Disclaimer: The characters in this story don't belong to me, they are owned by Erle Stanley Gardner's pen. I don't receive any economic good for them. I only write for the pleasure of doing it.

Many thanks to the incredible of tengland2, for continuing to support me in this adventure with all their advice.

All the errors are only mine.

Chapter Ten

Della watched the girls go down the corridor with Patricia for their tour, she turned and went to Tom's room. She approached his bed, she reached to move the rebellious hair that covered his face, she leaned in to kiss his forehead. Sitting down she reached to take one of his hands, knowing it would be awhile longer before he woke up. He looked almost as helpless now, as he had the first time she had seen him, that day in Perry's office.

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Ana de La Vega, a beautiful young woman of 25, arrived one morning for a scheduled appointment with Perry. She had brought her five-year-old son, Tom, whose beautiful eyes and tender mischievous smile, caused Della to lose her heart.

Ana had come looking for Perry, for several reasons, including the fact she thought her situation maybe a lost cause now. But when asked Perry's name had come up more than once, that he was good at finding solutions to problems and very expensive. Ana had also heard his fee was charged according and felt she could afford to pay for his advice.

Della, had asked Gertie to keep an eye on this polite young man. Finding him a glass of milk, she had also convinced Gertie to share some of her chocolate cookies. Back in Perry's office, Della had set up coffee at the conference table, attempting to make Ana feel a bit relaxed. It was there Ana told her story to the two of them.

Ana slowly began her story of how she and her husband Samuel Tomas de la Vega, had come to the United States from Trujillo, La Libertad, Peru*. Samuel's family were owners of one of the larger haciendas in Trujillo, where they were growers/producers of sugar cane and Paso Horse** breeders. Ana's family was one of many families who lived on the property and worked the fields for the de la Vega family. Samuel and Ana had always been friendly as they went to the same school, but both families disapproved of their friendship, because they weren't in the same social class. This did change how they were beginning to feel for each other, Ana' family had helped them met secretly. They all could only hope the relationship would end on its own or his family would accept it. The latter proved to be what happened, the de la Vega family threatened to terminate Ana's family, leaving them homeless, jobless and without any means of support.

Della had reached out to hand Ana some tissues for her to use. Perry had gone for a glass of water, leaving the two women alone for a couple of minutes. Della commented on how sweet Tom was, such a pleasant, polite child, that he had managed to steal her heart. Ana just smiled, telling Della she had learned at an early age, about education, hard work and that manners matter.

When Perry returned, he handed the glass with water to Ana. She took a sip, as Perry sat, she continued telling her story. They knew the only way they could ever be together, would be to marry and leave Peru. Samuel had convinced Ana it didn't have to be a permanent move. They could always come back for a visit, once his family could accept that they were married, always and forever.

Samuel's family claimed they would never accept the marriage. They considered Ana was just an upstart, who only married Samuel for his money and would divorce him within two or three years, asking for a large sum of money for settlement.

Ana told them, they had purchased a home near where they had found work. Ana had gotten a job at a small inn, two towns over. As for Samuel he had gotten a job, picking vegetables from early morning to late in the afternoon. He was doing what he once watched others doing at his family's fields. They were surprisingly happy, as they had started new lives in a new country. Ana had sent a letter once a month to her family, just to let them know they were alright. They had been in the states for over a year, when Ana found out she was pregnant. Shortly there after Samuel had gone to work, and had become involved in a serious accident in the fields.

Just before the accident, the de la Vega family had found out the location of Ana and Samuel. After hearing of the accident, they blamed Ana, for the death of their son. If she hadn't seduced Samuel, he would never have married her and moved to a new country, without their permission. When Ana finally had Tom, she contacted her parents and the following day contacted Samuel's family. The de la Vega's claimed she was a liar and they would never accept her child as their grandson. Now five years after his birth, they suddenly wanted her out of the home she and Samuel has purchased together. They claimed they had gotten the marriage annulled, therefore had no rights to be living in a house that wasn't hers. They wanted her and her son out on the streets. They had also managed to put a hold on her access to their bank accounts. It didn't seem to matter to the de la Vega family, that the house and bank accounts were in both their names.

Ana gave Perry, the certificate of their marriage, Tom's birth certificate and the deed to their home. She explained that before they left Peru, they had nearly emptied both their savings accounts and had nearly enough money to purchase the house outright. Less than a year later, they owned the house and had decorated to their liking.

Perry knew two international lawyers, who he consulted for information, regarding family members being able to annul a marriage. He had explained where the couple had been married, they had come to the states legally, gotten jobs, bought a house nearly outright from saving they had brought with them. He was able to trace the bank money orders back to their accounts in Peru.

As Perry worked on the case for Ana, she and Della had formed a strong bond of friendship. Tom had been in nursery school, so that Ana, could continue with her work at a larger hotel. But without Samuel's paycheck, she had taken on a part time job at a French restaurant, downtown LA. Thus, requiring her to find a babysitter for Tom, who wouldn't charge her to much, so she could still pay her bills. Della had volunteered to babysit for them, as Ana could drop Tom off at the office on her way to the restaurant.

It wasn't long after that Della found out she would probably never be able to have children. This news left her devastated and that made her love for Tom, became more protective and motherly. Having Tom around the office after school or at their home on the weekends had never been an issue for either of them. Perry did have difficulty feeling the same way about Tom that Della did. He knew that someday, Ana and Tom may move further away, or even return to Peru. Perry knew any move, particularly to Peru would cause Della to suffer. They were sometimes seen walking around the park, the zoo or some museum as if they were a family. Della increasingly and stuck to Tom and that to Perry made him feel distressed because he knew that if someday Ana and Tom moved out of LA or maybe she decided to return to Peru Della would suffer a lot.

Much to the displeasure of the de la Vega family, they were given notice, that they could not annul their son's marriage, as both parties were over the legal age of consent and living legally in another country. They also had no claim to the home that Ana and Samuel had paid for themselves.

Nearly a year after, things were finally settled with the de la Vega family, Ana announced she and Tom would be moving to Santa Barbara. She was accepting a new position, within the small hotel group, she had been working with in LA. It would mean extra money, only one job, the company had agreed to be as accommodating as possible with Tom being in school.

Perry's fears became a reality, as this news left Della devastated. To help ease them not having Tom around, Perry and Della went to visit as often as possible. But with work obligations growing, it became harder to visit Ana and her son. Nothing could remove Tom from Della's mind and hart, that she never forgot to send a gift every September 26th.

One day nearly five years later, Della and Perry went to visit Ana and Tom. They wanted to tell them they had gotten married and were expecting a child. Upon arrival they found someone else living in the de la Vega home. Checking with the hotel, where Ana had worked at, they were told she gave notice and disappeared, leaving no forwarding address or phone number. Perry asked Paul to look for Ana and Tom. According to Paul, having checked as far away as Peru, it was as if they had been swallowed up.

Not wanting to stress Della any more than necessary, Perry, had asked Paul to keep checking, reporting nothing unless he had found some information. The first day that Della had her daughter in her arms she could not leave to think in that child with sweet smile, she missed him and now much more because she recognized that he felt the same love for Tom as he felt for his daughter. The only thing he prayed every day that this child was happy next to Ana.

Perry seeing Della, sad, he had done some checking on his own, in hopes of finding some information on their whereabouts. Della had put up a good front, though not understanding why they had just disappeared without a trace. When Perry and Della were both able to hold their daughter, it was then Perry realized, what was missing, Tom and Ana not being with them. Tom had managed to crave himself a place in the big lawyer's heart, right next to the space Lizzie held.

It was nearly a year later, when Della brought a thick envelope into the office. Handing it to Perry, he saw the return address just said Ana, he gave it back to her to open. Upon opening it, she found it contained a lengthy letter from Ana. Della leaned back in her chair to read it aloud to Perry. Apparently, Ana had become very ill, which is why they left Santa Barbara. She was in Saint Mary's Hospital and urgently needed to see them as she feared her end was near.

Della and Perry left LA, for Saint Mary's and Ana. Ana had listed them as her contact for emergency medical issues, which made speaking with her doctors easier. Upon their arrival they spoke with her doctors first and then went to see Ana. It was then, they realized just how sick she really was. Ana knew she had little time left and had consulted a public attorney and had some paperwork done, regarding her son Tom. Ana was an only child, her parents had recently died in an auto accident, therefore her dying, would leave Tom alone in the world.

It seemed Samuel's family had heard she was ill and they suddenly wanted to claim Tom as their grandson. Ana had always hoped that when Tom was old enough to understand, he would meet his father's family. Ana knew she didn't want Samuel's parents to have any control over Tom's upbringing. They had denied that his parents were even married, never would acknowledge him as their grandchild. She was sure they would move him back to Peru, never to mention his mother or her family to him.

Ana knew she didn't want Tom to be sent to an orphanage, since he had no family in the states. She wanted him raised by people she knew and trusted, those who would treat Tom as their own.

Perry and Della accepted Ana's proposal with the greatest gratitude to her, because she was giving them a wonderful gift, her son. They promised, to raise Tom as their own. They assured Ana, that he would be loved and cared for as their own daughter was already. They promised to tell him about his wonderful parents and about the great love they had for each other. They would tell him that his father still had family in Peru and if he ever made the decision to meet them, they would help him.

The adoption procedure had been made easier with the paperwork Ana had completed, naming Perry and Della Mason as his parents. Tom had taken the passing of his mother very hard. Even knowing the Masons and it being his mother's choice that he lives with them. He tried to be brave, accepting with difficulty his new family, new home a different routine.

The first one who managed to capture Tom's heart was his new little sister. It had been nearly five years since he had been to the house, that was now his home. Lizzie, had just turned two, had been sitting on the floor, when Tom entered the house. It took Lizzie a moment to get up, and over to Tom, her arms extended up at him. All she could say, was "up." Not getting picked up her arms still raised. Lizzies said, "up", again. Tom reached down picking her up.

Tom looked over at Della, "I don't like girls".

Perry smiles, "You may not like girls, but you will learn to like sisters, as they can be your biggest asset. They may threaten to tell on you, but for the most part wont. Their also your biggest source of information about dealing with girls, once you decided you do like them."

Della could only smile, Tom would eventually realize just how right Perry was. She had to accept the fact Lizzie not only had a protector, but someone else to spoil her.

Tom's struggle to adapt was made a bit easier when he met the younger PJ. Now things were even in the houses, PJ no longer had to endure those two younger girls alone. PJ considered Tom the older brother he needed, following him where he went, sticking to him like was chewing gum. Mae was also happy with her new grandchild as he was well mannered and polite with her. Della also remembered the face of Perry when Tom told him for the first time dad, the Perry´s tears did not stop sprouting him, he felt as happy and proud as when Lizzie said his first words, presumably those were dad.

Tom was having difficulty calling Della, mom, she felt that the boy did not feel any affection for her, leaving her with great sadness. Finally, they sat down one afternoon, with their feet in the pool to talk about it. Tom could only tell her, Ana was his mother and calling someone else that name was hard. Tom realized she and Perry loved and cared for him very much. He promised he would a proper word to call her. He finally settled on calling her, Mum, which would change one day.

One day Tom woke up with very strong stomach pains, Perry and Della had to take him to the hospital emergency, there they discovered that his appendix had burst and they had to operate emergency. She stayed by her son's side until he awoke from anesthesia. When Tom woke up and opened those beautiful eyes, Della heard the sweetest words from Tom's mouth that she will never forget, "Mom." That was now what she most wanted her son to wake up from that induced coma and return to hear him say mom.

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Author's Notes

*Trujillo is the capital of the Peruvian department of La Libertad, it is a city in northwestern Peru known for the marinera (traditional dance of the nation). Also called as the city of eternal spring, also in Trujillo we will find the ruins of the pre-Inca city of Chanchán, located west of Trujillo, The Huaca of the Sun and Moon.

**The Peruvian Paso horse is an Equine breed native to Peru, The Peruvian Paso Horse is known in the world for its way of walking to four times, which produce a very original sound: PACA-PACA-PACA. Its greatest virtue is the smoothness when walking, it has its own movement with an extraordinary movement and full of harmony. Which is called floor. His walk is famous because it moves his center of gravity forward and therefore provides comfort to the rider. The step is harmonious, born and with a beautiful natural balance. The softness is one of the most outstanding features. His flat pace presents a balance and balance characteristic of his race.