The letter at the end comes straight from the episode "Boots With My Father's Name."

~oOo~

Leah whistled as she walked down the road toward the home she shared with Hannah and Tom. She knew people were saying a lot of things behind her back because she and Hannah continued to let 'that man' stay with them. And she knew, with the news the doctor had just given her, that there'd be more tongues wagging. Only thing was, she didn't care. She was far too happy. The past three and a half months had been heaven. Tom had worked on, and fixed, anything in, on or around the house that needed mending. And their nights…it had never been like this with Charles. She couldn't wait to get back to the house and tell Tom the wonderful news.

Tom, who had gone for a walk, was almost to the house when he saw Leah off in the distance. He felt the weight of the world pressing down upon his shoulders. While he loved Leah, he had come to realize as innocent as he was when it came to his sons' death, he was completely guilty of using the wonderful woman, who people were now referring to as Mr. Thomson's woman. Thomson was the last name she had insisted on giving him, saying he had to have one, saying the name fit as he was someone's son wasn't he? Only problem was, he loved Victoria, Jarrod and Nick more. He couldn't keep betraying them; he had to go back. That is, if Victoria would even take him back after this.

As Leah grew closer, Tom was riddled with guilt. How was he going to tell this woman, this beautiful, wonderful, compassionate woman, that he really hadn't lost his whole family in the tragic accident? That he'd simply been running away from his problems, the issues and from the coldness in his own home? For a man everyone thought was so strong, Tom knew just how weak he really was. By time Leah reached the house, he was sitting on the steps looking like he was a thousand miles away.

Instantly, Leah knew something was wrong. "What is it, Tom?" She asked as she sat down by his side and laid her hand upon his knee. She was shocked when he pulled his knee away, stood up and took a few steps. Since he never stood with his back to her, Leah knew something had to be terribly wrong. She waited a few minutes to see what he would do. When he didn't do anything, Leah stood up and walked to his side.

"Tom," she said as she took a hold of his arm and insisted he turn around. Again, she was shocked to see the look of pain and anguish in his eyes. As far as she knew nothing tragic had happened in town…she stopped her thoughts, as she looked around for Hannah. She started to panic thinking something must have happened to her dear friend.

Tom, seeing her actions and realizing what she must be thinking, quickly started speaking. "Hannah's all right. Rachel picked her up an hour ago."

Leah stopped looking around and then asked, confusion showing in her eyes, "What is it then? Why are you so upset?"

"Oh Leah," Tom laid his hands upon her shoulders. "I have let my own grief and pains overshadow my good sense and honest reasoning. I have taken advantage of your hospitality, your compassion and, most of all, the love you have given me." His voice broke as he knew that, having started, he could not stop. "I cannot stay here any longer. I don't belong here."

Leah's heart stopped and her confusion grew. "Why? You have no family, you have no place to go, and you have me."

Tom could see the tears that were getting ready to roll down her cheeks, making the guilt he felt grow. "I…I only lost two of my sons in that accident." He confessed and watched as Leah stepped back, her eyes widening. "I tried to get to them…really I did; only I failed. My wife blamed me, said it was my fault and turned her back on me. My other two sons were put in the middle of our fights. I couldn't take it anymore, so I left." He took a step towards Leah, only to find the woman recoiling back, disbelief now showing on her face. "I'm sorry Leah; I never planned on leading you on. Only, the compassion you showed me, the comfort offered me…I hadn't felt that for so long. It felt so good…can you ever forgive me?"

Forgive him? Leah fought back to keep her tears from falling. She loved him, had lain with him more than once and now she carried his child within her womb. A part of Leah told her to tell him about the baby, but what would she have then? There was no way her brother or sister-in-law would reconsider anything now. Had she not been so hurt by his confession, Leah might have thought to ask him what his last name was. As it was, she ran for the house; Tom was right behind her.

"Leah!" Tom ran through the open door and hurried over to the sink where she was standing. "I'm sorry, really I am. I never wanted to hurt you."

"Go!" Leah turned on him. "Go back to your wife and sons. I'll pray for both of you, pray you can get past the loss of your children and move on together. Just go!" Leah was yelling by the time she was finished, her eyes burned with hurt, pain and anger. Tom went to say something else and then simply sighed, gathered up his things and walked out the back door.

Leah, who had made her way to the back porch, sat on the rocking chair that set next to the door. As she watched Tom ride away, she laid her hands on her stomach and let the tears fall. She didn't know what she was going to tell the child growing inside of her; she didn't know what time would bring. All she knew for sure was, right or wrong, she loved Tom and he had loved her. She'd felt it. Now, she had a part of him and she didn't intend to give that part up, even if it meant she'd just lost any chance of having a comfortable life. It didn't matter because she'd have a child; his child.

~oOo~

Leah sat on the back porch of the home she shared with Hannah watching her two year old blonde son, Heath Thomson, playing with the stick horse Rachel and she had made for him. In her hand she held a letter, a letter Tom had sent her seven months after he left Strawberry, though the letter had sat beside her bed for another six months before she could bring herself to open it. And then she didn't know whether to laugh or cry as she read it. Once in awhile, like today, she could pull it out and read it once more. Her eyes again fell on a portion of the letter.

"….You're a wonderful woman, Leah. Perhaps the only woman in the world I could have loved as much as I love my wife. And someday very soon, I hope, you'll meet someone. You'll fall in love as you deserve, and he will love you as you deserve to be loved. And you'll be as happy as I am, as proud as I am of my family. You must marry Leah. You must have children. You were meant for that."

Sincerely yours,

Tom Barkley"

"Mama! I 'idin' the 'orse!" Heath's squeal of delight brought Leah out of her thoughts. Looking at Heath, she thought back to the day Tom had disappeared out of sight, and she began smiling at their son and started singing.

Then be it so, and let us part,

Since love like mine has fail'd to move thee;

But do not think this constant heart,

Can ever cease, in grate to love thee

No spite of all thy cold disdain

I'll bless the hour when first I met thee;

And rather bear whole years of pain,

And rather bear whole years of pain,

then e'en for one short hour forget thee,

Forget thee No. Forget thee! No.

Forget thee! No, Forget thee! No.

oOo~

* "Forget thee! No" (circa 1820s)

Sung by

Mrs. Burke,

with universal applause,

and Composed for her

by

A[rthur]. Clifton.

[aka Philip Antony Corri, 1784-1832]

Words by Mrs. Opie.

Baltimore: T. Carr's Music Store, 78 1/2 Baltimore St.

Where may he had Composed by A. Clifton, "Auld lang syne"

arrd. as a P. Forte Duett, _Blue ey'd Mary" with Var; _"O tell

me how from love to fly"_ "Hyzza, here's Columbia," "The green

spot which blooms o'er the Desert of life"_ "The Rejected

Lover"_ Freedom," &c.&c.

"It Was God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels", sung by the late Kitty Wells, also came to mind as I wrote this story…even if Leah isn't a "Honky Tonk Angel" in this story.