Adam was tired from the mornings work and had fallen asleep waiting for the girl to come down. Joe and Ben had brought their chess game from the porch to the table and were busy working on that. Hoss had eaten and was now reading.
Light footsteps were heard coming down the hall. Then at the top of the stairs the young girl appeared. Adam who was facing away from the stairway awakened at the sounds of the creaking steps. Ben, Hoss, and Joe stood. Then Adam rose. The girl stopped dead in her tracks.
She looked at Adam who was looking straight back at her. She saw a man. He had pure black hair and beautiful brown eyes. He wore all black and was quite handsome. She noticed he had her watch in his hand. He saw a beautiful little girl. About eleven or twelve years old. She was wearing a light blue dress and had dark brown hair with blue eyes. Her wrist wrapped in the bandage the doctor had put there.
The other three men stood there watching them study each other.
"Is...is it you?" she asked, tears trickling down her face.

"Yes," he said, struggling to hold back his own tears, "it's me."

The girl leapt from the stairs and into Adam's arms. Ben and the boys watched, confused as Adam and the girl embraced each other. His arms were wrapped around her squeezing her closer to him. While her arms were flung around his neck. Their cheeks were pressed together as a single tear slipped between them. Adam could no longer hold back the tears. It had been so long since this much emotion filled the Cartwright house, so by now they were all teary eyed.

"Don't leave me please, " the girl begged, "Don't ever leave me."

"It's alright, it's alright." he assured her," I'm never going to leave you."

"Do you promise?" she cried.

Adam broke down once again.

"I promise. I promise you'll never be without me again."

After a few moments had gone by and they had control of themselves, Adam straightened up and faced his family. He wiped the tears from his face and took the girl's hand.

"Pa," he said, proudly, "Joe..Hoss. This is Allie...my daughter."

"Your daughter?" Ben questioned.

"Yes. My daughter."

Ben watched them. The way they held each other's hand. The joy in their faces. She looked like Adam. He couldn't believe he didn't see it before. Happiness overcame him.

"Allie." he leaned forward to give her a hug, "I'm your Grandfather, Ben."

"Grandpa." she said, smiling, melting Ben's heart.

"Hello, Allie. I'm your Uncle Hoss. And this here's your Uncle Joe."

"Hi Uncle Hoss, Uncle Joe."

They stood there, half thrilled, half confused.

Adam bent down to her and said," Why don't you go wait for me in your room? I'll come up and we can talk in a minute."
"Okay." she said.

She let go of Adam's hand, even though she didn't want to and returned to her room. Once Adam heard her door shut he turned to his father.

"Pa, let me start."

"No, you let me start. Since when have you been a father?"

"Pa, I didn't know."

"Where is that girl's mother, Adam? Who is that girl's mother?"

"Her mother's name is Sarah. I met her back east, while I was in college," he looked his father in the eyes, "Pa, I was going to marry her.

But, her father hated me. I'm not even sure why. He took her from me. He sent her off somewhere and I never saw her again. I looked everywhere I could think of. Pa, I failed them. Didn't I?"

His eyes began to fill with tears.

"No, Son. You did everything you could. You didn't fail them."

Hoss and Joe were completely silent. Just processing this all.

"Why didn't you tell me about Sarah before? I could have helped you find her."

"I don't know."

"How did you know she was your daughter, Adam?" asked Little Joe.

"I found this at the wagon." he replied tossing the pocket watch to Ben.

He looked it over noticing right off the inscription on the back. It said, "Adam Cartwright".

"This is the watch I gave you the day you left for college."

"I know. I thought I had lost it. I guess Sarah had it," he hesitated, "that's not all I found."

He had the envelope in his hand. It was all dingy and torn up. When he reached in to pull the letter something fell onto the floor.

Hoss picked it up, "It's a picture of Adam, Pa."

Ben took the picture. Then gently unfolded the letter and began to read aloud,

"Dear Adam,
I think that writing this letter is the most difficult thing I have ever had to do. Adam, I'm sorry that I left without telling you, and without saying good-bye. I'm also sorry I didn't write this letter sooner.
I have kept something secret from you for the past six years. There's no way to tell you rather than just saying it. We have a daughter, Adam.
Her name is Allie Elizabeth Cartwright. And she's six years old.
I know it was cruel of me to keep her a secret from you and for not letting her know her father. I'm so sorry. I hope you can forgive me someday.
Adam, you must come and get Allie. The doctor says I haven't got much longer to live. I love you.
Please explain all of this to her someday. Tell her that I love her, too. I hope I'll remain in both of your hearts forever.
-With My Forever Love-
Sarah

There wasn't a sound to be heard. Everybody was unsure of what to say. So, they just stood there. Ben walked over to his son who was staring blankly into the fireplace. His face had the look of fear and frustration. Ben cleared his throat. He then reached over and placed his hand on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry about Sarah."

"Thanks, Pa. I'll be okay."

He ran his hand over his hair and took in a deep breath.

"I umm...I should be up there with her. I should be with my daughter." he said.

He turned to the stairs and started walking up. His sweaty hand stuck to the railing as he slid it across. Never had he been this nervous in his life.

"Adam," Hoss said, stopping him, "you sure you're alright?"

"Yeah, Hoss. "

Standing there in front of her door, Adam struggled to gather up the courage to knock. Many thoughts and worries entered his mind.
And then he knocked.

"Come in." a calm, sweet, little voice said.

Adam opened the door and stuck his head in. He saw her sitting there on the edge of her bed.

"Do you mind if I come in?"

"I don't mind."

She was so pretty. She had the cutest little smile that stretched from one side of her face to the other. They both sat there just looking at each other for a second, trying to find the right words.

"So, Allie," he began, "what would you like to talk about?"

"Well, I would like to know about our family."

"Really? " Adam said.

"Very much. Aside from my mother and my grandfather, I know of no family," she hesitated, "and I'd like to know more about you, if I could."

"Alright." he sat on the edge of her bed, with her seated at the top of it.

The sun was shining through the window and the birds were singing. And Adam began to tell her his life story. They were getting closer and closer with every laugh that they shared as well as the tears.

Talking about his mother to Allie upset him. He knew what it was like growing up without his mother and what she must have gone through not having him. But she had him now. And he promised himself he'd make it up to her.

"Allie, I know it's probably difficult to talk about but can you tell me about your life the past few years," he swallowed, "about your mother's death?"

"Ma was... well, Ma was great. She used to tell me stories all the time about you and this ranch. She'd say you were the most amazing man in the world. And that I should be proud of you and my name. So, when she died I tried to come here to you but I couldn't. I was too young. I didn't know how to get away."

"What," Adam asked her. "what do you mean you couldn't get away? How long ago did your mother die?"

"She died when I was six." she replied.

Adam was shocked and upset.

"I've been living with my Grandfather. My mother told him to bring me here but he wouldn't. He was mean to me. Ma gave me some

money before she died so I could come here. So that's what I did."

Adam wasn't sure what to say. He knew that Sarah's father was an angry drunk. And was infuriated that he refused to bring Allie to him.

"You won't let him take me, will you Dad?" she cried.

"No, Sweetheart. He's never going to take you."

She was scared. Adam took her in his arms and comforted her. She was shaking and gripped her father tightly.

After she had fallen asleep Adam laid her down in the bed then went downstairs with his father. Ben was sitting on the settee reading the paper when Adam sat down beside him.

"You sounded like you were having fun up there." he said.

Adam who was kind of listening said, "What, Pa?"

"I heard Allie laughing."

"Oh, yeah. I was telling her about the time I saw King Arthur."

They were quiet for a second. Ben knew something was still troubling Adam.

"I missed so much." he mumbled.

He looked over at his father who could feel his pain.

"The first eleven years of her life have been nothing but death and loneliness."

Ben put his arm around Adam's back.

"You know, her mother died five years ago."

"What?"

"Yeah. She's been living with that dirty, old, drunk."

Adam was furious that she was subject to this lifestyle.

"Adam, that was in no way your fault. You are going to make a great father. And she'll forget all about the bad stuff. Listen to me.

Everything's going to be fine. We're all here to help you. Your new life is going to be wonderful." Ben tried to calm his son.

Just then Hoss and Joe came through the door.

"Is Allie okay Adam?" Hoss asked.

"Yeah Hoss. She'll be fine."

Adam looked over at his Pa.

"I'm going to go wash up for supper. Do you think you could go get Allie?"

"Sure."

Adam walked into the kitchen with Joe tagging alone behind him. While Hoss got comfy at the dinner table, Ben retrieved Allie.
Little Joe watched his eldest brother reach into the basin and rub the water on his face. He looked like Adam but, something was different. He thought back while he stood there remembering when Adam would console him when he was going through a rough time. Adam always had the right words for him, he wished he could find the right words for his brother now.

"You've uhh.. you've got a beautiful daughter, Adam." Joe commented studying his brother's face, "I'm really proud to be her uncle."

Adam understood what Joe was trying to do so, he smiled and thanked him.