My Journey to You

by amber2011

Mercedes moves to a new town with her daughter Abby for a fresh start after a tragedy befalls her family in Lima. She rents an apartment from Sam in an old house he's renovating. She and Sam slowly fumble toward a relationship

30. Chapter 30

SUMMARY: Sam, Mercedes, and the kids go on a much-needed Hawaiian vacation. The renovation for Thad and Franny's house is complete.

RATING: Mature

WARNING: Nudity, cursing, sexual situations

NOTES: This chapter and the final one were written before the pandemic, so there's no mention of the virus or masks. Sorry for the long wait, but a lot was happening in my life. Thank you all for your concern and for reaching out during my absence. Hope you enjoy this chapter!

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CHAPTER 30

ALOHA, HAWAII

Mercedes walked out of the kitchen holding a double-layer pink-frosted birthday cake with twelve candles and went out onto the beach house's front porch. An ocean breeze was blowing, fluttering her long turquoise blue skirt. She began to sing Stevie Wonder's Happy Birthday:

"Happy birthday to you

Happy birthday to you

Happy birthday

Happy birthday to you

Happy birthday to you

Happy birthday!"

Sam, Rosy, and Jake sang along from where they were seated at the wooden table, covered with a crisp white linen tablecloth. Abby sat in a fancy high-backed wicker chair decorated with pink Maui roses and white pikake flowers. She wore a lovely emerald green sundress, and her hair was all out in its curly, kinky glory, with a pink rose pinned to the side. The white sand beach, the rolling waves of the bright blue ocean, and the golden sunset on the horizon gave a spectacular view. It was their own personal paradise because it was a private beach, and they were grateful to Hiram and Sean for allowing them to use their house in Hawaii for a much-needed vacation. It made Abby's birthday even more special.

Mercedes sat the cake in front of Abby, simply awed at how beautiful and wonderful she was; she couldn't get over how God granted her such a gift of a family and was forever in gratitude. Her heart was full and blessed. She kissed Abby's forehead:

"Blow out the candles and make a wish," she said.

"Not yet. I want us to all hold hands."

Mercedes sat next to Sam, and the family held hands while Abby closed her eyes for a few moments then blew out the candles. Faint curls of smoke rose in the air from the candles and disappeared.

"Why did you want us to hold hands?" Sam asked her.

"It felt right, Papa."

Sam cut the cake and put each slice onto a pink paper plate, passing them along until everyone had a piece. It was a vanilla cake with a delicious mango and passion fruit filling. After they finished eating, Abby opened her first gift wrapped in blue paper with sparkling little pink roses. It was a cherrywood picture frame with a hand-carved design of stars and roses. Inside was a framed sheet of sepia parchment paper was that had her full name Abigail Amelia Tinsley Hummel written across the top in calligraphy, and underneath was a list of thirteen things.

"Your Papa and I got this idea. Since you're turning 12, we thought it would be nice to list 12 things we love about you."

Abby stared at the list, smiling, her eyes shined.

"Thank you," she said, "But there's 13 things here."

"We got carried away," Sam said, laughing, "Besides, we can't limit the wonderful things about you."

Abby blushed and hugged him.

"May I read it out loud?"

"Go ahead," Sam said.

"I told Mommy and Papa what to write," Rosy said, her blonde Afro puff bobbing as she talked, "I told them everything."

"I told them more," Jake said, not one to be outshined, "I said lots of stuff."

Sam intervened.

"Everybody helped, now you two hush and let your sister speak."

Abby read from the list.

"1. You never burn Pop-Tarts, and you make funny voices when you read us bedtime stories.

2. You always see the best in people when no one else does, and you give everybody a chance.

3. You don't care when your parents start singing and dancing in the supermarket parking lot and even join in.

4. You can talk about outer space for hours, and it's always exciting.

5. You're caring and sensitive and make friends wherever you go.

6. You know all the right hiding places when we play hide n' seek.

7. You're gentle, loving, and kindhearted.

8. You're creative with a big imagination. You can do everything from designing gorgeous houses to making a bookcase to sewing lace gloves for your Sunday dress.

9. You can fix anything and put some handymen to shame.

10. You can make the best snowman in the neighborhood.

11. You have the most incredible smile that brightens our world every day.

12. You're intelligent and curious. One day you're learning about black holes, the next, you're googling how to make glitter bath bombs, or you're in the back yard building a playhouse for your brother and sister.

13. You're wonderful, and we're blessed, grateful, and overjoyed to have you in our lives. We love you, Abigail Amelia!

Abby's eyes welled up, and Mercedes and Sam got up from their chairs and hugged her.

"You mean everything to us. Don't ever forget how much you're loved," Mercedes said.

"We love you, Sugarplum."

Rosy and Jake squeezed into the hug as well.

"You're the best sister," Rosy said.

"The best in the world," Jake said.

After the group hug and a few quick kisses, Abby wiped her eyes and continued opening her gifts.

The next gift was in a white box tied with an orange and gold ribbon. Abby untied the ribbon and lifted off the lid, removing the orange tissue paper, and her eyes grew wide with what she saw:

"You got me land on Mars!" She said, holding up the framed Mars deed. It had her name printed on it with a background picture of the Red Planet.

Sam laughed, reaching over and kissing her cheek.

"That's right after you kept talking about how people could buy land on Mars; we took that as a hint."

"I wasn't hinting," Abby said, clutching the deed and grinning, but I'm happy to get this."

"There's some other stuff in there too," Sam said.

Abby looked in the box again and pulled out some documents. One was a Mars map that placed a dot on the exact location of the land that she owned, showing the quadrant, latitude, and longitude. The other was a pledge from the International Association of Human Planetary Exploration explaining what the company does.

"This is great," Abby said, "Thank you so much."

"Open the little gold box," Sam said.

Abby opened it, and inside was a double-sided spherical glass pendant of Mars; it was reddish amber and hung on a thin solid gold chain.

"This is beautiful; I love it," Abby said, holding up the necklace; it shined in the fading sunlight.

"We knew you would," Mercedes said, "Here, let me help you put it on."

After Mercedes fastened the necklace, Sam took a picture of them with his phone.

Rosy and Jake were unimpressed that Abby was a celestial landowner and even less impressed with the necklace, growing impatient, they demanded she open their gift next, pushing the box in front of her saying:

"Open it, Abby, open it!"

She did as they asked and opened the small box wrapped in pink and silver striped paper. Inside was a picture frame made from popsicle sticks painted blue and green and decorated with stickers of different planets. It was covered with silver glitter and held a picture of Abby, Rosy, and Jake standing outside the planetarium.

"We made it ourselves," Jake said, his voice beaming with pride, "I picked out all the stickers."

"I did the paint," Rosy said.

"We both painted," Jake said.

"Well, I did the glitter all by myself."

"But I helped you pick the color," Jake said, not to let his efforts go unnoticed.

Abby opened her arms.

"Come here."

Rosy and Jake hopped out of their chairs and went to Abby, who pulled them into a hug, kissing their cheeks.

"Thank you so much for my present. I can see that both of you worked very hard on it."

"Are you gonna hang it up?" Rosy asked.

"Of course, I am. I want to look at it every day."

The next gift was virtual architect software for house design, which Abby had wanted because of her growing love for architecture; she always shared her house design sketches with Sam and Mercedes, and her talent was apparent. She also got a set of deluxe woodworking tools and a new MacBook computer.

"Wow, she said, "Thank you!"

"Your old computer was on its last legs," Mercedes said, "Now we don't have to tell you to take good care of it."

"I know, Mom," Abby said, rolling her eyes, "I'm not a little kid anymore. Looking down at the laptop, she glided her hand across the silver surface, "I'm so happy to get this."

Matt and Lucy sent her a Visa gift card and a handmade birthday card with pictures of the three of them at the state park. Her grandparents, Burt and Carol, sent her gift cards and clothes, as did Aunt Josephine. Hiram and Sean sent her tickets to see Billie Eilish and a star-shaped emerald pendant necklace with matching earrings.

After Abby finished opening the presents, Sam and Mercedes cleared the table, and the children went into the living room to choose a movie for the family to watch. Since it was Abby's birthday, it was really her choice, but she let Rosy and Jake choose too because they liked to be a part of things. Sam took her presents upstairs, and Mercedes took the leftover cake to the kitchen and put it in the fridge. She opened a bottle of merlot and poured a glass for herself and Sam. Just as she was taking her first sip, she felt her husband's strong arms encircle her waist.

"Hey, Angel."

She turned around and kissed him, and he held her tighter, his hands roaming all over her backside.

"Did I tell you how sexy you look today?"

"No, but I like being reminded."

"Are you going to keep your promise?"

"Sam…"

"Mercedes…"

"You really want to do this, don't you?"

"I asked you, didn't I?"

"Ok, but we better not get caught; I could never live it down."

Sam kissed her neck.

"That's part of the fun."

"Go check on the kids."

Sam looked at her and smiled.

"Nice deflection."

"Thanks."

He picked up his glass of wine and took a sip.

"This is good," he said, and picked up the bottle, reading the label, "Tua Rita Redigaffi Toscana, damn, this ain't cheap."

"Yeah, Sean and Hiram left us a case as a gift."

"They've already done so much; I appreciate it, but… I don't know, I just -"

"I understand. This house alone is like the ultimate gift. I guess they want to show their gratitude because of Rachel and everything."

"Hmmm," he said, sipping the wine. He took Mercedes by the hand and went to the kitchen table where they sat down and gazed out the window, watching the ocean waves beneath the pinkish gold sky as the sunlight faded.

"I love this," he said, caressing her cheek, "Being here with you and the kids. I mean, looking back on my life, at my lowest points, I never in a million years thought I would ever be in a moment like this."

He put his arm around her and kissed her. Sam was always affectionate; Mercedes appreciated the little touches and kisses he would give her at the oddest times, like when they loaded the dishwasher or sorted the laundry, he would give her a quick peck and then continue to separate the lights and darks.

"I've had low points too," Mercedes said, thinking of Shane's death and Abby's silence, "But look at us now. Our daughter owns the land on Mars."

Sam laughed, taking a sip of wine.

"That she does. I can't believe we got that for her."

"It made her happy."

"Yeah, and that's all that matters," he said.

"We should go to the living room before they start yelling for us," Mercedes said, slowly standing up.

"You're right. Let's go."

Sam picked up the half-empty bottle of wine, and they went to the living room where they sat through Spirited Away and Frozen II until the kids fell asleep.

---

Mercedes felt Sam kiss her shoulder. She opened her eyes, and the bedroom was dark, except for the moonlight shining through the open window; the breeze fluttered the long white gauze curtains.

"Baby, you awake?"

She yawned.

"I am now."

"You haven't forgotten, have you?"

"Sam, how could I forget?"

"Just making sure."

He got out of bed, and she admired his nude muscular body illuminated by the moonlight; he picked up their robes from off the window seat.

"Come on, Mrs. Hummel, time's a-wastin."

Mercedes threw back the covers. She was naked too. Sam reached over and tweaked her nipples before he handed her the robe, fondling her full breasts. Mercedes tried to keep her composure, but she moaned.

"Shhh," he said, "We got all night, he said, kissing her as he put on her robe.

"I hate to cover you up," he said while he tied the belt. Mercedes stroked his bare chest.

"I could say the same about you."

Sam kissed her again and put on his robe. Hand in hand, they crept down the stairs and out the front door. They walked out onto the beach, the white sand beneath their feet; the air was warm. The sky was filled with stars, and the moon's silver glow lit up the sky.

When they got to the water's edge, Sam took off his robe without hesitation. Mercedes was more reluctant, taking her time with the belt, slowly untying it as if performing a striptease. Sam let her take her time, knowing this was something out of her comfort zone. When her robe slipped from her body, landing on the wet, white sand, Sam gazed at her, taking every inch of her in, just the two of them in their beach paradise, away from the pain and hurt they endured. It was only Sam and Mercedes and the love they felt for one another, with the ocean waves rolling in and the salt air blowing against their skin. He didn't say she was beautiful. He didn't have to. Those words meant little as they stood bare in this secret world together.

Instead, he touched her heart, and she touched him, placing their hands flat against each other's chests, feeling the incredible thumping of the organ beneath the layers of muscle and flesh, knowing at the core, they belonged to each other. They pressed their foreheads together and breathed in and out in a perfect synchronized rhythm. Then somehow, their arms were around each other, and they hugged for a long time, caressing each other in the moonlight.

Then Mercedes felt ready, and she knew Sam sensed it because he looked in her eyes, smiled and nodded, and held her hand firmly in his own. They walked into the ocean together, each step, the water rose higher and higher until it was up to their chest, and they swam side by side, but not too far, just far enough. For a moment, they stopped swimming, holding each other; they gazed about at the vast ocean and sparkling night sky; it was all so surreal like a dream. Mercedes loved how the water felt gliding across her skin, loved that Sam's arms were around her. They swam back to shore, taking their time.

As they walked out of the water, holding hands, the night air chilling their skin, Mercedes stopped just as they approached the water's edge, she reached up on her tiptoes, and Sam leaned down, and they kissed, pressed against him, she wanted more. Pulling away from the kiss, Sam looked down at her, reading her expression.

They walked over to their robes, and he smoothed them out, helping her lie down, making sure she was comfortable; he kissed her cheeks once she was situated. Not wanting to wait any longer, she spread her legs open, inviting him inside. Sam entered her, quick and fast, they couldn't drag it out, couldn't risk being found, but it thrilled Mercedes, how he filled her, his chiseled body covering her own, his breath in her ear as he thrust inside her, all too soon they came together, and she shook beneath him. Quietly, they breathed together, coming down from the last pleasurable waves, drifting through them; when they were ready, they got up, grabbed their robes, slipping them on, and went back to the house.

As they walked through the door, they saw Abby come out of the kitchen, holding a glass of milk and a slice of birthday cake on a china saucer. Her blue satin hair bonnet was slightly askew.

"Where did you go?" She asked.

Mercedes was shocked to see Abby. Of all the times for her to get a late-night snack…

"We went for a walk," Sam said, closing the door behind them.

Abby looked confused; her face scrunched up in a frown.

"In your bathrobes?"

"We went swimming too," Mercedes said, her voice unusually high-pitched, "Robes warm you quicker than beach towels."

She conveniently left out the part that swimming was skinny-dipping, but Abby really didn't need to know about her parents' "walk on the wild side."

"You're up late, Sugarplum, couldn't sleep?" Sam said, squeezing Mercedes' hand to calm her down.

"I was hungry. Do you think we can bake a cake like this back home?"

"I'll see if I can find a recipe," Sam said, "Make sure you turn off the lights and TV before going back to bed."

"I will," Abby said, sitting down on the couch, "Good night."

"Goodnight, Sugarplum."

Mercedes didn't realize she was holding her breath until they went upstairs to the bathroom, closing and locking the door; she let out a huge sigh.

"That was close, Sam."

"Everything's fine," he said, hugging her, "Besides, it was worth it."

Mercedes hated to admit that it was. Not because she didn't have a good time, she did; it was just she wasn't used to taking risks, not like that.

"Hey," Sam said, lifting her chin, "What's buzzing in that head of yours?"

"It was worth it. I loved it. I just never saw myself as –"

"As what?"

"Some wild-child. If you haven't noticed, we're not exactly in our twenties."

"So? We're not exactly eligible for AARP either. We did something that brought us a lot of pleasure. No harm done."

They kissed and took off their robes. Sam put on her green palm leaf print shower cap, carefully tucking her afro under the elastic band until her hair was completely protected. They got into the glass walk-in shower built for two with a rain showerhead and a floor-to-ceiling window with a view of the beach. The first time she saw the shower window, Mercedes was afraid people could see inside, but Sam assured her where they were located; they were high enough not to give any passerby a peep show. Sean and Hiram said the same thing when they called to see if everything was going ok at the house. The shower also had remote-controlled LED lights to dim and brighten as one wished and a touch panel smart mixer to control the temperature. Mercedes loved the shower spray's natural flow; it was as if they were standing outside during a summer rainfall.

Sam opened a blue bottle of body wash that smelled like the ocean and made with kelp and seaweed (another gift from Hiram and Sean), and they washed each other off in the steamy bathroom. Sam dimmed the lights, turned her around, having her face the teal glass tiled wall.

"Bend over and hold onto the grab bar," He said in her ear.

Mercedes gripped the translucent grab bar and bent over, grateful for the non-slip mat that shimmered beneath her feet with its iridescent colors, keeping her safely in place; her dimpled ass was on display for Sam. She felt proud of her body as he entered her from behind, telling her how sexy she was, moaning about how good she felt. This time the lovemaking was slower, less frantic, and he told her when to come just as he gave a final thrust inside her.

"Now," he whispered.

She came, breathless and shaking; Sam followed suit, holding her close, as they shuddered together under the shower rainfall. Afterward, they washed up again, dried off, and rubbed a thick body cream with a French name neither could pronounce all over each other until their skin was supple and soft. The cream only had a hint of a subtle fragrance that reminded Mercedes of the sea. Finally, they went to bed, spooned together beneath the cool white sheets, naked and warm, with the sounds of the ocean lulling them to sleep.

---

The next day while Sam took the kids on a sunrise snorkel tour, Mercedes relaxed in the kitchen with a big mug of Kona coffee and munched on chocolate-dipped macadamia cookies. The house was quiet; she smiled to herself at how excited and happy the kids were to go snorkeling as they bustled about getting ready that morning. Sam was as enthusiastic as the kids. When they piled into the range rover, all of them were laughing and smiling as Mercedes waved good-bye to them from the front porch in her nightgown. She sighed, taking a sip of coffee, and her mind drifted to when the alarm went off that morning, how Sam had reached for her, squeezing her chubby belly and breasts, kissing her neck, and they made love in the pre-dawn darkness, they always had a healthy sex life, but the vacation sent them into carnal bliss. Mercedes was grateful for the stillness and alone time; as much as she loved her family, she needed this break, and Sam knew it, which is why he insisted on taking the kids on the snorkel tour alone. Mercedes would return the favor and take the kids to the children's museum and aquarium.

She closed her eyes; she was sleepy, and she contemplated going back to bed for a nap, but then her phone rang. It was Tina.

"Hey, girl, what's going on?"

"Hi Mercedes, how are you?"

"Fabulous!"

Tina laughed.

"I'm sure you are with your Hawaiian getaway."

"Not exactly a getaway. The kids are with us. But Sam and I are having a good time."

"How good?"

Mercedes lowered her voice, even though the house was empty.

"We went skinny dipping in the ocean last night and had sex on the beach."

"Damn, really, wow, he's taking you out of your comfort zone. So how was it?"

"I came so much I thought I would have a heart attack."

"Mercedes!"

"I mean, yeah, it was a thrill. A big thrill. And the shower is huge and has this rainfall spray head, and we had a blast in there too."

"I'm jealous. Mike thinks Luther Vandross, a lukewarm bath, and body oil is enough."

"Oh, stop!" Mercedes said, laughing, "Mike's not that bad."

"He is Mercedes, but I love him anyway. You deserve everything you have, after all you've been through, So I'm overjoyed, you're becoming a porn star."

"Tina!"

"Just kidding. I love you, and I'm happy for you."

Mercedes felt tears come to her eyes, and she blinked them away.

"I love you too."

"You're crying, aren't you?"

"No, I'm not; it's allergies."

"Allergies, my ass."

Mercedes laughed. She loved Tina so much. Her friendship meant a lot because she never had close female relationships until much later in life, and it made her more grateful when they happened.

"Now that we got that Hallmark moment out of the way. I have some news for you."

"What is it?"

"Mike and I are moving to Star Pride. His company relocated their headquarters there."

"That's awesome!"

"I know, right?"

"We can have play dates and spa days and coffee dates and…"

"Yes, all of that and then some!"

"I can't wait to tell Sam; he's gonna flip."

"We're looking at houses in your neighborhood and other places nearby. The company is paying for our move and everything. Oh, and Mike got promoted, so we're happy about that too."

"Promoted, wow, that's wonderful."

"Thank you. Michael Bohai Chang is now Vice President of Corporate Communications. And he also makes TikTok dance videos, but we won't talk about that."

"Oh, God."

"I don't cringe when I see them. I really don't. I just die a little inside."

"Tina, stop," Mercedes said, laughing, "You know he can dance."

"Yes, my baby can dance. But he looks like a grandpa next to the Gen Z posse. I admit the videos are cute, especially when he puts Charlotte and Alexander in them."

"How are my godchildren?"

"Rowdy as ever. Running me crazy. I love every second, though, trust me."

"They couldn't have a better mother," Mercedes said, finishing what was left of her coffee.

"Thank you." Her voice turned soft, and Mercedes knew she was getting choked up a bit.

"I'm so glad we'll be neighbors," Mercedes said, thinking of all the adventures they would have together.

"Me too. You know the only bummer about this is looking for a new teaching job."

"I know you'll get hired right away, especially with your experience."

"You're right, but starting someplace new, can be difficult. I've been with the Remington School a long time. I'll miss that place and my students."

"Tina, can I tell you something?"

"Sure what?"

"Even though I haven't been teaching for a long time, I still miss it. And I have an idea of what I want to do next."

"What's that?"

"I want to open a studio and give vocal lessons. I would start small, not take on too many clients, just see how it goes. I think it would be fun to work with kids."

"I like the idea, and you'd be great at it. People at Remington still ask about you. You left a mark. Have you told Sam?"

"Not yet."

"Why?"

"Sam, God bless him, will think it's about money or me not wanting to be a wife and mother, and that's not it at all. My family is everything to me. I just miss watching people learn, talking about music, seeing the joy when your student gets it right. I'm not saying this will be the end all be all to my existence. I want to feel that... I don't know, the incredible high from passing on what I know. I do that for my children every day, but this role is different."

"Because it's yours?"

"Exactly."

"Talk it out with Sam. See what he says. I think if you come at it like you're telling me, he'll be open."

"I hope so."

"Listen, I wish I could talk longer, but we have errands to run; call me back after you told Sam and let me know what happens."

"I will; thanks for calling. I love you."

"Love you too, bye."

Mercedes went upstairs and took a long shower, gazing at the beach as the water cascaded all over her body, the scent of the kelp body wash filling her nostrils with its sweet fragrance. She washed and deep conditioned her hair, French braiding it into a single braid and pinning it up; and put on her white lace midi dress and slipped on her sandals; then she applied red lipstick to her lips. When she heard the Range Rover pull into the driveway, she went downstairs to greet them. The kids were wet and sandy, but their shining eyes and bright smiles let her know they had a good time.

"We saw a fish that looked like a rainbow," Jake said, running up to Mercedes and putting his arms around her, "You look pretty, Mommy."

Rosy ran over to her, too, hugging her as well.

"You smell like a princess."

"You do look pretty," Abby said as she walked up the steps and hugged her. Sam was getting their gear out of the car, oblivious to Mercedes's stunning appearance. It wasn't until he locked the doors and shut the trunk, looking up from what he was doing, that he stopped, and their eyes met. He gazed at her for a long moment, smiling.

"Damn, angel," he said, carrying the bags up the walkway to the porch, "You look like you just fell from the sky."

Mercedes blushed and tried to play it off.

"Sam, that's corny."

"Not if it's true."

He dropped the snorkel gear on the porch, pulled her into his arms as Rosy and Jake demanded snacks while tugging on her skirt. Mercedes told them to go to the kitchen where she had put out finger sandwiches and fruit for them, and Abby said something about a smoothie as the screen door banged shut, and the children shuffled inside. But Sam and Mercedes only saw each other on that porch: everything melted away, all blurry in the background, the picture just focused on them, with her white dress blowing in the wind, and his tanned, muscled arms wrapped around her ample waist, his aqua blue swimming trunks, hung low on his narrow hips and his back sleek, smooth, and bronze. His hair was in damp, blonde tangles. She pressed into him as he held her close.

"You got all pretty for me," he said, nuzzling her neck.

Mercedes smiled, smelling the ocean on his skin, not caring about the sand on her dress. A breeze blew over them, carrying the fragrance of plumerias through the air, she heard the faint trill of the honeycreepers' birdsong, and every part of her was in that blessed moment, closing her eyes, she kissed him and led him inside the house.

---

The next day the family went on a glass-bottom boat tour of Oahu's south shore. The kids loved looking at the marine life swimming below them, and they squealed with delight when four whales swam next to the boat, staying nearby for an extended part of the tour.

"You picked a good day!" The driver said over the boat engine's roar as he steered them along the aquamarine waters of the Pacific Ocean.

One of the tour guides, a college kid named Tate with a goatee and a gold hoop pierced through his lower lip, played the ukulele and sang; his voice was passable at best, so Sam was glad when Mercedes sang along with him, covering up his tuneless imperfections with her rich vocals. They sang "Blue Skies," an old standard that Sam forgot he loved. As they sang, dolphins also swam close by, leaping and diving into the ocean as if performing a show. They came even closer to the boat than the whales, and one of the tourists, an older woman in a bright orange muumuu, said they were following Mercedes' voice. Sam didn't doubt it, and he held her hand as she finished the last verse:

Blue days

All of them gone

Nothing but blue skies

From now on

Everyone clapped when she was done, and Jake said with pride:

"Mommy makes the dolphins dance!"

"She sure did," Sam said, ruffling Jake's hair, "That's why they were leaping."

Rosy spotted a sea turtle swimming along the ocean floor and pointed to the glass bottom.

"Look at the turtle!"

"Around here, we call that a honu," the tour guide said.

"Honu," Jake said, then laughed, "That sounds funny."

Abby asked Tate to take the family's picture, which he did.

"I can't wait to show Matt and Lucy," she said, looking at the photo on her phone, "Too bad they couldn't come with us."

Sam was glad it was just their family on vacation. At first, they wanted to invite Burt, Carol, Finn, the kids, and all their other family, including Aunt Josephine. But due to scheduling conflicts, they could never set a date, so Sam decided to go on vacation with only the immediate family. He's glad they made that choice because he loved being with his wife and kids; they were his everything. True, it would have been nice to have an extra pair of adults around, but he and Mercedes spent lots of quiet time alone in the evening, and they made sure that the children were always entertained.

They also made sure that Abby didn't become a babysitter; he liked that she was willing to help her little brother and sister, but he wanted her to be a kid too, so when she went to be by herself in her room, they stopped the twins from following her. They pretty much managed them on their own for most of the time. And he and Mercedes each planned to spend one day with Abby alone, to do any activity of her choosing. Abby and Mercedes were going on a hike the next day, and then Sam and Abby would swim with the dolphins the following day.

After the boat tour was over, they went to a restaurant called the Hawaiian Burger Company. They sat outside at a large square table underneath a big red umbrella, shielding them from the afternoon sun, it was on the beach, so they had a beautiful view of the ocean and clear blue sky. The air smelled like ginger flowers, a sweet, tropical fragrance carried by the warm breeze.

Sam felt adventurous and ordered an Aloha Elvis burger. It had bananas, guava jam, peanut butter, and bacon. Mercedes also tried something different and got a Mocha Java burger with Kona coffee-rubbed beef and Latin mole sauce. The kids got regular cheeseburgers, and everyone was happy with their meal.

Mercedes and Sam ate each other's food. When she sampled his burger, she was surprised by the flavor:

"Peanut butter, bananas, and bacon should not go together on a burger, but that's actually good."

"I know, right," he said, taking a bite of her Kona burger and savoring how delicious it tasted, "Yours is good too. Who'd have thought beef rubbed with coffee would taste so good together?"

They also indulged in a couple of Ola Brew Ma'A Lager beers brewed locally in Hawaii; the beer was a light amber color, with a unique citrus, earthy flavor. They liked it so much that they decided to buy some more at the liquor store. For dessert, they ordered Kona coffee chocolate eclairs, and the kids got Pineapple Creamsicles, which melted faster than they ate them. After paying the bill, Sam drove them back to the beach house. Rosy and Jake fell asleep in the back seat, so Sam and Mercedes carried them up to their room and put them in bed when they got home.

Abby went to the living room to watch TV and work on her new computer, and Sam and Mercedes decided to watch the sunset from the front porch while sipping glasses of merlot. They sat close together on the wicker loveseat, Sam's arm was around Mercedes, and her head rested on his shoulder as they witnessed the glorious sunset. The sky turning brilliant shades of violet, orange, and gold, the sun sinking slowly behind the clouds, the tide rolling in and out, and the sounds of the waves splashing made everything serene.

"I want to stay here forever," Mercedes said.

"Really?"

"Well, maybe not forever, but a long time."

"I get it. But I'd miss our house. Every part of us is in that house; it's like our own little world."

"The best part of our world is right here. You, me, and Abby, Jake and Rosy."

"True," he said.

They kissed and watched the sunset, sipping wine and cuddling until Mercedes said:

"I got a call from Tina; she and Mike are moving to Star Pride."

"Wow, really? That's great! But why?"

"That company Mike works for is moving their headquarters."

"How does Tina feel about this?"

"She's excited that we'll be living close to each other, but she'll miss her students, and now she has to find a new teaching job. You know, sometimes, I miss teaching."

"You do?"

"Yes, I was thinking, with the twins going to preschool, I want to start my own business."

"Your own business?" Sam said, looking at her in disbelief, "What kind of business?"

"I want to start a vocal studio, giving voice coaching lessons. I love teaching, and I love singing. I think this would be great. I just need a piano, and we can convert the den into my studio. I'll have to research how much to charge and – "

"Hold on."

"What, Sam? Don't you think this is a good idea?"

"I just –"

"You just what?"

"I don't know. I'm just used to how things are. What will the kids think?"

"Sure, things will change a bit, but I believe they'll be fine."

"Running your own business takes a lot of work."

"You sound as if you think I won't be able to handle it."

"That's not true. I thought you were happy with our family."

"Sam, I am happy, but I do miss teaching."

"Is this about money? We haven't struggled once. Do you think I can't provide for our family?"

"That's not it at all. You're a wonderful provider. We haven't needed for anything."

"Are you bored with how things are?"

"Bored? That's crazy. How can I be bored with three kids? I'm not bored, Sam; I just miss a part of myself. I didn't stop loving the things I once did because of marriage and children. I didn't stop being who I was. I changed focus, and I'm blessed for everything God gave me. This isn't about you or the kids. It's about me getting back to something that brings me joy."

"But you said you were happy. What's this joy?"

"A joy that's separate from being a wife and mother. That's all. Look, we don't have to talk about this right now; let's just enjoy the rest of this vacation and expensive merlot and discuss it when we get home."

Sam kissed her and hugged her to his heart.

"Mercedes, I never want to stand in the way of your happiness; you know I love you more than anything. I'll be lying if I said I understand completely, but I understand this is something you want. We can talk about it later like you said, don't think I'm against you; I'm not."

"I know, Sam, and I love you too."

---

Late that night, they had a "reading session" in their bedroom with the door closed and white ginger-scented candles burning in the darkness. They sat facing each other on the bed, completely nude, cross-legged, knees touching, holding hands; the window was open, letting in the moonlight and night air, and the ocean wave soundscape. They stared into each other's eyes, breathing together until they saw each other's vulnerability. Sam felt the tears run down his cheek; he didn't wipe them away or close his eyes to stop them; he let them flow, not sure what he released but was grateful to be in a sacred space with Mercedes, and she welcomed his fragility, not looking away either, as she let the tears fall from her eyes too.

They placed their hands on each other's hearts to feel the steady beating, and when they embraced, an inner peace filled Sam along with a fiercely protective love for his wife. He held her tight, anchoring her with his unwavering strength. Her tears were on his shoulder, and his tears were on hers. It wasn't a sorrowful crying; it was a release of something hidden, or maybe it was being overwhelmed with gratitude for their love, life, and family; whatever it was, it felt like falling into the water and floating, just gliding on the waves and currents. Neither spoke, just held each other, until Sam instinctively pulled them down on the bed, still hugging, fitting together like interlocking pieces of a puzzle, bare skin, and no secrets. It felt so good to be sharing this vulnerable space with Mercedes, no shame, no judgment, only love; he kissed her forehead, running his hand over the braid in her hair, as she stroked his back, kissing his shoulder.

I have you.

And I have you.

Sam cherished how they loved beyond physical penetration. Every touch didn't lead to intercourse but was an act of praising or showing gratitude to the other; Mercedes was the only woman he had ever shared this practice with, and he held it close to his heart. He listened to her breathe, his precious woman, wife, lover, best friend, everything, all things…

We needed this.

I know.

I love you.

She kissed him, caressing his face, tracing the lines.

I love you.

He remembered the first time he saw her, coming to see the apartment on that blustery winter day, with a timid little girl, who he came to love dearly as if she were his own, who called him Papa and made him proud. Sam never told Mercedes that the moment he opened the door and looked into her eyes, he felt something, of course, he denied it but… it was there. Now he knew that she knew, the way she touched him in the dark, moonlight on her skin, full bosom pressed to his chest.

I felt it too. I felt you.

They drifted asleep in each other's arms, uncovered, tangled together, engulfed in emotional energy, a blessed love, massive and wonderful and tender. When their bodies withered away, returning to the dust from which they were made, he knew this love would live beyond their earthly graves, traveling through the universe for eternity.

At least he hoped so.

---

"Wow, this is…" Abby didn't finish her sentence because she was in awe of the sunrise. She and Mercedes had hiked the Lanikai Pillbox Trail in Oahu, and now they stood on top of a pillbox, which was a graffiti-covered square cement structure once used as a military bunker in WWII to scout enemy activity. It now served as a lookout point and gave hikers a fantastic panoramic view of Lanikai Beach, Kailua Beach, the Mokulua Islands, and the turquoise blue ocean. The sunrise was magnificent, with violet and fiery orange light splashing across the sky and then turning golden as the sun rose on the horizon above the clouds.

"It's gorgeous," Mercedes said.

They stood in silence, admiring the view and drinking from their water bottles. Abby put her arm around her mother, giving her a side hug.

"I think even if I take a picture of it. It will always be a better picture like this, standing right here."

"You're right, sweetie, but I can't leave without a selfie."

Abby laughed, "I know, I'm taking pictures too. I just believe you have to feel this."

"I understand."

"I read that Lanikai means heavenly ocean, and I think it fits," Abby said, taking a drink of water.

Mercedes nodded.

"Me too. This is heavenly."

They took photos and ate cold spam musubi, which Abby had grown to love during their vacation; it was grilled spam on top of a block of rice with a sheet of nori, an edible seaweed wrapped around it. After they finished eating, they journeyed back down the steep trail, being careful of the rocky terrain and incline; the weather grew warmer now that the sun was up and no shade was in sight; Abby was glad they brought extra sunscreen and water.

The trail itself was an unpaved sloped brown dirt path with lots of long, tall green grass growing on either side of it and colorful, fragrant purple, yellow, and red wildflowers. When they finally returned to the trailhead, they stopped for a moment, resting a bit, and then walked to their rental car, grabbing their tote bags from the back seat and went to Lanikai beach where they swam, took pictures, and hung out until lunchtime. They decided to get plate lunches at a small café called Moana Nani, which the friendly cashier, a young woman with pink-streaked hair, told them meant "beautiful ocean." Abby ordered the lau lau plate; it was pork, chicken thighs, butterfish, and a bit of pork fat wrapped in lu'au and ti leaves and steamed.

At first bite, this dish made Abby close her eyes because it was so indescribably good; the meat was juicy and savory and unlike anything she'd ever tasted. The plate also had poi, a light, purple-colored sticky pudding made from taro root and tasted both sweet and a tad sour, and lomi lomi salmon, a mixture of sweet Maui onions, scallions, salted salmon, and tomatoes. It had a simplistic tangy flavor, and for dessert, there was a square of haupia, a coconut pudding that had the consistency of gelatin; it was a firm, solid white block and smooth as velvet. And Abby loved the coconut flavor.

Mercedes ordered the Kahlua pig plate; it came with shredded pork cooked in a smoker oven and seasoned with Alae sea salt: it was tender, juicy, and delicious. Her side dishes were white rice and a generous scoop of creamy macaroni salad made with soft, bloated macaroni, lots of mayonnaise and milk, cider vinegar, sugar, onions, carrots, and celery. She also had a block of haupia for dessert.

They sampled each other's plates, marveling at how good the food was, and after they were done, they decided to go to the park. After buying more water and a few Wow Wow Hawaiian lemonades, made with Hawaiian lemons and Maui lavender, they took a scenic drive along the Kamehameha Highway, which gave them a picturesque view of the beaches and mountains, the sun shined bright, and Mercedes opened the sunroof letting in the salty air.

"I don't want this vacation to end," Abby said.

"I know what you mean. I was telling your Papa the same thing the other day."

"Can we come again next year?"

"We'll see. It's not like we can expect Hiram and Sean to let us use their house every year."

"I think they would let us."

"Maybe. Like I said, we'll see."

They walked along a paved trail at the park, surrounded by dense tropical greenery, and the air was warm and humid; they could hear the distant singing of the vibrant red appane and dusky brown elepaio birds. The park wasn't crowded, and Abby was glad because she liked spending this time alone with her mother, having her attention all to herself. When they came upon the lookout point, they had a majestic view of a long, foamy, pearl-white waterfall, reminding her of when her father would turn off the water to fix the pipes, and when he would turn it back on, it came out in a gush, before turning to normal. Abby loved listening to the rush and roar of the water as it cascaded into the pool below. The air had a loamy, freshwater scent, and she closed her eyes, breathing it in; she also detected a faint, sweet smell of the tropical flowers. Her mother tapped her shoulder:

"Look, Abby, a rainbow."

Opening her eyes, she saw the rainbow surrounding the waterfall, its brilliant colors coming through the sprinkling mist and sunshine.

"It's like when I used to play with the hose," Abby said, "And I would make rainbows."

Mercedes laughed, putting her arm around her.

"Yes, it's exactly like that. You were supposed to be watering the petunias instead of giving a water show."

Abby smiled, laying her head on her mother's shoulder, smelling her sunscreen and feeling the softness of her damp skin; nothing felt better than that moment, as they watched the waterfall together.

---

The next day Abby and Sam went swimming with the dolphins. At first, she was scared, unsure of what to expect, but when she was up close with the sleek, graceful dolphins leaping into the air, her fear dissipated, and she enjoyed herself. They took their snorkeling gear and went underwater, surrounded by wild marine life, the dolphins swimming next to them like tour guides.

Afterward, they got Hawaiian shave ice at a nearby shop, sat outside in the patio area, ate their snack while watching passerby, and enjoyed the ocean view. Abby got the rainbow shave ice, which included strawberry, lemon, and pineapple with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, and Sam ordered the white cake and strawberry flavored shave ice.

"This is better than a snow cone," Abby said as she dug into her shave ice, taking a bite.

"Yeah, it is," Sam said, "Though your mother will probably think this is a poor lunch."

Abby laughed, scooping up another spoonful, "I know, but this is more fun. I'll have real food later."

"So, what do you think of Hawaii?"

"I love it here. I want to swim with the dolphins again. I felt like I was in a Disney movie."

Sam chuckled. "A Disney movie? I hadn't thought of that, but I get what you mean."

"What does the white cake flavor taste like?" Abby asked him, pointing to the white mound of shave ice that was slowly melting with the deep red strawberry ice, turning pink.

"Here, try some," Sam said, sliding the bowl over to her. Abby tasted the white cake first.

"Hmmm, it's good, and it actually tastes like cake," she said and then dipped into the strawberry, "Those flavors are good together."

"After we're done here, I have a surprise for you."

"What's that?"

"It won't be a surprise if I tell you."

"Can't you give me a hint?"

"Nope, now finish your shave ice."

"Spoilsport."

"Never mind that," Sam said, smiling at her, "You'll just have to be patient."

After they finished, Sam took a picture of them together and sent it to Mercedes. Abby loved how he was always snapping pics of their time together; it made her feel special. Then they hopped into the Range Rover and were off to the surprise destination. Abby rolled down her window, closing her eyes; she felt the warm sunshine and wind on her face, smelled the salty air. Everything about that day had been perfect, and she was excited about the surprise. She yawned and realized that she was tired; she had been up since early that morning.

Sam glanced at her, turning down the radio.

"Why don't you take a nap? I'll wake you when we get there."

"Ok," she said, yawning once again before going to sleep.

About an hour later, she felt him gently nudging her shoulder. When she opened her eyes, she saw that they were at an airport and then she saw a sign blue sign that said: Aloha Helicopter Company. She clapped her hands, unbuckling her seatbelt; she leaned over and hugged Sam.

"We're going on a helicopter tour!"

"That's right, Sugarplum, we'll get to see all the sights."

"Thank you!"

Sam hugged her tight.

"Listen here, I know it was tough last year and - "

"Papa, I'm fine."

"Just let me finish."

"Ok."

"Your mother and I love you so much, Abby, and we're here for you whenever you need us, alright? You've made us the proudest parents in the world, and I'm blessed to be your father."

"I love you, Papa."

"I love you too. Now, let's get moving. Our tour starts in ten minutes."

The helicopter tour was spectacular. Abby and Sam saw lava-filled volcanos resembling fiery orange lakes, jagged peaks of lush green mountain ranges, the sparkling turquoise blue ocean, and gushing, frothy white waterfalls the color of milk. Of course, they took lots of pictures and videos, and Abby couldn't believe how beautiful everything was, so grand and unreal, she thought about God gazing down at them, and her heart filled with joy. She wanted to touch everything, even though she couldn't; she imagined how it would feel to touch the waterfall, feeling the cool water on her fingertips, or climb on top of the mountains and shout for no reason. Then she remembered a song her father used to sing when he would swing her around in the backyard:

I want to fly like an eagle, to the sea

Fly like an eagle

Let my spirit carry me

I want to fly (oh, yeah)

Fly right into the future

Before she knew it, she was singing the song out loud, and Sam joined in. Abby wasn't surprised that he knew the song; he was like a walking music library; it felt good to sing with him, sharing something of her past, it wasn't a painful memory, it was a sweet one, she knew her Daddy was looking down at her too.

Sam didn't ask why she was singing that song. He just held her hand, and they shared the moment together. Somehow, Abby figured he knew, but in the end, it didn't matter. All that mattered was that her Papa was beside her, feeling the happiness surrounding her.

---

"Sam, are you sure this is the way to the botanical gardens? I think we were supposed to get off at the last exit," Mercedes asked as he drove along the highway, with the windows down, letting in the salty ocean air and bright sunshine.

"I'm taking a shortcut."

"Short cut?"

"Relax, I know the way."

"Hmmm, if you say so," Mercedes said, adjusting her blue-tinted sunglasses; her hair was out and carefree in shiny, black waves; she twisted it the night before and let it out that morning. She fastened a blue orchid hair clip to her wavy locks and applied black vanilla hair sheen spray. Her lips were a subtle glossy shade of pink. She wore a mid-length, royal blue wrap dress that was one-sided off the shoulder, with a circle skirt and raw-edge hem. It complimented her hourglass figure, hugging her curves just right; it was both sensuous and flirty; she felt pretty wearing it, and judging by Sam's lustful gaze, she knew she picked the right dress to wear. They had just dropped the kids off at a day camp since they wanted to spend the day alone, and it was Sam's idea to go to the botanical gardens since he knew she loved flowers and butterflies.

"You sound like you don't trust me," Sam said, glancing at her, his green eyes twinkling in the sunlight.

"It's not that; it's just that we haven't been here long enough for you to know any shortcuts," Mercedes said.

"I'm good with directions."

"True."

"And I'm good at finding short cuts, doesn't matter how long I'm in a place," he said, reaching over and stroking her cheek.

"Whatever, you say, Sam," she said.

He shook his head, kissing her hand as he continued to drive. They got off at the next exit, and about ten minutes later, they arrived at a quaint white building with a dusky red wide-hipped roof and a portico supported by square, white columns painted with decorative green flowers. Palm trees surrounded the building, and out front was a large, curved flower bed filled with blue and red hibiscus flowers with a fountain in the center, gushing white water. The lush green lawn on the property looked freshly cut and almost too perfect to be real.

"This doesn't look like the botanical gardens," Mercedes said, gazing at the building, "Ok, Sam, what's going on? What have you got up your sleeve?"

"You'll see."

"Sam I - "

"Come on, you'll see."

They got out of the car and walked up the red-tiled pathway to the main entrance with cherrywood arched double doors, each carved with a distinctive palm leaf design. Sam tugged on the brass doorknob in the shape of a pineapple. Once inside, Mercedes was immediately awed by how beautiful the room was. The pink marble floor gleamed beneath the sunlight shining through the skylight and windows, Koa wood carvings of jungle hibiscus plants hung on the cream-colored walls. The air smelled like jasmine. An attractive, full-figured woman with long wavy black hair, dark eyes, and olive skin stood behind the big L-shaped reddish-brown wooden desk with tropical flowers carved into the front. She wore a peach halter dress and a thin gold chain around her neck, the black nametag pinned to the front of her dress said, Malia. Nodding at them, she smiled.

"Hello, Welcome to Blue Nirvana."

"I'm Sam Hummel, and this is my wife, Mercedes. I made an appointment today for 1:00."

"Nice to meet you," Malia said and then looked at Mercedes, "I love your dress. The color suits you."

"Thank you," Mercedes said, "Your dress is pretty too."

Malia opened a big brown leather notebook filled with appointments written in beautiful cursive on sepia-toned parchment paper. Mercedes was surprised that there was no computer or phone at the desk. There was a decorative antique brass double inkwell that was a sculpture of fleur de lis scrolls and latticework, and beside it was a filigree brass inkstand that held an etched bone calligraphy pen. Mercedes wondered how this place kept track of everything.

As Malia flipped through the stiff pages of the notebook, she hummed to herself and then finally came upon Sam's appointment.

"Ah, here it is," she said, pointing to his name written in a delicate handwritten script; you're getting the Nirvana Extreme. Excuse me while I get Nalani; she's your assigned coordinator. I'll be back in a moment."

When she was gone, Mercedes said:

"Ok, Sam, what exactly is a Nirvana Extreme? What is this place?"

He kissed her forehead.

"Since you've been so patient, I'll tell you. This is a romantic couple-day retreat. We'll get a massage, an oceanfront horseback ride, gourmet meal, and everything."

"Wow, Sam, are you serious? This is too much... I can't believe..."

Sam kissed her again, silencing her protests.

"Nothing for you is ever too much."

Mercedes' stomach fluttered; after five years of marriage, he never failed to give her first date, first kiss, will we or won't we butterflies.

She hugged him, resting her head on his shoulder.

"Thank you, Mr. Hummel."

"My pleasure Mrs. Hummel."

Just then, Malia walked into the room with Nalani beside her. She was rather tall and had a warm presence about her with her plump curvy body and round face. Her black hair was slicked back in a high ponytail, and her cheeks were slightly flushed. She wore a tangerine floral print sundress that showed off her thick bronzed arms and legs. Nalani smiled at them, extending her hand, which had a small hibiscus tattoo.

"Hello, I'm Nalani; I'll be your guide today."

"Nice to meet you," Sam said, shaking her hand, "I'm Sam Hummel, and this is my wife, Mercedes."

Nalani shook their hands.

"I'm pleased to meet you both," She said, "I know you'll enjoy yourselves today. Your first activity is the horseback ride; follow me, I'll take you to Haku; he's our horse trainer."

They followed her out of the lobby, took a back exit, and went outside, walking along a stone path through a tropical garden filled with hibiscus and jasmine flowers. Then they came upon the beach where a bald, muscular man with tanned olive skin and dark eyes dressed in khaki shorts and a white t-shirt with the Blue Nirvana logo printed on it. A gold ring was in his left nostril. Beside him stood three reddish-brown bay horses, their coats shining like copper pennies in the sunlight. The breeze was blowing, and the horses' coal-black manes and tails floated in the wind like silk scarves. The ocean waves rolled in and out, creating the pleasant crashing sound Mercedes had grown to love since their vacation began.

He walked toward them, smiling, revealing rows of bright white teeth.

"Hello there, I'm Haku. Are you ready to ride one of these beauties?"

"Haku, this is Sam and Mercedes Hummel," Nalani said, holding her hand over her eyes to shield them from the sun, "They'll be riding with you today. I'll meet you back here about when you're done."

"Ok."

"They're gorgeous," Mercedes said, gazing at the horses, "What are their names?"

Haku pointed to the horses and said:

"The first one on the left is Ginger, the middle one is Pepper, and the last one is Garam Masala, but we call him Gary for short."

"I take it you like spice."

Haku laughed.

"I didn't name them. My wife did."

"I like their names."

"So, do you two have any riding experience?"

"I do," Sam said, placing his arm casually around Mercedes' shoulders, "How long have you been riding?"

"All my life. I think I learned to ride a horse before I could walk."

"I've only been riding once before," Mercedes said, leaning against Sam, enjoying the warmth of his body, "I liked it."

"You can ride Gary," Haku said, "He's the gentlest."

"I'm more experienced," Sam said.

"Ah, well, Pepper should be perfect for you. And I guess that leaves Ginger for me. Come on, let's get started. It's a beautiful day for a ride."

After Haku and Sam assisted Mercedes with mounting Gary and getting situated, they hopped on Pepper and Ginger, and they began their oceanfront horseback ride. It was peaceful riding the horses along the beach, close to the water's edge, foamy curls of fading waves splashed against the horses' hooves, and Mercedes loved the ocean's unique scent: a briny freshness that was pure and invigorating, like standing beneath a waterfall. Haku led the way, singing a Hawaiian song; Mercedes liked his baritone voice; though she didn't understand the words, she felt them. His voice drifted across the beach, each word carried by the wind as they followed him:

Lû `ia mai lû `ia mai kô `oukou aloha

E nâ manu `ô`ô hulu melemele

Sam must have liked it too because he said:

"What's the name of that song you're singing?"

"It's called Pu'uanahulu," Haku said, "It's about where I'm from. I know the English version, but I like singing the native version better."

Gary proved to be the gentle horse that Haku said he was, and Mercedes liked riding him; she had no trouble but was grateful that Sam and Haku kept a close watch on her, making sure she kept up with them. Everything looked unreal like a painting: from the vast blue, cloudless sky overhead to the sparkling turquoise ocean and the powder-white sand; it was all so beautiful as if she stepped into a dream. The horses' steady gallop emitted tranquil happiness within her, and Mercedes felt carefree. She recalled a childhood game, called light as a feather, when one girl lay in the middle of the floor, and the others formed a circle around her and chanted the girl's name, saying that she was light as a feather and the girl was supposed to rise from the ground. Aunt Josephine said the game was Satanic and forbade her to play it, but Mercedes knew she would win that game if she were playing it right at that moment because she was indeed light as a feather, rising to the sky.

She looked over at Sam, his sun-bleached hair blowing in the wind, and he gazed at her, smiling, and she knew if they weren't riding horses, they would be kissing and cuddling or holding each other. She was glad he didn't get a chance to make an appointment to see the barber before they left on vacation; his disheveled hair looked good on him, at least for the time being.

When they came upon the trail's end near the other side of the beach, Mercedes saw a redwood A-frame cottage with a front deck. A couple of feet away from the cottage was a round table covered with a white tablecloth, and in the middle of the table was a red ginger flower centerpiece and two gold handbells.

A couple of plates filled with pineapple, guava, and mango were also on the table, along with bottles of sparkling water. It was a private picnic for two in a secluded area of the beach, with a fantastic ocean view. Haku slowed down, getting off the horse, gently patting Ginger, and murmuring to her. Then he went to Mercedes to help her off Gary while Sam dismounted from Pepper.

"Help yourself to the refreshments and rest a bit," Haku said, "I'll tend to the horses," he said, leading the team away, "I'll let you know when it's time to go."

When Haku was gone, Sam hugged Mercedes and kissed her.

"So, what do you think?"

"It's wonderful," She said, "How did you even hear about this place?"

"Hiram and Sean. They told me how great it was and hooked me up. It's sort of a word-of-mouth thing, from what Sean told me, some celebrities come here too."

"Oh, so now, we're celebrities?"

"I should say we are."

Sam pulled out her chair, and Mercedes sat down. She picked up one of the bells and noticed that her name was engraved on it. Sam's bell had his name engraved on it too. Underneath each bell was a small card made of parchment paper. Mercedes opened it, and inside was a short message written in black fountain ink; the calligraphy style writing reminded her of wedding invitations. She read the card out loud:

Please ring three times.

Mercedes rang the bell, and a woman, in a white linen dress, with a golden complexion, came walking out the cottage; her black hair flowed down her back, reaching her waist, a flower-shaped birthmark was on her left cheek. She came to their table.

"Hello Mercedes, I'm Olina," she said, "What can I get for you?"

Mercedes wasn't sure what to say.

"Um, uh, are you our waitress?"

"No, just your waitress. Your husband has his own."

"Really?"

Olina nodded.

"Yes."

Mercedes looked at Sam.

"Ring your bell."

Sam read his card and rang his bell two times, and Mercedes noticed that it sounded different from hers. It was shriller, she couldn't really describe it, yet it wasn't like her bell at all. A man came walking out; he was tall with curly black hair, slender and toned. His button-down white shirt was crisp and wrinkle-free and tucked into a pair of khaki shorts; he wore a necklace with a Koa wood pendant of three dolphins interconnected in a circle.

"Hello Sam, he said, "I'm Kale. What can I get for you?"

"Do you have a menu?"

"Yes, I'll get them for you. Sorry for not having them on the table."

"No worries, and thank you."

"I'll be right back; just ring if you need me," he said and walked back to the cottage.

Olina smiled at Mercedes.

"Do you need anything right now?"

"Not yet."

"Ok, let me know when you're ready."

She left them alone, and Mercedes opened a bottle of water, pouring it into her glass, taking a sip, she said:

"Magic bells, what's next?"

"They aren't magic."

"So you say."

Sam took a bite of pineapple, closing his eyes.

"That beats anything that we ever got at the supermarket back home."

Mercedes ate some as well.

"It's delicious," she said.

Kale returned to the table with the menus, which were two golden-handled scrolls rolled up.

"Here you go," he said, handing them each a scroll, "Ring when you need us."

He walked back to the cottage, and Mercedes looked at the scroll, the golden handles shined in the sun, and her name was engraved on the handle. It reminded her of those scrolls they had in fairytales when there was an announcement from the king. It was made of the same parchment paper as the bell instructions and appointment book.

"Let's open them," Sam said.

Mercedes unrolled the scroll, and it said:

My Journey to You Menu

First Kiss Appetizers

Drake's Cakes

Ding Dongs

First Date Entrées

Caesar Salad

Crab Bisque Soup

Grilled Lamb Chops

Roasted Rosemary Beets

Sautéed Spinach

Balsamic Rosemary Marinated Steak Florentine

Garlic Mashed Potatoes with Caramelized Onions

Oven Roasted Asparagus Sprinkled with Parmesan Flakes

Wedding Day Dessert

White Cake With Lemon Buttercream Frosting

Honeymoon Drinks

Sweet Nectar

Champagne

Fireside Flame

Rose in Moonlight

Mercedes was beside herself as she looked at the scroll; it was just too much. It was a menu of their relationship. She recalled their first kiss on that long cold drive to his parents' house when he pulled over to the side of the road and made his feelings known, they got Ding Dongs and Drakes Cakes to munch on, and she remembered tasting the sweet cake on his lips. And then there was their official first date at Sir Walter Raleigh Inn; the scroll menu had their exact meal listed: he got every detail right. The Wedding Day dessert made her smile, that was such a joyous day, and the Honeymoon Drinks made her blush.

"How did you... I can't believe you... "She was at a loss for words.

Sam reached across the table and held her hand.

"I wanted to celebrate us coming together."

"Thank you," she said, kissing him, but I want to point something out.

"What's that?"

"For the Honeymoon Drinks, only one of them is real, and that's the champagne."

"Oh, those other drinks are real, you know what they mean, don't you?"

"You know I do. So, you invented drinks?"

"You could say that."

Mercedes rang her bell, and Olina came out of the cottage smiling brightly.

"Are you ready to order?"

"Yes, I'll have a Drake's Cake and Ding Dong" for an appetizer, and I want one of every Honeymoon drink."

Olina nodded.

"Certainly, I'll be back shortly."

Sam rang for Kale and ordered the same thing. When their appetizers arrived, Mercedes laughed at seeing the Ding Dongs and Drakes Cakes neatly arranged on a white plate with golden trim, as if they were rare delicacies. She and Sam held hands and said grace, then began eating the snack cakes. Olina and Kale came out with a tray of Honeymoon drinks; each one had a white card beside it that identified each drink. The Fireside Flame drink was missing from the tray because there was only so much room on the table and would come out after dessert.

Mercedes chose the Sweet Nectar; it was a violet-colored cocktail garnished with a small orange orchid. She took a sip, tasting a hint of lime, which surprised her, but she couldn't place the other flavor it tasted like vanilla and was nutty with floral undertones; She looked at the ingredient card, and it said the drink contained ube extract, vodka, rum, and simple syrup.

"What's ube?"

"It's a purple yam," Sam said, "Do you like it?"

"I love it," she said, taking another sip, "So, this reminds you of..." she felt herself blushing and averted her eyes, unable to say it out loud, even though no one else was around. Sam stared at her, leaning over and kissing her.

"It's the essence, yes, but it's a passion too. It's a lot of things, you know."

They kissed and continued sipping their drinks. The next one they sampled was the Rose in Moonlight which was in a hand-painted teal, red, and yellow martini glass; the drink was pale yellow with a few edible red rose petals floating on the surface. Mercedes remembered that moment they shared beneath the stained-glass dome window, the moonlight, the kisses... The drink tasted of rosewater, sweetness, and lemons. The martini glass was like the window, and as the sunlight hit it, rainbows appeared on the white tablecloth.

"I'm still trying to give you the moon," Sam said.

Mercedes kissed him. Then they rang for Olina and Kale, who came out of the cottage and got their lunch orders before disappearing again, leaving them alone.

They sipped on the bubbly champagne next, pale gold and sparkling, in the blue crystal flutes, and Sam hummed their wedding song, "The Book of Love, and they sang the chorus together:

And I

I love it when you give me things

And you

You ought to give me wedding rings

You ought to give me wedding rings

Mercedes was about to take another sip of champagne when she noticed something shiny at the bottom of her glass; she fished it out and saw that it was a beautiful emerald and blue sapphire ring with a diamond-studded white gold band.

"Sam..."

"I was hoping you wouldn't drink it," he said, laughing as he helped her put it on her finger; of course, it fit perfectly and looked gorgeous on her hand. Tears filled her eyes as she gazed down at the ring.

"Our colors... Thank you but - "

"No buts. I bought this because when I saw it, I saw you and me and our family and everything we are, and I wanted it on your finger, plain and simple."

Just as they kissed, Olina and Kale came outside with their entrees and began setting everything on the table, removing empty dishes, and refilling their water glasses. The food tasted exactly as it had at the Sir Walter Raleigh Inn when they had their first date from what seemed like a lifetime ago, both fumbling toward love. Mercedes' relished the flavor of her tender lamb chops, roasted rosemary beets, and sauteed spinach. If she closed her eyes, she was transported to their private dining room in the restaurant on that cold winter evening, feeling like a blue angel princess. Sam enjoyed his steak as well, and they ate off each other's plates and listened to the soothing ocean waves.

The wedding cake for dessert was as scrumptious as she remembered. Afterward, Olina and Kale brought out the final Honeymoon Drink: Fireside Flame, which was a reddish-orange concoction with sparkling edible gold glitter in a cocktail glass, and as Mercedes was about to taste it, Kale stopped her and lit both drinks on fire, with a lighter, and the flames fluttered, creating a drink that looked like a burning red-orange firepit.

"A cocktail that lives up to its name," Kale said as they all clapped.

It burned for thirty seconds, and Sam and Mercedes took pictures of their drinks before Kale extinguished the flames.

"Cheers," he said.

The drink tasted like smoky cinnamon with a hint of orange and vanilla, and the whisky was intense, almost burning.

"That fireplace," Sam said, "this is what -

"I understand," Mercedes said, the hot spicy flavors lingering on her tongue.

He put his arm around her as they sipped their drinks. Even though the ocean tide rolled in and out, and the air was warm and fragrant with the scent of tropical flowers, Mercedes and Sam were now in their honeymoon suite, with snow falling outside their window, the lights low, and the fireplace burning orange and yellow. They're making love, holding each other, laughing, talking, sharing, beginning their lives as husband and wife.

When they finished their drinks, Kale and Olina brought them hot towels to refresh themselves. To complete their meal, they each ordered a Kona coffee. By the time they drank their coffee and used the cottage restroom, Haku returned with the horses. The ride back was calmer than before, and Mercedes noticed they rode at a slower pace. When they reached the other end of the beach, Nalani was waiting for them, clipboard in hand. After they dismounted the horses and said goodbye to Haku, she informed them of their next activity, a full body lomi lomi massage in a private cabana on the beach. Mercedes was excited.

"I've always wanted to get a couples massage like this," She said, hugging Sam, "This day has been phenomenal!"

"It has, hasn't it?" Sam said, kissing her forehead.

Nalani smiled at them.

"Come, let me take you to the cabana. You'll have to disrobe."

When Nalani said disrobe, Mercedes felt flushed, and she knew it wasn't from the island's humid heat. Sam noticed and squeezed her hand, he leaned over and kissed her behind her earlobe, and Mercedes bit her lip, feeling that familiar tingle in her belly. They followed Nalani to the cabana. Sam's arm was around her waist, keeping her close to his side; she leaned against him, smelling his skin. She loved his scent: the chemical smell of his prescription eczema cream, the water fragrance of French body lotion, bright citrus deodorant, and the distinct, subtle perfume that lived beneath the other aromas. It reminded her of sun-dried linen, fresh-cut wood, and summer breezes. Sam said this scent was from the dryer sheets, but Mercedes knew better. It wasn't cloying or fake and could never be created in a laboratory. It was in Sam's DNA, and you had to know his skin from the inside out to detect it. He said she was the only woman ever to say he had a unique scent.

About six months prior, when the children were visiting Stacey, they spent the day making slow passionate love. Afterward, as they lay naked, tangled in warm sheets, facing each other, damp limbs intertwined, his hands running up and down her back as she clung to him, her large stretch-marked breasts pressed against his chest, the sunlight was fading, and the room had that in-between bluish glow before sunset. The only sound was their faint, measured breathing. Sam remained buried inside her warm depths, keeping them connected, and he whispered: "We're blood and bone." She understood because she felt it too. Their love went under the skin, seeping into their blood and bones, revealing his scent to her.

Sam pulled her closer to his side as they walked along the beach toward the tropical garden. Nalani was ahead of them, glancing down at her clipboard now and then and walking at a slightly faster pace. Mercedes saw that it wasn't the garden they walked through earlier. This one had a gray stone waterfall running through the center of dense green tropical foilage; the boulders created a natural staircase, and on the right of the waterfall were three bamboo huts with thatched roofs, ascending to the top of the falls.

"This is beautiful," Mercedes said.

Nalani smiled.

"I thought you two would like to see our waterfall and look inside our prayer huts. It's very serene."

As they walked up the rocky terrain along the inclined pathway, Sam kept a firm grip on Mercedes, ensuring she didn't slip on any wet rocks. Nalani walked through the doorway of the first hut with Sam and Mercedes following behind her. It was small, about the size of a big shed. Against the far wall was a round rosewood table with two wooden chairs with bright orange cushions, and on the table was a big brown leather book; a black fountain pen and gold inkwell were beside it. In the corner of the room was a stack of red, orange, and yellow zabutons. The hut's waterfall view was breathtaking like a nature calendar photo, but the best feature was the glass floor; just like the glass bottom boat, they could look down and see a multitude of vibrantly colored fish swimming beneath their feet.

"What do you think, schatzchen?" Sam said, wrapping his arms around her from behind and giving her a quick kiss on her neck.

Mercedes snuggled against him.

"I love having an aquarium under my toes."

Sam laughed.

"Me too," he said, then looked over at Nalani.

"So, people come here to pray?"

She nodded.

"Yes. But it's not just for prayer; you can meditate or just think. Listening to the waterfall is calming."

"What's the book for?" Mercedes asked.

"That's our prayer book. You can write down anything … poems, thoughts, feelings. We only ask that it's positive. We want the energy here to remain good."

"Could you give us a few minutes?" Sam said.

"Certainly, I have to check a few things," Nalani said, leaving the hut.

Sam went to the corner, grabbed two zabutons from the top of the pile, and placed them in the middle of the floor. He helped Mercedes kneel on the cushion, and then he kneeled on the other one facing her. They held hands, pressing their foreheads together. The rushing sound of the waterfall drifted in from the open window. After sharing a few moments of silence, Sam said a prayer:

"Dear Lord, thank you for giving us so much abundance and love. Thank you for our beautiful children. You guided us through the darkness, and now we rejoice in your name. Thank you for bringing us together; I've never known such joy as I have with my wife. We're blessed beyond all measure. Amen"

A few tears fell from Mercedes' eyes. Sam's prayer touched her. He squeezed her hands, opening his eyes; she saw tears shining in them. They kissed and hugged each other before standing up and returning the cushions to the pile. Mercedes wanted to write something in the prayer book. She walked over to the table and opened it; the thick, parchment pages were filled with the guests' positive words. Dipping the pen into the inkwell, she thought about what she wanted to say then wrote:

"To anyone reading this, know that you are loved, know that you matter, and know that darkness will pass."

Sam wrote something too:

"Bless this place, this moment, this life."

Nalani returned, just as they were closing the book. She stood in the doorway.

"Ready for your massage?"

"Lead the way," Sam said, taking Mercedes by the hand.

Nalani took them to the private cabana on the beach, an outdoor structure supported by four wooden posts. Two massage tables were set up side-by-side, covered by crisp white sheets and a decorative forest green cloth with a sea turtle pattern. Next to the cabana were two tall turquoise changing tents. Nalani unzipped both tents and said to them.

"Undress and wrap yourself in the body towel. Robes were also provided."

Usually, Mercedes would hesitate before such a request, but she felt so relaxed and carefree that she didn't worry about anything. She went inside the tent and found a white robe and towel folded up and placed on a bench, and next to them were a pair of white flip flops sealed in plastic. After she undressed, she wrapped herself in the big towel and noticed that it had her name embroidered along the bottom seam in gold silk thread; the towel was thick and fluffy and incredibly soft. The robe was also embroidered with her name; she didn't put it on since the towel was enough. She opened the flip flops and slid them on her feet, thankful that she had gotten a pedicure the other day, so her toes were a festive pink and soft as silk.

Sam was waiting for her outside the tent; he wore the towel around his waist, his tanned upper torso wholly exposed; he reached for her pulling her into a tight embrace and kissing her.

"You look so beautiful and sexy."

"I'm wearing a towel."

"I'm thinking about what's underneath."

Mercedes blushed.

"Behave, Sam."

He chuckled and kissed her again. They went to the cabana where a man and woman dressed in khaki shorts and white tank tops stood by the massage tables, waiting for them. The woman was petite with almond-shaped eyes and lightly bronzed skin, and the man was rather rotund with a full beard and a massive tattoo that covered his right shoulder, arm, and part of his chest; it was a traditional native Hawaiian design in black ink. The man spoke first:

"Hello, I'm Akoni, and this is Kalena; we'll be giving you a lomi lomi massage today. Have you ever had one before?"

"No, this is our first time," Sam said.

"A lomi lomi massage soothes your body and replenishes your energy. We believe that your memories aren't just in your mind but in your body's cells, and as we massage you, each stroke will help release old memories and behaviors that no longer serve your purpose. Or, as my Grandma would say, take out the bad to get the good. Now, Sam, I'll be your massage therapist, and Mercedes, Kalena will be yours. Let's get started."

After Akoni and Kalena helped them get situated and comfortable on the table, Mercedes' felt Kalena's soft hands on her back, merely resting there, then she heard her say a blessing for healing, and Akoni did the same. Mercedes liked that the massage began with a prayer and a moment of silence. Next, she felt warm macadamia and coconut-scented oil being spread onto her back, and the deep, slow strokes of the massage began; it was heavenly. During their massages, both Kalena and Akoni hummed as they worked over every muscle with steady rhythmic strokes. Listening to the ocean waves and their melodic humming, feeling the salty air blow over their bodies, and smelling the sweet oil made for such a sublime experience that Mercedes never wanted it to end. She felt as if something was being pulled from her body and thought of Akoni's grandmother's words: "take out the bad to get the good, and then something strange happened.

All of her childhood memories rushed through her mind in a quick non-sequential montage, lonely birthdays, awkward dances, singing in smoky clubs, waiting for Aunt Josephine... gradually, they faded. She breathed deep, feeling an odd rushing sensation go through her, like diving into a pool and then breaking the surface. Tears welled up in her eyes, and she blinked them away, not knowing what was happening but welcoming this emotional relief. She felt free. At this point, Kalena turned her over and began massaging her feet; their eyes met, and Kalena nodded.

"Release."

Mercedes looked over and saw Sam staring at her, a peaceful expression on his face; she wondered if he were experiencing the same thing. He felt close and faraway all at once.

Kalena and Akoni continued humming; the tune was ethereal and spiritual and carried her away somewhere else; she was floating as she closed her eyes.

"Exhale," Kalena whispered.

Mercedes saw Aunt Josephine begging the electric company not to turn off their lights, the delinquent bill twisted in her hand, her head leaning against the kitchen wall in despair. She saw her mother crying by a window, a cigarette dangling from her lips, and saw Shane taking pills in a dark room with the light of the television shining on his face, and Puck trying to kiss her in the rain... the images came and vanished within seconds. Instead of feeling the pain attached to them, she watched them disappear as she floated.

Sam felt something deep within him and saw flashes of buried memories: getting bullied on the playground for his big lips, the children encircling while chanting: "trouty mouth, trouty mouth, why don't you grow a snout?" finding Kurt bloody and beaten in the school parking lot after he came out, watching his father struggle to tell them one cold Sunday morning before church that they may lose their home because he couldn't find work after getting laid off, so they had to live with Grandpa Hummel for a spell, and his mother standing beside him, trying not to cry, her hair falling in her eyes, and that photographer who stood too close and took his picture, rubbing his shoulders, asking him if he was 18... the memories came and went, without pain or judgment, only an acknowledgment that it happened. Sam could let go, make room for the good stuff... rejoice in what he now had with Mercedes. Akoni hummed above him, his large hands stroking and kneading his flesh, and Sam felt relief with each motion. He wanted to hold Mercedes' hand.

"Move us closer," he said to Akoni, who obliged.

Mercedes heard Sam's massage table being pushed across the cabana floor and then felt his hand reach for hers, their fingers interlocking. Whatever this great release was, he wanted them to share it together, and Mercedes felt comfort in his touch.

Kalena and Akoni said another prayer as they finished their massages. Then all was silent except for the ocean waves crashing.

"Relax for as long as you like," Akoni said, "We'll leave you two alone for a bit."

Mercedes nodded, too dazed to speak, her eyes closed.

"Thank you," Sam said.

When Kalena and Akoni left, Sam moved closer to her, pressed against her hip, his arm draped across her belly. Neither said anything as the summer breeze blew over them. Mercedes wasn't sure how much time passed as they laid in each other's arms in the cabana; it felt like a long time, but it could've been shorter; the energy and space they were in seemed to suspend reality. They faced each other, their foreheads touching, breathing in and out, as the release of burdens continued; and their tears flowed as they held one another in silent gratitude. Daylight faded, and the sunset cast an orange glow on the beach. Finally, it was time to go, and nobody came for them, yet Mercedes knew it was time to depart, and Sam did too. Gradually, they sat up, slowly easing off the massage tables, as their towels slipped from their bodies, landing on the ground, leaving them nude in the sunset's fading light. They embraced each other, and Mercedes didn't care if anyone saw them like this because they were beautiful. Arms around each other, they went to the tents to change back into their clothes. Mercedes dressed quickly, feeling rejuvenated. When she emerged from the tent, Sam was waiting for her, and before she could speak, he kissed her, caressing her cheek.

"How do you feel?"

"Wonderful."

"Me too."

Just then, Akoni and Kalena came walking toward them.

"So, how did you two like the massage?" Akoni asked. Neither Sam nor Mercedes answered him at first. Instead, they hugged Akoni and Kalena, stumbling over their words.

"Thank you so much," Sam said, "It... I can't even describe it."

Mercedes echoed his sentiments.

"Whatever you did, changed me," Mercedes said, "Thank you."

"We can't take credit for what happened," Akoni said, returning their fierce hugs, "We're merely vessels."

"Yes," Kalena said, "We carried the message. That's all."

Mercedes didn't try to convince them that their modesty, while admirable, was misplaced. She only expressed her gratitude, and they grew shy as she praised them, with Kalena blushing beneath her bronze skin.

"Give it to God," she said, her voice soft.

Nalani arrived a few minutes later to take them back to the main building to check out. After saying a final goodbye to Kalena and Akoni, they followed Nalani through the tropical flower garden; the air smelled like sweet jasmine and hibiscus. When they entered the building, they saw Malia sitting behind the reception desk, smiling at them.

"You're both beaming," She said, "I take it you had a good time."

"It was wonderful," Mercedes said, squeezing Sam's hand.

"Here," Malia said, reaching under the desk; she took out two large white boxes, "These are the bathrobes, towels, scroll menus, and gold service bells you used today."

"Thank you," Mercedes said.

"Now, if you could fill out these survey sheets," she said, sliding two pieces of sepia-toned parchment paper across the desk toward them along with an ink well and fountain, "We would really appreciate it."

"Of course," Sam said, "It's the least we can do. We had an awesome time."

Nalani shook their hands.

"I'm so glad you enjoyed yourselves today. Please come again if you're ever in Hawaii."

"We definitely will," Sam said.

After they filled out the surveys, they gathered up the boxes and exited the building. As they drove to pick up the kids from the day camp, Mercedes opened the sunroof to let in the late afternoon breeze; Sam squeezed her thigh as they stopped at a red light.

"I guess you liked your surprise."

"That's an understatement. Never in a million years did I expect anything this wonderful."

Sam kissed her cheek.

"Me either," he said, "And I'm not talking about just today."

Mercedes was overwhelmed by his words and leaned over, kissing him; it was long and slow and beckoned first date euphoria with calm domestic bliss. When they finally pulled away from each other, Sam's face was flushed red, and his eyes were bright:

"Wow, that was..."

Mercedes pressed her finger to his lips.

"Wait until tonight."

He grinned, kissing her fingertip.

"I'm holding you to that, Mrs. Hummel."

---

As they packed on their last day in Hawaii, Sam watched Mercedes bustling about the room, making sure nothing was forgotten. He came up behind her, put his arms around her ample waist, and burrowed his face into her soft neck. She wore a short white lacy nightgown that Sam liked because it was innocent and sexy all at once. They had all gone swimming earlier in the day, and when they returned to the house, she took a shower and slipped into her nightie because it was comfortable. He kissed her neck, applying just enough pressure to arouse her. Mercedes dropped the orange t-shirt she was folding and took a deep breath, her voice unsteady.

"Sam, we need to pack."

"I know," he said, continuing to kiss her, enjoying the ocean scented body wash on her skin, smelling like the beach.

She relaxed against him.

"We have a lot to do."

"I know, and we'll get it done."

"Only if we pack early."

"This is our last day here."

She turned around, stood on her tiptoes, and kissed him.

"I'm aware of that."

"I've got an idea."

"What is it?"

"Do we have any merlot left?"

"A couple of bottles."

"Where's the blanket?"

"In the closet."

Sam kissed her once more, went to the closet, and grabbed the blue striped beach blanket from off the top shelf. He also got a couple of pillar candles and pillows. Realizing it would be hard to carry everything at once, he put the items into a big straw bag.

"Sam, what are you up to?"

"We're not missing our last sunset in Hawaii."

"Let me change."

"What for?"

"I'm wearing my nightgown."

"You look beautiful. Come on, time's a-wastin."

She didn't protest and slipped on her flip-flops, following him downstairs, where they got the wine, macadamia butter cookies, smoked ham sandwiches, and fruit salad, all leftover from lunch. Sam also retrieved the small portable beach table and mats with adjustable backrests. It was late afternoon, and daylight was fading. The twins were napping, and Abby was on the phone chatting with Aunt Josephine. They let her know they were going to the beach for some alone time and would be back in a bit. Abby nodded and continued her conversation.

Sam went to their favorite spot in the middle of the beach, spread out the blanket, set up the mats and table, and lit the candles. They sat down and put the food on the little redwood table. Sam poured them each a glass of wine. They ate their meal, sitting close together as the sky changed colors from golden to purple to pink. They sipped the merlot and talked, kissed, and held hands, enjoying the sound of the waves and the warm breeze blowing across their skin. Sam was grateful this was a private beach; it was like they owned their own corner of the universe. He took his Bluetooth speaker out of the straw bag, setting it on the table, and played Betcha By Golly Wow on his phone. He reached for Mercedes' hand, admiring her beauty in the fading orange light of the sunset, how her eyes shined when she looked at him, and he said:

"May I have this dance?"

She smiled and nodded, and he helped her up, and they danced close together on the beach, swaying to the soulful melody, and he sang in her ear softly:

And betcha by golly, wow.

You're the one that I've been waiting for forever

She looked luminous in her white nightgown, the lace stretching over her beautiful curves, and he knew he probably looked like a beach bum in his blue swimming trunks and faded green t-shirt, his sun-bleached hair was tousled and unkempt, but none of that mattered. She was in his arms, and their hearts were beating together, and he held her tight, and it all felt so good, so perfect. He couldn't imagine a better moment to stop time. They danced to a few more songs, then finished off the bottle of wine, and he opened the second one.

Mercedes was no longer in a hurry to pack or do anything except relish in this time they spent together. They stayed out on the beach until it was dark, the yellow candlelight shining on them, as they kissed and caressed one another. The air smelled of sweet plumerias with notes of roses and ginger and the Pacific's fresh, briny scent. And he also smelled Mercedes' unique springtime scent. It was like flowers blooming and morning dew, all those wondrous things that came with a reawakening. When he thought he had nothing left to live for, Mercedes gave him the rare gift of a second chance. She said he had a scent too, and at first, he didn't understand, but now he did.

"I love you," he whispered, hugging her close and kissing her plump cheek.

She gazed up at him.

"I love you too."

They danced again, though this time, no music played, only the soothing, gentle sound of the waves rolling in and out. Sam's libido went into overdrive, and after a few more kisses and less than innocent touches, they packed up their stuff and went back to the house, going upstairs to their room, locking the door, and making love like newlyweds.

---

TOGETHER AGAIN

Six months later

After many phone calls, red tape, an interview with a local Kentucky news station, and researching the legalities involved, Mercedes and Sam were finally able to move the graves of Thaddeus Fletcher and Francesca Washington. Now they could rest eternally beside each other in the new cemetery about a mile from where they were buried.

Sam restored the Fletcher house to its former glory by using old pictures and any information he could find out about it. He gleaned details from Thad's diary that he found in a crawlspace during the renovation; it was a blue leather book with a dull gold clasp and yellowed pages. It recounted his daily life and never-ending devotion to Franny, despite the odds being against them.

He also got information about the house from their letters. In one of Thad's letters, he told Franny he was painting the house pink because she said she always wanted to live in a big, pink house with acres of land. Reading this, Sam felt a pang in his heart because they could nr live there together; the least he could do was honor their wishes and keep their legacy alive. They also got the house declared a historical landmark, and a signpost was placed near their restored home, telling Franny and Thad's story. The Star Pride Historical Society would give tours of the house a few days a week. Franny and Thad were no longer forgotten names or old letters under the floorboards of a dilapidated house; they became a part of Star Pride's history. It was now a gorgeous pastel pink Queen Anne style Victorian house with a wraparound porch, dome-shaped turret, and white gingerbread trim that resembled lacy fabric.

On the first day that the house was open to the public, Sam and Mercedes organized a celebration with speeches, food, and music, and many townspeople attended. A large blown-up picture of Franny and Thad was on display next to the signpost. Sam gave a speech at the ceremony with his family by his side. They were all dressed in period costumes from the early 1900s to honor Franny and Thad. He and Mercedes wore replicas of the Thad and Franny's outfits in the only known picture of them standing together on a front porch.

They hired a costume designer, an eccentric woman named Madge, who performed the task of bringing these Edwardian style clothes to life. Sam wore a black sack suit, and Mercedes donned a floral chiffon dress with delicate pastel pink roses and a cinched waist; the hem and sleeves were trimmed in lace. Her hair hung down her back, and a garland of baby's breath adorned her head just like in the picture. Abby wore a sheer cotton voile shell-pink dress with puffed sleeves, ruffled bodice, and wide-tucked skirt, her hair French braided; Jake was in a little sailor suit popular for boys of that time, and Rosy wore an ivory pinafore skirt and blouse, her hair in curls.

Sam figured that their family resembled Franny and Thad's if they had lived and had children. Everyone marveled at their costumes and how they looked just like the honored couple. Sam stood at the lectern, looking out at the crowd with his family beside him, and he felt proud. He cleared his throat and spoke into the microphone:

"Thank you all for coming today. When my wife and I began this journey, we didn't expect that Franny and Thad would become a part of our lives, but here we are. We're so much like this wonderful couple; it's scary. When we saw their photos, it was like looking at ourselves from another time. But while Mercedes and I got married, had children, and prospered, Franny and Thad didn't get the same happy ending because hateful bigots murdered them. My family experienced hatred, but the community came together to heal, and Star Pride is still our home. We honor Franny and Thad. By telling their story and allowing them to have a final resting place next to each other, no longer separated; and this beautiful house for everyone to enjoy that celebrates their love and lets folks know Star Pride's history. Thank you."

After the wild applause died down, Sam told everyone to buy food from the concession stand because the proceeds would go to the Star Pride Historical Society and local anti-racism organizations. He then introduced a twenty-two-year-old local classical pianist named Eloise Wyatt to perform Debussy's Claire de Lune. In Thad's diary, he often mentioned how they would listen to it on his victrola after supper while sitting in the parlor. Thad wrote:

Tonight, when the Claire De Lune played, Franny got up and gently swayed to the music, angelic and sweet, and I could only watch her, then she looked out the window and saw the moon. She told me we must go outside and look at it, that the window made it too small, and I obliged, and it was so beautiful. I think we'll dance forever in the moonlight.

Eloise had neon blue micro braids and flawless black velvet skin; she was dressed in a black tulle tutu skirt and retro 80s' red Thundercats t-shirt. She could've passed for a high school student. She waved at the crowd, gave a short nod and quick smile, and sat down at the piano; taking a deep breath, she began to play, closing her eyes. As Sam listened to the music, he couldn't help but think about Thad's diary entry and how he thought they would live forever.

Sam and Mercedes loved Eloise's performance, and so did the kids, much to their surprise, since they deemed classical music "boring." After Eloise finished the piece, taking a bow to the enthusiastic applause, a photographer from the Star Pride Chronicle approached Sam and asked to take a few pictures of the family. She was a young woman in a wheelchair with a long mane of sleek black hair and an amethyst stud in her left nostril. Her freckled sunburned arms were peeling.

"That was a wonderful speech you gave, and your costumes look like you stepped out of a museum exhibit," she said as she snapped pictures of the entire family standing beside the signpost.

"Thank you," Sam said, placing his arm around Mercedes, hugging her to his side as people came over to congratulate them. One of the attendees was a stout black woman with gray hair who looked to be in her sixties, wearing a purple-flowered dress and wide brim straw hat with a purple sash, who came walking over to them, holding a wooden keepsake box, she smiled and introduced herself.

"Hello, I'm Eleanor Flemming; Francesca Washington was my great-great-grandmother."

"Wow, really?" Mercedes said, "That's wonderful; it's so good to meet you."

"I just want to thank you both for honoring my family's history. A picture of Franny hung on my grandmother's wall in the room with the "good furniture" you know that room where old folks keep the plastic on the furniture? Anyway, her photograph was above the couch. I knew she was a teacher. My parents didn't tell me she was murdered until I was grown; I just knew she died young. This is my first time in Star Pride. My grandmother never had much good to say about Kentucky, probably because of what happened. Still, as I was researching the family, I came across an article about this ceremony and your discovery in that old house, so I decided to fly down here. I can't get over how much you look like her, Eleanor said, pausing to stare at Mercedes. Are you sure you don't have any Washington blood?"

"Not that I know of," Mercedes said.

"And you look like Thad's twin brother," Eleanor said to Sam, "I can't get over it."

"It freaked us out at first how much we looked like them," Sam said.

"I imagine it would," Eleanor said, looking at the kids who stood there watching her with curiosity, "You children look ready for Sunday service."

Sam introduced Abby, Rosy, and Jake, and Eleanor chatted with them a bit, and then she said, "I have some things I would like to show you. Do you have a moment?"

"Sure," Sam said.

"Daddy, I'm hungry," Rosy said.

"Me too," Jake said.

"It's past lunchtime," Abby said.

"Why don't you two take the children and get some refreshments, and you can meet me over there, she said, pointing at an empty picnic table away from the crowd.

"Would you like anything?" Mercedes asked as she fixed the bow on Rosy's shiny curls.

"Some lavender lemonade would be nice," Eleanor said, "Thank you."

"Ok, we'll be back in a bit," Sam said, and they went to get refreshments.

He and Mercedes chose the foods for the concession based on Franny and Thad's letters. Franny often baked Lady Baltimore cake for Thad because it was his favorite and a popular wedding cake at the time; she wrote that if they could not have a wedding, they could at least have a wedding cake. Franny also mentioned making spoonbread, fried meat pies, and fresh tomato salad that they would eat on picnics in the backyard, just the two of them, in their little haven from the world. And Thad would make lavender lemonade for Franny because she loved it so much.

After they got their food and joined Eleanor at the picnic table, Sam said grace, and they began to eat their lunch. It was pleasant sitting outside in the warm spring air, listening to the band play Debussy while eating. The fried meat pies were golden brown and crispy and filled with ground beef, pork sausage, onions, and green peppers; they were savory and delectable. Rosy and Jake loved them and asked Mercedes to make those "good little pies" for dinner. The fresh tomato and corn salad was excellent with red onions and vinaigrette dressing. Though the spoonbread was like cornbread, its texture was reminiscent of a souffle and reminded him of Yorkshire Pudding.

But the crown jewel of the meal for Sam was the Lady Baltimore cake, the buttercream frosted, triple-layer white cake with a filling made of raisins, apricots, pecans, and rum was creamy and delicious. Still, the flavors may have been too "grown-up" for the twins who enjoyed the frosting more than the cake. Abby loved it, and so did Mercedes. With all the fluffy white layers and white frosting, it indeed looked like a wedding cake. Eleanor ended up buying a slice of cake after hearing Sam and Mercedes rave about it. After everyone finished their lunch, Eleanor revealed what she had to show them.

"My great Aunt Luella recently passed away, and I'm handling her estate. In her attic was a treasure trove of family artifacts that I didn't even know existed," she said and opened the wooden box she brought with her, sliding it across the table, "Look what I found."

They looked inside the box and saw a stack of yellowed papers, a ring box, and a blue leather book that appeared to be a diary, with the initials F.W., imprinted on the cover. Mercedes opened it, and on the first page, it said:

This is the diary of Francesca Washington.

"Wow, I can't believe you found her diary; this is amazing."

"I know, and what's even more amazing is reading it. Franny was such a wonderful loving woman, and Thad would've given her the moon if he could."

Sam smiled, squeezing Mercedes' hand.

"I know the feeling."

Eleanor nodded.

"I can see that. Open the ring box."

Mercedes opened the ring box and inside found a gorgeous diamond and platinum gold antique engagement ring with a large round diamond at its center, with smaller diamonds surrounding it, creating the appearance of a flower in full bloom.

"It's beautiful," Mercedes said, gazing at it.

"That was Franny's engagement ring. In her diary, she talks about how Thad proposed and how they were running away to Canada."

"It must have cost a fortune."

"The Fletchers were wealthy."

"I want a ring like that when I get married," Abby said.

As they all admired the ring, Vincent came walking up to the table in that quiet, unassuming way of his.

"Hey," he said shyly, waving at them.

Abby, Jake, and Rosy got up from the table, hugging him, and he engulfed them in his is skinny pale arms.

"Y'all look nice," he said, "Those costumes are great."

"Uncle Vincent, you look funny," Rosy said, peering up at him, her green eyes squinting in the sunlight.

"How so?"

"You got hair on your face."

"Growing a beard, that's all."

"Like Santa?" Jake asked, holding Vincent's hand.

"Sort of."

"The newspaper took our picture," Abby said.

"So, I guess your famous now," Vincent said, teasing her.

"Thanks for coming," Sam said.

"Wouldn't miss it."

Then Stacey came walking over to them. It had been a few months since Sam had seen his little sister, and he was surprised that she was dressed like a socialite from 1900; her costume was a long, high-waisted, cream silk gown with long ruffled sleeves trimmed in lace and a high collar. Her blond hair was in an elegant, twisted bun sitting atop her head. The dress complimented her voluptuous figure, accentuating her curves. Her blue eyes sparkled as she smiled at them.

"Stacy, you look beautiful," Mercedes said, getting up from the table and giving her a big hug. "You didn't have to wear a costume."

"I know, but I wanted to surprise you all. This house and everything you're doing, it's so important, and I wanted to celebrate it."

It didn't escape Sam's notice of how Vincent looked at his sister. Stacey introduced herself, extending her hand to him.

"Hi, I'm Stacey, Sam's sister. You must be Vicent."

Vincent smiled, his hand clinging to hers.

"Nice to meet you. How did you know it was me?"

"From how Sam described you."

"I guess he got it right."

"He did."

Sam and Mercedes exchanged glances before introducing Eleanor to Stacey and Vincent. Rosy and Jake were getting restless, so Stacey volunteered to take them for a walk, and Abby decided she wanted another lemonade and Vincent said a walk sounded good to him, so the group left the picnic table, leaving behind Eleanor, Sam, and Mercedes.

They looked over the other items in the box: a few more love letters, photos of Thad and Franny, a gold pocket watch, and a gold cross.

"I want you to have everything in this box," Eleanor said to them.

"Wait, are you sure this ring is valuable," Mercedes said, "It's a family heirloom."

"Yes, but hear me out. I want to tell you my reason why."

"Ok."

Eleanor took a deep breath.

"I'm glad your children are occupied now. What I'm about to say isn't for little pitchers with big ears."

Sam smiled to himself when she said this; his grandmother used to say that when his parents were about to say something they shouldn't hear.

Eleanor paused a second, then said:

"I know you know all about Fran and Thad's murder. But there's one thing a lot of people don't know."

"What's that?" Mercedes asked.

"When the coroner, a man named Augustus Abernathy, otherwise known as "Double-A" or "Gus" around town, examined Franny's body, he found the ring hidden in a sock in the pocket of her dress. And do you know what he did? He tried to steal it. He said Thad wasted his life on a Negro woman, and he was going to give it to his wife as an anniversary gift. He says all of this to his assistant, Lucian Tucker, like it was no big deal, and he said that ring should've been on a white woman's finger and that he was making things right. During the autopsy, Gus made disgusting, lewd remarks about her body while touching her inappropriately, saying she got what was coming to her. Said that he was glad that bastard baby was dead too.

"Damn, that's disgusting," Sam said.

"My God, it's horrible," Mercedes said.

"I know," Eleanor said, nodding, "And what's even worse is that he admitted to knowing who killed Thad and Franny and that his brother was one of the attackers, said that he almost went with them that night. But little did Augustus know that Lucian was passing and -

"Passing what?" Sam said,

Mercedes patted his hand.

"Passing for white."

"Exactly," Eleanor said, taking a sip of lavender lemonade, "Now as I was saying -

"So, he was biracial?" Sam said.

"Yes," Eleanor said, "His father was white, and his mother was black, but she died when he was a young boy, so when he and his father moved to Star Pride, they never told anyone. The only way he could've gotten a decent job at the time was to pass, and that's how he got the coroner's assistant position."

"Wow, Sam said, "he had a secret life."

"Indeed, he did," Eleanor said, "Anyway, Lucian was not only passing, but he was in love with Franny, but she didn't return his feelings. She knew his secret. You'll read about it in her diary. Now can you imagine watching your racist cretin of a boss violate Franny like that, all while loving her? The rage he must've felt. Lucian saw this beautiful, murdered young woman lying on the autopsy table battered and beaten, her belly carrying a child, and Augustus was grinning about the ring, saying sick things, touching her. Lucian lost it and grabbed a pair of dissection scissors from off the table, and stabbed Augustus in the throat, killing him, and he took the ring. Lucian knew the consequences of his actions and didn't care. He went to Franny's parents' house next, and at first, they wondered why Lucian was knocking on their door late in the evening; they were afraid to open it. You see, they knew him in passing around town, and he was always well mannered, but they could hardly call him a friend, they feared he might be up to no good, and given Franny's murder, they were wary of any white person coming to their door. They had no idea about his racial identity.

Mercedes shook her head.

"To live with that kind of fear must've been terrible."

Eleanor sighed, not answering, and looked at the house for a moment before continuing:

"Lucian pleaded with them, and they let him in. He told them everything that happened, from Augustus' disgusting acts and his brother's involvement in the murder to killing him in a rage because he loved Franny even though she didn't love him back, and he revealed that he was passing. The three of them talked far into the night, and Lucian gave them Franny's ring. They let him sleep in the spare room with a promise to leave in the morning, figuring the police would be after him since he was the last person to be seen with Augustus. At daybreak, before he left, he gave them his two most cherished possessions: a gold pocket watch that his mother gave him for Christmas before she died and a gold cross from his deceased father.

Mercedes picked up the cross and pocket watch that were in the box. She looked at them carefully.

"So, this is what Lucian gave to Franny's parents?"

"Yes," Eleanor said, "Amazing, isn't it?"

Opening the pocket watch, Mercedes found an inscription inside that said: To my beloved son, Lucian, and the gold cross was engraved with his full name Lucian Bartholomew Tucker.

"Take everything out of the box and lift the bottom," Eleanor said.

Mercedes removed the false bottom. Underneath was a piece of folded-up paper, yellowed with age. She opened it and saw that it was a wanted ad for Lucian Tucker offering a reward for his capture; the ad included a sketch of what he looked like; he was a handsome man with a thin mustache and slicked-back hair.

"I'll be damned," Mercedes said.

Sam looked at the flyer, too, shocked at everything Eleanor told them.

"Never in a million years would I have thought you would tell us a story like this."

"Trust me, when I found out, I was just as shocked. Now, where was I? Oh yes, well, the next morning, the janitor found Augustus's bloated dead body in the autopsy lab, a pair of scissors sticking out of his throat. They never caught Lucian; family lore said he ended up overseas. I don't know. That's the story my great aunt told me before she died. She said the story, ring, watch and cross had been passed down in our family for generations, and that's why there are so many men named Lucian in my family, including my own father, to pay honor to the man who stood up for Franny, even though he wasn't blood. I found articles about Augustus Abernathy's murder and how Lucian was a suspect. According to my great aunt, she said the old-timers in the family, long dead, said they remembered the flyers posted around town looking for Lucian."

"But no mention of a ring or anything like that?" Mercedes said.

"No, not at all. That's the part that my family has kept to themselves. You know, looking at you, living the life that was snatched from Franny and being her doppelgänger, I feel in my heart that you should have these things, especially that ring. You two made their story known."

"I don't know what to say," Mercedes said, her fingers gliding over the ring's surface, "That story breaks my heart."

"And here we are now, celebrating their lives, sitting right in front of the big pink house she dreamed of living in, but society wouldn't let her," Eleanor said, leaning over and hugging her, "It came full circle, and I have something else to show you, come with me."

"I don't know if my heart can take anything else," Mercedes said, tears falling from her eyes as Sam put his arm around her, "I'm overwhelmed."

"Trust me. You'll be glad you did."

They followed Eleanor to her rental car, and Sam thought about the story he heard, and he was angry; how dare that Augustus prick takes something like that? So brazenly, expecting no repercussions, and have the audacity to want to give that ring to his own wife simply because that's how he thought it should be? Sam didn't condone murder, but he was sure if he had been in Lucian's position, he would've done the same thing."

Eleanor's car was a candy apple red Jeep Cherokee and parked on the side of the road in the shade of an oak tree. She unlocked the trunk, and there were three large flat shipping boxes stacked on top of each other.

"Sam, could you give me a hand?" Eleanor said as she tried to lift the top box.

"Sure," He said, and together they lifted the box out of the trunk.

"Easy now," she said, "It's fragile."

When the box was sitting upright on the ground, Eleanor rummaged through the back seat and picked up a box cutter, she carefully cut the top of the box, and Sam once again came to her aid to help her take out whatever was inside when he looked in the box, he saw a wooden frame. When they removed it, they saw a painting of the sea at sunset, with rough, crashing waves splashing against a rocky coast and a small ship in the distance.

"That's beautiful," Mercedes said.

"Look in the corner," Eleanor said.

Mercedes looked in the deep blue corner and saw the artist's signature: Francesca Washington.

"She painted this? I can't believe it; she was so talented."

"I feel like I'm inside the sea," Sam said, studying the painting.

"She really was talented. Wait until you see this one," Eleanor said, cutting open the second box.

The other painting was a portrait of her and Thad sitting in a flower garden on a stone bench, side by side, holding hands surrounded by brilliant yellow daffodils.

As they admired the second painting, Eleanor said:

"I want you to have these."

"Are you serious?"

"Yes, they should be in the house for everyone to enjoy. Let me show you the third one."

The last painting was of Thad's house, and it was pink; what was so unbelievable was that it looked exactly as it stood right before them as if Sam had seen this painting before restoring the house.

"Wow," he said.

"You revitalized Franny's dream," Eleanor said.

"Where did you find these paintings?" Mercedes asked her.

"My great aunt's attic. They were stored in wooden crates."

"Are you sure you want to part with so much of your family's history?"

"What would be the point of keeping it all? With no one else to enjoy their story and pass it on? I'm moving to the U.K. next month to be with my husband; I think these family artifacts would be better in your hands to keep the story alive. You restored an entire house in their honor. I want you to have it all."

Mercedes hugged Eleanor, crying on her shoulder.

"We'll continue to honor them."

---

Later that afternoon, Sam and Mercedes took Eleanor, Stacy, Vincent, and the kids on a tour of the house. Each room had antique furniture to recreate how it looked in the 1900s. Sam was even able to find a Victrola at an auction in Lexington. Mercedes decided that the paintings would go in Franny's art room. That was Mercedes' favorite room because she could imagine Franny painting the landscape outside the window, the sunlight in her hair, and Thad coming in with a cup of tea, kissing her cheek, telling her she's talented and beautiful, which she was.

Stacy was the first to notice the ceiling in the art room. As she stood beside Vincent, their shoulders touching, she gazed up at it, admiring the decorative aquamarine tin tiles shining in the light.

"It's gorgeous," Stacy said, "So bright."

Mercedes nodded.

"Sam discovered it when he was working on the house. We got a contractor who specialized in restorations to help us find replacement tiles, it's not exactly like the original, but it's close; in Thad's diary, he said he got Franny a ceiling that was the color of the ocean."

"It's a shame they had to leave all this behind," Stacy said, "this was their home."

"It is a shame. But I loved how they loved each other," Vincent said.

"You did a marvelous job," Eleanor said, walking about the room, her eyes wide; this whole house looks fantastic."

Rosy and Jake were bored and began to run around, but stopped when Sam and Mercedes gave them stern looks and told them they couldn't go to Little Miss Muffett's for breakfast on Sunday morning if they didn't behave, so they quietly walked about, their little hands gliding across the surface of the walls.

Abby loved the view from the window. You could see a flower garden in the backyard and woods behind the house.

"It makes me want to sit here and paint," she said, "And I don't even paint."

"It makes me want to create," Mercedes said, placing her arm around her, "I want to make something beautiful."

"You already have," Abby said, hugging her. "Look at this house."

After the tour, Eleanor had to go, hugging them all goodbye. Sam and Mercedes exchanged contact information with her.

"Now, if you're ever in London, be sure to call me; I would love for my husband to meet you," she said as she got into her Jeep, "Thank you so much for all the work you've done, this was wonderful."

"Thank you for the gifts and incredible story," Mercedes said, wiping away her tears as Sam held her hand.

"It was an honor to meet you," he said, "Everything you shared with us was... well, I can't describe it. I'm just thankful you came."

Eleanor smiled at them.

"I feel the same way. Now, this isn't goodbye; it's see you later," She said and drove away.

When the day was over, they journeyed home with the kids asleep in the back seat of the car, Claire De Lune playing on the car stereo.

Mercedes closed her eyes, feeling a little sleepy herself until Sam said:

"I can't believe Stacy is going on a coffee date with Vincent."

"I can," Mercedes said.

"Really?" Sam said as he changed lanes, "He's 22, and she's 32."

"It's coffee."

"It's madness."

Mercedes laughed, leaning over; she kissed his cheek.

"Well, whatever you call it, it's their business."

"I know. I'm staying out of it."

"He's a nice guy."

"Do you still want to go to Little Miss Muffett tomorrow morning?" Sam asked, changing the subject.

"We promised the twins."

"I don't know if I can sit through the waiters singing Three Blind Mice while we eat Bo Peep popovers and Humpty Dumpty eggs."

"Sam, it's not that bad, and they earned it."

"You know what I want to do?"

"What's that?"

Sam lowered his voice.

"I want to wake up, have my way with you, eat breakfast in bed, laugh and talk, watch something dumb on T.V., and have my way with you again."

"We can do some of that, just not all of it."

"Which part?"

"You decide."

Sam grinned, and Mercedes knew which part he wanted the most.

---

Thank you all for reading!