A/N: An all new and exciting fanfiction! Hope you enjoy!

(Chapter One)

The Thornton Family

"I'm so proud of you, son," a woman declared, chocking on her tears.

"Thanks, ma," a twenty-three-year-old young man replied, hugging his mother tightly.

"That's my boy," a proud father patted his son's shoulder.

"Congratulations, Jack. I'm sorry, but I need to steal your son for some group pictures," a man in uniform declared.

"Alright everybody, smile."

Charlotte Thornton looked down at the photograph in her hands as a sob shook her body. Jack had graduated from law school just a few short weeks before.

Why had he chosen to become a police officer anyway? Surely he knew I would worry myself to death?

Jack had been seventeen when he felt that God was calling him to serve his country. He had left home to train at a base camp when he was only eighteen. He hardly saw his family. He was allowed an hour every Saturday evening to call home, but other than that he went home for two weeks at Christmas and four months for summer vacation. Luckily, he hadn't found anyone special yet. That would have made it that much worse. Now a twenty-three-year-old, he had graduated; and his mother felt a bit alone.

She was sad to see him go, and his work was so dangerous; so it just made his leaving so much harder for her.

"Charlotte!" a voice broke into her thoughts. She jumped off her bed and set the picture back on her dresser.

"Yes, dear?" she asked, running down the hall, but slowing down to her normal pace as she reached the staircase.

"Honey, there you are. Come here."

She slowly descended the staircase. When she reached the bottom, no one was there.

"Tom, honey?"

"Gotcha!" he popped up behind her, placing her hands on her hips.

"Oh, Tom!" she screamed. "You scared me half to death!"

"Well, at least I stopped you from worrying yourself to death," his voice became serious.

"How did you know that's what I was doing?" she asked incredulously.

"Well, weren't you?"

"Yes, but that's beside the point, Tom Thornton."

"I love it when you're angry at me."

"Oh, you do, do you?"

"Well, yeah, cause you're never really angry."

"I'm not?"

"Well, at least I don't think you are. And you're just so cute the way you put your hands on your hips, wrinkle your brow, and cock your head to the side."

"Uh huh?"

"You're just so irresistible."

"Awe, well, I'm glad," she said giving him a kiss.

"And because you always do that."

"Do what?"

"This," he said as he pressed his lips to his wife's.

"Ah, that."

There was silence, except for the sound their lips made as they stood in the entrance way.

"Tom . . ."

He held the kiss for a moment longer. "Yeah?" he finally broke away.

"I wish Jack had a safer job. I pray that God will not let him – "

"Char."

"Yeah?"

"How about I take your mind off our son for a while," he suggested," pulling his wife a bit closer.

"Oh, and how do you plan to do that?" she teased him, knowing full well what he planned to do.

He leaned in very slowly for a deep kiss, and she reciprocated his feelings.

"Oh, I hope Jack finds someone to look after him," she declared wistfully.

"I thought we were going to forget about all that for a while."

"Yes, but he's our son. It's a mother's job to worry."

Catching the look of worry and displeasure in her husband's eyes, she quickly changed her next few words.

"Maybe you'll just have to try to distract me a little harder," she challenged him.

He knew what she meant at once; and without a word, he slipped his arm around her waist once again and pulled her closer to him. After a long series of passionate kisses, their lips parted and he asked, "How was that for distracting?"

"More," was all she said.

"I'm just getting warmed up, love."

"Mhmmmmmm," she relaxed in his strong arms. After a few more kisses, he released her as she strode into the kitchen to put the water on to boil.

"Mom?"

"Yeah, in the kitchen."

"Hey, mom."

"Hey, Tommy. How was school?"

"You mean college?" he responded as if school were a thing of the past.

"Yeah, Tommy. College."

"It's going good. Today was the first lesson in chapter three, the history of engineering."

"Very interesting, son."

"Thanks, mom," he replied, grabbing a cookie and pouring himself a glass of milk. He put the milk jug back into the fridge and sat on an island stool.

"So . . . have you thought much about what's next?"

"Not a whole lot yet, but I do know that I want to be a mechanic. That's for sure."

"Good job, Tom. It's wonderful to know what you want to do in life. But if at any time you're not sure what you're supposed to be, that's alright. Just pray about it. All I ever wanted to be in life was a good wife to your father and mother to you and Jack."

"I love you, mom," he declared as he slipped his arms around his mother.

"I love you too, Tommy. Now, go finish that cookie and I'm going to phone your brother."

"Okay mom," he replied, climbing back onto his perch.