Landon looked up at the doctor in disbelief. Every day since Jamie had told him about her Leukemia he'd prayed for a miracle. Landon Carter had prayed. And now his prayer had been answered and he wasn't sure what to do.

"Jamie, you're gonna be okay," Landon whispered, placing a hand on Jamie's cheek and she smiled. "You're gonna be okay." Landon looked to Dr. Hansen quickly, tears of joy streaming freely down his face.

"How soon can she have the operation?" Reverend Sullivan asked.

"Well, we'll have to move Mrs. Carter to a hospital in a bigger city. I know that this is a happy occasion, but you must realize that the treatment is very expensive."

"That won't be a problem," someone said from the doorway.

"Dad?" Landon asked, standing.

"If you'll let me, I'll take care of everything," Dr. Carter said, more to Reverend Sullivan than to Landon. Reverend Sullivan crossed the small room to shake Dr. Carter's hand.

"Thank you, son," he said after a long silence. "Thank you."

"I'll go and get the paperwork for Mrs. Carter's transfer and information on the billing process," Dr. Hansen said. It was rare that a doctor got so excited about a patient's success and even volunteered to help with paperwork.

~*~

"Jamie," Landon sighed. "I have a confession to make." Jamie's heart began to race.

'This is it, she thought. He's going to tell me he doesn't want to have the responiblity of a marriage anymore now that he knows that I'm going to be okay.' She'd been worried all day that Landon would leave her. Nothing had really spurred her thinking, except that she knew that Landon had proposed when they had thought she was going to die. He wanted to help her fulfill her number one before her last breath. And now, she was going to breathe easy for a lot longer, and in a sense Landon was home-free.

"Landon, before you say anything, I just want you to know that I love you. I always will," she whispered. Landon could tell she wanted to cry and he kissed her quickly, hoping to ease her pain.

"Baby, what's wrong?" he asked. Jamie shook her head signalling that she didn't want to tell him.

"What did you want to tell me?" she asked.

"I told you awhile ago that I didn't have faith, that essentially I didn't believe in God because there was too much bad shit--" he paused and looked down. "Too much bad stuff in this world."

Jamie was confused but at the same time relieved.

"I remember," she told Landon not really sure what else she was supposed to say. "Landon, I don't look down on you just because you don't read the Bible or believe in God. I would never want you to turn to God for the reason that it might impress your girlfriend or your wife. That's superficial."

Landon felt butterflies in his stomach when she'd said wife. He loved hearing people say that word in regards to his own marriage. He hoped that Jamie never doubted his love for her.

"No, I know that. And I think we both know I'm too stubborn for something like that," he said. They both laughed. "But, here's the truth. When you ran from me the night you told me you were sick, I didn't know what to do. I was paralyzed emotionally. I didn't think I had anyone to turn to, and so when I went home I saw my mother's Bible sitting on the table."

Jamie tried to hide her smile. "Did you...?" She bit her lip in anticipation.

"I thought, what the hell? I read it from cover to cover by the end of the week. And I've been praying for a miracle ever since. I would never ask for anything from a person that I don't believe in. It's like asking dust to turn into gold," Landon said. He was crying.

"Anything is possible though," Jamie said. Landon smiled and leaned forward to kiss her, much like the day she'd told him that he was her angel. Her very angel.

"Wow," Landon laughed, taking a deep breath. "Well, that went a whole lot easier than I had expected."

~*~

"I won't be continuing our study on John this week," Reverend Sullivan told his congregation. Everyone shifted in their pews uncomfortably hoping that he wouldn't reveal that Jamie had been taken from them. No one knew about the bone marrow transplant yet and Jamie was noticeably gone from her spot in the choir. Landon's absence wasn't very irregular. "No, instead I want to take time to praise our Lord for the blessings he has brought to my family and to the town of Beaufort. You all know, I'm sure that my daughter and Landon Carter have been married for a little over a month now."

"Amen," someone said in the back. The reverend smiled.

"Yes, praise God," he said. Then he shifted his tone, "On Friday, Jamie was taken to the emergency room." There were gasps throughout the small church and some started crying. "But, God is good to this town and his humble servants. On the same day, Dr. John Hansen delivered the greatest gift ever to be received when he told us that the doctors had found Jamie a match for her long awaited bone marrow transplant."

"Praise God!" several members cried. Some fell to their knees crying and praying.

"Today, I'm going to ask for something that I usually would not. I'll ask that you pray not for my little girl's safe journey to heaven, but her joyful and extended life here on earth."

"Yes, thank you, Jesus," some whispered.

"As I will be travelling with Jamie and Landon to Raleigh for the operation, I will be absent from the next service. Brother Danny will be conducting the service in my place. May God bless you all." And then he stepped back from his pulpit, showing that the service was concluded nearly 15 minutes early.

~*~

"Landon?" Belinda called from the cereal isle in the Beaufort General Store and Grocery. Landon turned and furrowed his brow at the sight of Belinda.

"Hey," he replied as they walked towards each other. Suddenly Belinda hugged Landon.

"Congratulations," she said. Landon smiled.

"Thank you, it means a lot," he replied.

"Yeah," Belinda said, chewing on the edge of her lip. "Um, Eric and Dean and I were wondering if maybe we could come visit Jamie before you guys leave for Raleigh?"

"Oh," Landon said softly.

"Hey, no tricks or flyers I promise," Belinda teased. Landon laughed sympathetically.

"I'll ask the doctors just to make sure," Landon said. Belinda looked dissapointed and Landon could tell she was being sincere. "I'll try my best, okay?"

"Okay, thanks," Belinda said. "Well, I gotta get back home. Mom just sent me out to get milk."

"All right, see ya around."

"Yep."

Landon walked around the store a little more and then settled on some flowers for Jamie and a small book of Bible verses they could read later.