"I don't even know why I asked. You love me, I love you…Of course you'll say yes!" George Jr. smiled. "I guess…you know, one chance to do this, better do it right."

"George…..I haven't said yes…." She said quietly.

"But you will….won't you?" He asked.

"George…." She sighed, standing up and going to the window. "George…I…I just don't know right now…."

"But you love me….I love you….How could you not know for sure about this?" He asked her, puzzled.

Melania turned her head and looked at him. "Think about it….Why would you want me as your wife?"

"Because we love each other!" George walked over to her and placed his hands on her shoulders. "Sweet thing,…we've been through this before! I love you, you love me….it's that simple! Why not get married?"

"You really want a whore for a wife?" She spat at him.

"Lana…."

"When I told you that I was…I wasn't joking with you!" Melania raised her voice.

"So what? You've been with two other men! I can't help that!"

"I've been with way more than two, George…"

"I knew I wasn't your first lover….that couldn't be hidden." George Jr. chuckled a little. "I didn't care either! I loved you then and I love you now."

Melania stared into his dark chocolate-colored brown eyes. "I can't believe this! I tell you that I'm a whore…that I've been with so many other men! And it goes straight over your head! WHY don't you get it? You don't want a woman like me!" She started yelling at him…."No man wants a woman like that!...A dirty whore!"

"You're not!" Mary Jane stood in the doorway, tears starting to stream down her face. "You're not one of those!...You're not, Ma! I don't care what anyone says!" Mary Jane ran into the room and clung to her mother, tears falling from her brown eyes. "You're not a whore! I don't care what people say!" She yelled at her mother, turned around and ran away.

Melania watched her daughter leave the room and looked back at George Jr. and he stared back at her.

"I'll get her….we can talk about this….later." He breathed, and walked out the door.

Mary Jane Gruber ran out the front door, through her yard and a field or two. The twelve year old just kept running and running. She just didn't care…she just kept running, till she made it into the woods near Peru Road….she finally collapsed next to a tree and started sobbing and sobbing. George Jr. soon caught up with her and crouched down beside her.

"Pa!" She sobbed. "Oh Pa!" Mary Jane wrapped her arms around her father and cried on his chest. It seemed that she cried for hours and hours, when it only was a matter of minutes. "She's not….She's not one of those!" Mary Jane sobbed. "She's not a whore!"

"She's not one now….." Her father whispered. "But didn't you hear her tell me…that she was once?"

"Oh yes…Oh, Pa why didn't she tell me?" She buried her face in his chest and cried.

"You're young, Mary Jane…At your age, you shouldn't really know about all that stuff…."

"But I do, Pa! I know about sex…"

"You do not…." He said softly. "You couldn't possibly….Your mother as far as I know hasn't told you….and I sure haven't!"

"I do, Pa!...I read about it!" She confessed. "Some older girls at school were talking about it….and….I looked up the words…that I didn't know the meaning of."

"Mary Jane…."

"I know about my cycle too…It's when…" She began.

"Mary Jane! Let's get back to what we were talking about...Boy, if your mother finds out you know…." George Jr. put a hand to his forehead and then ran it through his dark hair. He tried getting back to their previous conversation. "There's things she didn't tell you…things she didn't tell me….because, she didn't want to see you hurt…she loves you, little one."

"But she loves you too!" Mary Jane said, a tear drop glistened on her cheek. "Why can't you get married?...I thought things were going so well! Things were falling into place….Like it was meant to be, Pa…."

"Mary Jane…." George Jr. whispered, brushing a thumb on her cheek to wipe away a tear. "I would love to marry your Ma…I love her." He said, wrapping his daughter in a hug.

"And she loves you….so why don't you?"

"That's up to your Ma….she needs to make her decision."

"Well, why doesn't she?...Its so easy!"

"Little one, let her make her own decision…." George Jr. whispered. "C'mon….Let's go."

"Pa…could we do something together? Just you and me?" Mary Jane grinned up at her father. "It could give Ma time to think."

"I think that's a great idea, Squirt!" He smiled. "What should we do?"

"Let's go fishing!" She said excitedly.

"All right!" George Jr. found two long sticks, and some twine from back at his parents' barn…made the two fishing poles and they went fishing in the little creek along Peru Road.

"Look! Look Pa! I got one!...I got one! I caught a fish!" She exclaimed excitedly, almost jumping up and down like a girl half her age.

"Great job, Mary Jane!" George Jr. smiled, pulling the twelve year old into a hug with one arm. "Catch a few more….and we can have supper for tonight!"

Mary Jane threw her line back into the water and looked over at her father, who had his line in for quite a time now. "I don't see you catching any…" She teased.

"I'm not as good of a fisherman as you are, girl."

"Thank you, Pa….but this is my first time fishing!" She giggled.

"Well, you're doing a great job!"

They fished for some time and then decided to go on home. Melania met them at the door….George Jr. saw she was dressed in a white blouse and a dark burgundy skirt. The blouse had pin-tuck pleats down the front of it, and the rounded neckline embellished with ruffles showed a hint of her little collarbone and a bit more skin. He gazed at her, maybe too long….he couldn't help the thoughts popping into his head and inwardly shook himself.

"Mary Jane and I went fishing for a while…" George Jr. said quietly.

"Good time?" She asked.

"Yeah, we had fun….Mary Jane sure enjoyed it…Caught a few too."

"That's good…." She said, arms crossed against her waist. "Thought a little about what you said…."

"Yes?"

"I know you love me….and I love you…."

"So, are you saying yes?"

"I know if we get married….your parents will be happy. Every time I see your mother, it's like she gives me daggers…."

"Ignore her….."

"And I don't want to marry you just to make them happy! I want to marry you, because you love me…and I love you."

"Lana…you know I do." He said, taking her small hand, holding it to his chest. "So….do I have an answer yet?" He smiled.

"Yes…" She smiled. "But I'd rather not have a church wedding….I don't deserve one. I would like just a quiet ceremony…."

"If it makes you happy, sweet thing." He smiled, and kissed her hand.

Mary Jane came into the room, grinning from ear to ear. Melania reached an arm out and Mary Jane walked over. Her mother wrapped an arm around her and she closed her eyes for a moment and hugged her mother and looked up at both of her parents.

"Happy I said yes?" Melania smiled at her daughter.

"Yes…." She smiled. "Are you?"

Melania looked at George Jr. and smiled. "Yes…"

"Can you do it now?"

"Mary Jane!" She laughed.

"Can you get married today? Well?" Mary Jane grinned.

"I'm sure I can get Rev. Weirich….if he's in town…." George Jr. said.

"Go get him, George…" Melania smiled.

George Jr. walked to the Reverend's place and soon returned to Melania and Mary Jane's little house.

"Thank you for coming, Rev. Weirich….." Melania smiled and shook his hand.

"Oh you're welcome Miss Loney…..shall we go over your plans for today?"

"Well,…." She smiled at George Jr. and then looked at the Reverend. "George and I just want a quiet simple ceremony….The vows….silence while the rings are exchanged…."

"And the kiss! You can't forget the kiss!" Mary Jane exclaimed.

"Mary Jane!" Melania looked at her daughter….but then she couldn't help but smile.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Can you marry them Rev. Weirich?" The twelve year old smiled, her brown eyes shining.

"If your parents are ready, child." He laughed.

"Let me just change my clothes…" George Jr. said.

"George….you look just fine." Melania smiled, grasping his hands with hers.

"Well then, let's begin…." The Reverend smiled. "I have a feeling this will be one of the shortest weddings that I've done in my ministry." He chuckled. "Join hands, please."

They did so and the Reverend started off with the vows. "Do you George Michael Gruber Jr., take this woman, to live together in marriage; will you love her, comfort her, honor and keep her, in health and in sickness, in prosperity and in adversity; and forsaking all others, be faithful to her, so long as you shall live?"

Without hesitation, George Jr. said, "I do."

"Do you Melania Mary Agnes Loney, take this man, to live together in marriage; will you love him, comfort him, honor and keep him, in health and in sickness, in prosperity and in adversity; and forsaking all others, be faithful to him, so long as you shall live?" Melania knew such a vow was important and should be kept. No questions asked. She intended to keep this vow….because her past life she lived was over. She had stopped a long time ago….As she kept thinking, it dawned on her that the Rev. Weirich was staring at her, waiting for her answer. She glanced at the Reverend and her blue eyes wandered over to George Jr., which made her smile. Then her lips moved as she said those two binding words.

George Jr. and Melania exchanged their rings….and then the Reverend spoke again. "George Gruber Jr. and Melania Loney, you have consented together in holy matrimony before God, have pledged your vows to each other, and have exchanged rings as tokens of your love and commitment to each other. In accordance with the laws of the state of Iowa, with the authority of God's Word, I now pronounce you….husband and wife."

George Jr. gently held Melania by the arms and they shared a sweet, little kiss.

"Congratulations….." The Rev. Weirich smiled.

"There's one thing I'd like to do as soon as we can…." George Jr. whispered.

"What's that?" She smiled up at him.

"I want to find your two boys…."

"What?" Melania asked, tears coming to her blue eyes.

"You heard me!" He smiled. "I want to find those boys….so I can adopt them."

"Oh George!" She exclaimed, clinging to him, tears of joy spilling down her cheeks "Do you think that's even possible? It's been so long!...They've probably been adopted into some family years ago!"

"We won't know…unless we try."

A/N: In real life, George Gruber Jr. and Melania Loney were actually married…Melania wasn't a whore….she didn't have illegitimate children. She was married to George Jr. and together they had three children, Paul, Mary Jane and James. I just made up this whole thing to add drama to the story….but what's interesting, is I found out much later that on the other side of my family, my Dad's mother was an illegitimate child. Her mother's first name, was Mary Magdalene….and she was called Lena. Interesting that in my story, was that I chose Lana for Melania's nickname!