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Author's Chapter Notes:
Okay, it's lets see how good Ashley's memory is time...hopefully I can remember all of the chapter titles that Lenni/helpful readers/and I have come up with on the spot in the past. Heh...
Chapter Three-Hundred-Seventy



“Julie hold on sweetie, just let me find out where her classroom is” Doctor Johnson insisted when he had lifted Julie up off his shoulders in the office building and placed her so her feet were on the ground only to have her start to take off. She paused abruptly and looked at him.


“I already know where to go silly, now come on!”


“You may know where to go Julie, but that doesn’t change the fact that you and the Doctor both need to sign in before going to see your mother. You know that too,” a woman at the front desk spoke up and Julie and Doctor Johnson both turned their attention on her.


“Oh. Right. Sorry Mrs. Jordan…I’m just excited,” Julie replied with a small smile and Mrs. Jordan chuckled.


“Its all right. Doctor Johnson if I could just have you sign this clipboard and put a visitor tag on I will let Julie show you the way.”


“Okay,” Doctor Johnson grinned, wondering just exactly how this woman that he’s never met before knows his name. He carefully sat the flowers down on the counter, took the pen he was being offered, and proceeded to sign both him and Julie in as she waited beside him dancing around, eager to go see her mother.


“Those are really beautiful flowers…Anna will love them”


“Thanks, I hope so” he replied with a grin.


“How do you know Stevie, Mrs. Jordan?” Julie asked voicing Doctor Johnson’s unspoken question.


“Are you kidding me? Who doesn’t know him?” Mrs. Jordan asked while laughing. “He rescued your Mama, he’s very well known around this daycare.” Julie beamed and latched herself onto Doctor Johnson’s leg before hugging him affectionately and Doctor Johnson chuckled softly and reached down and gently squeezed her shoulder. “And besides, don’t tell Anna I told you this because she’ll kill me if she finds out, but you are all she talks about. It’s the cutest thing too, because her whole face lights up just at the very mention of your name. Especially recently.”


“Is that right?” Doctor Johnson asked amusedly.


“If you tell her I told you, I’ll just deny it all.”


“Don’t worry your secret is safe with me,” Doctor Johnson promised while sticking
the nametag that reads ‘visitor’ to his shirt and he gave Julie one of her own. He picked up the flowers again and started to turn when Mrs. Jordan spoke up.


“Oh and Doctor Johnson?”


“Hmm?”


“Thank-you.”


“For what?”


“For not letting my best friend go anywhere.” Doctor Johnson gazed back at her kindly.


“Don’t thank me,” He insisted. “Thank my sister. I provided the medical work on her but it was she who was really watching over her that night. She provided the real miracle not me.” He smiled at her some and then reached down and grabbed hold of Julie’s hand so she could show him the way to the classroom and she did just that. When they got to the toddler room Julie reached up and opened the door and she walked in quietly knowing perfectly well that it is naptime right now. Doctor Johnson followed her in there and sure enough there were kids lying on mats over on the carpeted area sleeping. Annabelle was sitting at the table eating taco bell with one of her co-workers. They were talking quietly and going over lesson plans when they saw the door open and looked up. At the sight of Julie and Doctor Johnson walking in with flowers her entire face lit up just as Mrs. Jordan described, but better.


“Hey you guys, what are you doing here?” She asked in a whisper loud enough for them to hear but not loud enough to wake any slumbering kiddies and she got to her feet and met them half way.


“We’ve come to see you, silly” Julie answered with a smirk.


“Oh, I see,” Annabelle smiled and she gathered her daughter into her arms and gave her a hug. “Are you behaving for Steve, young lady? I know how you can get sometimes with mommy’s friends…” She asked eyeing her suspiciously.


“Yes I’ve been very good,” Julie promised, and Annabelle looked to Doctor Johnson double-checking.


“She’s been a perfect angel the whole time. She stayed when I told her to stay and did everything I asked of her. I don’t know about these stories you’ve told me, it just doesn’t seem like the same little girl.”


“Just checking,” Annabelle replied before kissing Julie’s forehead softy and hugging her close to her affectionately. She put her back down and stepped closer to Doctor Johnson.


“And you come bearing gifts I see…those for me?” Doctor Johnson smirked and wrapped his free arm around her waist pulling her closer.


“Know any other beautiful woman named Annabelle in this building who loves purple roses and white daisies?”


“Nope, Id be the only one.”


“Of course they are for you,” he told her while rubbing his nose lightly over hers affectionately and she smiled up at him some before sliding both of her arms around his neck.


“I love them they’re beautiful,” she informed him happily before leaning up on her tiptoes and brushing her lips softly over his. When she pulled away she took the vase from him and walked on over to the counter where she sat it down in the place where she knew it would get lots of sun. When she saw that he followed her she took his hand and brought him over to her co-worker.


“Steve this is Madison my co-worker, Madison this is Steve” She introduced.


“Its nice to finally meet you,” Madison grinned. “Anna has told me nothing but great things about you.”


“Nice to meet you too” Doctor Johnson replied politely while silently wondering to himself just exactly what she says about him. Not that he minds the fact that she apparently spends her day talking about him, but it does make him rather curious.


“Madison since the children are asleep anyway, do you mind if Steve, Julie, and I just go right out there to talk?” Annabelle asked, indicating toward the windows that reveal a small gated playground. “If you should need me I’ll come right back in – promise.”


“No, go right ahead” Madison insisted. “Angie should be coming in here any minute now anyway and you haven’t had your break yet.”


“Thanks,” Anna replied before once again taking hold of Doctor Johnson’s hand and she led him outside after making sure Julie was following. When they got out there, Julie saw the buckets and shovels already in the sandbox and went on over to them proceeding to play in the sand. Annabelle went over to the picnic table and sat down on top of it causing Doctor Johnson to do the same and sit next to her. He grabbed hold of her hand and gently rubbed his thumb over the back of it.


“So she was really an angel for you huh?”


“Is it really that hard for you to believe?” Doctor Johnson chuckled. “Was she really that bad?”


“Lets just say my dates have never lasted this long before.”


“Trust me its going to take a lot more then a seven year old to scare me away from you,” Doctor Johnson insisted. “Even if she wasn’t the perfect Angel that she was, I can honestly say I’ve dealt with troublemakers before. I know and practically and see one every single day.” Anna smiled some and quietly rested her head against his shoulder. Doctor Johnson brought her hand up and kissed it softly.


“Julie and I are on the same page, don’t worry. I will baby sit for you anytime you want me to its no problem at all.”


“You are too good to be true,” Annabelle insisted while sliding her arms around him and leaning into him as he enveloped her in his own.


“I say the same thing about you every single day,” Doctor Johnson informed her as he gently twirled one of her curls around his finger. “You’re my miracle…and I’m afraid that if I spend one single second away from you for too long that I’m going to wake up and find that it was all just a dream and be devastated.” Annabelle gazed up at him as her head remained rested comfortably against his shoulder and she caressed his cheek with her forefinger and thumb.


“You think you are dreaming? Hell, I thought this was just one very vivid coma,” she told him with a small smile and he laughed. “One that I would gladly stay in if it meant I could be held by you forever.”


“You wanna be with me forever Anna?” Doctor Johnson asked softly while delicately tracing his finger over her soft lips.


“Forever and always,” Anna confirmed and he rested his forehead lightly against hers and silently analyzed her words. Anna allowed herself to sink into him comfortably and close her eyes as the both of them were unaware that there was a little girl sitting just a few feet away listening with a big smile on her face.



~*~*~*~*~



“Have you given any thought about what kind of jobs you might want to apply for?” Howie questioned as he walked barefoot along the ocean shore with Lindsey at his side.


“Yeah, it’s all I’ve been thinking about since you brought it up last time.”


“Don’t pressure yourself all right? You can take your time deciding there’s no big rush.”


“Well, I was thinking that I might want to see about working at my husband’s library…” She revealed in a quiet tone as she crossed her arms over her chest comfortably and gazed out at the ocean as they walked. Howie looked up at her slightly surprised at her announcement. “Well, Ryan’s library now…I suppose I better get used to the fact that my nine year old has inherited it.”


“Are you sure you want to work there? I mean, the place has got to be filled with memories…are you sure you are ready to face that?”


“It’s better to get it over with now, isn’t it? Its going to be just as hard if I wait until later…there’s no use in putting the inevitable off is there?” Lindsey shrugged. “And besides…this is the last piece of my husband that I have left besides the two most precious memories of all…I want to hold onto it. I need to hold onto it. And if its going to be Ryan’s some day, I feel like I need to keep an eye on things, be apart of the decision making you know?” Howie considered Lindsey’s reasons in silence for a few moments before looking up at her only to find her staring back at him, waiting on a response as if she needed his permission.


“Well, it’s really up to you, if you think you are ready for it then I can’t stand in your way. But as your friend and someone who is helping you get back on your feet…I feel like I should suggest that maybe we ought to go and visit first before you make any final decisions. See how that works out and we’ll see where it goes from there. What do you think?”


“Sounds like a plan,” Lindsey answered, and then shivered and hugged her arms tighter around herself when a big gush of wind came toward them. Howie frowned slightly as he noticed her teeth chattering and he slipped off his leather jacket and placed it over her shoulders causing her to slip her arms inside them.


“Better?” He asked after a couple of moments when her teeth stopped chattering and she seemed to relax. Lindsey nodded.


“Yes thank-you.”


“I wonder where this random weather is coming from,” he thought out loud as he gently un-tucked her long curls from underneath the jacket and delicately ran his fingers through them naturally, as if it was something he were meant to do.


“Out of nowhere,” Lindsey answered, stating the obvious. “It was so sunny out, and then…”


“And now this. It’s weird. Well…I hope we get a really nice storm.”


“Yeah,” Lindsey replied softly as she gazed upward toward the sky.


“It looks like Kevin is starting a fire – he and Jer brought marshmallows. Come on lets go join them. You could use some warming up” he insisted and as they turned and headed back he reached for her hand without even thinking about it. As they got back Ryan looked up at them as he sat in the sand holding Laila in his lap since AJ had run back to the car to get something and he grinned happily at the sight of his mom and Howie holding hands. Howie brought her over to Ryan and she sat down on the other side of him with Howie beside her.


“Laila wants shmushmellows, Laila wants. Pease, Pease?” She begged eagerly, her little arms outstretched toward the bag in Jerald’s hands as he stood next to his brother who was just finishing up with making the fire. Ryan restrained his sister tightly by AJ’s orders to keep her from going too close to the fire. When she saw that her brother wasn’t going to let her go, she squirmed about in his arms and let out a loud ear piercing screech as she continued to reach for the bag of marshmallows.


“Hold on a minute Laila, jeez!” Ryan exclaimed roughly as he held her tighter and little tears sprang to her eyes and fell down her face at the sound of her brother’s unkind voice and her screeches turned into wails. She threw herself against him giving up completely with her struggles and she lay there crying as if Ryan had just shot her dog. Ryan scowled and Howie shook his head.


“Did you really have to yell at her?” he scolded Ryan before kneeling down and gently combing his fingers through Laila’s hair.


“Okay Laila…okay shhh…we’re gonna get you some marshmallows all right? We just need you to calm down,” he tried. Laila reached for him amidst howls and Howie gently gathered her into his arms and stood with her.


“Brudder ‘ell ats meee…” She sobbed, sliding her arms around him and burying her face in his shoulder and Howie rubbed his hand over her back gently and cast Ryan a stern look.


“I know honey, your brother wasn’t very nice, was he?” He stood there lightly rocking her in his arms for a few moments and by the time AJ came rushing back with her blanket she was hiccuping and sniffling.


“What happened?” he asked worriedly. “I could hear her cries all the way from the car.”


“Ryan is what happened. Here take her for me will you?” Howie asked and without waiting for an answer he handed Laila over to him. AJ allowed her to nestle into his chest and rest her head against his shoulder and he placed her blanket (that was made and given to her by Lindsey herself) over her body. He walked over to Jerald, stuck his hand in the bag of marshmellows that he just opened, and offered one to Laila. Laila’s whimpers and sniffles stopped abruptly at the sight of the marshmallow. She eyed him a moment to make sure he was okay with this, and then grabbed it from him and began to eat it quietly. Meanwhile Howie knelt down in front of Ryan again and looked at him.


“Seriously Ryan. Was it really necessary to yell at her?” he asked him quietly.


“How else was I supposed to get her to stop?” Ryan snapped.


“I get the feeling that her desperate need to get to the marshmallows has nothing to do with your bad mood.”


“I wasn’t in a bad mood. I was in a perfectly good one.”


“Then why did you snap at your sister? You are usually careful not to.”


“Well maybe, I’ve had it with being careful around her” Ryan informed him calmly but Howie could hear the attitude in his voice. Ryan got up and stormed off in the direction of the water. Howie let out a sigh of exasperation and started after him when Lindsey gently grabbed his arm.


“Can I go handle this one?” Howie glanced after Ryan and then back at Lindsey and he nodded.


“Yeah of course. You’re the mother after all, and besides…I really wanted to go through a day without having to fight with him.” Lindsey gazed at him kindly and gently squeezed his hand.

“He can be difficult I know. He has his father’s temper, that kid” She told him with a small smile and she turned and went after her son.


“Difficult?” Elenore whispered quietly but everybody around the fire still heard her. “That’s the understatesment of the year…”


Ellie, ” Kevin lectured but everybody could hear the amusement in his voice and he went up behind her, gently gathered her in his arms and sat down in the sand with her in his lap. She looked up at him with an expression on her face that clearly said what? and he leaned down and kissed her cheek affectionately. “Mind your own business princess. Here. Toast a marshmallow,” he added while handing her the stick that was in his hand and placing a marshmallow on it for her. Elenore smiled happily nestled into his arms and reached her stick out toward the fire and with Kevin’s utmost supervision she began to toast her marshmallow. Kevin smiled at her some, feeling pretty happy himself at the moment too. It’s been quite awhile since he’s sat down and just watched his kid toast marshmallows. It’s been quite awhile since he’s sat down and just watched his kid do anything if he lets himself think about it that way. But then, letting himself think that way would be letting Brian and Jerald be right and admitting he was wrong. And he isn’t quite ready to believe that just yet. Or he doesn’t want to believe it…who knows. All he knows is, he’s with Ellie right now and he’s having the time of his life. He gently combed his fingers through her brown silky hair before leaning down and kissing the top of her head and he enveloped her in his arms tightly not wanting the moment to end.


“Can I have a bite of that? Hmm?” He asked after watching her take a bite of her second marshmallow. She smiled up at him some, held her stick up to him and allowed him to take a bite of her marshmallow and he did just that. When he pulled away he had gooey stuff sticking to his lips and Elenore giggled at the sight. Kevin smirked.


“What?” he asked while leaning down and blowing a single raspberry on her cheek making her shriek and giggle some more. “Are you laughing at me? I believe I’ve seen you make bigger messes than me with PB&J little one, so you are in no position to make fun of me” he told her playfully, and made a silly face making her giggle some more. He watched her as she ate the rest of her marshmallow and then he reached over to the bag and pulled out two more. He stuck them on her stick and rested his chin on her shoulder.


“Toast one for me, k?” he asked and she nodded and did just that with the comfort of him just holding her and paying attention to her alone. The first real moment between the two of them where she knows its for real. He isn’t just trying to impress her, he isn’t trying to buy her love, and it is just like it used to be before Summer entered their lives and destroyed everything. Jerald and Brian stood nearby while everybody else was carried away in their own conversations and toasting their own marshmallows and they watched the father and daughter scene in awe. They too can see how real it is, and Jerald wished quietly to himself that he could just make time stand still for Ellie alone so she could enjoy the moment without interruptions. If only he could make that wish possible for his niece…at least she gets to enjoy it while it lasts though. He knows she’s not going to let the moment pass her by without soaking up every single bit of it first.