"Shoot it, shoot it, Ceci!"

The basketball sailed through the air, then landed dead center in the basket.

"Yea! That's twenty! Say it, Benson!"

Ricky Simon stood glowering at a gangly boy half his size, who cleared his throat, then told the small group of students watching him, "Ceci was right, we dared her to shoot from the trampoline."

"I told you!" Ceci high-fived her classmates as they came by her wheelchair, then laughed as Ricky bounced the ball to her and once more she sank a basket.

"Now that's shooting!"

"Auntie Laurie!" The teenagers chorused, then laughed "Jinx" and high-fived again before embracing their aunt.

"I'm so proud of you, honey, you backed up your words the right way." Laurie told Ceci, then Rick came around the gym doorway and added, "How about wings and onion strings from Hamlet for the champs?"

"All right, but, where's Mom and Dad?" Ricky asked, walking alongside his sister as they left the gym.

"Well, isn't that your Mom standing next to that car?" Rick asked, then as the four Simons came closer, Ceci's eyes got big. "Whoa, what a cool car.. hey, Dad bought a Corvette?"

"Yeah, I think he did." Rick smiled, then the driver's window opened, and a pink and white balloon floated out. A squeal of joy sounded from his niece as she caught the "Happy Birthday, Ceci!" on the decoration.

"I don't believe it….I thought ……Oh, Dad, Mom!"

"Happy Birthday, Cec!" Linda came forward, and Ricky helped his sister up so she could hug their parents.

"I know you can't drive for another couple of weeks, honey, but we wanted to give you your present on your birthday….." A.J. started, then teared up as Ceci threw her arms around him.

"Dad…you and Mom…you're the best…thank you!" she told him, near tears.

"Well, here….you can ride shotgun and we'll take this to Hamlet." A.J. wiped his cheeks, as Rick helped Ceci into the car, then folded her wheelchair into the trunk. As Ricky and Linda climbed into the back, Rick hollered, "Last one there buys the drinks!"

"Riiiiiick!" Laurie laughed, then caught his hand and ran with him to their truck. As Rick got in and started the motor, he stole a look at his wife's happy face, and felt a burst of gratitude. Not two weeks from the events at the courthouse, and she was finally free of the sling Rudy had made her wear.

Heck, he was just glad he'd only had one nightmare… but Laurie had talked him through it and also confessed her own bad dreams.

"I understand, Rick, darling…. But you stopped him, you've helped me forget the way that …man touched me, tried to take me from you. He's gone, and you're not." Laying on the bed in each other's arms, Laurie had caressed his face, then kissed her way up his jaw, to his nose then his mouth.

"Now that's the way to keep my nightmares away." He had chuckled, then drew her closer to him and tickled her neck with his lips.

Rudy and Oscar had helped too. Each of them had gone fishing with Rick and gave him the opportunity to vent his feelings of helplessness and guilt at watching his wife's terror.

Now as they approached A.J. and Linda's favorite restaurant, he found himself grinning at his own plans for a Valentine surprise.

Pulling into the last parking space in the lot, Rick hopped out and came around to open the door for Laurie. "Rick….where's A.J. going to park?" she asked, seeing the full lot.

"In front." He laughed, pointing at the handicapped area in front of the restaurant. "He finally remembered to get Mom's placard so they could park easier places for Ceci!"

"That's my brother!" she smiled, then held hands with Rick as they went inside. As the host showed them into the back patio, a burst of laughter met them as Cecilia and Oscar and Rudy greeted them, surrounded by the rest of A.J.'s children, Robbie and Ramona and their children.

"Well, where's the birthday girl?" Rudy asked, getting up and placing his present for Ceci at her seat.

"Here I am…I don't believe it!" the teenager gasped, then wheeled herself around the table before coming to her place at the table.

"Huh, fooled you!" Robin sang out, then Melly stood up in her chair and crowed, "And I didn't tell either!"

During the laughter that followed, a smiling waiter set out plates of onion strings, bar wings, potato skins, and baby cheeseburgers for the kids, and cups of French onion soup and lobster bisque for the adults.

"Now this is my idea of a party!" Cecelia proclaimed, then raised her glass of soda to a suddenly quiet Ceci. "To our Ceci….happy sweet sixteen, sweetie!"

"Thank you, Grandma….thanks Dad, Mom….this is the best!" she sniffed, then giggled as Ricky nudged her and whispered, "better then beating Benson?"

"Much!" she proclaimed, blushing as the aforementioned boy peeked into the room, then waved at her before joining his parents at another table.

"Ohhhhh, Ceci likes a boy…" Andy Simon teased his cousin, almost earning a tossed potato skin before she remembered herself.

As the party broke up, Laurie saw Rick fingering something in his pocket, and started teasing. "Rick, what's in your pocket…let me see?"

"Nope, nothing in my pocket but my hand, see?" he snickered, then pulling her along to their truck, helped her in, then climbed in to find Laurie had scooted over and was sitting in the drivers seat.

"Oh, you want to sit in my seat, huh?" he said, then picked his wife up and put her in his lap.

"Hm….now that's an idea." She whispered, then kissed him.

Releasing her lips to take a breath, he went into his pocket, then held up a small envelope.

"Happy early Valentines, sweetheart." He said, handing it to Laurie, then helping her slide into her seat.

"Rick..oh, love….what did you do?" she murmured, opening the envelope.

Watching her face, Rick knew he'd hit the jackpot when she beamed up at him.

"Valentine's at Disneyland….oh, Rick…thank you!" she threw her arms around him, then repeated her kiss.

"You're welcome, my princess….my valentine." He told her. Putting one arm around her, he started the motor, then chuckled as Laurie leaned her head against him and said,

"My Valentine gift's just going to have to start tonight, that's all….."

"Well, let's get going…" he kissed her again, then screeched out of the parking lot, waving at A.J. and Linda as they got into Ceci's new car.

"Geeze, Rick….when's he going to grow up?" A.J. snickered, then Linda shook her head, smiling..

"I don't know, but I'm sure glad he's never going to change!"

Putting a arm around his wife, A.J. grinned. "So am I, Linny…so am I!"

Fin