"George,…honey, here's one in Waverly, IA. The Bremwood Lutheran Orphanage…." It was about four months after their wedding day….and George Jr. and Melania were sitting in bed one night, looking at a list of orphanages in Iowa.

"Paul could be there…..James, he's probably back in California, right?" George Jr. said, eating a handful of popcorn from their bowl.

"He could be, I'm not sure…I wanted to make it so James could be in Iowa, so he could be with his brother…..but the people never got back to me, I'm not sure where he is….but…I think Paul's somewhere in Iowa."

"How old do you think they'd be?"

"Paul….he's two years older than Mary Jane…so he's about 14 or so…and James is two years younger than Mary Jane. He was born in November, so….he's coming up on his 10th birthday this month."

"Mm." George Jr. grunted, chewing on a mouthful of popcorn. He pointed at the piece of paper. "There's one….in Mitchellville…."

"Honey….that's a girl's home." She chuckled.

"Oh, didn't see that…Sorry." He chuckled, grabbing another handful of popcorn.

"You're too busy eating that popcorn!"

"I can't resist…It's good!" He smiled. "Want some?" George Jr. grinned at her.

"A little." She smiled, and took some. One by one she'd pop a kernel into her mouth. "Here's one in Eldora….a city in Hardin County, Iowa."

"Reverend gave you the papers to all these orphanages, right?"

"Yes….and I've skimmed over a few. Didn't find a Paul or a James Loney." She sighed, resting her head on his shoulder.

"You're sure that's the names they're under?" He chuckled.

"Yes George….I know what I named my sons…." She rolled her eyes.

"I'm just joking with you…" George Jr. whispered, kissing her head.

"I know…" Melania smiled a little, and wrapped her arms around him. "I'm afraid that we'll never find them…" She sighed, and buried her face in his chest. "I've looked through nearly every county in Iowa! Jackson County, Jasper County, Johnson County, Linn County….Black Hawk….Muscatine…Clinton County….Tama County…..Winneshiek County…..Polk County…..Keokuk…..Wright County…And I can't find either name!...It's like they've fallen off the face of the earth!"

"We'll find them, sweet thing….We just have to keep looking…" He whispered. They lay there, her head on his chest, one of his arms wrapped around her. "We can continue our search tomorrow…..Let's get some sleep."

"All right, George…" Melania whispered, shutting her eyes a moment, as she lay there, snuggled against his chest.

They continued their search for the boys the next day as they planned, with Mary Jane even helping.

"Ma! Ma, I found a Paul Loney listed in one of the orphanages in Winneshiek County!" She exclaimed.

"You did!" Melania asked, coming over to the table.

"Oops…that's someone named Paul Laney…not Loney." Mary Jane said as she looked closer.

"That's okay, Mary Jane…Just keep looking." She smiled, and went back to looking at her papers of different orphanages.

They looked for some time, but then Mary Jane became frustrated.

"Ugh, we're never gonna find them! It's hopeless!" She sighed, slumping her arms on the table and placed her face in them.

"Don't say that, Squirt….Speak life, not death. Things work out a whole lot better." George Jr. said, walking through the door.

"Hi Pa…." Mary Jane mumbled, her face still hidden in her arms.

George Jr. chuckled a little and rubbed his daughter's back. "Any luck?"

"No…" She mumbled again.

"Just keep searching…..We'll find them."

"George…" Melania sighed. "We've looked over every orphanage in the state of Iowa….they're not there!"

"Well, if they're not anywhere in Iowa…." George said, coming over to his new wife. He wrapped his thick hands around her petite waist. "Then what about the surrounding states? Illinois, Wisconsin, and Minnesota, South Dakota….Nebraska."

"It's worth a try." She smiled. "But right now, you need to have supper…." Melania brought a plate of food to the table and George Jr. sat down.

"Have y'all eaten yet?" He asked.

"Yes…about an hour ago. Pot roast, mashed potatoes and my homemade bread….but I made you a couple baked potatoes. I know you like them. I hope I did them right."

"Uh…Lana…" He said, with a disgusted look on his face. "Ugh…."

"What George?" Melania asked. "Is something wrong?"

"Yeah….my baked potatoes. They're half cooked and….they have worms in them."

"Oh my God…" She covered her mouth, feeling like she was about to vomit at the thought of that! "Here, let me get them away from you….I'm so sorry! I didn't see they were so bad!...Just shows how I ruin everything!"

"Lana, you didn't ruin them! How were you to know?"

"I'm the cook! I should know the produce!" She raised her voice a little.

"Sweet thing, this seems like a funny thing to fight about…." He chuckled.

"We're not fighting!" She snapped.

"Whatever you say…"

"We're not fighting, George." She said, calmer this time. "Just….grrr!" Melania screamed. "You think I'd know about some stupid wormy potato!"

"Lana…its fine! It's not like you meant to poison me or something!"

"Now why would I do a thing like that, George Michael?" Melania exclaimed. "God, I sound like your mother! Lord, help me!"

George Jr. sat there and laughed. He couldn't help it. "How's the relationship coming along?"

"Well, she's happy that we're married now…but I still don't think she likes me. Ever since she accused you of living with me,…it was like she grew to hate me!"

"Turned on you like a snake…..Yep, sounds like Ma, all right."

"Makes me feel like it's my fault…" She sighed, putting her face in her hands.

"Its not…" He said, coming over and putting an arm around her. "You just take care of yourself….she'll come around."

"You're right, George." Melania smiled, and George leaned down and she accepted his lips with hers in a sweet kiss. Mary Jane was at the table, hand resting on her chin, smiling giddily.

"Shut your eyes, Mary Jane…." She said, giving her daughter a look.

"Oh, let her look…." He chuckled, and gave her a kiss again, more passionate this time.

"George…That's enough…." Melania smiled, but then gave him one last quick peck on the lips. "You're giving our daughter ideas…."

"I think its romantic….." Mary Jane smiled.

"See what I mean?"

"She needs to know someday….Who better to teach her the right way than her parents?"

"We didn't do things right, George…."

He bent down and kissed her forehead. "We're starting over…" George Jr. whispered in her ear.

Weeks had passed and they kept searching for the boys in all the orphanages in the neighboring states.

"There's an orphanage in Sleepy Eye, Minnesota…." Melania said. "Sleepy Eye….Now why does that sound familiar?"

"I don't know…" George Jr. said. "I can't think of a reason why it would…."

"Uncle Fred!" Mary Jane exclaimed out of the blue.

"What Mary Jane?" Her mother asked.

"Uncle Fred! He lived in Minnesota for a few years!...Didn't he?"

"Mary Jane, that was in Walnut Grove…..not in Sleepy Eye." George Jr. said.

"Well, wouldn't he know about it?" She asked.

"Let's not ask him just yet….let's wait awhile, okay?"

"Yes Pa."

Melania was sitting at the table looking over a copy of the records at the Sleepy Eye Orphanage….and tears began to fill her eyes.

"What's wrong, Ma…"

"Nothing….." She dabbed at her blue eyes. "Nothing's wrong….I think I've found them."

"What?" George Jr. smiled craning his neck to see.

"Look…." She smiled, giving him the paper. "Paul Loney….he's about the same age! And look in the younger group…James "Jimmie" Loney…they have him listed as ten years old."

"Think it could be him?"

"I don't know….How many James Loney's could there be?" Melania felt tears well up in her eyes…she couldn't help but be emotional at a time like this.

"There's another question…."

"What Pa?"

"How many orphanages are there in Sleepy Eye?"

"Can we ask Uncle Fred?" Mary Jane asked. "He might know!" She said, grinning at both of her parents. Even if she tried, it probably wasn't possible to wipe that giddy smile off her cute face!

"Mary Jane, they're probably sitting down to supper now…"

"No Ma! Uncle Fred and Aunt Frances have supper just about the time we do!"

"You're sure about that?"

"Yes Ma!"

"I don't think they'd like us just barging in…."

"We're not! We want to ask a question!" She said. "We want information!"

Melania looked over and smiled at her husband. "Let's go, George….before she bursts a blood vessel." She laughed.

They took the Sleepy Eye Orphanage records over to Fred and Frances' little house.

"Hi hi!" Freddy exclaimed.

"Hi Freddy." Mary Jane smiled and picked the almost two year old up and held him. He kept shouting "Hi" to Melania and George Jr. until they would say hello back.

"Freddy….inside voice." Frances said, and put a finger to her lips. He quieted down almost immediately.

"You have him trained pretty well! Amazing…" George Jr. remarked.

"I can do to an extent….but one of these days…Fred's gonna have to take over the discipline!...What's keeping him? Excuse me….I'll see what he's up to." She went upstairs to find her husband. Sitting on the bed with their seven month old daughter, singing her favorite song.

"Round about there, went a little hare. One step, two step…..tickle you right there!" He said, tickling her belly, which made her giggle and squeal…..Fred would make his fingers like a bunny rabbit, and made him 'hop' towards her….then he would walk his fingers on her nose as many steps as the song said…..and the last part, he would tickle her tummy…which would always get her giggling!

Frances chuckled at watching them. "I swear, there's nothing cuter than a daughter with her Papa."

"I agree…" Fred smiled and kissed his baby girl and picked her up.

"Melania, George and Mary Jane are waiting for you downstairs…."

"Oh! Okay, what do they need?"

"You'll see…."

"Not gonna tell me?" He chuckled.

"Nope…I'm just mean like that." Frances laughed, taking their daughter from his arms. She followed him downstairs.

"Well, look at this precious little cutie!" George Jr. exclaimed. "Look at her, growing like a weed!"

"Let's go to Uncle George, Helen!" Frances smiled and passed her off to her brother. "There we go!"

"We were wondering if you could help us with something, Fred…" Melania said.

"Sure….what do you need me to do? Fix something? Carve? Build something?"

"We need you to answer a question, Uncle Fred!" Mary Jane smiled.

"Of course…..Lay it on me!" He grinned.

"You lived in Minnesota, right?"

"Correct….Two years or so….Why?"

"Have you heard of Sleepy Eye, Minnesota?"

"Yeah…heard of it…Been there a few times…."

"There's an orphanage there, right?" She said excitedly.

"Yeah, Mary Jane….There is."

"We'd like to know if that's the only orphanage there..." Melania spoke up.

Fred thought a moment. "Far as I can tell it's the only one."

"All right, thank you, Fred" She smiled. "Well, George….I think that's our next place to look….Sleepy Eye, Minnesota."

"The boys?" Frances smiled.

"Yes!...I think they're there in Sleepy Eye."

"We'll go next week…how's that sound?" George Jr. asked his wife. Melania smiled and nodded at him.

"All right if we tag along?" Fred asked. "We could visit my sister and some friends in Walnut Grove….would be nice to see them again."

"I don't mind!" Melania smiled.

"How 'bout it, honey?" Fred turned to Frances.

"It's fine with me!" She smiled.

A/N: The three orphanages in Iowa that were mentioned were actual orphanages! The Bremwood Lutheran in Waverly, the one in Mitchellville was in fact a girls' home…and the one in Eldora. There was also one in Tama County, which was a reform school called the Toledo Reform School. Which was a place for orphans in their teens who had gotten in trouble for their bad behavior….Hmmm. Kinda sounds like where Nancy Oleson would've gone! Lol.

The little wormy potato bit was actually true! Lol. Melania fed George Jr. some wormy potatoes…I guess to get back at him for something….She wasn't the nicest wife, as I've been told. Of course, in my story, it went a bit differently!

The song that Fred was singing to Helen was an earlier version of "Round and Round the Garden" which goes like this, "Round and round the garden, Like a teddy bear. One step, two step, Tickle you under there!"….I put my own spin on the finger motions….