é é

“Station Fifty - One, structure fire. Sixteen Ninety-four Woodvale Road. One - six - nine - four Woodvale Road. Cross street: Dempsey Avenue. Time out: Three eleven.”

“Station Fifty - One, K - M - G, Three - Six - Five,” acknowledged Captain Stanley as he finished scribbling down the address. Lights flashed and sirens wailed as they roared off in the pre-dawn darkness.

“Where’s Woodvale?” asked Johnny sleepily as they sped down the street.

“It’s over in that new development they’re been building just past Ventura Boulevard,” Roy replied. “Right off Sepulveda --- Doc Brackett and Dixie live about five miles further on past there.”

“You mean they lived there, don’t you, Partner? Aren’t they moving this weekend?”

“Yeah, I guess they are,” Roy agreed. They were getting close; the air was hazy with smoke and the smell of burning wood permeated everything.

é é é é é é é é

“Roy! John! Check inside!” hollered Hank Stanley as he established a perimeter and assigned men and equipment, generally setting about the task of fighting the fire. Flames could be seen through the front windows on one side of the house, but they had not yet broken through the roof. Perhaps there was a chance of getting ahead of this one, of knocking it down before the house was a total loss.

Equipment in place, the two paramedics hurried toward the house. As they entered, they were surprised to find that the house was almost empty. No furniture in the living room, just a few cartons stacked neatly against the wall.

“Guess they haven’t moved in yet,” Roy muttered in relief as the two firefighters moved through the still-empty rooms. He pointed down a hallway. “You check those rooms, I’ll go this way.” Johnny nodded in agreement.

Roy strained to see through the smoky haze as he moved into the bedroom. There weren’t many flames to be seen, a fact that troubled him greatly. “Hurry up!” he shouted after Johnny. He had a bad feeling, the kind that warned him to get out and get out now.

He tripped over someone lying on the floor.

Roy bent down . . . . . . . . still alive. He quickly checked the room, but there was no one else. “Let’s go!” he hollered as he picked up the unconscious victim and headed for the door.

Johnny fell into step behind him. They had barely cleared the front porch when the air was filled with a loud roar as the living room and porch burst into flames. The concussion blew the three of them to the ground.

Scrabbling up, the two paramedics half-carried, half-dragged their victim over near the squad and gently laid her on the grass.

Confused and apprehensive, Roy threw Johnny a worried look as the two paramedics set about treating her. She thrashed against the oxygen mask over her face as she regained consciousness, pushing their hands away as she coughed and struggled to sit up.

“You’re all right,” Roy soothed gently. “It’s OK.”

She pulled the oxygen mask off and dropped it to the ground as she struggled to her feet. She looked around. “Kell?” she rasped. “KELL?” Dixie headed for the house.

As Roy and Johnny both grabbed her, a loud popping sound filled the air and the house exploded into a flaming inferno. “KELL - L - L - L - L!” she screamed as she dissolved into tears and collapsed in their arms.

The two paramedics exchanged worried looks as the captain hurried over. “He wasn’t in the house . . . . . . . .” began Johnny. “I’m sure of that.”

“Fellas?” queried the captain. Johnny and Roy looked at him, despair growing in their eyes as they moved Dixie back by the squad and carefully laid her on the ground once more.

“We checked, Cap,” Johnny declared. “We didn’t find anyone inside.”

“Except Dixie,” Roy added, stating the obvious.

Roy grimaced as he gently placed his hand on her shoulder. “Only she says Doc Brackett was in there . . . . . . . .”

The three men looked at the house, now a pillar of flaming fire. Around them, the night was filled with the hot crackle of fire and the sobbing agony of a broken heart.

é é é é é é é é

“You’re sure?”

“She is,” Roy told him, his eyes glistening with tears, “and I guess she ought to know.”

Mike Morton shook his head in disbelief. It just didn’t seem possible . . . . . . . .

“Looks like everyone’s having a rough night tonight,” Kelly Brackett observed tiredly. Still in his scrubs, he’d walked out of the elevator and had stopped behind the small group standing at the nurses’ station counter. He wearily rubbed at his stiff neck.

Mike jerked around to face him. “Kell!”

Johnny laughed. “I TOLD you there wasn’t anybody else in the house!” He slapped his partner’s shoulder as Roy’s face broke into a wide grin.

Kell looked at them blankly. “What’s going on?” he asked in confusion.

Roy took a deep breath. “There was a fire . . . . . . . .”

“ . . . . . . . . at your house . . . . . . . .” interjected Johnny.

“and Dixie thought . . . . . . . .”

“. . . . . . . . you were there. Only . . . . . . . .”

“HOLD IT!” hollered Kell, holding his hands up. “A fire?” he questioned in disbelief; suddenly filled with fear, he demanded, “Where’s Dixie?”

“She’s fine,” Roy said. “We got her out.”

“A fire?” he repeated, working to absorb their words.

Roy nodded. “Yeah. It didn’t look too bad when we first got there, but there was a huge explosion and the house went up like a torch.” He paused to take a breath, then quietly added, “Dixie thought you were inside.”

Kell paled as he sagged against the counter in disbelief. “Dixie was sleeping . . . . . . . . the hospital called . . . . . . . . I didn’t expect to be this long.” He paused, still working to absorb the news. “I left a note for her . . . . . . . . .” He was silent for a moment, feeling as if he were wading his way through thick mud. His voice faltered; “Dixie . . . . . . . . .”

“She’s fine,” Mike told him gently. “A little smoke inhalation, but it’s not serious.” After a short pause, he added, “She was pretty upset, though. I gave her a sedative.”

“Where . . . . . . . .?”

Interrupting his question, the doctor gently replied, “Observation Three.”

“Thanks,” he said, clapping his hand on the young doctor’s shoulder. He headed toward Observation Three, but turned back to the small group after taking only a couple of steps. He looked at the two firefighters. “Thanks, guys,” he said softly, his voice breaking. “Thanks.”

é é é é é é é é

She stirred as the sedative wore off and she slowly came awake. Opening her eyes, she was confused for a moment as to where she was. Glancing around as she came fully awake, her memory kicked in and tears brimmed her eyes. She tried to push the horrible memory of the explosion and fire away, but it overwhelmed her.

Still holding onto her hand, just as he had been for the past several hours, Kell shifted in the chair and smiled at her.

She looked at him as if he could not possibly be there. Not believing her eyes, she squeezed them tightly closed. Tears continued to seep from beneath her scrunched eyelids. After a minute, she opened them just enough to peek out.

“Still here,” he offered with a gentle laugh.

She turned her head away, then turned back to look at him once again. “Kell?” she whispered, still not believing he was really there. “Are . . . . . . . . you . . . . . . . . how . . . . . . . .?”

He stood up and, still holding onto her hand, sat down on the edge of her bed. “I was here,” he said softly. “The hospital called,” he explained gently. “I thought I’d be back long before you woke up, but I left you a note . . . . . . . .” He reached out to brush his hand through her hair. “I never thought . . . . . . . . it never occurred to me . . . . . . . .

She burst into tears as she stretched out her hand to gently stroke his cheek, confirming to herself the reality of his presence. As she reached to put her arms around him, he gently pulled her into a hug and held her tightly. “I thought you were in the house,” she sobbed, her voice still evidencing some of the raspiness that was the result of the smoke inhalation. “I thought you . . . . . . . .”

“Ssshhhh, Love,” he whispered as he held her tightly and gently stroked her hair.

“Are you hurt?”

“I’m just fine,” he told her, a smile dancing in the corners of his eyes. “As long as you are.”

His arms enfolded her . . . . . . . . her heart sang . . . . . . . . I can only give you love that lasts forever . . . . . . . . as she buried her face in his shoulder and cried.

é é é é é é é é

“Somehow ‘thank you’ doesn’t quite seem to do it,” Kell said with a sigh. “But I don’t know what else to say. Thank you for getting Dixie out . . . . . . . .”

“You don’t have to say anything, Doc,” Captain Stanley quietly interrupted. “We know . . . . . . . .” He paused for a moment and the room was quiet. The fire captain solemnly added, “I’m afraid your house is just a pile of ashes, though.”

“Do you have any idea what happened, what started the fire?” Kell asked.

The captain nodded. “Yep. The electrical wiring was not done properly . . . . . . . .”

Kell sighed as Joe offered, “Guess it’s a good thing you didn’t sell this house . . . . . . . .”

Kell nodded as he fussed with the blanket covering Dixie’s lap as she rested on the sofa. Suddenly he announced, “And we’re not going to, either.”

“I love our house,” Dixie said with a tinge of sadness in her voice. “But,” she rolled her eyes to look up at him as she offered a reminder, “we don’t have enough room here any more . . . . . . . .”

“We’re going to have a builder to add on to this house . . . . . . . . perhaps an upstairs for the kids . . . . . . . .”

“That’s a great idea!” enthused Hank Stanley. “Just be sure to get one with a solid reputation, one who won’t cut corners that put you all in danger.”

“I already called Tom Deason; got any other suggestions?”

“Deason’s a good builder. The department’s never had a problem with his work not being up to spec.”

Suddenly Dixie looked over to Captain Stanley. “Is there any reason that we can’t we go over there? I mean, to go over to where the house was?”

“You can go over there if you want, but there’s nothing there but a pile of ashes,” he told her gently.

To everyone’s surprise, she burst into tears.

“Dix? Sweetheart . . . . . . . .” Kell perched on the edge of the sofa as he put his arm around her shoulders.

She looked at him in abject despair. “I left my wedding ring on the counter in the kitchen.”

“Sweetheart, the most important thing is that you are all right,” Kell reminded her as he tried to comfort her. “We can get you another ring.”

“It won’t be the same,” she cried sadly. “If I hadn’t been so tired, I’d have remembered to get it . . . . . . . .” She sniffed as she worked to keep her tears in check. “This whole moving thing has turned out to be an unmitigated disaster,” she muttered in despair.

Captain Stanley got up and walked over to stand in front of her. He reached into his pocket, then held his hand out to her. “We found this when we were out there looking for the cause of the fire,” he said as he dropped the ring into her hand. She looked at him in disbelief as tears drifted down her cheeks. “We tried to clean it up, but you might want to take it to a jeweler and have it professionally cleaned. Otherwise, I think it came through just fine.”

“Thank you,” she whispered, overcome.

“Just part of the job, ma’am,” he smiled. “Just part of the job.”

é é é é é é é é

“Well, we’ll certainly be crowded around here for a while, but Tom Deason says he can do the addition and remodeling for us right away,” Kell reported as he hung up the telephone.

He went off into the kitchen to refill their coffee mugs and, as he came back into the living room with her coffee, he continued, “We’ll add an upstairs across the whole house, with rooms for all the kids and a playroom for Kevin’s cars --- one with a reading nook for Kelsie. We’ll remodel the kitchen, and add a sunroom across the back of the house.” He handed her the mug of coffee. “How does that sound?”

Dixie smiled as she shook her head it amazement. “It sounds absolutely wonderful,” she said, sipping at the coffee. “But can we afford to do all that?”

Kell laughed. “Sure,” he told her. “It won’t be any more expensive than the mortgage on the new house would have been.” He leaned over to place a kiss on the top of her head. “And while the house is all torn up and the builders are making a mess everywhere, you’ll just have to remember how great it will be when it’s done!”

She laughed lightly. It was a sound that made his heart sing.

“Tom said he would bring some floor plans and sketches over next week and we’ll get all the details finalized. Then they’ll get to work.”

He went over to pick up the other mug of coffee from the counter. “He says it will take about twelve weeks,” he added, still in the kitchen. Coming back into the room with the coffee, Kell walked over to the sofa. Dixie swung her feet to the floor so that he could sit down beside her. He set the coffee down on the table and put his arm around her. “I love you,” he offered quietly.

“I love you, too,” she smiled . . . . . . . . I never knew much about love ‘til you walked into my heart . . . . . . . .

Kell held a package out to her.

“What’s this for?” she asked.

“Just because I love you,” he told her. “And because I’m glad you’re OK . . . . . . . . and I love you . . . . . . . . and because you’re a pretty special lady . . . . . . . . and I love you . . . . . . . . and you’re a terrific mother . . . . . . . . and I love you . . . . . . . .”

She laughed. “I love you, too,” she murmured . . . . . . . . now you know it’s true . . . . . . . . and leaned over to give him a kiss just to shut him up.

He held her tightly, returning the kiss as he savored the feel of her in his arms. She cuddled into his embrace as he stroked her hair. He realized the fire could have snatched her away from him in an instant, and he found himself now indebted to the men who regularly placed their own lives in jeopardy to save others.

“Kell?” she queried softly.

“Hhhmmmm?”

“Where did you go?”

“Just thinking,” he told her.

“Thinking about what?”

“How much I love you.” He held the small box out to her again. “Here,” he prompted gently.

“You didn’t have to buy me a present,” she protested.

“Please.”

She took the present from his outstretched hand, finding her eyes filling with tears as she opened the small box. She lifted out the small velvet pouch she found nestled inside. Carefully dropping its contents into her hand, she then slipped it out of the small plastic bag and tore away the tissue paper surrounding it to reveal a small, round, silver mirror compact. Tears drifted down her cheeks as she read the poem etched into its top . . . . . . . .

i carry your heart with me

(i carry it in my heart) i am never

without it (anywhere i go you go, my

dear; and whatever is done by only me

is your doing, my darling) i fear no fate

(for you are my fate, my sweet) i want no world

(for beautiful you are my world, my true) and it's

you are whatever a moon has always meant and
whatever a sun will always sing is you here is
the deepest secret nobody knows (here is the

root of the root and the bud of the bud and
the sky of the sky of a tree called life;

which grows higher than soul can hope

or mind can hide)and this is the wonder

that's keeping the stars apart
i carry your heart

(i carry it in my heart)

- e. e. cummings

She clutched the silver compact to her heart as she looked at Kell through a sea of unshed tears of love brimming in her deep blue eyes. He smiled as he lightly placed his hand over her mouth to keep her from speaking. “I love you,” he whispered as he pulled her into a hug and his heart repeated the words as he moved his hand and she melted into the ecstasy of his kiss.