Note: So sorry it's taken so long to update. I promise I haven't abandoned the story. Just got a little caught up in real life. So here's an update. Lil bit of Angel/Collins fluff in here. We'll see some more of them in the next chapter, I think. And we'll see where Mimi and Benny have gone.

Joanne smiled to see Maria sitting up. She went to the little girl's bedside.

"Joanne!" she said, smiling.

"Hi, sweetheart. How you feeling?"

"I'm okay…only a little sore."

"That's good."

"Did Daddy telled you what happen?"

"Yeah…I'm glad you're okay."

"Thanks for comin' to see me," she said.

"Oh you're welcome, honey."

Maria yawned and rubbed her eyes with her good hand. Joanne stood up. "Where you going?"

"I think I'm gonna head home for the night. You need to get some sleep and so does your dad."

"Will you come see me tomorrow?"

"Sure, if you want me to."

Maria nodded.

"Okay. Then I'll see you in the morning, okay?"

"Okay."

"Bye, honey."

"Bye, Joanne."

She leaned down and gave her a gentle little hug. Roger watched the whole scene play out from a distance. Joanne turned back to Roger.

"I'll see you guys in the morning then?"

"That'd be great…I really appreciate you being here."

She smiled. "You're welcome. Get some sleep, okay?"

"I'll try."

"Daddy?" Maria asked when Joanne had left.

"Yeah?"

"I sawed Mommy."

Roger froze. "What?"

"When the car hitted me, I saw a lady and she said she was Mommy. She looked like Mommy does in the pictures."

Roger held his breath, blinking back tears. "Really?"

She nodded and yawned again. "She told me she loves us… And that she wants you a-be happy… I'm happy I got to see her."

"Me too, honey."

"You believe me, Daddy?"

Roger nodded, wanting to believe her.

"She said…to take me to the Life Café…what's that, Daddy?"

Roger's eyes widened. "She said what?"

"To showed me the Life Café. She said you used to take her there," Maria said, drifting off to sleep.

"Angel? Can you come in here a minute?" Collins asked.

"Sure, honey. I'm coming."

Angel set down her sketchbook and followed Collins's voice to the living room. Collins was standing in the middle of the room.

"What is it?"

"Got a present for you."

"Aw! What for?"

"Just because I love you."

Angel giggled, blushing. "I love you too."

Collins reached for her hand and pulled her towards him. He held her hand and knelt down in front of her.

"Collins, what are you—"

"I've spent my whole life looking for someone like you. Waiting for a love like we've got. And I don't ever, ever want to lose you, to lose us."

"And you won't, honey. Wh—"

Collins reached into his pocket and pulled out a thin silver ring. "Will you commit to me?"

Angel's eyes filled with tears. "Of course!"

The next morning, Joanne arrived at the hospital around ten. Not too early, not too late.

"Hi, Maria," she said, poking her head into the room.

The little girl smiled to see her. "Hi, Joanne! Guess what?"

"What?"

"Mr. Mark bringed me a coloring book."

"Did he? That was nice of him."

She nodded and held up a coloring book with her good hand. Joanne smiled at her and she returned to her coloring.

"Hey," she said, smiling at Roger.

"Hi."

"You sleep okay?"

He nodded. "Much better than I thought I would."

"Exhaustion will do that," she said with a smile.

"Knock, knock," a male voice said.

"Come on in, Mark," Roger said.

Mark came in with coffee that he handed to Roger and a juice box for Maria. "Hi, Joanne. I didn't realize you'd be here or I'd have grabbed you something."

"Oh, I'm fine. Don't worry about it."

Mark smiled.

"Uh, Mark, can I talk to you in the hall for a minute?"

He nodded and looked to Joanne. Roger gave a small smile. "I'll explain later," he promised.

She nodded. "Go ahead."

"What's going on?" Mark asked.

"You tell her about the Life?"

"What? Who?"

"Maria."

"What about life?"

Roger shook his head. "The Life Café."

"The Life Café? No, why?"

"Did Maureen?"

Mark shrugged but shook his head. "Doubtful. Her and I only went there a couple of times."

"You're sure you never mentioned it to her?"

"Positive. Roger, what's going on?"

"She told me she saw April."

"What?"

"Last night, she said that after the car hit her, she saw April. She said that April told her she loves us and wants me to be happy and take Maria to the Life Café."

Mark's eyes widened. "Wow…that's incredible."

"Are you absolutely sure?"

Mark nodded. Roger found himself blinking back tears. Mark put a hand on his shoulder. "Roger, she's right."

"What?"

"You should be happy."

"I am happy."

"With someone else in your life."

"You really think she saw April?"

Mark shrugged. "I'm not sure. Wouldn't be the first person to have a near-death experience and talk about seeing someone…"

"What if she dreamed it?"

"Would that make a difference?"

Roger looked at him, slightly confused. "Of course it would…if she dreamed it, then April didn't—"

"Roger, listen to me, okay? April's gone. All that you have of her is Maria. Maria saying April's okay with you being happy with someone else may have just been a dream, but even if it was, then that means Maria's okay with it."

"What?"

"Kids can't always articulate on their own what their feelings are. She may have dreamed it as her mother saying it so that she could then express it to you without fear of you getting upset over it."

"Why would she be afraid I'd get upset?"

"Because the last time she commented on one of your relationships, Joanne all but disappeared from her life."

Roger winced, stung by the truth in Mark's words. "You really think so?"

Mark nodded. "You're a good father. And even if she isn't a mother, Joanne and every other woman you date is going to be a mother-figure for Maria."

"Every other woman?"

"Well any other woman you date and bring around her."

Roger bit his lip.

"What?"

"What if I don't want to date other women?"