Disclaimer: I still don't own anything retaining to ER, The Powers That Be do.

Author's note: Thanks for all the support, it really does mean a lot to me. Southernbelle, this is for you :^)

A week had past since Shane went back to Seattle and Arianne was still working up the courage to talk to her father. She could usually just come to him with anything that was under the sun, but this time it was different. This time it was about her mother's funeral, and she wasn't sure how her poppa would react to the topic being brought up. She decided to go over to her childhood home and talk to him there when her shift was over, and that was in five minutes.

Slowly, after checking that her charts were all finished, she went in to the staff lounge. Opening her locker, Shane's origami butterfly fell from the corkboard that she had in there. Pinning it back in, she took out her sandals and placed them down on the floor, putting her tennis shoes in the locker. After checking her hair and putting it up into an almost bun like thing, Arianne headed to her poppa's house, a few minutes drive.

Arianne walked up the steps of the brownstone home. Taking a deep breath, she knocked the knocker. The mugginess was oppressive and the heat relentless.

"Poppa, please open the door!" she mumbled

As if on cue, the door did open right after she had wished it to. John Carter, who was now in his 50's, was surprised to see his daughter at the door.

"Arianne, come in!" he said hugging her

"Hi, Poppa."

"I was just getting ready to eat, so if you want you can wash up and join me."

Arianne took the opportunity to go and freshen up in her own bathroom. She had her own since she was a child and still considered it to be hers. The décor was the same as it was since she moved out. The creamy yellow walls with the rubber ducky motifs all around. Splashing cool water on her face, Arianne gave herself a pep talk in the mirror, just like she did as a child. She walked down the stairs and into the diner style kitchen. Her poppa was in the booth and had two place settings laid out.

"I put on another piece of chicken for you." John said as his daughter sat opposite of him

"Thanks. I know this was short notice."

"Don't worry about it, it's nice of you to come over."

"Actually, I wanted to talk to you about something."

"What's that?" he said as he took a forkful of peas to his mouth

"Ever since Shane's nana's funeral, I have been wondering about Momma's."

John looked at his daughter, and then at his plate, and back at Arianne.

"Poppa, it's ok if you don't want to talk about it; really it is."

"No, no. I have wanted to tell you about it for a while now; I just never knew how to bring it up."

"Tell me what ever you want to."

"Well, I had her dressed in her wedding gown, she was the most beautiful of all the times that I have seen her when she wore that gown. The flowers that decorated the church that we were married in less than a year ago were her favorites, yellow roses. You were only a week old, when she was buried, a week to the day. Chuny took you up to the casket anyway and let you look at your momma's face. I think was the first time that you actually saw her. You cried before you got up there, but once you saw her, you quieted down. It was really amazing, and everyone there was blown away by it.

" I gave the eulogy, and I talked about how many lives that she had changed forever, both of ours included. Abby got up and sang a hymn that sent shivers up and down everyone's spine. The rest of the service was simple and ended with a graveside blessing."

Arianne started to cry, and Carter handed her a napkin, for that was all that was near them.

"It sounded like it was really nice."

"It was. Your momma only deserved the best that could be given to her.

\ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \

Arianne got a letter of Shane the next day in her mailbox. It was a simple, sweet note, and she knew that it was written from the heart, is heart of deepest hearts. He said that is work might take him to Chicago in a few weeks, and that if he did come, he promised that they could spend every possible moment together. When she was done reading the letter, she shut her eyes. There before her, was her momma, Ella's poppa, and Lucy Knight, all on their wooden swing, smiling at her, Mai Tai's in a pitcher near by. The golden field was swaying gently in the background, and the clouds gently floated by. Now knew that everything was really going to be fine.