The room was quiet, the sun just beginning to rise over the horizon. Dixie stirred softly in bed, Tad's arms draped around her. She smiled. Opening her eyes, she realized gratefully that it hadn't been a dream. The man she's yearned for on lonely Paris nights was holding her there against him, in their bed, together.
Tad's eyes opened, bright with joy as he saw the woman in his arms. "Good morning," he said blissfully.
Dixie giggled. "Good nights mean good mornings." Tad kissed her neck, Dixie savoring his touch. "You know," she thought aloud, "this is the first full night Jenny has slept through."
"I won't get used to it, then," Tad kidded. Sure enough, Jenny let out a cry, to which Tad responded immediately. On his feet, he clambered down the stairs, leaving Dixie to climb out of bed on her own. She did so with a laugh, following Tad down to where their daughter was awakening.
"Good morning, pumpkin," Tad greeted his little girl. Picking her up, he rocked her in his arms. "Don't cry, don't cry, Daddy is here," he whispered.
Dixie watched him adoringly from the corner of the room. "She's hungry," Dixie told him.
Tad turned to her. "Oh, mommy says you're hungry," he said in a mushy voice. "I'll feed her," Tad volunteered.
Dixie laughed. "I'd like to see you try." Tad cocked his head to one side, then a look of embarrassed understanding crept across his face.
"Oh," he shrugged. "Right. She's still on breast-milk."
Dixie nodded endearingly.
"Well I can make us some breakfast then," Tad suggested instead. "We can make plans for today and stuff."
"Good idea," Dixie said. "We're going to have lots to do."
Over breakfast, they had developed a day plan. First, Dixie wanted to go to the hotel to get her things, and to see Sarah. Then they could call JR and Jamie. Tad had also taken the liberty of calling a justice of the peace to marry them again. "Wedding number four is kind of overkill, don't you think?" They could have a small ceremony, and get on with their lives together right away.
Dixie had just driven them up to the hotel. Taking note of the peculiar look on Tad's face, she tried to look innocent.
"The Heatherwood," Tad said. "Nice place."
As they entered the lobby and moved towards the elevator, the busboy caught sight of Dixie and nodded politely.
"Good morning, Ms. Carson," he waved.
"Good morning," Dixie replied purely.
As soon as the elevator doors shut, Tad whirled around. "It was you!" he cried indignantly. "Why were you hiding from me, why didn't you tell me you were here? Why did you check in as Mrs. Carson?"
"You know why I was hiding from you, Tad," Dixie gestured towards Jenny. "And I couldn't tell you I was here. My goodness, even registered as Ms. Carson you tracked me down! If I had checked in as Dixie Cooney Martin you would have beaten me to my room!"
"Point granted," Tad surrendered. Arriving at room 205, Dixie stopped.
"There's someone I need to see, first," she explained. She knocked on Sarah's door, which was answered promptly.
"You!" Tad chimed over Dixie's shoulder. "I know your name isn't Dixie Carson."
"You've found me out," Sarah said, putting her hands up. Dixie almost knocked her over with an exuberant hug.
"Tad this is Sarah Sprites. She's been-- everything. My confidant, my fairy godmother... My best friend." Both of the women's eyes had begun to tear up, so Sarah did her best to keep from breaking down.
"And I think I'm familiar with Tad," she quipped, prompting laughter from both of them.
"Pleased to meet you, Sarah," Tad said sincerely. "Um, Dixie, why don't you give me your keys, and I'll put your stuff in the car so you and Sarah can have some time alone?"
"That would be great," Dixie stated, handing over her keyring. Tad walked across the hall, and Dixie shut the door.
"I take it things went well?" Sarah predicted.
"I was worried for a little bit, but everything fell into place. Tad and I are getting back together. He's thrilled to have me back in his life, and Jenny too."
"Dixie, I'm so happy for you."
"I hope you know that I couldn't have done this without you," Dixie declared.
"Oh, I'm over-rated," Sarah replied.
"No. What you've done for me-- you gave me a shoulder to cry on. You helped me reach my son, and you gave me the courage to get my husband back. I can never repay you for that."
"And you don't have to," Sarah continued, taking Dixie's hand. "That's why we're friends. You're an unbelievable person. All you needed was a little encouragement. Especially with your husband; I'm convinced you two were meant to be."
"Thank you," Dixie said again. "Now I have another thing to ask you. Tad and I are going to get married again tomorrow. Nothing special, a fourth wedding would be getting a little carried away, but I think JR and Jamie will be there, with Jenny, naturally. Amy will probably come as well, and I was hoping you would, too. Maybe, if you wouldn't mind, you could be our witness?"
"It would be an honor," Sarah grinned as Dixie hugged her again. "But I might as well tell you now, Dixie. I leave to go back to home the day after tomorrow." Dixie's heart stopped.
"No, you can't!" she protested.
"I have my own husband waiting for me at home-- but with any luck at all, we won't be gone long."
"What do you mean?"
"I talked to him on the phone last night. I told him how nice it was being back here among family-- and friends. He said we could put our house on the market and start looking around here in Pine Valley for a new place to live." Dixie jumped up and down excitedly at Sarah's words. "Before long, we'll be practically neighbors." Sarah and Dixie both began to cry again, laughing through their tears at their own emotions.
"It's amazing," Dixie murmured. "I got on the plane to Pine Valley with some suitcases, and a daughter. And now I'm home with my husband, my kids, my best friend-- It's everything I've ever wanted."
Dixie stood on the steps of Pine Valley Hall with Tad, Sarah, and Amy. The wind fingered her hair gently, which Sarah had French braided with baby's breath, complimenting her white blouse and skirt beautifully. Tad wore black slacks with a grey dress shirt, which Dixie thought looked especially sexy.
"Where are the boys and Jenny?" Dixie probed again.
"I don't know," Tad shrugged. "They wanted to stay in the car, they said they'd be here in just a second."
"What on earth are they doing?" Dixie wondered.
Amy unexpectedly burst out laughing. "Oh my," she said. "Here they come."
The boys promenaded Jenny to the crowd proudly in her stroller. She had been dressed in a pale pink dress. It's tiny sleeves poofed in little globes around her shoulders, and the skirt was like a tiny infant parachute fringed with lace. A lacy bib protected the dress from the drool that was beginning to creep down Jenny's smiling lips, and her hair had been secured back in a stretchy lace headband with a pink satin bow on top.
"She looks absolutely adorable," Sarah praised.
"Thanks," Jamie boasted. "We picked it out ourselves."
Dixie smiled warmly at the thought of the boys poking through mounds of baby clothes to find the one for their little sister.
"We weren't sure if we were going to be able to get her into it or not," JR shared, "but we finally got it. She's ready."
"And so are we," Tad added. "Thanks guys," he told his sons. All together then, the group paraded to the Justice of the Peace's office. The Justice was waiting outside.
"Mr. and Mrs. Martin," he saluted them.
"Soon to be," Tad corrected, his arm around Dixie's shoulder.
"Well, that's what I wanted to talk to you about," the Justice began. "Upon inspecting your divorce records, I learned that they were flawed. You got your divorce in the Caribbean?"
"That's correct," Tad confirmed.
"Well, that's what you must have thought until now," the Justice revealed. "There are no valid records to indicate that you were ever divorced in the first place."
Seven mouths gaped at the Judge.
"So we're already married?" Dixie questioned, astonished.
"It's true," the Justice confirmed. "All things considered, marrying you two today isn't exactly an option. But since you've made it down here already, I'd be happy to renew your vows."
Tad looked at Dixie, who nodded in approval. "Alright," Tad said compliantly. "Let's get renewed."
The unofficial ceremony was perfect, from the beginning, to the end, sealed with a kiss. They'd agreed that an impromptu reception at the Valley Inn would be nice, and so in car whose rear windshield read "Just Married Renewed," they arrived at the Valley Inn. Around their table, the whole family-- which was what Dixie had decided all seven of them were-- they ate, laughed, shared memories, and made some more.
At the end of the meal, Tad stood up, taking Dixie's hand. "Mind if I steal the bride for a little bit?" he teased.
"Away, you two lovebirds," Sarah winked.
"Wah!" Jenny squealed in harmony.
"Did you hear that?" Jamie asked excitedly. "She just said 'away!' She talked!"
"No she didn't, you goofball. She said 'wah,' because she's a baby and she can't talk yet."
"Fine man, whatever you say," Jamie could be heard saying as Tad and Dixie stepped out onto the patio at the Valley Inn. Dixie breathed the night air in cheerfully as Tad wrapped his arms around her waist and took her hands, their bodies melting together.
"I feel like a newlywed," Dixie giggled. Tad nuzzled her gently.
"This is so perfect," Tad said. "I've got you back. I've got Jenny-Kate. I have everything I've ever wanted," he breathed.
Dixie smiled, remembering how she'd told Sarah the same thing the afternoon before.
"You know, Sarah said she thought we're meant to be."
"She's a smart woman," Tad commented. "We should know that better than anyone else. Through everything, we found our way back together. We're our destiny. It's in the stars."
Dixie unwound herself from Tad's arms, and put her arms around his neck. Her lips met his, kissing him with the amazing intensity that they could only share with one another. In the ebony sky, the stars twinkled brightly around them-- but one star shone more radiantly than all the others, and around Dixie's neck it would hang faithfully forever.