"I hope you can stay for a couple of hours," Ginny told her nephew. "Matthias would love to see you again."

"Of course I'll stay!" said Max. He and Toni finished their lemonade, then spent several hours playing with the children in the back yard. Toni wasn't used to being around young children and so wasn't comfortable at first, but within a few minutes, she found herself laughing along with the others as they threw the ball around and then played hide and seek.

It seemed no time at all before Ginny was calling them inside for dinner. Matthias, who'd just arrived home from work, embraced his nephew and then shook hands with Toni.

"So how is life in the Big Apple treating you?" he asked as the family was eating dinner.

"Very well." Max smiled as he passed the basket of rolls around. "It's a lot different from living here. Everything's much busier, noisier, and faster, but you get used to it."

"And what do you think of our town, lovely lady?" he asked Toni.

She smiled. "I like what I've seen so far. As Max said, it seems a much slower pace."

"That's the way we like it around here." Ginny stooped to clean a blob of mashed potatoes off the floor underneath Benny's high chair.

"You've lived here your whole life, haven't you?" Toni asked her.

"Yes, and I wouldn't trade it for anything else in the world."

Max and Toni stayed until almost sundown, then returned to Paul and Elizabeth's to spend the night. They'd suggested staying at the local inn because of the space problem, but Elizabeth had said she wouldn't hear of it, so they were staying in Max's old bedroom while Amon and Jakob played camping out in the living room.


The two weeks seemed to fly by entirely too fast. They spent their time mostly between the two Brimmer households, with occasional visits to Elizabeth's parents in the big house.

For the last several days before they were to return home, Toni noticed that Max seemed moody and morose.

"Are you all right?" she asked him one night, as they were getting ready for bed.

"I just feel a little sad about leaving my family again," he replied. "A year ago, the depression just got so bad I couldn't stand it anymore. I had to get away." He sat on the edge of the bed and pulled Toni down beside him. "But being here again, seeing the people I've known all my life - it brings back memories, Toni."

"Perhaps we could come back in the winter, during the holiday season," Toni suggested.

"I wouldn't want to take you away from your family. I know how special that time is for you all."

"We're married now, so your family is my family, too," Toni pointed out.

Max pulled her close and kissed the top of her hair. "I love you so much, Toni."

"I love you, too," she said from deep inside his embrace.


"We loved having you," Elizabeth said as she hugged her oldest son goodbye.

"I loved seeing you all again as well," Max replied as he kissed his mother's cheek. "We haven't decided yet what we're gonna do about the holidays. We'll work something out."

"Well, you know you're always welcome, any time you want to come." Paul gave his son's shoulder a firm squeeze.

"I enjoyed meeting each one of you." Toni shook hands with each family member.

Laura held Jennifer, and Amon held Jeremy. "Say bye-bye." Laura imitated waving, and Jennifer copied her. Amon did the same with Jeremy.

It was almost dark by the time they got home. Max pulled into the parking garage and parked, and they got their suitcases out of the trunk and walked to the apartment.

"My father carried my mother over the threshold after they were married." Max laughed. "I could do the same for you, if it weren't for these suitcases."

"So leave the suitcases outside the door, and we can come back for them later," Toni suggested.

Max considered her idea for a moment. "I suppose they'll be all right."

"Of course they will be," said Toni.

Max unlocked the door and threw it open, then carried a laughing Toni over the threshold. Then they both went back outside for the suitcases.

"Wouldn't want to leave them there a moment longer," said Max.

Toni giggled as she gave his arm a playful punch.