The Carter household awoke to a snowy February morning. John was the first to rise, and gently touched Abby's shoulder to wake her. "Sweetheart, it's time to get up..."

Abby just moaned and rolled over. "It's Sunday," she mumbled. "We're all off today... 'member?"

John decided to let her sleep -- he'd definitely take a well-rested Abby over a cranky Abby any day. He checked in on Stella, who was sound asleep. With the two women in his life fast asleep, he decided to head down to the newsstand and pick up the Sunday issue of the Trib.

He quickly drank his coffee and headed out the door, closing it quietly behind him as to not wake the girls.

He shivered as he stepped out of their building. The snow the night before had dropped the temperatures a good fifteen degrees. He quickly jogged down the block to the corner, where the newsstand was. Just as he was paying for his paper, a woman came up to him, shivering, and said, "Excuse me, sir."

John glanced at her and started walking back to the apartment. "Not today," he said, shrugging the woman off.

She let him get a few steps in front of her before trying a second time. "Are you Dr. Carter?" she asked.

John turned at looked at her a bit suspiciously. "May I help you?" he asked.

She walked toward him then, with an outstretched hand. "Yes, as a matter of fact, you might. My name is Lynne Gurtz; I'm the head of the Chicago chapter of the Hope Foundation - we're sort of like Make-a-Wish." She now had Carter's full attention. "Is there somewhere we can go and talk?" she asked.

"Sure," he replied. "There's a coffeehouse just around the corner."

"And that's my proposal," Lynne finished, taking a sip of her coffee.

John skimmed the paperwork she'd given him. "It's... impressive," he said.

Lynne beamed. She was hoping he'd love it. She'd been in contact with Jeanne Lacroix over in Paris for months over this new project, now the only problem was financing it. "We think bringing Hope overseas will greatly benefit children," she said. "You were just the person I was looking for, too. Being the head of a Foundation and a doctor."

"I'll have to talk this over with the committee, but I'm sure they'll be all for it," he said.

Lynne's face grew serious then. "There is... a possible drawback."

John raised an eyebrow. "Which is?"

"If this deal goes through and we build a foundation in France ... it may require that you relocate for a short while."

"What's 'a short while'?"

John noticed Lynne start to fidget then. "Umm ... six, maybe eight, months. A year at most."

"A year?" John now saw why this woman had pitched her idea to him first, and then dropped the bomb. She knew it would be too appealing.

John shook his head and sighed. "I don't know," he said. "I'm going to have to talk this over with my wife."

The surprise was evident on Lynne's face. "Your wife?" She pushed a stray lock of blonde hair behind her ear. "Elaine was under the impression that you weren't married."

John finished his coffee and stared at her. "Elaine?"

"Yes, Elaine Nichols. She's a friend of mine. She ... referred me to you, said that you two were related through marriage somehow."

"Yeah... uh, she used to be married to my cousin," John said, a bit confused. "But, yes, I'm married, with a little girl at home."

Lynne smiled at him. "Your wife is a lucky lady."

"Speaking of them, I'd better get back. Listen, it was great to meet you, Lynne," John said, as he paid the bill and stood up. "Here's my card. I'll talk it over with Abby and the Foundation committee and we'll go from there."

"Sounds great," she said, shaking his hand a little longer than necessary. "Thank you, Dr. Carter."

"You're welcome. Thank you, Lynne." John smiled at her and left the coffeehouse. Looking at his watch, he realized it was almost 11. He hoped Abby wouldn't be too mad when he got home.

John opened the door to find Stella sitting on the living room floor, alternating her attention from a Winnie-the-Pooh cartoon on TV to her Barbie dolls, which were scattered all over the floor.

"Daddy!" Stella immediately dropped the doll she was dressing and ran to meet him.

John scooped her up and hugged her. "How's my little girl?" he asked.

"Fine," she said, giggling.

"Where's mommy?" John asked, looking around for Abby. Stella just shrugged. "Can I get down now?" she asked.

"Sure," he said, setting her down and walking towards he and Abby's bedroom. As he got closer, he could hear muffled sniffling. He quickened his pace and knocked on the door. "Abby?" he asked, pushing open the door. Abby sat on their bed with the phone in her hand. She immediately tried to cover up the fact that she'd been crying; she quickly wiped her face and threw the tissues in the trash.

"What's wrong?" John asked.

Abby pushed her hair behind her ears, looked down at the phone in her hand and back up at her husband. "You're... you need to call your dad," she said, handing the phone to him.

John decided not to say anything. He just dialed his father's cell phone and waited for him to pick up.

"Jack Carter."

"Hi, Dad," John said, pausing for a few seconds. When his father didn't respond, he asked, "Did you call?"

John heard his father sigh. "Yes. John, I'm afraid I have some bad news. Your mother passed away this morning."