Hello everyone! Welcome back to another chapter in my Guardian Angels story, and I'm kind of excited for you all to read it. A lot of thought and care went into it, as crazy as it sounds, but I wanted to make it kind of special, and it sort of sets a path for what is to come later on. As always, if there are any mistakes, please just let me know and I'll fix it to the best of my ability. Please leave a review, and I hope you all will enjoy!
Disclaimer: All things that are in, associated with, or based off of Marvel or the MCU in any way are NOT mine!
Chapter Six: Fresh Air and Operation S.T.A.L.K.E.R
EviePOV
Of all the ways her Sunday was sure to go, Evie definitely hadn't on counted for this being one of them. The next half hour after discovering that Ackerman was actually Elias seemed to go by faster than she could blink, her body mostly moving on auto pilot as he accompanied her through the checkout line and somehow the two of them managed to find themselves seated across from each other at a table in the Bistro Evie had come to visit frequently over the past week. By the time her mind finally caught up with her, the overall shock had faded and she was left feeling nothing but bewilderment and disbelief. How could this be? The last time she had ever seen Elias, he was only a boy, but now he was so grown, looking well and healthy, which was much better than the skinny, frail and terrified boy that had been abused for so long. Seventeen long years have passed since then, although to Evie, it seemed like only yesterday that she had found him. Not too much was said between them as the waiter came over with the drinks that they ordered and Evie pulled her cup of tea over towards her, never taking her eyes off of him.
"Elias," she said softly. "I still can't believe it's you."
"I would have to say the feeling's mutual," Elias agreed, looking her over. "For obvious reasons, I mean. I'm guessing I'm being literal when I say you haven't aged a day?"
Evie chose not to answer this as she cast her eyes down to her steaming cup, rubbing her thumb along the rim of it, not quite sure what to say. It's not as though she could deny it, considering she already slipped by confirming that she knew who he was back at the market. But how on earth was she going to explain to a person she hasn't seen in over a decade-practically a stranger-about her condition?
"Evie, you don't have to feel worried," Elias murmured quietly, leaning forward a bit. "I promise, I haven't said anything since I saw you last week, and I'm not going to say anything to anyone. I was just really shocked when I first saw you."
"I can't blame you," Evie said. "Although I really am surprised that you were actually able to recognize me right away. You were so small the last time I saw you."
"You saved my life. How could I ever let myself forget?" Elias stated. "I always hoped that one day I would see you again, to thank you for all you've done."
"I meant to go back to see you," Evie admitted sadly. "You, and Raoul, and Emma. Things were very complicated after the war was over and I was going through a very hard time of things. By the time I finally got back to Switzerland, you were already gone. What happened after I left you at the hospital?"
"We stayed at the church in Bern for a couple years after you left," Elias replied. "Father Johansson cared for us well after the war ended, until we could be placed in good homes."
"So, you never found your family?" Evie asked tentatively.
"They died in the camps, along with Emma's. Raoul's uncle and aunt survived and had come looking for him, they ended up taking him to live in England. We lost touch after that, unfortunately, but I was happy to know that he was safe and with his family. Dr. Muller, the one who treated us, he grew fond of Emma, and he and his wife ended up adopting her about two years after the war officially ended, so she's still living in Switzerland. We still write to each other often, she works at a different hospital with her mother now, in the pediatric department. I was the last one to leave, I stayed at the church until Father Johansson booked passage for me on a ship to America, nine years ago. He secured me a job through one of his relatives in Rhode island, down at the docks, and when I saved enough money, I came out here to start fresh. I've been out here for the last few years, working as a fisherman, and I've been happy."
"That's wonderful, I'm so glad to hear that you and Emma are doing well, and that Raoul was able to find his uncle," Evie sighed. "Elias, I'm so very sorry about your family. I wish there was something I could do or say..."
"You've done everything for me already," Elias said. "You're the reason I'm alive, that any of us are alive. If you and the Howling Commandos hadn't found us, we would have been dead. I owe my life to you."
"Seeing you happy and well is more than enough repayment for me, Elias," Evie countered. "That's all I cared about from the very second I saw you in that cell. I just still can't believe we ran into each other like this."
"Fate is a funny thing, huh?" Elias chuckled with a grin. "Although I have to admit I am curious as to why you look the same."
"Trust me, it's a very long story, and you probably wouldn't even believe me if I told you," Evie said.
"Evie," Elias whispered as he leaned forward again. "If my memory serves me right, I'm pretty sure you made lights come out of your hands to try and cheer us up when the three of us were scared. When it comes to you, you'd be surprised that not much would scare me off."
"How-how did-" Evie stuttered, not sure if he was being serious. "How can you take all of this in stride? Most people would either run for the hills or throw me into an asylum."
"I'm not like most people," Elias answered easily, straightening back up and his eyes becoming sincere and soft. "I've seen monsters, and what they could do. But I've also seen angels too, and the goodness in them. Emma and Raoul eventually forgot after a while, but I didn't. I held onto the memory of the angel who saved us and used her powers to keep us safe like a lifeline, it got me through some of my darkest times. It's like I said, I prayed that I would get to see you again one day, I guess in one way to prove it wasn't a dream and to somehow express my gratitude. Because in my book, someone with powers who risks their lives to save others isn't labeled as crazy or frightening. I think it's pretty swell."
Despite being more than touched at Elias' statement, Evie had to hide a snort at that comment, covering her mouth with her hand to contain her giggles.
"Swell?" she said. "My gosh, I haven't heard that term used in years."
"I was trying to learn all the English slang when I first came here, even the outdated ones," Elias chuckled. "I guess some old habits never die. But seriously Evie, I can never say this enough...thank you."
"You're welcome," Evie said gently, giving him a big smile.
=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=
"Hold on a minute, back up here-you went on a date?! And you didn't tell me?!"
"Howard, at what point in this story are you interpreting this as a date?"
"All of it!"
"I swear, you're worse than a girl, sometimes."
It was Tuesday night and Evie was spending the evening with Howard for his birthday, the two of them having dinner at one of the restaurants that was situated directly on the beach. Howard-being Howard-was able to arrange for them to have a table available on the top deck despite how busy the restaurant was, and while they were scanning the menu, Evie had told him about her run in with Elias the other day. To say he was surprised would be an understatement, but once that subsided, of course he decided to blow it out of proportion and tease her about it.
"Mon Cherie, if you went on an outing with a man, then most people would consider that a date," Howard said. "Especially if he paid, which you mentioned he did."
"It was two friends catching up over a couple of non-alcoholic drinks," Evie corrected him. "For goodness sake Howard, he was just a little boy when I met him, seeing him as anything else would be wrong and outright disturbing."
"Yes, if he was still a small boy, or even a teenager," Howard agreed. "But that's an entirely different topic that we are just not getting into. Did you guys do anything else?"
"Not really, once we were done at the Bistro we took a walk, he carried my groceries back to my place and then he had to leave. He lives down by the marina area, he had a long drive back."
"But you two were catching up on lost time?"
"I suppose..."
"Not too much to go off of for a first date, but hey, you're getting there."
"Howard!"
Howard just laughed at her but thankfully dropped the subject just as their waiter returned to take their order. The rest of dinner passed by very nicely, and when the time came for Evie to give Howard his gift, he seemed to genuinely love it, instantly folding it neatly and placing it in his suit pocket. The food was delicious and they had a fun time talking and catching up with each other. Howard told her of how Peggy had recently gotten the chance to meet with President Kennedy at the White House, and he also talked about a few of the new projects he was working on at SI. By the time they had finished eating, their stomachs were full and Evie's cheeks were red from laughing so much at some of the ridiculous stories Howard told her. He left their waiter a gracious tip before they stood up and then went back down to the ground floor, where Howard insisted on having a drink at the bar before they left and Evie decided that didn't sound like a bad idea. She urged him to go on ahead and order the drinks at the bar while she went to go pay the bill with the host. In the five minutes that she had been gone, Evie discovered on her way back to Howard that he had sauntered up to a very pretty blonde woman wearing a rose pink dress who was sitting at one of the bar stools, sipping on a martini. Glittering earrings were shining in her ears, and she wore light makeup that was still amplified by the soft glow of the lights overhead. Just from his body language and the charming expression he put on his face, Evie knew that Howard was being his usual, flirtatious self and probably using one of his many liners that always seemed to pull in the beautiful ladies. Although, as Evie got close enough to hear their conversation, she was startled to hear that it didn't seem to be working this time. The woman-far from looking impressed-was staring at Howard indifferently, her green eyes just slightly narrowed and her posture composed as she spoke to him, her tone reprimanding and chastising.
"...might work on other clueless woman, but not with me, Mr. Stark. Your name doesn't get you anywhere with me, as surprising as that may seem, and from what I've seen so far, I'm really not impressed. I'm afraid you will have to be disappointed if you came over here thinking I was just another blonde doll for you to play with. Have a good evening."
With that being said, the woman took one last sip of her drink, left her own tip for the bartender on the counter and then-without so much as a glance at him-left Howard utterly speechless, leaning against the counter with an astounded look on his face, as though he wasn't quite sure what had happened and was stunned that it did. Sighing, Evie shook her head as she strolled right up next to him, smiling politely as the bartender placed her drink in front of her.
"Well, this has to go down for the record books," she teased lightly as she took a sip. "It looks like there's at least one sane woman in the world who's immune to your charms, huh?"
There was no response from Howard and when Evie looked over at him, she saw that he was staring off where the woman had disappeared in the crowd, the weird look still on his face. Evie waved a hand in front of his face, but he didn't even blink.
"Howard?" she called. "Howard, are you still with me?"
After a few more seconds of no reaction, he seemed to finally break out of his stupor, and he gave his head a shake. Then, he started to smile and Evie was stunned because this wasn't his usual flirty smile that he's used on countless women before. This one was much more genuine, and something glimmered in his eyes.
"Should I be worried about the look on your face right now?" Evie asked slowly.
"She's incredible," Howard said, excitement starting to coat his tone and he looked awestruck. "I've never seen anyone like her."
"Howard, you spoke with her for less than five minutes, and she rejected you," Evie pointed out.
"Yes, but did you see how? The fire, the sass, the cool indifference to my influence," he ranted. "She said so herself, she wasn't impressed!"
"Where are you going with this, exactly?" Evie said.
"I have to find out who she is," Howard stated. "I think I'm in love."
"You haven't even had one drink and you're making proclamations of love already?" Evie sighed. "Are you sure you're not just interested because she didn't swoon at your feet?"
"Well, of course there's that," Howard admitted. "It's actually refreshing to meet a woman who hasn't made a fool of herself to win me over. And you know me-I've always liked a challenge."
"You're impossible," Evie said. "Besides, she's been gone for about six minutes now, she's probably already gotten a cab back to wherever she lives. How on earth are you intending to find her?"
"Mon Cherie, it's like you don't know me at all," Howard said with a wink. "I'm not completely blind, you know. When I approached her, I happened to get a glance at the brochure she was putting back into her purse, it was from the National Heart Society fundraiser and charity event that I happen to know was taking place at The Opal. Now if she isn't a member that was directly involved with organizing the event, this is the kind of gathering where you need to be on a guest list of recipients of the invitations in order to attend. Either way, it shouldn't be too hard to come up with a name."
"I think Peggy's time with SHIELD is rubbing of on you," Evie commented. "You do realize this is technically considered stalking, don't you? I seriously doubt you're going to win her affections like this, and how will you match the name to the face anyway?"
"The event is going on for three days, and the last day is tomorrow," Howard replied with a grin. "I'm sure if I make a handsome last minute donation it could guarantee me a spot there tomorrow night."
"This is crazy. I know you're Howard Stark, but even you can get arrested for stalking," Evie groaned into her glass.
"It's not really stalking, I am just a driven guy who wants to get to know a lovely, passionate woman a little better."
"You're going to be the death of me, Howard. When she files a restraining order against you, you will definitely be getting one big 'I told you so' from me."
"Love you too, Evie."
During the following day, Evie wondered whether Howard's ridiculous scheme would actually work or not. The woman from the bar obviously didn't seem like the kind of person to be easily wooed and she just hoped that her friend knew what he was doing. Evie spent her free time checking the newspaper for any place that was currently hiring so she could find a job, and she also took to the streets as well, knocking on doors that posted "Help Wanted" signs. A couple seemed promising, or at least the employers she spoke with at least would seriously take her into consideration, while others abruptly voiced their displeasure of hiring a woman. Even those who were outright rude to her, Evie always left with a polite smile and a heavy sigh, feeling a little dejected each time. She had to find something soon-she didn't want to rely on Howard's money for the rest of her life to get her through, she wanted to make a living for herself. After a long, tiring day of walking, catching bus rides through the city, speaking with several people and handing in resumes, Evie was beat by the time she started making her way home for the evening. When she was finally safe and secure in her apartment, she made a simple meal of soup with some bread before plopping down on the couch. Not even two minutes later, her phone started to ring shrilly and she moaned loudly in protest. When she crawled over to it, she had a hunch of who it might be before she even answered.
"Howard, if this is you, I am not breaking you out of jail," Evie muttered.
"Good evening to you too, Miss Sunshine," Howard said, and she could practically feel him rolling his eyes at her. "Long day job hunting?"
"Yes, I finally got home about an hour ago," Evie replied.
"Any luck finding anything?" he asked.
"I have a good feeling about a couple places, but a lot of the others are too set in their ways to have a woman do any work that's not some form of teaching or typist," Evie yawned as she leaned back against the cushions, making sure not to stretch the phone cord too far. "How about you? How was Operation S.T.A.L.K.E.R?"
"Yeah, about that..."
"Oh no, what happened?" Evie groaned.
"Long story short, I did find her at the party, tried talking to her, and I may have rambled like an idiot and ended up accidentally spilling wine all over her dress."
"What?" Evie said as she straightened up on the couch. "That doesn't sound like you at all."
"Tell me about it," Howard sighed. "I don't know what happened, I just saw her and for a second I didn't even know what I wanted to say. She stormed off in a huff but at least she didn't hit me."
"I'm sorry, Howard," Evie told him.
"Well, at least the night wasn't a total disaster," Howard said, and Evie could hear him cheering up. "I made some important discoveries."
"Such as?"
"I'm pretty sure I saw her almost smile when I knocked over the try of finger snacks, which is a great start. Also, she is a top member of the National Heart Society, their base of operations is in New York City, so she has to live there herself, and I found out her name."
"Really? What is it?"
"Maria," Howard replied, and Evie could definitely hear the beaming smile as he spoke. "Her name is Maria."
=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=
October 1st, 1961
Marina District, San Francisco
The air was crisp and cool as Evie and Elias leave the Robinson Theater, the two of them still laughing over the end of the movie they just saw, "Come September." It was a new film starring Rock Hudson and Sandra Dee, and it was very entertaining to see. The characters were great and the plot was hilarious, leaving the audience feeling very well entertained. The whole evening itself felt great to Evie because ever since she had left New York, she had purposely kept her distance from others, not wanting to establish any close relationships. In Oklahoma, Evie rarely went out as part of a group to socialize or have a good night out on the town like others who were "around her age." The more people she interacted with and possibly became close with, the greater the risk of them finding out who and what she really is, and she didn't want that. Besides the fact that even with HYDRA gone she still was worried there were others like them still lurking about, she was an immortal that had powers. That was most definitely not normal in anyone's book, and people tend to cower away in fear of what's different, even become aggressive. Evie knew she could take on a normal person when it comes to fighting, but she'd rather not. One, for risk of exposure, and two, she didn't want to fight and hurt people anymore, not if she could help it.
With Elias, however, she felt as though she could finally get a breath of fresh air. After their first initial outing at the Bistro, they had taken a walk and she confided in him the story of how she cannot age, and the special gifts she has. He never looked at her with anything remotely resembling fear, or disgust or even malicious in his eyes. He gazed at her with deep interest, understanding, and something very similar to awe. They talked and shared some stories until they arrived at her apartment, where Elias made her promise they they would keep in touch and they could see each other when they had the free time. Since he lived so far and worked most days of the week, they couldn't get together very often, but when they did, it was always such a nice time. In the past couple of months or so, they had dropped in on a local little league baseball game at the park, walked through an outdoor flea market, been to see a movie, and had even visited the Aquarium of the Bay on Pier 39, which was close to Elias' home and one of his favorite places to go. He loved all things to do with the ocean, which was one of the reasons why he loved his job as a fisherman so much. he would tell Evie tales of his times out on the boat reeling in the catch of the day and times when the currents were both cooperative and against him and his crew.
"There was one time when we went out a bit farther than normal when we were coming up with nothing, and we didn't realize it, but the storm that was headed out east suddenly changed course and came right for us," he told had told her once while they were having lunch. "I had only ever read stories of sailors being caught out in such a terrible storm but experiencing it yourself is completely different. The waves beat against the boat so hard we had to struggle to get anything done, and when we could see the lightning in between he clouds, it was so bright and somehow frightening and incredible. Thankfully the Siren came out all right, and we had enough fish to cover more than double of our quota for the day."
Hearing about all that Elias had been up to since Switzerland made Evie happy. She knew that he wasn't truly over everything that had happened to him in the past, no one ever could be, but he was obviously not letting any of that stop him from living and she admired that about him. When he asked her about what her life has been like since the war, she told him what she could and was vague about what she couldn't. She mentioned traveling through Europe although kept out her time at Kamar Taj, and she also spoke of her time working with Howard at SI. She was thankful that with Elias understanding her situation, she felt as though she could be more open and she didn't feel quite as alone while she out here.
As they walked away from the theater, Evie noticed the sun was just about done setting, casting beautiful gold, orange and pink rays across the darkening sky, making way for the stars that were already starting to poke through the clouds. The air was already starting to become much more chilly at night and when a breeze blew their way Evie couldn't stop the shiver that went through her body. In the next moment, Elias shrugged out of his jacket and draped it over her shoulders.
"Don't want you to catch a cold," he said with a smile and his words made Evie's heart skip a beat for a moment, her mind going back to when someone else had performed the same act and said the same words to her. Ignoring the painful tug in her chest, she smiled back at him and thanked him as they continued walking down the street together. At one point they came across a pretzel vendor and Elias insisted on buying some for them, and even suggested walking along the pier for a while. Soon Evie was happily snacking on her hot pretzel, enjoying the peaceful calm of the pier with Elias next to her, hearing the waves off in the distance. Since the weather was getting colder, there were not too many people out and about since it was already getting dark so early, and Evie found it comforting. They were now currently playing a game of questions and Elias was responding to Evie's question of his most embarrassing moment.
"You mean besides almost knocking you over with fish?" he chuckled, his eyes as bright as his smile. "I would have to say it was when I was fourteen. I was very near fluent in English at that time, but not perfect. There were still certain terms or phrases that I struggled with, and my friend Marty liked to use that to his advantage to tease me. Once there was a pretty girl that I really liked, her name was Josie, and I asked him how to compliment her. He taught me how, but when I went to say it to her, it turns out he taught me to say something a little different."
"Don't tell me..."
"He did teach me how to compliment her, but only in regards to certain female body parts."
"Oh my!" Evie gasped.
"Yeah, I got a slap to the face for that one and Marty was laughing so hard I thought his stomach would burst," Elias said, shaking his head. "Needless to say, I was hesitant to talk to many girls for a while after that."
"I'm sorry, that's terrible," Evie said, the corners of her mouth twitching.
"It was years ago, although Marty does love to bring it up every now and then. Anyway, it's my turn," Elias stated, bringing his finger and thumb to his chin, and his eyebrows furrowed, as though he were in deep contemplation. His silly expression made Evie giggle and it was only a couple more minutes before she saw the shift in his face as a thought occurred to him. He removed his hands from his face and placed them inside his pocket, suddenly looking a little uneasy but also very curious.
"This is a bit more of a personal question, and I understand if you don't want to answer," he told her. "Have you ever been in love?"
His question definitely threw her for a loop and she was sure her face must have expressed her surprise. It was a change from the lighthearted questions they had already gone through just to get to know each other better, and she honestly wasn't sure of she wanted to answer him. While she didn't necessarily have trouble talking about Steve, she just hated how sad it still made her, thinking of what was. The only time he was ever brought up was when she was with Peggy or Howard, and even those times were rare and few in between. Even though she was getting closer with Elias, she just wasn't sure if she wanted to dive in to her tragic old love life, at least not in full details.
"Yes," she eventually whispered, wrapping her arms around herself and keeping her eyes trained on the wooden boards beneath her feet. "Yes I have, a long time ago."
Elias seemed to realize from her tone that she didn't want to divulge anything further for that topic and thankfully he didn't press it. After about a minute, Evie broke the silence with another question, not wanting to linger on this.
"How about you?" she inquired. "It's hard to imagine such a handsome young man is single."
Evie had to suppress a giggle when she saw the tips of Elias' ears turn red and he instantly had a more bashful look on his face.
"I honestly haven't really thought about it, much," he admitted. "Before, I just kept telling myself that I was too busy to focus on being in a relationship, or that there's still plenty of time for that kind of thing. But lately I guess I don't want to admit that I'm a little scared."
"Scared? Of what?"
"Of someone not being able to really understand me, or the baggage that I still carry around," he answered, his expression becoming more downtrodden. "It's taken me so many years to move on from my past, to get past everything that's happened to me, but some of it still lingers. I still have nightmares once in a while, and sometimes little things can cause a flashback, but it's much better than before. I've made very good friends who are more like family to help me get through it all. It's just, as far as a partner goes, it's hard to find someone who can understand or even relate to that kind of trauma. I don't want to bring anyone down with my issues."
"You wouldn't be bringing them down, Elias," Evie said. "You have gone through so much, more than anyone ever should in their life, but you have overcome it wonderfully. You get up each morning to a new day and you try to move on and not let your past define you. Trust me, I understand exactly what that's like. Anyone would consider themselves lucky to be with someone as strong as you are, and the right person should help you get through the tough spots. Someone once told me it's best to remember the pain and not pretend it never happened, because the pain is a part of who we are, what makes us strong, knowing we can beat it just with sheer will. If someone can't accept you for who you are, even the parts that are broken, then they are not worth your time. You will find someone, I'm sure of it, my mama always said there's someone for everyone."
"Do you really believe that?" Elias asked, his eyes bright as he looked at her.
"Absolutely," Evie reassured him with a kind smile. "You never know, maybe you've already met her and you just don't know it yet."
"Maybe," he muttered quietly. "Maybe I have."
For the next few minutes, there was silence in between them as they kept eating their pretzels but it was a very comfortable one, with the soft breeze at their backs and the waves calming. Evie felt happy in that moment but there was something else as well, almost like familiarity but not quite. Whatever it was, it made her feel something pleasant in her chest and she smiled in contentment as they continued walking, enjoying this feeling she had while spending time with Elias.
=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=
Dear Peggy,
How are you? thank you so very much for the pictures of Michael and Maddie, I can't believe how big they are getting! Make sure to smother their faces with kisses for me, and tell them how much I miss them. I'm glad they liked the gifts I sent, hopefully I can make it down for Christmas this year so I can give them more.
Everything is going well out here, just the other day Elias and I went out to see another movie at in his neighborhood, it was very funny, and we went for a walk after. It's nice to have a good friend living so close, it has definitely brought the lonely nights down to a minimum because it can get tiresome thinking of new things to do to stay occupied. I've taken up crocheting and there's always my music but sometimes-I can't believe I'm saying this-it doesn't feel like its enough. Elias gives me something to look forward to, and we always have such a wonderful time together. I've been feeling shut out for the past few years, this is certainly an amazing and welcome change. I feel like I can talk to him, I mean really talk to him, about anything and he would understand.
As great as Oklahoma was, I find myself falling in love with this place more and more, if anything because the beach is so close by. Just the view of the ocean is enough to take your breath away Peggy, I truly hope that I have the chance to bring you up here one day. I know you would love it.
Things are going good at my job, sometimes I can't believe I was able to find something that pays well and that I would come to love! Ash's Music Store is most certainly a hidden gem in the neighborhood, and I think he was very impressed when he saw how well I can repair the violins and the bows. There was an old man who came in yesterday, he looked so drained and tired, but that was because he had just walked over a mile to buy a present for his grandson's birthday this weekend. His says his daughter wants his grandson to play a more 'sophisticated' instrument such as the piano, but he's far more into the rock n' roll wave that all the young ones and teenagers are getting into nowadays. Thankfully Mr. Ash is up with the times, and we did have a small selection of guitars for the man to choose from. After a visit filled with good conversation and laughs, he went on his way, but not before I offered to call a taxi for him. He declined but I can tell he was grateful for the help and company.
I miss you so very much Peggy, I truly hope I will have a chance to come down and visit soon. as nice as things are out here, I don't think anything could ever beat home. Give Will and the children my love, and please make sure Howard doesn't involve Jarvis in any more of his great schemes. I'm still completely baffled at how he was able to convince Maria to meet up for coffee, even if it is just for business. She may think he has some alternative motives for helping her charity, but I honestly believe he may like her. A lot. Send me a letter when you can, I will talk to you again soon.
Love,
Julie
+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+
I hope that you all enjoyed this chapter, it was really one of my favorites. Please leave me a review to let me know what you think, and I will ee you in the next chapter!
