About an hour later Elise checked on them to make sure they were all right. She found them sleeping peacefully on a lounge chair together. Jen was curled up in Wes' protective embrace.

It took her back to a better time and place. She pulled out a wrinkled picture of a blonde man with green eyes in a white lab coat.

"Is that your boyfriend." Eric asked coming up behind her?

"He was my fiancée"

"Was? I'm sorry what happened?"

"He was working in a hospital in Los Angeles and was killed when two gang members decided to shoot at each other in the ambulance bay."

"He was caught in the crossfire?"

"No, it was a children's hospital. He put himself between a bullet and a six year old girl in a wheelchair."

"That was very brave."

"It was just the way that David was. He had a huge heart."

Elise began to wipe the tears from her eyes. Eric caught her hand. He took his own handkerchief and wiped away her tears.

"Thank you" She choked "Wes told me you had a girlfriend. She must be pretty lucky."

Eric looked down. "Had would be the word to describe it. Her name was Taylor. She's in the Air Force. It never left a lot of time for us. We parted on friendly terms about a month ago."

"That had to be so hard for you."

"It was especially hard it was the same day that Wes got hurt."

"Won't it be hard seeing her again?"

"Maybe, but I've fallen in love with someone else."

"You are?" She asked. "Who?"

Eric moved up so he stood right in front of her. His chest brushed against hers. Then he looked down into her pretty blue eyes. He reached up and stroked her cheek with his thumb. Then he put his hand under her chin and tilted her head up a little.

"Isn't it obvious." He said his voice husky. Then he kissed her.

Elise froze for a moment and then began to kiss him back. When they parted he saw tears on her cheeks.

He turned away quickly. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you."

She touched his shoulder and turned him so that he could look at her.

"You didn't hurt me," she said slowly. "It's just that I've wanted this for so long."

"You have?"

"Ever since I first met you I knew that you were the one I wanted to spend my life with. But, you had the other woman in your life. I figured it was never meant to be."

"Yet here we are." Eric said leaning in to kiss her again.

"Here we are." She repeated as their lips met again.