Erickson took something from his pocket and held his hand out to show his son. Anton saw several small black seeds.

"They are from an apple from your tree of life," Erickson explained. "I brought them to you so you can plant a tree of life for Anna."

"What's a tree of life?" asked Patty.

"When I was born, my father planted an apple tree in our back yard," Anton explained. "It grew as I grew, and by my tenth birthday, it was producing apples."

"What a neat idea!" said Patty.

"I will plant Anna's tree right away," said Anton. He took the seeds into the back yard while Patty visited with his parents and sister some more.

Another day, all the Reikers went to visit the Waltons. Jim Bob was there too. He noticed Hannah right away, and started plotting how to get her alone. He had his opportunity right after dinner, when he found her sitting on the porch swing. She looked at him and smiled.

"Can I sit by you?" he asked.

"I do not know. Can you?"

They both laughed as he sat beside her on the swing.

"I'm Jim Bob," he told her.

"I am Hannah," she replied.

"I love your accent."

"Thanks. Yours is nice as well."

Tongue-tied, he struggled for something to say. He didn't want her to think he was boring.

"So, what part of Germany are you from?" he finally asked.

"Gottingen. It is in Lower Saxony, in the northwest."

Jim Bob swallowed hard. He remembered John Boy and Jason's stories of fighting in France during the war.

"I hope your city survived the war without too much damage," he said at last.

"We did, thank you. My parents and I were very afraid for Anton. He never wanted to be a soldier. He was drafted, so he had no choice. He would have been sent to prison if he had refused." Her eyes held a faraway look. "Mama was especially scared. She couldn't bear to see him go. You see - her Uncle Freddy was killed in France in the Great War, and she was so afraid of the same thing happening to my brother!"

Jim Bob smiled. "But it didn't."

"In the summer of 1944, we received word that he was missing in action. We did not know whether he was captured or dead."

"That must have been horrible for you."

Hannah nodded. "I remember crying myself to sleep every night. I was so afraid I would never see my brother again! He finally came home in the summer of 1945. He was a lot thinner and had a beard, but we were overjoyed to see him again. For me, it was as if he had died and then came back to life."

"Yeah, it was the same way for me when John Boy and Jason came back home." He realized that, although she and he had been on opposite sides during the war, they still had much in common.

"When are you going back home?" he asked.

"We are here for another week," she replied.

Jim Bob took a moment to work up his nerve. "I...I'd like to take you out to dinner sometime, if that would be all right."

"I would like that as well."

Jim Bob took Hannah on several dates before the Reikers returned home. They enjoyed each other's company and had a lot of fun. Jim Bob dreaded having to say goodbye.

"Well, I guess this is it." He stared at the ground and shuffled his feet.

"Maybe not," said Hannah. "If it is the Lord's will that we will meet again, then it will happen. If not, I have enjoyed getting to know you, and you will always have a special place in my heart."

As Jim Bob kissed her lips, he determined he'd do whatever it took to make sure it did happen.

"We enjoyed meeting you and your precious baby girl, dear," Deborah said to Patty as she embraced her.

"I enjoyed meeting you, too." Patty relished the maternal arms around her, holding her close. She felt like, for the first time, she really knew what it felt like to have a mother.

"Take good care of my son and granddaughter," said Deborah.

"I will," Patty promised.

Erickson shook her hand, Hannah kissed her cheek, and then the Reikers were on their way. Anton was quiet for a long time after they'd left.

"You miss them," said Patty. Anton nodded. "I miss them, too," she said. "Maybe we can visit them soon."

He held her for a long time, then walked away.