Kid soaked in the closeness he felt to Ruth. Sometimes he took the love they shared for granted because they'd been married so long, but how precious did it seem now after the fear he'd carried that he might not be able to rekindle the love she felt for him. He hadn't even realized how much he'd feared it until he'd heard the words, 'I love you' from her.

Ruth felt connected to her husband. He was no stranger to her now. She looked into his eyes and thought about how could lay here like this forever. The thought seemed to transport her to another time and place where Kid looked a little thinner and younger, but she was still staring into his eyes in a very similar embrace. The sound of rain splashed on canvas lightly at first and then it became a deluge that made the wagon covering fall in on them, making them cold and wet and giving them no choice but to go out and fix it.

"Do you remember the canvas caving in and soaking us?" she asked. "We had to scramble to right it. We got so wet and muddy trying to fix it."

"I remember that," he said with a laugh. "I don't think I had it tied down quite right." He let go of her to sit up, excited, as he realized the full connotation of what she'd said. "You remember too? That was back when were first married. Did you get your memory back?"

"No, just that one," she said, sitting up also. "It came to me all of a sudden like a gift from heaven."

He kissed her in his joy. "It's like we figured. They're returning!"

Gideon's sudden crying made the planned nap completely out of the question.

"Might as well join the children," she said to him as he went to get the baby.

She had finished her new dress and she put it on now. She'd even had enough material left for a bonnet. She spun in a circle. "What do you think?"

"You look beautiful. Like always. The color really suits you."

"Well, thank you. You might want to think about adding some color to your wardrobe too, you know. I think a lot of colors would suit you besides just black."

He grinned at her teasing. "It'd make me an easier target, too. I can fade into the background with black on."

She laughed. "So that's why you wear black, huh?"

She changed Gideon into a fresh cloth diaper while Kid got himself ready and then they were off to join the celebration.

"I'll carry Gideon. He's getting heavy," Kid said. That was only a part of it. He'd seen her bruises. He didn't want Gideon accidentally kicking against them.

Mercy came running up to them. "Come see the cross I helped decorate!"

"I know. We saw you from the window," she said, as she took the little girl's hand. "You did such a good job. It was that sky-blue ribbon right there, wasn't it?"

"Uh-huh," she said with a bright smile.

Kid patted the top of Mercy's head with his free hand. "It looks like you been doing it all your life, sweetheart."

They thanked Padre Andrés once again for watching the children and then went to see about getting something to eat. It was as Ruth had expected though and people asked after her health and the revival every few steps, so it was hard getting to the tables with the food and drink.

Mercy, bored with the adult talk, was gathering the soft, fallen petals from the ground like some of the other girls were to make something with them later. She was collecting up a real rainbow and was about to add an orange one to her small handful when a little boy of about 3 or 4 went running by and his foot landed on her hand hard. The child ran on without looking back.

Mercy dropped the petals and held the injured fingers against herself obviously hurt.

All the Coles had witnessed it and they hurried to her side.

"They're not broke, are they?" Ruth asked. "Can you wiggle them?"

She did albeit very slowly. It caused her some pain, but she was able to move them.

"I know it hurts, but you'll live. We can go find some ice cold water to dip them in and you'll be fine and dandy before you know it. Sound good?" Ruth asked.

She nodded and picked up her petals and put them in her pocket.

Isaiah though had turned rip-roaring mad and was ready to pound the other child into the ground. He took off in the little boy's direction with a red face and closed hands.

Kid passed Gideon off for a moment to Ruth and closed an arm around his middle, lifting him up. Isaiah's fists were just a flying and swinging, but thankfully only hitting air. "Too much like me for his own good sometimes." But despite his words, Kid really was proud that Isaiah felt so strongly about protecting his sister. He just couldn't let him do it.

One thing about the struggle he was making, nobody was coming up to them now. Ruth tried to explain it to Isaiah as they walked along in search of the cold water, ignoring the stares they were receiving. "He didn't mean to, honey. He's little like you and still learning how to say he's sorry." Her calm, loving tones and the short explanation stilled his hands, but Kid didn't dare release him until he lost the angry look.

They located a cup of cold water for Mercy's fingers and Isaiah calmed enough to be set down again. Kid took Gideon back, who was sleeping despite the noise of the crowd and the recent drama.

The table laden with food was only a few feet away and Ruth moved to fix Isaiah and Kid a plate since the latter held a baby and the former was too young.

But she froze when she spotted a man in the crowd. She knew that face. It had been more shadowed then and more ugly due to the lust and malice that had marred it, but it was him. What had only been flashes before merged into the terrible memory she had been trying to repress.

"Oh, Lord," she said, asking for mercy.

Kid was right behind her. Her utterances to God were never vain and he saw her sway. "Sit, Mercy," he ordered. The sharpness made her obey without question and he put the baby in her lap. He was just in time to catch Ruth before she hit the ground.

She hadn't fainted, but her breathing was a little shallow. Kid unbuttoned her top two buttons and asked in a whisper if she needed her corset loosened.

She was able to mumble a no. It had nothing to do with tight lacing.

He asked her something else, but she didn't hear because she was searching for her attacker with her eyes. However, he had done a disappearing act into the crowd.