"Thanks for keeping dinner warm for me," Paul said as he dug in.

Elizabeth frowned. "This is the third time in a row you've been late coming home from work. What's going on down there at the sawmill?"

"We've just been really busy lately, that's all," Paul replied in between mouthfuls.

"Are you sure that's all?"

"Of course I am." Paul stopped eating and just stared at his wife. "What do you think I'm doing, hanging out at the Dew Drop Inn? Come on, Elizabeth. You know me better than that."

"Do I really?"

She walked into the bathroom, where she switched on the light and looked at herself in the mirror. Amidst the red hairs were a few white ones, and there were tiny wrinkles at the corners of her eyes she hadn't noticed before. Her thirtieth birthday was in just a few days. What did Paul think about the changes in her looks?

Depressed, she cleaned up from dinner and then picked up the paperback romance she'd been reading. Later, she was getting ready for bed when Paul entered their bedroom.

"I don't see how a marriage can go on when trust is gone," was all he said.

They slept back to back that night, and Paul left for work the following , morning without kissing her goodbye.

After the children left for school, Elizabeth remembered she had to return some flour she'd borrowed from her mother. She measured out the correct amount, put it into a bowl, sealed the bowl, then set out on foot for her parents' house.

Olivia opened the door right after she knocked.

"Elizabeth! Come on in!" She stepped aside so her daughter could enter. When Elizabeth saw who was sitting at the table, her heart almost stopped.

"You remember Reverend Andy March, don't you?" asked Olivia.

"Of course!" Elizabeth exclaimed. "It's so nice to see you again!" After performing the marriage of Elizabeth and Paul, Andy had moved on to pastor a larger church in another town.

"Hello, Elizabeth." Andy smiled. "Your mother tells me you and Paul have two children now."

"Yes, Max and Laura," Elizabeth replied. "How about you? Are you married?"

"I'm still waiting for God to send me that special someone," Andy told her. "In the meantime, my church has grown by leaps and bounds. You and your family are welcome to join us any time you like. It's the Juniper Baptist Church in Richmond."

"Thanks for bringing the flour," Olivia told her daughter. "Can you stay for awhile and have a cup of coffee?"

"Sure," Elizabeth replied. She and Andy drank coffee and chatted together. Looking into his deep brown eyes brought back the fluttery feeling she'd had when she was fourteen. When they finished their coffee, Andy invited her to go for a walk with him.

"I want to see how much Walton's Mountain has changed since I last saw it," he told her.

They arrived at the bridge they'd crossed together so many years ago.

"So, how's married life treating you?" asked Andy.

"Not too good right now," Elizabeth replied. "Paul's been working late at the sawmill an awful lot lately. I guess either he's trying to avoid me, or..." She looked down, unable to finish.

"Have you talked to him about it?" asked Andy.

"We had a fight last night, and we didn't talk to each other at all this morning."

"That's a real shame," said Andy. "You should never part when you're mad at each other. After all, you never know for certain if you'll ever see each other again. People die in fires, car crashes, and other kinds of accidents every day."

"You're right, of course," Elizabeth replied, remembering the day of the tornado when Max was a baby.

To her surprise, Paul came home on time that evening.

"I'm so sorry about what happened yesterday!" Elizabeth exclaimed as she went to him and gave him a tight hug.

"It's all right," he said, hugging her back. "I can't promise to be on time tomorrow, though. I still have quite a bit of work to do."

On what? Elizabeth wondered, but quickly brushed the thought aside.

The morning of her birthday finally arrived. She was fixing breakfast when Paul walked into the kitchen.

"Happy birthday, sweetheart!" he said, hugging her and kissing her cheek.

She turned to look at him. "Do you think I look any older now?"

He smiled. "You're still just as beautiful to me as ever, Lizzie."

Later, Olivia and John brought over a cake and birthday presents, and that evening, Paul came home about a half hour late and accompanied by a man driving a truck. Curious, Elizabeth and the children ran outside to see what was going on.

"This is Will from work," Paul told his family. "He offered to bring your mother's birthday present home because it wouldn't fit in the car."

The two men lowered the back of the pickup and lifted its sole content together. It was the most beautiful bureau Elizabeth had ever seen!

It was made of mahogany and had three drawers with silver handles. It stood on four legs and had been varnished.

"So this is why you kept coming home late!" Elizabeth breathed. She wanted to kick herself for ever having doubted Paul's love.

"Do you like it?" he asked.

"I love it! It's beautiful!" She ran her hands over the outside, hardly able to believe something so perfect could really be hers. When she looked up, Paul saw there were tears in her eyes. "Thank you!"

"Hey." Paul took her into his arms and held her close. "Nothing but the best for the woman I love."

"I love you so much!" Elizabeth cried as Paul held her head in his hands and kissed her face. Max and Laura giggled, and Paul and Elizabeth reached for them, pulling them into the embrace.