It has been a little while since I last updated but I had my reasons.

Zelda had Malon laughing again, this time from nearly tripping on the doorstep she didn't fall, but her recovery and comments were so funny that Malon didn't try to hold back.

"I've got to sit down," Malon gasped as she moved into the living room. "I don't know when I've laughed so much."

"I'll get us something to drink," Zelda offered.

"Oh, that sounds wonderful. Lulu was going to leave early today, but she usually makes lemonade."
"Okay. Don't go away now."

Malon leaned her head back and sighed. It was as if her sister had been dead and had now returned to life. Malon had struggled so many weeks trying to understand what she should do but finding no answers. She knew Zelda needed salvation, but in truth it had seemed so impossible.

Zelda was busy in the kitchen for a long time, and Malon made herself stay seated, wanting to think and pray. Suddenly, in the midst of Malon's reflections, the front door opened. Malon put her head up to see Ralph come in. he was a few hours early, and she rose to greet him with a pleased smile on her face. Her welcoming smile changed to a look of astonishment when her parents come in behind him flowed by Sari, Ruto, Romani, all looking a little travel-worn but absolutely wonderful.

"Oh, Mother," Malon said softly, noticing that they were all very quiet as she hugged each one in turn. Indeed, their silence was tense. Their eyes looked past her, taking in more than the house, and Malon understood.

"Come this way," Malon told them, her voice low. Less than a minute later they stood just inside the kitchen.

"Am I taking too long?" Zelda asked, having heard the movement."

"No," Malon spoke with a teasing tone.

"Well, go back and sit down. I'll wait on you and not even get you wet."

"All right," Malon told her, but she didn't move.

Blossom had put a hand to her mouth to keep from gasping with delight, and now she waited until Zelda put her glass down.

"Hello, dear."

"Mother?" Zelda said immediately, turning from the counter, her excitement making her unsteady.

"Yes, honey, I'm here."
"Oh, Mother, Mother." Zelda's hands began to flutter in the air and continued until Blossom came and hug her. The deed was enough to spark the whole family into action. They all began to talk at once. Zelda's mouth opened and closed, but no sound came out as she realized that everyone was there. They were together. For the first time in months they were all together in a good way. When Malon and Ralph had come to take her to Hyrule, she had been impossible, and even refused to tell her family goodbye, but with the changes in her heart, this was like a dream come true.

"You can share my bed," Zelda found herself saying to Ruto, and then Sari was there. "Oh, Sari, how long can you stay? You can share my bed, all right? Oh, no, this can't be Romani. You're so tall. Share my bed, will you? Stay in my room so we can talk."

"Well, that's four in the bed now," Ralph commented with a laugh. "maybe Malon should move in there too."

No one notice the kitchen-no one noticed that they were standing and not comfortably seating in the living room. It was just too wonderful to talk and touch one another right where they stood. Zelda was filled with questions, and her father finally put an arm around her and answered them.

"We'll be here for five days, and then we're going to visit the Taggarts in Labrynna. From there we'll head home. We didn't write ahead of our coming because I wasn't certain when I could close the store."

"You actually shut the doors of the store?"

"Yes, I did. Doc Borville has a key in case there's an emergency, but I warned customers ahead of time that we would be gone when they usually shop for school. I've put a sign out that says we'll be back on September 5."

"We'll miss the first two days of school," Sari added happily

Zelda laughed. "You don't need to. Link is here, and he can give you lesions next week."

Sari only groaned and said she didn't think she would be up to it.

Tours of the house were next. Blossom wanted to see the bedrooms, so Malon took her that direction while Ralph led Bipin around the downstairs. For a few minutes, Ruto found herself alone with Zelda.

"Tell me what's happened, Zelda," she said quietly. "you're not the same girl who left Kakariko on May 1. What's happened to you?"

Zelda smiled. "I'm so glad I'm not the same girl. I fought it, Ruto; I fought it for so long, but I finally gave myself to Christ."

Ruto hugged her older sister. They were very much the same height now, and Zelda clung to her. Upstairs the women were doing some hugging of their own.

(&)

"You have something to tell me, don't you, Malon?"

Malon smiled. "How did you know?"

"Because you're radiant."

They hugged, and Blossom held her oldest daughter very close, her heart crying and rejoicing at the same time. They would be far from Hyrule by the time this little one entered the world.

This is what my mother felt, Blossom thought of the woman long dead. This was what she experienced when I had my babies far from her reach. This is the separation she felt in not touching them or seeing them.

"Mother," Malon said gently. "You look about to cry."
Blossom's smile wobbled dangerously. "For the first time ever I agree with your father about wanting you to move to Kakariko Village."

Malon laughed and hugged her again. "I know," she suggested. "Let's have Ralph pressure Father about moving here to Hyrule."

"Oh, no," Blossom said. "Just about the time we do that, one of you girls will meet some one from Holodrum, and we'll be off across the country again."

"Mother, are you in here?"

"Here, Romani."

"Oh. Is this your room, Malon?"
"Yes. Isn't it pretty?"

"Um hmm." she agreed as she took in the green curtains and counterpane. It was not overly feminine but had enough masculine touches to make Malon and Ralph both comfortable. The green ranged from a pastel to a deep forest, and the effect was very soothing.

"What have you been doing, Romani?" Blossom wished to know.

"Just wandering and wishing I could live here all the time."

The older women smiled. "We waited rather late to come this year," Blossom said. "Maybe another year you can come and spend some time during the summer." She paused for the space of several heartbeats. "Especially if you can be a help with the baby."

Romani's eyes shot to Malon's, and Malon's heart melted at the love she saw there. They embraced for many minutes, neither capable of words. Blossom left them to find Bipin. He needed to see Malon and learn firsthand of her news. Blossom wanted to see the rest of the house.

(&)

"Did you know, Mother? I mean, could you tell?"

"Yes and on, Zelda," Blossom confessed.

It was late in the evening now, and Blossom had walked Zelda and Romani up to Zelda's room. Romani had gone to retrieve something from her mother's case, so Blossom was given a few moments alone with Zelda.

"What do you mean, yes and no?"

Blossom smoothed Zelda's brow and her daughter's head lay on the pillow.

"You made a confession as a child, and I thought it genuine as I talked to you that day, but then things didn't really change for you. They did for Ruto, who accepted Christ at the same time, but not for you I also must admit to you, Zelda, I wanted to believe you understood. I've had to confess that. It was very wrong of me. I told myself I couldn't' judge you that way, and then God reminded me that I was still judging you: I was judging you saved. If that wasn't true, then that was the worst thing I could possible do."

"So you think that if a person is saved it will be evident?"

"Yes. I didn't always. I mean, I tried to tell myself that if a person told me he had made that choice than I should believe him, but James puts is very well in James 2. He says I'll show you my faith by my works. If the conversion is real, my darling, then the whole world should be able to tell."

"Oh, Mother," Zelda took her hand. "It's never been like this. I want to pray all the time, and I love it when someone reads the Bible to me. I've always been so bored and restless with church, but I can't wait until tomorrow."
Blossom leaned over and put her arms around Zelda, her heart so full that she couldn't even speak. They were still hugging when Romani returned. Blossom kissed her youngest daughter good-night and teased them both about giggling and talking in bed. As she then joined Bipin in their own room, she only hoped that Zelda have a chance to tell him all that had happened. Since Zelda had left Kakariko Village, Bipin had been more attentive and at home as much as he was able, but Blossom suspected that he was still trying to come to God his own way. Their marriage was more precious right now than she ever dreamed to could be, but Bipin's views on how to get to heaven still lay between them. As always, Blossom continued to pray

(&)

Link Taggart's face lit with surprised pleasure when he saw the Fontaine family. He hugged all the women and shook Bipin's hand. He was doubly pleased when Ralph invited him to come over for Sunday dinner so he could have a long visit. Such an invitation took all the pressure off him to talk to them at church. He was able to stand back while they met the church family, knowing his time with them would come.

However, his heart didn't completely step away. Whenever he was in the same room with Zelda, he was aware of her every move. The other girls had all grown so tall and were prettier than ever, but Link had eyes for only one, and she would never see him again. Amazingly, that didn't matter. Link's heart and attitude had not changed in the least, except that he wanted to cherish Zelda all the more. And he knew that he would.

Zelda, however, didn't know it. If there was one great advantage of her loss of vision, it was that he could look at her beloved face and still keep his feeling to himself. Someday she would know his voice well his voice well enough to know what he was thinking, but right now he'd kept a close watch no himself.

After he told Zelda bout his feeling concerning her spiritual state days before, Link had gone home to pray. In truth, he couldn't pray right away. He heat felt broken, and he wept off and on for two hors before falling into an exhausted sleep. When he awoke, he turned to his Bible. He read for the rest of the day and turned Zelda over to God. He knew an amazing peace, but he had no sense that something had happened. He simply knew for the first time since seeing her again that he could live without her. He told God he was going to pray for her salvation if it took the rest of his life, but he was also going to obey God's Word, and that meant no marriage to a nonbeliever.

When Ralph had come the next day to tell him what had taken place, Link was so shocked he could hardly speak. He was not sorry for the way he'd talked to her, but it never occurred to him that God might use his words in such a powerful way.

It was on that day that Ralph told him to come back on Friday to teach. He'd gone and found Zelda in the study. One look at her as he pored over that book, and he knew he was more in love with hr than ever. When she asked him to read from the Bible, it was as if the Lord was saying, "She's your now, Link. You can finally have her." Now, two days later, his feelings were just as strong. He even considered talking to Bipin but decided against it. The time to tell Zelda of his feeling might not come for months or even years. No matter to Link's mind He could wait. Her friendship was beyond value to him, and the rest would come in God's time.

(&)

"I guess I'll see you next Sunday." Link's voice came low to Zelda's ears. The day was getting on, and Link thought it a good time to go. He found Zelda alone at the front, on the wide stone porch that swept halfway around the house. She was sitting on the stone bench, the skirt of her new green dress spread out around her. Link found her enchanting.

"Next Sunday?" Zelda looked uncertain and shifted the glass she was holding to her other hand. "I didn't think you class started for another week."
"It doesn't but, I assumed you would want to have time with your family."

Zelda licked her lips. She did want time with her family but not without him, she began to doubt his excuse. Was that how he really felt, or did he need some time away from her?

"Well, I guess it's probably best." She tried without success to keep the disappointment from her voice. "You must want some time to yourself after all of this, and especially with school starting."

Her head had dropped forward, and although she couldn't see, it was as though she was avoiding Link's eyes. He couldn't stand it. He stepped to stand in from of her, and with a gentle hand he captured her jaw and raised her gaze. He bent from the waist and spoke directly into her upturned face.

"I don't need any time off," he told her. His thumb moved gently on her cheek, and her breathing became labored. "I was thinking only of you. I could come as usual or just for a few hours. Whatever you want."
"Oh, Link, I wish I could see you," she told him honestly. "I wish I could tell if you really mean it."

"I mean it," he said, the hand still in place. It was amazing that they'd managed to be alone as long as they had, but when Link herd footsteps behind him, he moved his hand and took a step back.

"What time shall I come?" he managed in a normal tone.

"Maybe I should ask Malon, just in case they've made plans."

In truth, it had been Blossom who was headed their way, but when she saw how close Link had been to Zelda, she stopped short beaming with pleasure.

"Your mother is here," Link said loudly enough for that woman to hear. "Why don't we ask her?"
Blossom came forward and Zelda did just that. Blossom pleaded her daughter to no end when she said, "Well, even if we do have plans, Link can join us."

Zelda didn't comment on that, but her delight was more than obvious. Link knew some delight of his own, but his stemmed from the way Blossom looked at him when he finally said his goodbyes. She was no fool, and his feelings for Zelda were more than clear. Her approval, given with kink, beautiful eyes, was crystal clear as well.

Not a very long chapter so I'm sorry it took so long to get it up. If you liked it let me know just press the review button below.