Author Notes: …. Kudo's to all of you who figured out what Eric's Braille message to Jackie was….. fluffy chapter!

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Chapter 21 – Best Day Ever

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": :..:| ..:| |..-.. .::":.., :.:;" is Braille for "I Love You"

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Jackie was sitting at the kitchen table "reading" a Braille book for Kitty when Red came skidding into through the patio doors. His face was flush and he was breathing hard and his eyes were bright with excitement. "Where's Eric?"

Kitty looked concerned, "Red, are you okay? Is it your heart?"

Red stopped to catch his breath. "Heart good. Attorney's office called. Let's go."

Kitty used her outside voice to call Eric who was running down the stairs seconds later. "Honey, we have to take a trip. Don't ask questions; just get your shoes on!"

In record time, the Forman's and Jackie were loaded in the Toyota and on their way to the attorney's office. "Sweetie, what was the rush?"

Red grinned. "The judge made a ruling. We won."

Kitty squealed, "Oh honey! That is so great! I can't wait to find out what happened to that big bad battery company!" Red pulled into the parking lot of Standard & Glitsch Attorneys At Law. Eric came around to help Jackie out of the backseat. "There are stairs but we'll take them slow."

Red and company were ushered into the attorney's lavish office and sat in the chairs in front of Martin's desk. "Eric, this is Martin Glitsch, the attorney that represented the garage. Mr. Glitsch, this is my son, my wife Kitty and you've met Jackie."

"Oh Miss Burkhart, how is the surgery coming along?" He asked politely. Jackie smiled, "I get the bandages off next week for a check. I'm really hopeful to see something."

"….Judge Maddock has awarded Reginald Forman $750,000 in compensatory damages for the loss of income and repair to his place of business and an award of $800,000 in punitive damages for pain and suffering of second and third degree burns due to Homeland Ventures defective Day/Night Volt batteries." Kitty was holding Red's hand excitedly as the attorney read the verdict.

Mr. Glitsch continued. "The judge cited Homeland Ventures sale of the defective batteries as reckless, callous and willful. Mr. Eric Forman."

Eric's head shot up. "Me?" He didn't expect to be involved in this! He wasn't hurt. Mr. Glitch smiled, "As a party to the exposure of the acid, even though you weren't seriously injured, you did sustain injuries that required a medic. You have been awarded punitive damages in the amount of $50,000."

Eric almost fell out of his chair. Martin explained to Red that Jim, the mechanic, was entitled to the same amount because like Eric, he had been exposed as well.

Glitsch turned to Jackie. "Miss Burkhart, the judge has awarded you $500,000 in compensatory damages for loss of income, potential income and an award of 2.5 million dollars in punitive damages for your loss of vision. The judge acknowledges that you were involved in a life changing event and you may never restore your previous perfect vision. He ordered Homeland Ventures to continue paying for your ophthalmologist therapies, medications, surgeries, glasses or classes you may need for the rest of your life."

Jackie could only squeak. "Um. Could you…could you repeat that sir?"

Martin passed over a copy of the judge's award to Eric, Red and Jackie. "I have already taken my fees from the award and you will find the checks made out in your name. I suggest you deposit these as soon as possible and Miss Burkhart, a trust has been created at Kenosha Memorial for your vision treatments."

Martin looked at the shell shocked Forman's. He won this case fair and square and believed the family in front of him deserved more but the award was reasonable and would take care of them for a long time to come. "If you have any questions, please call my office." Martin stood up and shook Red's hand.

"Congratulations." Martin smiled. Red shook his hand woodenly. Glitsch looked at Eric. "My congratulations to you as well." Eric shook his hand excitedly.

Jackie reached out to Martin. "Thank you for punishing that company. It's nice to know that I'll never have to worry about my future."

Martin shook her hand. "It's been my pleasure Jackie."

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The Forman's and Jackie had their picture taken with the president of Point Place Community Bank. The bank VP declared they never had such a large deposit on a single day in the history of their banking. Red's face actually hurt from smiling so much!

Kitty said she felt rich even though she tucked a couple of bank pens into her purse and one of the pocketbook sized calendars. Jackie couldn't see the check but she could hold it in her hand and that was real enough. She made a promise to herself that if she got her vision back, she would use the money to help other blind people like herself.

Eric envisioned replacing the Vista Cruiser with a truck. A big truck he could drive at the job site. Red was thinking about expanding the business. Everyone had a dream and now it could be achieved.

This was the best day in the world.

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Eric and Kitty accompanied Jackie on her two week visit. The bandages were coming off and this was the first step to seeing what the surgery accomplished. Dr. Bobbie lowered the lights in the examining room and carefully untapped the gauze. "Jackie, as I remove the bandages, I need you to keep your eyes closed."

"Okay." She said crossing the fingers on both hands. She felt the gauze fall away and then Dr. Bobbie was lifting her eyelid and a bright light startled her. She jumped back. "What was that!"

Dr. Bobbie smiled. "What did you see?"

Jackie gasped, "Lightning!" Dr. Bobbie chuckled and opened her other lid and examined the retina and optic nerve and Jackie's eye started to water. "Okay, Jackie open both eyes slowly and let just let your eyes get adjusted to the dark room okay?"

Jackie's stomach was jumping with excitement. She opened her eyes and saw shadows. There was still darkness but she see a large box. She could see the outline of Dr. Bobbie's head. Behind him was the outline of two other heads.

"Mrs. Forman is on the left, I think her hand is on her head and Eric is on the right." Kitty gasped, "That's right! Oh honey!"

Eric didn't gasp but he was nearly wordless, "You can see me?"

Jackie laughed a bubbly laugh. "I can see the shadow of you. I can't see your face but I can see your outline."

Dr. Bobbie replied, "This is good. I'm going to raise the lighting slowly and just let your eyes adjust – don't force anything."

The office lights came up slowly and Eric's shadow turned into a blur of color. She could see him but not clearly. But she could see him! "Eric, do something."

Eric stood up and walked towards the examining chair, cupped her face in hands and kissed her lips. "I love you. I love that you can see a shadow of me. Now I can take you to the park and we can really have ice cream."

Jackie was so touched. The lights went up again and some of the blurriness went away but not all of it. Dr. Bobbie looked at her eyes again and was pleased. "I want you to continue wearing your glasses for the next week. It usually takes 2 to 4 weeks to recover from the surgery and you are doing amazingly well for two weeks."

Jackie stood up and tried to focus on finding the door but was overcome with a feeling of nausea. Dr. Bobbie smiled, "No depth perception? It will improve over the weeks but I suggest you keep your eyes looking at object near you. Your eyes and brain need to work hand in hand to recognize distances and heights again."

"The blurriness?"

"We're hoping that clears up but Jackie, you have to give it time. When you come back next week I have some visual therapies for you but now I just want to you go home and stay comfortable and let your eyes do what they need to."

Jackie put her Ray Charles frames back on and reached for her cane. "I feel safer walking this way."

Dr. Bobbie nodded his head. "As you should. Schedule an appointment for next Friday and take care this week."

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Outside the clinic, Jackie was standing in the sunshine and this was the very first time in months that she could see it! She could actually see the brightness of the sun filtered through her dark lenses. She reached over for the silhouette she recognized as Eric and held his hand.. "I can finally see something, do you know how incredibly exciting that is?"

Eric tugged her and gave her a hug. "I know how you feel. This is just the start of great things."

Kitty coughed, "Is there something you two need to tell me? I would guess on what I've seen over the last few weeks but that's just the mother in me putting her nose where it doesn't belong."

Eric laughed. "I guess officially, Jackie and me are a couple."

Jackie smiled, "We love each other."

Kitty clapped her hands. "I knew it!" Then she developed the shrewd mother gaze. "Oh dear. You both sleep across the hall from each other so…."

"Mom! We sleep in separate beds!" Eric exclaimed. He didn't to add what they did when they weren't sleeping!

Kitty didn't sound convinced. "Well, okay but Eric, if your dad gets suspicious…..someone has to move to the basement!"

"That would be me." Eric replied resignedly.

"You bet mister." His mom confirmed. Jackie laughed. "Let's go home."

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Red and Kitty were sitting at the kitchen table discussing their good fortune and the results of Jackie's eye exam. Kitty also gave her husband a hint that Jackie and Eric were starting to get a little sweet on each other.

"A little? The boy is steaming! I'm amazed that he can concentrate on going to work each day! We have to separate them before something happens."

Kitty rolled her eyes, "Red, I think they are beyond that." Hyde chose that minute to walk in from the living room holding Jackie's piece of sanded wood. He put it on the table.

"Is this some new kind of art or are you saving it for the winter?" he joked.

Kitty smiled and turned the wood over to expose the Braille message. "Boys, read it and weep."

Red furrowed his brow, "What are you talking about?" Hyde picked it up and noticed nothing remarkable about it except for the odd carvings.

Kitty simply replied, "It's Braille and it says I love you. Eric had it made for Jackie."

Red groaned. "He does lover her. Crap."

Hyde ran his fingers over the bumps and said, "This is actually the kind of romantic stuff Jackie likes."

"I'm stuck in a house with hopeless romantics." Red groaned.

Kitty kissed her husband on the top of his head. "Get used to it handsome!

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A/N: Author is neither an eye doctor nor a lawyer – all fiction. I own nothing.