A/N: See Chapter 1 for Disclaimer. I also want to say that I know it's been forever since I've updated this story and I'm really sorry. I'll try to do better from now on. I also want to acknowledge that one scene in this chapter was inspired by the All in the Family episode "Mike's Move," which was written by Milt Josefsberg and Ben Starr, and I want to give credit where credit is due. Thanks for stopping by. Happy reading, and God bless.

Chapter Summary: George is devastated after having a heartbreaking dream about Louise.

Chapter 4: An Act of God

By the time Lionel, Jenny, and the Willises came downstairs to George's apartment the next day, Lionel had already told them everything that they'd learned from Mark, so when they walked in and found George lying on the floor asleep in the middle of his decimated apartment, they had a pretty good idea of what had happened and why. They spent much of the rest of the day helping him clean the place up, and then they called his mother and got her to come over. As soon as she arrived, they all tried to get George to open up a little and talk about everything that he was going through, but he couldn't. Olivia eventually got George to eat something, and then Lionel tried to convince him to let him stay with him through the night that night, but George insisted that he wanted to be left alone. It was only after Olivia assured them all that she would stay with George that night that they finally agreed to go upstairs. Olivia stayed with George and looked after him throughout the weekend, and on Sunday, Lionel and Jenny said their goodbyes to George and the Willises before leaving for Texas on an evening flight. After Lionel and Jenny left, George tried to talk his mother into going home, but she insisted on staying with him one more night and George relented. Afterwards, Olivia made supper for the two of them, and then a couple of hours later, they both decided to turn in for the night. Little did they know that that night, both of their lives would be changed forever.

Very soon after George fell asleep that Sunday night, he was plunged into a sea of memories that hit him like a moving truck. All of the sudden, he was taken back in time to the day Louise disappeared. However, this was different. It was very, very different. He wasn't merely reliving the memories from his own perspective. He was literally standing outside of his own body, watching himself yelling at his wife, insulting her, and disrespecting her. Remembering previous fights with Louise from his own perspective was one thing, but actually watching himself tearing her down with his words was a whole other ballgame. He tried to move, he tried to run away from the unpleasant scene taking place before his eyes, but he literally couldn't. He was left with no choice but to stand there and watch himself and his mother selfishly and cruelly gang up against Louise and rip her apart with their words, both of them visibly breaking her heart. By the time Louise walked out of their apartment, there were tears rolling down George's cheeks.

But that was only the beginning. George was forced to watch in horror as that beast of a man came up to Louise on the street, pulled out his gun, and forced her into his truck at gunpoint. George was a captive audience; he could do nothing but helplessly watch as that monster kidnapped his terrified wife, took her to a filthy cabin that reeked with the stench of dead bodies, and did the most inhumane things to her. George was a helpless bystander; all he could do was just stand there and watch all the atrocities of Louise's time in the hellhole play out before him. The first time that animal raped Louise, George yearned to tear him apart with his bare hands and he certainly tried, but his hands went right through him. In the back of George's mind, there actually was a small part of him that was aware of the fact that he was dreaming, but he still tried desperately hard to change the events that were playing out before him like the most ghastly horror movie imaginable, although of course, his efforts were in vain. All George could do was watch in horror as Louise cried and begged for mercy the first time that beast raped her; all George could do was helplessly watch as that monster laughed at Louise's cries, pulled her engagement and wedding rings off her left ring finger, told her in the most demonic voice, "I'm your husband now!" and forced himself on her.

Agonizing hours turned into days, and days turned into weeks, and George saw everything. He heard everything. He watched all the times that Mark bravely chose to get beaten and raped in Louise's place. He watched Louise choose to endure beatings and endless episodes of rape to protect Melissa. And as he watched the hell she went through, he felt as though he himself were personally dying. Watching what Louise went through in the hellhole was in fact the closest thing to hell on earth that George Jefferson had ever or would ever endure in his life. Seeing Weezy, his Weezy, being endlessly, mercilessly raped and beaten before his eyes absolutely destroyed him. And that was before Louise's legs were broken beyond repair.

When that awful day arrived, when that piece of excrement took a lead pipe and ruthlessly broke Louise's legs over and over again, and all George could do was helplessly watch, George's spirit ended up even more broken than his wife's poor legs. George absolutely died inside as he watched that beast not only break Louise's legs, but pound her chest with his fist as hard as he could and fiercely beat her head into the floor. He hit Louise's head so very hard that when the horrifying ordeal was finally over, George was actually convinced that Louise had been killed. There was no way anyone could survive something like that.

Or so George thought. After all the torture had finally ended, George was amazed when he looked at Louise's broken body and saw her chest continue to rise and fall. And when he saw that Louise was still alive, he was both relieved and terrified at the same time. Relieved that she was still alive, obviously, but yet, petrified at the thought of any further torture she might have to endure.

George continued watching in utter horror as the rest of Louise's unspeakable experience in the hellhole played out before his eyes until finally, at long last, she and Melissa and Mark were all rescued. He watched Louise fighting for her life in the hospital with Mark by her side, watching over her just as much as he possibly could. He watched as Louise bravely went through her pregnancy, all the while dealing with the terrible psychological aftermath of everything she'd endured in the hellhole. And when Louise went into labor and was crying tears of exhaustion from the struggle of bringing her baby into the world, George cried with her. And when her heart stopped, there were no words in the English language to describe the terror that filled George.

However, terror was not the only thing that filled his mind. As he watched Louise enduring torture and rape, as he watched her put her life on the line for the sake of her child, as he watched her work so hard to recover and learn how to function in life from a wheelchair, he was filled to the brim with the deepest, most powerful admiration and respect. There was one time during Louise's harrowing experience in the hellhole when she had the opportunity to commit suicide; that beast had brought a knife downstairs to the basement with him one day, and he spent much of that day cruelly toying with Louise, threatening to stab her with it. He eventually dropped the knife on the floor and left Louise alone with it, and for several horrifying moments, George helplessly watched as Louise held the knife to one of her wrists. George couldn't blame her for wanting to resort to suicide to escape such hell, although watching Louise wrestle with the temptation of suicide absolutely killed him. Just as she was about to go through with it, though, Melissa came down to the basement, and as soon as Louise heard Melissa's little feet coming down the stairs, she put the knife down. To say that George Jefferson was amazed by the strength, courage, and selflessness of his wife in those moments would be the understatement of the century. Louise could have chosen to end her agony in those moments, but she didn't. She chose to stay in the fight. She chose to stay alive for Melissa's sake, knowing full well that there would probably be more torturous beatings that she would have to endure. More rape. George had frequently liked to make speeches about himself through the years, about how he'd climbed the ladder of success with nothing but guts, drive, and determination, but he now knew beyond a doubt that it was all a load of bull. George knew it now, he thoroughly understood it with every ounce of his being now, that Louise had more guts, drive, and determination in the tip of her little finger than he ever would have in his entire body. He used to think he was such a hero because of his business success – something he never would have had without Louise to begin with – but George now knew that Louise was a far greater hero than he could ever hope to be just by choosing to stay alive.

And it didn't take a rocket scientist to see it that Mark was a hero as well. Naturally, George had been furious at Mark days earlier when he saw him kissing Louise, but now that he had such a thorough understanding of everything they'd been through in the hellhole together, he couldn't help but respect him. Mark had done everything within his power to try and provide Louise and Melissa with as much protection as he could. He had chosen numerous times to endure beatings and rape for their sakes, and there were also times when he'd risked the Forty-Niner's wrath by sneaking to wherever Louise and Melissa were in the cabin and bringing them water and whatever scraps of food he could find. He'd caught Mark trying to sneak water to Louise one day and Mark endured a vicious beating as a result. There was even one time when little Melissa put her precious life at risk to bring water to Louise as well. That was something that George Jefferson would never, ever forget. George admired Melissa just as much as he admired Louise, and after seeing everything Mark went through to try and protect both of them, he couldn't thank God enough for him.

The dream lasted throughout the night, and in that time, George saw everything that had happened to Louise over the past six years. After witnessing her indescribable courage in the hellhole, he watched her go through many surgeries on her legs and bravely face the challenges of pregnancy and childbirth all on her own without him by her side. He watched her endure physical therapy and he watched as she slowly but surely managed to build a life for herself and her daughters in Haven Lake. The more George watched Louise, the more overwhelmed he was with respect and admiration for her. For the first time ever in his life, George Jefferson was thoroughly and profoundly humbled.

When he finally woke up at five o'clock that morning, however, he wasn't just humbled. He was devastated. The dream had been so horrific, so real, that it shook George up to the point that he was actually physically ill. As soon as he woke up, he raced to the bathroom, got down in front of the toilet, and vomited numerous times. And while he was vomiting, his mother came into the bathroom and stayed with him. Once things finally settled down a little, Olivia began crying and sobbing in her son's arms. Astonishingly, Olivia had somehow had the exact same dream George had had, and she actually wasn't the only one. A little while after Olivia came into the bathroom, George's doorbell rang and she went to answer it. It was Florence, and she too had had the prophetic dream.

Florence and Olivia were terribly shaken up, understandably, but neither of them were as bad off as George was. George spent much of that day in front of the toilet vomiting, and when he wasn't vomiting, he was crying and screaming Weezy's name, telling her over and over and over and over again how sorry he was. Later on into the evening, when George's stomach finally appeared to settle down a little, Olivia got him into bed and got him to take a few sips of water, but nothing else. After last night's dream, George couldn't even begin to think of food, and really, neither could Florence or his mother.

Olivia Jefferson was not blind to the fact that she was the one who had raised George to be the selfish narcissist that he was today, nor was she blind to the fact that she also had treated Louise cruelly on that fateful day, causing her to leave the safety of her apartment and walk out onto the streets, where she was kidnapped by the Forty-Niner. And Florence was not blind to the fact that despite all of Louise Jefferson's kindness to her, she only repaid her generosity with laziness and great arrogance. Even though Louise had done so very much for Florence in the two years they'd known each other, Florence had actually had the nerve and the gall to not only refuse to do what she was paid to do; sometimes, she was downright disrespectful to Louise. Dreaming about the hell Louise had endured had given even Florence Johnston a very strong, powerful dose of something she hadn't had much of throughout her own life: humility. For the first time in all their lives, George, Florence, and Mrs. Jefferson were utterly and completely broken of every trace of pride.

In the following days, Florence and Mrs. Jefferson did a great deal of talking while George was in bed, practically incapacitated. There was no doubt that their shared prophetic dream was an act of God. The question was, why?

"I thought I knew who I was, Florence," Mrs. Jefferson said soberly as the two of them were sitting down together on George's couch one week later. "I used to think I was such a good person," she said with a bitter laugh. She then shook her head and told her truthfully, "That dream showed me who and what I really was: a small, stupid, selfish, mean-spirited, spoiled fool. Helen Willis was right about me when she told me that George and I were a couple of pathetic, spoiled two-year-olds. That's precisely what we are. We always have been. Both of us. We are both so spoiled, impatient, inconsiderate, thoughtless, hurtful. My son and I are toddlers in adult bodies, and it's pathetic, and I am so ashamed. Of both of us."

Florence nodded and said, "I'm pretty ashamed of myself too. Ms. Jefferson is the most patient, warm, generous person I've ever known. It was only because of her that I was able to keep my job here as long as I did before Mr. Jefferson finally fired me. Mr. Jefferson even told me that I was the cause of a lot of fights they'd had. I was such a sorry excuse for a maid. Worse than that, I was a sorry excuse for a friend. I was lazy. I was selfish. I was arrogant. I had more nerve than a rotting tooth. Instead of being grateful for everything Ms. Jefferson did for me, I had the nerve to take her and all her kindness for granted. I even had the audacity to make her do half my work for me. I disrespected her. I didn't do what I was being paid to do. She was a much better friend to me than I ever was to her, and I'm ashamed of myself. I'm so ashamed of myself."

"Join the club," said Mrs. Jefferson. "Louise was an angel. An absolute angel. Before we all had that horrible dream, I never would have admitted this to myself much less to anybody else, but now, I have to admit the truth. All these years, George and I have been so arrogant, cruel, and downright stupid. We had the nerve and the gall to go around thinking that we were above Louise. Shoot! She's as far above the three of us as most people are above rats."

"Ain't that the truth," Florence agreed. "But now that you and I and Mr. Jefferson know the truth about everything that Ms. Jefferson went through – and the truth about how horrible we all are – what are we supposed to do next?"

"I don't know, Florence. Everyone expects older people like me to have so much wisdom; to always know what to do or what to say in difficult situations. But when it comes to you and me, I don't know what to do. And that's doubly true where George is concerned. I've never seen my son like this before. He's so devastated. He's downright broken. And I don't know what to say to him to fix it. I don't know what to do now."

"Neither do I," Florence said sadly, and then the conversation ended. There really was nothing else the two women could say to one another, so they just sat together in silence, completely lost in thought.

The next morning, Mrs. Jefferson (reluctantly) went up to the Willises' apartment and asked for Helen's help – which was not an easy thing for her to do considering the way Helen Willis had dared to tell her off before. (Tom wasn't there, of course, because he'd already left for work that day.) Thankfully for Mrs. Jefferson, Helen was very forgiving and understanding, and she graciously agreed to try to help George.

George was still lying in his bedroom in the dark when Helen arrived at his apartment. He hadn't even been to work since he had that terrible dream, and it was all his mother could do to coax just a little bit of food and liquids into him every day. George was perfectly content to just lie in his bed in the dark, staring at the ceiling, wasting his days away. But the good Lord, it seemed, had other plans.

Helen knocked on George's bedroom door then, and even though George heard her knocking, he had no intention to respond. He just kept lying in bed, staring at the ceiling above him, saying nothing, and Helen didn't even bother to knock a second time. She just opened the door, walked in, and turned on the lights.

"Hey!" George fussed as he shielded his eyes and sat up in bed.

"Good. You're still alive," said Helen.

"Helen, what do you want?!" George snapped.

"Believe it or not, George, I want to help you."

"You can't help me! Nobody can! So just get outta here!"

"I can't do that, George. I can't leave you like this."

"Why not?"

"Because no matter how many cross words have passed between us through the years, no matter how rotten you are or how difficult you are to put up with, I happen to care about you."

"Why?"

"Because my daughter is married to your son, and whether we like it or not, that does make the two of us family."

"Ya ain't gotta remind me!" George fussed, and then he sank back down in the bed and pulled the covers up over his head.

Helen then let out a frustrated sigh and walked into the bathroom. A couple of moments later, she came out with a glass of water, and then she poured the water all over George's head.

"GET UP OUT OF THAT BED!" Helen loudly yelled while still pouring the water over him.

"HEY!" George shouted at the top of his lungs as he quickly got up out bed. "Are you crazy or somethin'?! What's wrong with you?!"

"George Jefferson, you are the most egotistical, spoiled, immature, selfish idiot I have ever seen in my entire life! You've always been selfish and rotten, but the way you're acting right now really takes the cake! Louise has been kidnapped, brutally raped over and over and over again, beaten within a hair of her life, put in a wheelchair, and here you are just lying in bed feeling sorry for yourself! I knew all along what a narcissist you were, but I always believed that somewhere deep down underneath all your selfishness and arrogance, there was some part of you that cared about other people besides yourself. But seeing the way you're acting now, it looks like I was wrong. Louise has endured the closest thing to hell there is on earth, and here's her husband, lying in bed, feeling sorry for himself and making everything all about him just as he always does. HOW DARE YOU BE SO SELFISH?! HOW DARE YOU FEEL SORRY FOR YOURSELF AFTER THE HELL LOUISE HAS ENDURED?! HOW DARE YOU TRY TO MAKE THIS ALL ABOUT YOU?!"

"WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO?!" George screamed.

"You're SUPPOSED to grow up and start acting like an adult! Your whole life, you've constantly behaved like a ridiculous, spoiled little two-year-old, and up 'til now, you've gotten away with it, but no more, George. No more. From this point forward, you NEVER AGAIN get the option to be selfish. NEVER AGAIN do you get the option to make everything about you twenty-four-seven, or to throw temper tantrums whenever you don't get your way, or to be chauvinistic and racist. From now on, you are going to grow up and start accepting responsibility for your actions. It was YOUR BIG MOUTH that caused all of these horrific things to happen to Louise. YOU are the reason why Louise was out on the street the same day that serial killer was there. A silly, spoiled little boy would try to shift the blame for all of this, and he would waste the rest of his life feeling sorry for himself. A true adult, on the other hand, would own up to his own words and actions and accept responsibility for them, and that's what you're going to do. You are going to go back to Haven Lake and tell Louise the truth, and you are going to beg her forgiveness for all the ways she's suffered because of you. And then you are going to bring her back here and take care of her and start being there for her. And I mean REALLY START BEING THERE FOR HER. Everything isn't going to be all about George anymore. For the first time in your life, YOU WILL take a backseat to Louise and YOU WILL FINALLY start putting Louise before yourself."

"You don't think I want to go to Haven Lake and bring Weezy back?" said George with tears streaming down his face. "I do want to bring Weezy home so I can take care of her."

"So what's stopping you for heaven's sake?" asked Helen.

"I can't face her," George answered with a sob. "You're right, Helen. My whole life, I've been a selfish, terrible person. Weezy was an angel to put up with me the way she did. I know that. I just can't take thinking about everything she's been through because of me. I know I should face up to all of this like a man, but I just can't take it, Helen. I just can't. I don't deserve Weezy She's too good for me."

"So what else is new?! YOU NEVER deserved Louise. And you never will. And anyway, George, this is not about you. This is not about what you can or cannot take. I know the dreams you had that night about Louise were horrifically painful for you. But I know that the good Lord did not give you those dreams so that you could curl up in your bedroom and waste the rest of your life in here feeling sorry for yourself. Yes, it hurt you very badly to have to witness everything that Louise went through, but all you had to do was see it. Louise lived it. No matter how heavy your burdens are because of those dreams, Louise's burdens are far heavier than yours will ever be. You always love to run your mouth, make big speeches about how you climbed the ladder of success and how you're such a great man because of it. Well, you like to call yourself a man. Fine. Now's the time for you to act like one. A silly little boy would waste the rest of his life crying in bed, feeling sorry for himself, making everything all about him. A real man, on the other hand, would summon up his courage, face the pain, accept responsibility for what he's done, and do everything within his power to help ease the burdens his wife is now carrying. You've acted like a silly, spoiled toddler for many years now, George. Too many years. When Louise was here, you always yelled and screamed and threw temper tantrums whenever she refused to let you get away with all your crap. When Louise was here, she always came last. You always put everyone and everything before her. Your mother. Your business. Money. And especially yourself. You've claimed in the past that you love Louise and that she means so much to you, but you've never truly acted like it. I think that all these years, you've always loved yourself far more than you've ever really loved Louise. Hasn't the time finally come for that to change?" Helen asked George while her eyes bore into his, and then she turned around and left him alone with his thoughts.

The next day, after George finally pulled himself together physically and emotionally, he invited Mark to his apartment, and Mark accepted the invitation. The morning after that when Mark arrived, George was in his apartment with his mother, and the Willises were there as well. George and Mark said hello, and George thanked him for coming and introduced him to Tom, Helen, and his mother, and then they all sat down in the living room together and got down to business.

"Mark, I asked you to come here today because…well, I was hopin' that you could help me. See, I'm goin' to Haven Lake tomorrow, and I'm gonna tell Louise everything. I'm gonna tell her the truth. I'm gonna tell her all about us. And I'm gonna make her give up the bakery and come back home where she belongs so I can look after her and Melissa and Angela. However, as much as I hate to admit it…it's just a fact that you know Weezy a lot better than I do right now. And I was hopin' that you could tell me more about her. I want to know everything that I need to know so that I can take care of her."

"Well George, I won't beat around the bush with you. I'm just going to give it to you straight. Telling Louise about you two being married and expecting her to just suddenly drop everything and sell her business and come here to live with you is a terrible idea."

"Why is that?"

"When we last talked, I told you all about everything that Saul Donaldson had done to Louise. He beat her. He raped her. He put her through the closest thing to hell there is on earth. And Louise has made it crystal clear to me in the past that due to everything that monster put her through, the last thing she wants is to be married. She's told me before how grateful she is that no man ever came around looking for her; that she didn't have a husband. Louise is terrified of marriage. The last thing in the world she wants is to be a wife."

"You know, that actually makes a lot of sense," said Tom.

"How does that make sense?" asked George.

"Well just think about it, George," Helen said. "Louise was raped. It's completely understandable that after enduring the kinds of experiences Louise has, she'd be terrified of sex. And sex is a big part of marriage."

"Helen's right, George," Tom agreed. "I've published books on the subject. After being raped, it can take a woman a long time, months, even years, before she's ready to attempt having sex again or even to have a relationship again. The scars of the kind of abuse Louise went through aren't just physical; they're emotional. And healing doesn't happen in a heartbeat. It can take a very long time."

George then let out a frustrated sigh and asked, "Okay, so what am I supposed to do? Weezy may not want to be married, but even so, that doesn't change the fact that I am her husband. Am I supposed to just forget about Weezy and just stay here in my high-rise apartment with all my money while she needlessly works her butt off runnin' a business and raisin' two kids all on her own when she should be takin' it easy?"

"We're not saying that, George," Mark assured him. "Louise has every right to know that she has a husband and a son. Louise should be told the truth. But not all at once."

"What do you mean?" asked George.

"I mean that after all the hell Louise has gone through, you cannot expect her to be ready to just close up her business, pack up her daughters and herself, and leave the only life she knows behind at the drop of a hat. If you spring the entire truth on Louise right now, she'll probably want to file for a divorce, and that's not an exaggeration. Louise literally is that terrified of marriage. I understand that you've been apart from the woman you love for six long years, and I understand you wanting to get her back into your life just as soon as possible. And I don't blame you one bit. If it were me, I'd feel the same way. But if you're going to get Louise back, you have to take things slowly, George. You have to remember that ever since her time in what she and I call 'the hellhole,' Louise has lost all memories of her past. Louise doesn't know you from Adam. When you look at Louise, you see your wife and the mother of your son, but when she looks at you, she just seems some rich, entitled, mean-spirited jerk who tried to take her home and her business away from her. And like it or not, her perspective is the only one that matters, here. When it comes to your relationship with Louise, you are right back at square one. You are right back where you were the moment you two first met when you were teenagers. If you're going to get anywhere with Louise at all, you have to invest some time and effort and energy – a lot of time and effort and energy, as a matter of fact. You have to give her a chance to get to know you, and you have to get to know her as well. If you're going to get Louise back into your life again, then you have to win her heart. You have to give her the chance to fall in love with you. You have to prove to her, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that she can trust you. And after everything she's been through, trust is extraordinarily hard for her, as it would be for anyone who survived the hellhole. She's not going to come to trust you overnight, George. It's going to take time. A lot of time. No offense, but I get the sense about you that you are a very impatient man. I think you're someone who's gotten used to getting what he wants the instant he wants it. But if you really love Louise, if you really want to do what it takes to get her back in your life again, then for once in your life, you are going to have to be patient. Very patient. You have to be willing to stay the course and wait, no matter how long it takes, for her to trust you. After you've won her heart again – or at least her trust – then you can tell her the whole truth, and at that point, you'll stand a much better chance of Louise not instantly wanting to file for a divorce."

George remained quiet for several long moments, processing everything Mark just told him. Finally, he looked at him and said, "You're right, Moore. I don't like it, but you're right. If I did try to spring everything on Weezy all at once, I'd probably scare her, and that's the last thing I want to do."

"Of course it is, son," Olivia agreed.

"George, if you don't mind my making a suggestion, I think that if you have a general manager, you ought to turn all your workload over to him for a long time while you stay in Haven Lake and spend time with Louise and get to know her."

"Say, that's a great idea," said Tom.

"Why, yes, it's a wonderful idea," Helen agreed.

"I have two general managers, actually," George informed Mark. "But even though I have two general managers, I still end up doin' most of the work myself. I'm just like that. I'm a terrible workaholic. I always have been. That's one of the things Weezy always used to fuss at me about. I practically lived at the office twenty-four-seven and because of that, she always felt that I cared more about work and money and business than I did about her."

"Well if you don't mind my saying so, I think that's something else that you're really going to have to change. If you're really serious about taking care of Louise and being there for her, then you can't divide your love and your loyalties between Louise and your business anymore. Louise must come first from now on. You must be willing to find a healthy balance between your work life and your home life. If you're really serious about getting Louise back in your life so you can take care of her, then you don't get the option of living at the office twenty-four-seven anymore. You'll have to start working nine to five, Monday through Friday, just like everybody else. And when your workday is over, you'll have to leave the office behind and be fully, wholeheartedly, one hundred percent available to your wife and children. Spending plenty of quality time with Louise, Melissa, and Angie is an absolute must. It's not an option. Being a husband and father doesn't just mean taking care of your wife and children financially, George. It also means taking care of your wife and children emotionally."

Again, George remained silent for a little while, digesting everything Mark was saying. At last, he slowly nodded and looked at Mark and said, "Once again, Moore, you're right. Again, I don't like what you're sayin', but I know you're right. I don't know. I just…I know I've got a lot of changes I need to make. A lot of changes. My whole life, I've been a stubborn, self-centered know-it-all with a hot temper and a big mouth. And I want to make all the changes I need to make, but I don't know if I can do it. As a matter of fact, I'm scared I can't. I'm so set in my ways."

"Tough," Olivia said to her son quite unexpectedly.

"What do you mean, Mama?" asked George.

"I mean just what I said. You think it's hard having to stop being so self-centered all the time? You think it's hard having to start putting your wife ahead of yourself for the first time ever in your life? Tough! George, you've spent your whole life tossing other people under the bus so that you could get whatever it was you wanted at the moment. You've never done that with me, but you have done it with everybody else in your life, especially Louise. And we both know that all throughout your marriage, you constantly acted as though you love me more than you love Louise. And we both know that you always acted that way because I let you get away with all your selfishness and she didn't. Unlike me, Louise called you out on it whenever you did something wrong. I spoiled you and I stroked your ego, but Louise told you the truth about yourself. And because Louise called you out on it whenever you tried to pull a selfish stunt that hurt others, because she wouldn't cater to your ego, she always came last in your life, but it's like Mark said. You don't get that option anymore."

"Right on, Mrs. Jefferson!" Helen said aloud. "George, let me ask you something. How fairly do you think the scales have been balanced between you and Louise throughout your marriage? Have the scales ever been fair between the two of you for a single moment?"

George took in a deep breath, let out a long sigh, and admitted, "No. The scales were never fair between Weezy and me. Never. Not for a single moment. They always favored me against Weezy. I've never given her everything she deserved as a husband. And I know it."

"Precisely," Tom agreed. "Now, it's time for there to finally be honest scales between you and Louise. Your constant selfishness through the years has done a great deal of damage, George. And because of that, the scales between you and Louise are going to have to weigh in Louise's favor for a long time until true equality and true healing are finally achieved."

"That's right," Helen concurred. "All these years, Louise hasn't just been your wife, George. She's been your mommy, too, and that's so unfair to her. In addition to providing you emotional support as a wife, she's also had to be the one to set limits and boundaries for you, just like a mother has to do for a spoiled toddler. Louise never should have had to shoulder that responsibility. You should have been enough of an adult from day one in your marriage to be there for Louise just as much as she's been there for you. Now, it's time for all of that to change. Now, after all these years, it's time for you to finally, finally grow up."

In those moments, George knew beyond a doubt that everything they were saying to him was absolutely true. George had been horribly selfish from day one of their marriage. Louise really had come last in his life. She'd always been the most wonderful thing in his life, and he'd been so shockingly stupid as to take her for granted every day; to put everything and everyone above her, especially his mother. And what Olivia had told him that day was painfully true. He had, in fact, only put his mother before Louise because his mother had always babied him, whereas Louise had always been strong enough to tell him what he needed to hear instead of what he wanted to hear. All these years, Louise really had loved George far, far more than he'd loved her. Louise had always been the one putting George before herself, while George had continually put himself and his own ego and selfish desires above Louise. Ordinarily, he'd have far too much pride in his soul to admit it, but after the prophetic dream he'd had; after seeing for himself all the hell Louise had suffered because of him and his big mouth, he was completely stripped of every ounce of pride for the first time in his life. He knew, he knew, that all throughout his marriage, he really had been a pathetic excuse for a husband, and he was thoroughly ashamed of himself. He knew that he really did have to make some sweeping, across-the-board changes in the way he lived his life, and he didn't know where or how to start.

Later on that evening, a couple of hours after Mark and the Willises had left, George asked Florence to come by the apartment, which she was happy to do. When George was sitting on his living room couch with his mother and Florence that evening, he finally began talking to them about the harrowing prophetic dream they'd all shared.

"I still can't believe it," George told them in a low, solemn voice. "I still can't believe the three of us had the exact same dream about Weezy."

"Mr. Jefferson, I believe with all my heart that that dream was an act of God," Florence told him. "I really do. Just watching Ms. Jefferson go through everything she did was hell for all three of us. But how much more hellish was it for her to be the one to have to live through it? Jesus wanted us to have that dream. He wanted us to see what an extraordinary woman Ms. Jefferson is. He wanted us to wake up and understand just how badly we've all been taking her for granted through the years. He wanted us to wake up and see for ourselves what selfish fools we've all been."

"You're absolutely right, Florence," Olivia agreed. "All three of us have been nothing but selfish, arrogant fools. We've treated one of God's most precious angels like garbage, and it's got to stop."

"It's going to stop," George said solemnly. "It has to. We have to start doin' better. I have to start doin' better. I'm just so scared that I'm gonna get to Haven Lake and do somethin' stupid to mess it all up and push Weezy even farther away from me. After that dream, I realize now what an incredibly stupid person I am. Back when I had Weezy in my life, I was actually convinced that she was lucky to have me. Now, I know the truth. Weezy was never lucky to have a fool like me. She was unbelievably gracious to put up with me. And now, even if I did manage somehow to change everything about myself, change everything about the way I treat other people, especially Louise, the sad truth is, even after all of that, I still wouldn't deserve her."

"Take a number, Mr. Jefferson," Florence told him. "None of us deserve Ms. Jefferson. We never have, and we never will."

"But even though we'll never deserve that dear, remarkable lady, we still owe it to God and to Louise to do everything we possibly can to help her now," said Olivia.

"That's right," Florence agreed.

"You know, all these years, I always called myself a Christian, but I see it now that I've never really been one," George confessed. "I never cared about God or Jesus. All my life, I was the only one I ever really cared about. I talked a good talk about believin' in Jesus and everything, but the truth is, I never really trusted Him. But now, now that I see the way that Weezy has suffered, all because I acted stupid and ran my big mouth six years ago, the truth is finally startin' to get through my thick skull. Selfishness, even the tiniest act of selfishness, really can wreck another person's entire life. Even the life of the person you love the most. It makes sense that God has to punish us for every selfish act we commit. It's only right. It's only fair. After the way that Weezy got tortured, all because of me and my selfishness and my stupid mouth, no one deserves to burn in hell more than I do."

"We all deserve hell, George," said Olivia. "All of us. The Bible says that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Mercifully, Jesus loved all of us enough to go to the cross for us so we wouldn't have to go to hell when we die, even though we deserve to. All you have to do is trust Him, son. All you have to do is accept the free gift of eternal life Jesus died to give you at the cross. It's that simple."

"Yeah, but ain't there also somethin' in the Bible about carryin' your cross and followin' Jesus?"

"Honey, that's talkin' about discipleship, not salvation," Florence explained. "After you've put your trust in Christ, you have a decision to make. You can choose to go on livin' the way you did before you got saved, bein' selfish, puttin' yourself before the Lord, or you can choose to serve Jesus as one of His disciples. If you choose to go on livin' selfishly to please yourself instead of Jesus, you open yourself up to the possibility of bein' disciplined by the Lord. Just as every good parent disciplines their child when he's disobedient, God will discipline one of His children if that child is livin' a selfish, disobedient life. Furthermore, anyone who chooses to waste his life servin' himself instead of servin' Christ will lose all possible eternal rewards he could have earned when he's judged. Unbelievers are judged for rejecting Christ and they're sent to hell to pay the price for their own sins since they didn't let Jesus pay the price for them at the cross. But believers are judged to see if we did anything worthwhile with our lives after coming to faith in Jesus."

"I understand. And what if you choose to spend your life servin' Jesus instead of yourself?"

"If you choose to do that, if you choose to serve Christ as one of His disciples, then you have to be willing to always put God and others ahead of yourself, in every decision you make throughout your life," Florence elaborated. "There could also come a time when a Christian is called to give his life for Christ's sake, just as many early church martyrs had to do. That's what the Bible is talking about when it says to take up your cross and follow Jesus."

George nodded and said, "I get it. And I do trust Jesus. And I want to spend the rest of my life servin' Him instead of myself. I've got to change. I've got to. I see that now. And I know there ain't no way I can get Weezy back in my life and become the husband she deserves without God's help."

Olivia took George's hand then and gave it a loving squeeze, and she assured him, "God will help you, son. He will. Just trust Him."

Again, George nodded, and in the next moment, Olivia kissed him on the cheek and gave him a long, warm hug.

The following day, George spent a long time talking to his two general managers, and by the time he was finished speaking with them, he truly felt comfortable that they could handle all his business affairs for him for the next few months – or possibly longer. Then he made plane reservations for the next day, and he packed all his suitcases. He went ahead and paid up all the rent he would owe to Mr. Whittendale for the next several months in advance, and he asked Mr. Bentley to pick up all his mail for him, which he was happy to do. Finally, on the morning of his departure to Haven Lake, he said an emotional goodbye to his mother, the Willises, and Florence.

"Oh George, I really am proud of you for what you're doing," Helen told him kindly, and then she hugged him.

"Yes," Tom agreed. "You're doing the right thing, George."

"Thanks, you guys. I appreciate y'all sayin' that. I really do."

"It's the truth," said Helen.

A couple of moments later, Florence hugged George as well, telling him, "I know you're scared, Mr. Jefferson." The embrace ended then, and a few seconds later, Florence said, "Change is always scary. But you're an incredible man. You overcame so much prejudice, so many obstacles, to get where you are today, and not everybody could achieve what you have. I know the next few months – possibly the next few years – won't be very easy, but no matter how hard it is, you can do this."

"Thank you, Florence. I needed to hear that. I really did," George told Florence, and then she gave him an understanding nod and smile.

In the next instant, George turned to face his mother, who had a couple of tears in her eyes, and she reached out and pulled him into a long, emotional hug.

Once the embrace was finally over, Olivia told her son, "Go. You go to Haven Lake and you win her heart and you bring our dear, precious angel back to us where she belongs."

George nodded and said, "I will, Mama. I will."

George then said an emotional goodbye to everyone and after that, he left for Haven Lake.

It was about twelve-thirty that afternoon when George's plane landed in Massachusetts, and after he got settled in at small a B&B that was near Louise's bakery, he went to the bakery to see her.

"You say the girls left yesterday, Louise?" Mrs. Wilson, a tall, slim brunette lady in her fifties who was a frequent customer at the bakery, asked Louise at the cash register as George walked inside.

"That's right," Louise answered. "You remember my friend, Leah, don't you?"

"The judge?"

"Yes. The judge."

"Didn't she just get a legal separation from her husband?"

"That's right. Her husband just moved into his own apartment in Boston, and Leah's gone out to Colorado to spend the summer at her cousin's ranch. She took her daughter and her two grandchildren with her, and she invited the girls and me to come along, too. I sure wanted to say yes, but I have to stay here to keep an eye on the bakery. But since Melissa and Angie are such good friends with Leah's granddaughters, I reluctantly agreed to let them go to Colorado with them for the summer. I know the girls will have the time of their lives, but even though they haven't been gone a full twenty-four hours yet, I already miss them so much."

"Oh, I know how you feel, Louise. But don't worry. Time flies by very fast. Melissa and Angie will be back home again before you know it."

"I know."

"Have a good day, Louise."

"You too, Mrs. Wilson," Louise said with a friendly smile, and then Mrs. Wilson left.

As soon as Louise was alone with George, her expression changed from a friendly smile to the harshest scowl, and then she wheeled herself around from behind the counter to where George was standing.

"What are you doing here? Do you want to get another business demolished or something?"

There was a sad kindness in George's eyes as he looked into the eyes of his wife and said, "I don't want to cause any more trouble for you, Ms. Wood. I really don't. As a matter of fact, I'm here because I want to apologize. I know that I've caused you a lot of stress over the past couple of months or so. I know I really put you through a lot because of my own selfishness and greed and stupidity. I'm sorry, Ms. Wood. I really am very sorry."

Louise's expression turned a lot softer then, and she said, "Apology accepted, Mr. Jefferson. I know you've been through a lot of pain since your wife died, and when we're in pain, we don't always make the best decisions."

"Yeah, that's true, but it still doesn't excuse me bein' a rotten, selfish jerk all the time. I've realized recently that I need to make a lot of changes in my life. I know it now that I need to learn to start treatin' other people the way I want to be treated. I need to stop usin' the loss of my wife as an excuse to be a selfish, cold-hearted creep."

"I'm glad you realized that. For the sake of my own nervous system, I wish you'd realized it sooner, but better late than never."

"I really am so sorry for everything I put you through. But I want you to know that startin' right here, right now, today, I am not gonna be that selfish creep anymore. I'm gonna be stayin' in Haven Lake for a while. I'm stayin' at the B&B in town, and here's my number," said George as he handed her a small slip of paper with his room's telephone number written on it. "If you ever, ever need anything, day or night, I want you to call me. This might be too much to ask too soon, but if it's alright with you, I really would like for you and me to be friends."

Louise smiled and said, "That's very sweet of you, Mr. Jefferson. You know…it looks like the two of us just got off on the wrong foot. Why don't we start over again?"

George returned the smile and replied, "I like that. I think that's a wonderful idea."

"Alright, then," said Louise. In the next moment, she held out her hand, shook hands with George, and said, "Hello, Mr. Jefferson. I'm Louise. Welcome to the Haven Lake Bakery."

"Please, call me George."

"Alright, George. Is there anything I can get for you?"

"I think I'd like a dozen jelly donuts."

"Coming right up, sir," said Louise with a smile as she started wheeling herself around to where the donuts were. After she brought the box of jelly donuts to George and he paid her – with an enormous tip – they sat together at one of the tables and enjoyed a good, long, pleasant conversation. They talked and laughed for quite a bit, and in their time together that day, George became more grateful than ever that Mark had talked him into taking things slowly. He didn't know how long it would take for him to win Louise's heart again – or even if he would win her heart again. But he did know that taking everything one step at a time was the best thing he could possibly do. And he also knew that no matter how many thousands or even millions of steps he might have to take, he would never, ever give up.