A/N: Thank you to everyone who has read and review my story, for the small motivational kicks that you have given that kept it going until now. So as not to keep Crazy little witch waiting any longer than she has to, here's the last chapter sorry but everything has to end of A strangers eyes.

Chapter 20: When it's over

Dana came to the funeral that I had held in Chicago. I didn't think that Kentucky was the place to hold it. Here was where we had started to make our home together again. She didn't say much to me the entire time she was there. But for some reason inside that didn't bother me, what did was that she wouldn't even look at her grandson. It was as if in her eyes he didn't exist.

Part of me thought that she blamed me. That I had taken her little boy from the safety of Kentucky and threw him into big city life. That if I had gone home with him, then none of this would have happened. Odds are that it still would have happened; the only difference is that all three of us would have been in the car. I kiss the head of my son who is snuggled in my arms, the thought of not having him, not being there made me hold him even closer. I am thankful for the joy amongst the sorrow in my heart.

I sit on my couch in my apartment now, everyone is gone and I have never felt so alone in my life. I keep waiting, expecting him to come walking thru that door any minute now. It's not going to happen no matter how hard I wish for it or want it. It is going to be just me and my son for the rest of my life and my job now is to raise him the way that David and I would have raised him together. In that small way, I can honor my husband's memory. I want Steven to know the kind, loving man that his father was. I felt as if he was still there in the room with us watching down on us from heaven to keep us safe.

The months slowly passed, the void in my heart from David's passing was still there. But watching our son grow and learn put a smile on my face and eased my broken heart. In a way it was as if David didn't leave me, he was still here. I could see him in my son's eyes when I looked at him. He reminded me of the love that David and I shared, the good times that we had together, that he was my little miracle. A piece of me and a piece of my husband that would live on long after we were both gone.

That first summer came and gone, we celebrated Steven's first birthday and now here summer had rolled around again. The baby is 16 months old now and I am sitting in Doug and Carol's back yard watching Tess, Kate and Steven run wild. The air is warm even though it's getting later in the evening now.

I find my thoughts drifting as the children play, a part of me wishing he were here to see this. Out of the corner of my eye, I watch Doug struggle with the barbeque. Some things never change. I see Carol sitting down in the chair softly laughing now. I smile over at her as they have pulled me from my thoughts, "he'll never get it." I say.

"Have a little faith in me." I hear Doug call from over the grill. "It's just being stubborn."

I had to laugh, "no I think that it's operator error."

"Yeah, yeah," he calls back at me. He is still fighting with it. I can see that look on his face as if he's not going to lose to a grill.

"Are the kids going to get hot dogs tonight or so I schedule that for next week." I laugh. I have become family here and poking fun at my father-in-law whenever possible has become a newfound hobby for me. Besides Doug knew I did it out of love and respect for him.

I had spent much of my free time over here. Grandparents were an important part of a child's life and I knew that. Doug didn't seem to be upset that we had made him a grandfather and when he held Steven for the first time, I saw the love in his eyes for the small child. While he might have made mistakes in David's life, he seemed bound, determined and so willing to make sure that Steven knew who his grandfather, his family was.

"You are so funny." He says giving me that look, "I'll get it don't you worry none."

I roll my eyes; I had to, "where have I heard that one before. That sounds mighty familiar to me."

"Mommy," I look down to see Steven pulling at me, "hungry."

"I know sweetie." I say as I kiss his forehead, "just a little longer." I hand him a graham cracker and watch him run back off towards Doug. I watch him pulling now at his shirt, the only thing my son can reach.

"Papa hungry," I hear my little one inform him, "fix."

I watch Doug pat his head, "Papa's working on it." There's a smile on Doug's face when he says that to him.

I move from my spot now heading over to them. I reach down and gently move Steven away, "go play with Tess and Kate." I say softly making sure that he's moved to play with his aunts. I move in and use the same trick that I had to use when we lived in Kentucky, "your son never could light the grill either. He was more useful in the kitchen than outside the kitchen." There's a soft smile on my face as I talk about David. One more soft touch and I have his grill going.

Doug laughs now, "guess it runs in the family."

"Yeah it does." There's a toddler now wrapped around my legs, "mama you fix-ted-it."

"Yeah I did baby." I say, "now papa can make your hot dog."

I watch his eyes light up as he looks at Doug again, "papa me's hungry." I see Doug swoop him up off the ground spinning him around like a little top in the air. Giggles are erupting from his tiny body.

I toss the food on the grill as grandfather and grandson play. Part of my life ended the day that he was born, but yet the best part seem to start that day. I came to Chicago a woman with a broken heart. And now I was a woman with enough love to last me a lifetime. Chicago would always be my home, it was here that with the love of a family I would raise my son into the man that I knew his father was becoming and to teach him that no matter what life gave you, you always had the love of your family.

I was no longer standing on the outside of this family looking in thru a stranger's eyes, but I was part of Doug's family as well as the County family. I had friends, coworkers and family that would help me raise Steven. He and I with all of this would never truly be alone.