Sydney stood up and faced Jarod, his face showing his emotions as he tried to keep his anger under control.

"I don't believe it! You mean to tell me that, after all your years of training with me, you just accepted what she said? I thought I taught you better than that, Jarod!"

"It's no good, Sydney, she's made her decision. She doesn't want me in her life ... ... she made it very clear!"

Jarod sat slumped in the chair, his face set in a stubborn mask of pain and misery. He couldn't bring himself to look at Sydney, nor could he relive the heart-breaking conversation that he'd had with Parker a couple of hours ago.

"I really don't understand, Jarod ... ... are you sure you didn't miss something? Tell me again, what she said!"

"No, I'm sure - and I'm sure I don't want to go through it all again! I was a fool to think that she would even consider a life with me, after everything that has happened between us in the past five years. You were right the first time, Syd. I should have listened to you!"

Jarod stared moodily into the fire, trying hard to block out Parker's voice in his head. All he could think about were her words of rejection. How could he have been such a fool as to hope she would feel something for him? He should have known!

Suddenly, he stood up.

"I'm going to fix dinner; I'm sure our good friend Angelo is hungry!"

Angelo stared into the blazing fire and he seemed mesmerised by the flames and the way the sparks shot up the chimney. His face was alight with child-like wonder. At the mention of his name, he looked up and he smiled at Jarod.

"Angelo ... ...hungry!"

Sydney put a hand on Jarod's arm, forcing him to turn around and face him.

"You can't just leave it like this, Jarod! Look, I've watched you both over these last ten days and I've had to admit to myself that I was wrong - you and Parker have something special between you; something so rare that most people never, ever, find it in a whole lifetime. You cannot let her go, not without trying again".

"Look, Syd, I know you mean well, but ... ... let's just leave it for now, OK?"

Angelo stood up and came to stand next to Jarod. He put his head on Jarod's arm, his face set in a mask of sadness.

"Daughter ... ... afraid!" he said quietly.

Jarod put his arm around the little man and hugged him tightly, closing his eyes to mask his own unhappiness.

"I know, Angelo, but she's made her mind up and there's nothing I can do to change it. We all know what Parker's like, once she's made her mind up, that's it! ... ... Come on, let's have a look in Sydney's kitchen and see what we can find for dinner!"

Sydney watched the two of them disappear into his kitchen. He sighed and sat back down in the chair, a pall of depression hanging over him, as he thought about the sadness of the two people he most cared about in the whole world.

* * * * *

Ethan rubbed his eyes with tiredness. It had been a long four days. He had left Blue Cove for the West Coast to see the land agent and had then returned to Blue Cove, stopping off for twenty-fours in Colorado to see Margaret and Major Charles before returning. He was cold, tired and hungry.

For the past twelve hours, he had been consumed with sadness, the voices in his head heavy with despair. He couldn't make any sense of it - this weight of unhappiness that had suddenly descended upon him, like a grey blanket, blocking the sunlight.

Ethan pulled into Parker's driveway and he wearily got out of the car. He looked at his watch and he saw that it was past ten o'clock; time enough for Parker to be up and about. He was looking for a solid breakfast before going to find Jarod with the portfolio of information on the properties. ‘Maybe this was a bad idea,' he thought to himself, as he rang Parker's doorbell.

He waited and then rang the bell again. Suddenly, the door opened and Parker appeared before him, snapping her customary "What" at him.

Ethan blinked and then stared at her.

Parker was still in her white bathrobe and slippers, her hair ruffled and sticking out in all directions and her face - puffed and blotchy. Her right arm was secured in the sling and she held the lapels of her robe in her left hand, as if keeping it together. He'd never seen her looking such ... ... a mess!

"Ethan!" she exclaimed, her voice husky. "For God's sake, get in out of the cold! This draught is freezing my butt off!"

Stepping backwards, she ushered him in quickly and slammed the door.

She walked straight through to the kitchen ahead of him, then turned around and looked at him, standing in the doorway.

"Good morning to you, too!" said Ethan, smiling happily. "I know you're my sister but you look like you've been on a bender! Are you OK? How's the arm?"

Parker glared at him, eyes narrowed, and then she turned around and ran her hand through her hair, trying to straighten it out. Pulling her robe together at the top, she asked over her shoulder:

"Do you want coffee? ... ... there's some made"

"Sure thing ... ... and some breakfast, if it's possible! I'm starved!"

"I'm not sure what's here, Louisa is out grocery shopping".

She poured some coffee into a mug and she handed it to Ethan, saying:

"Help yourself to sugar - I know you like it heaped the same as ..."

She didn't finish, just stopped in mid-sentence, turning her back on him.

"The same as Jarod does," he finished for her, looking at her back.

"I can make toast for you, if you want?" she asked, ignoring what he'd said.

"Look, Parker, come and sit down and I'll make it. You look fit to drop".

"Don't fuss, Ethan, I'm fine, I just had a bad night, that's all!" she snapped.

Parker moved away from the counter and sat down at the kitchen table, running her hand through her hair again. She picked up her coffee mug and drained it. Ethan took it from her and refilled it, placing it in front of her without a word.

He set about making toast - starting with four slices - in the toaster.

Silence hung heavily between them as he searched in the ‘fridge for butter and jam, pulling out drawers looking for a knife and plates. Finally, he put a single slice of buttered toast in front of Parker, which she hastily pushed away. He sat down opposite her and munched away, his hunger taking precedence over talking.

Finishing his toast in record speed and with his coffee mug in front of him, he studied her sad face.

"OK Parker, enough of the gloom and doom - tell me what's happened!"

"Nothing, everything's fine. I just had a bad night," she snarled at him.

"Parker, it's me you're talking too, we're on the same wave-length remember? I know something's wrong ... ... so just tell me what it is!" he argued.

She sat staring moodily into the coffee mug, not saying anything.

Ethan sighed in frustration and then he reached across the table and picked up her hand, holding it gently.

"Jarod's asked you, hasn't he?" he said quietly.

She didn't answer him ... ... she just continued to stare at her coffee mug with a stubborn look on her face.

"Parker, will you look at me, for hell's sake!" he said irritably, letting go of her hand.

She looked up quickly and Ethan saw that her eyes had filled with tears and were rolling down her face in a steady stream. Using the heel of her palm to smooth them away, she said brokenly:

"Yes he has ... ... but I said no!"

"For God's sake Parker, why did you say that? He loves you more than anything else in the world ... ... and I know you love him ... ... what's the problem?"

"Nothing ... ... everything. I can't! Everyone I get close to either goes away or dies. I can't take the risk ... ... not again. I told you what happened to Tommy ... ... it would kill me if anything happened to Jarod!"

Parker sat still with her head bent down, her hair falling forward, tears dropping onto the table. She sniffed quietly and then she searched in her pocket for a handkerchief, past caring what Ethan thought of the state she was in.

Ethan sat still, trying to understand her reasoning. He leaned across the table again and picked up her hand.

"There's more to it than that, Parker, come on ... ...tell me!"

"No, I can't!" she whispered, wiping her eyes again.

"Yes, you can, Parker ......I'm your brother, remember!"

Parker looked up at Ethan and she said quietly:

"Well ... ... he's told me about finding his Mom and Dad and Emily ... ... and I'm so happy for him ... ...you should have told me! He's spent the last five years searching for them ... ... they need him! Hell, what are they going to think when they realise who I am ... ... they're hardly going to welcome me with open arms and ... ... I can't do that to him. I can't put myself between Jarod and his family. I can't force him to choose between them and me!"

She was crying openly now, not caring that Ethan could see how distressed she was. ‘Who was it that said, she'd never allow anyone to see her cry?' she asked herself blindly.

"Oh Parker," sighed Ethan ... ... "Parker, for an extremely intelligent woman, you are an idiot! Don't you realise that you have condemned Jarod - and yourself - to a lifetime of misery ... ... for what? You don't even know his parents or Emily!"

Ethan squeezed her hand tightly and then released it.

"I know you had a run in with Major Charles at Donoterase ... ... but he doesn't hold that against you! Anyway, they know about you ... ... I told them yesterday! Jay is so excited about seeing you again ... ... Margaret is curious ... ... she wants to know if you are really like Mama. Emily is ... ... well, she's a carbon copy of Jarod; she's the sweetest girl I've ever come across!"

"Parker, you are throwing away a whole lifetime of happiness ... ... for what? Because you're scared? Tell me I'm wrong!" he said softly.

"Damn you, yes, I'm scared," she cried, wiping her eyes.

Ethan got up and helped himself to more coffee, heaping the sugar in and stirring it carefully. Sitting down again, he said to her gently:

"You have to trust in yourself, Parker ...... and you have to trust Jarod, too."

Ethan paused and sipped his coffee, looking at Parker's face as she wiped her eyes again.

"I don't know how to," she whispered.

"Oh Parker, Parker!" he muttered, shaking his head in disbelief, his face frowning in sympathy at her distressed state.

"Did Jarod tell you about the Plan?"

"What Plan?"

"Here, let me show you. I've spent the last four days on the West Coast, talking to the agent and having building and land surveys done and generally poking about. I don't think Jarod will mind me showing you these now."

Pushing his coffee aside, he opened up his briefcase and pulled out a sheaf of papers and photographs. Searching through them, Ethan selected the best photographs and he passed them to her.

"What do you think, Parker?"

Parker took them and slowly looked at each one carefully.

"It looks beautiful ... ... stunning! The houses are beautiful and that courtyard is something else!" she said wistfully.

"Yeah, well, I don't want to tell you too much ... ... it's for Jarod to tell you".

Ethan gathered all the photographs and papers together and put them back in his briefcase. Looking at her, he said quietly:

"Tell me something, Parker, what are you instincts telling you? What is your heart saying to you?"

Parker got up from the table and walked over to the counter. Slowly, awkwardly, she refilled her coffee mug and then she walked back to the table again. Taking a sip, she sat back in the chair, cradling her elbow.

"I don't know, Ethan. I'm so confused! I know that I'm bad news ......No, don't deny it! People die around me, it's the truth! I think I was always meant to be alone!" she said sadly.

"Parker, now you're talking crap! People have died that you cared for ......that's true enough - but you were not responsible! They died by other people's hands - not yours! You were not responsible. As for being alone ......that's up to you ......you decide if you want to be alone or not!"

Ethan studied her across the table and he watched her as she looked down at the table, tracing patterns with her fingers on the tiles of the table top.

"Parker ......do you love him?" he asked.

Parker's head flew up and she shouted defensively:

"Of course, I do......more than anything in the world!"

"Right, here's what we're going to do. I think you'd better get yourself upstairs, run a tub and put on something nice ... ...I'll wait for you. Then I'm going to drive you over to Sydney's house ......I know Jarod is waiting for me to go through everything. I'll give him a call and I'll tell him I've been delayed. Can you manage without Louisa?"

"Ethan, you're rushing me ......I need time to think!" cried Parker, tears filling her eyes again.

"Hell, Parker ......what's to think about? Don't you want to live happy ever after?" he asked her.

* * * * *

Sydney folded his newspaper and he looked at Jarod across the breakfast table, the debris of breakfast now congealing and cold.

They had talked long into the night, making plans for the move to California, trying to decide how best to manage it. Ideas were tossed backwards and forwards and Angelo had glowed with happiness at the prospect of being with Jarod and Sydney.

Finally, Angelo, tired and exhausted, had slept on the floor, next to Jarod's bed, refusing the offer of Sydney's second guest room bed. He had wrapped himself in a thick quilt and he had slept soundly, ignoring Jarod's constant tossing and turning.

"What time did Ethan say he would be here?" asked Sydney, tentatively.

"Around noon. He mentioned something about being held up and that he would explain when he got here."

"Right, well, the first thing I'm going to do today is take Angelo to the shopping mall. It appears that he only has the clothes he stands up in and they are only good for the rubbish bin," said Sydney with a smile, as he carried his plate across to the dishwasher.

"What about you, Jarod? You're not going to sit here and brood, are you?" Sydney asked him in a firm tone.

"No, Syd, I'll be fine ......I'll clear up here and then I'll wait for Ethan. Do you think Angelo will be OK in the shopping mall? I don't think he's ever been in one before."

"Well, Tuesday is a fairly quiet day ......he should be OK. There's only one way to find out!" he said smiling at the prospect of Angelo's excitement.

"While I'm there ......I might just take a look for some clothes appropriate to California weather for myself!"

Wearing an old quilted jacket of Sydney's, at least three times too big, a woolly hat and gloves, Angelo was as excited as a child on Christmas morning. Together, they went out to the car and headed toward the shopping mall.

Jarod slumped back in the chair with a mug of coffee in front of him. His mind kept replaying the last conversation with Parker ... ...he thought he had timed it so well ......he went over the way he had pitched the facts regarding his family and he couldn't fault the presentation.

‘No ......just face it, there's too much pain between us ......too many lies ......five years is a long time ......and there were so many times I was unkind to her; down right cruel in fact ......she's every right to tell me to go to hell! Just face it; it's over before it's even begun!'

Suddenly, he made a decision. Whenever he felt depressed, he would work it off with a five mile run, despite the cold weather.

He quickly changed into sweatshirt and jogging pants and he donned his running shoes and locked the door behind him, feeling the icy blast from the wind hitting his face as he gently jogged towards the park, glad to be in the open space.

* * * * *

Parker looked stunning in a dove grey pant suit matched with a pale blue sweater that brought out the blue-grey color of her eyes. Her hair newly washed and styled by Louisa and her face was beautifully made-up courtesy of Louisa, too. Her Mama's tiny pearl earrings completed her outfit.

Parker had disguised her red eyes and nose beautifully and she seemed to have pulled herself together - at least she had stopped crying, thought Ethan as he stood admiring her.

He thought she looked beautiful in a fragile way and he was proud of her. It had been worth the two hour wait, and to compensate, Louisa had cooked him breakfast.

He helped her into the car, her arm still in the now familiar sling outside her charcoal grey coat. Setting the heater running, Ethan pulled away and then he looked across, reassuringly at Parker, as she sat holding her arm and biting her lip.

"Jarod doesn't bite, you know!" he teased, feeling her nervousness and anxiety.

"I know that," she snapped at him ......and then she smiled at Ethan.

"It's just that, I don't know what to say to him ......I don't know how to be with him ......I don't know anything, really ......except that I miss him so much".

Suddenly, she leaned across and gripped his arm, panic seizing every fibre of her being.

"Ethan, this is a bad idea ......will you turn around and take me back home, please? I can't do this... ...I can't face him again after yesterday! Take me back home, please, Ethan," she begged.

Taking his hand off the wheel momentarily, he gripped her hand and then released it gently.

"Too late, Parker, it would be a shame to waste all this effort ......you look gorgeous and ......don't worry, the words will come to you".

Parker continued to sit next to Ethan in silence. Occasionally, he could see her biting her lip and pulling at the threads of the plaster wrap on her arm.

All too soon, they had arrived at Sydney's house and Ethan pulled up into the drive and he switched off the engine. He leapt out and around to the passenger door and he helped Parker release her safety belt and out of the SUV into the cold wind. Hurrying to the entry door, he rang the bell and thumped on the door at the same time. Parker hung back behind him, wondering if she still had time to make an exit without being noticed, her stomach knotted with nerves at breaking point.

"Hey Jarod, it's me ......hurry up, I'm freezing my ass off out here!" Ethan yelled through the closed door.

Suddenly, the door was yanked open and Jarod stood there, freshly showered and dressed in his clean black sweater and jeans with a towel still around his neck as he tried to finish drying his hair.

"Hey, little brother, you're in a hell of a hurry ......Parker!" he exclaimed, overwhelmed by surprise to see Parker standing a little way behind Ethan.

Ethan turned around and grabbed Parker's hand and he pulled her inside the entry hall, as Jarod stepped back, holding the door open.

Jarod couldn't take his eyes from her. He felt his throat close up and he swallowed hard as he looked at her - still too surprised to say anything.

"I should go; this is not a good idea ......Ethan, take me back, please!" she whispered to him, still standing behind him.

"Jarod, I think Parker has something really important to talk to you about ......don't you Parker?" said Ethan, taking hold of her arm and pulling her in front of him.

Parker stared up at Jarod and she tried to say something but the words stuck in her throat. She looked down quickly at the floor and murmured to Jarod.

"Jarod, I think......um......I think we need to talk some more!"

Parker continued to stare down at the floor, hardly daring to breathe.

"Hey Jarod, where's Sydney and Angelo?" asked Ethan quickly, looking around him.

"They've gone to the mall to fit Angelo out with some new clothes - they left about an hour ago," replied Jarod, not taking his eyes off Parker for a second.

"Great, I'll go see if I can track them down - and maybe grab some lunch ......I'm starving again! See you guys later!"

With a wave of his hand, and a smile on his face, Ethan pulled the door closed and was gone.

* * * * *

They stood staring at each other, hardly daring to move in case the spell was broken.

All too soon, Jarod moved and opened the door to the sitting room and murmured to Parker to come in and get warmed by the fire. He helped her out of the heavy coat and hung it in the closet and then he ushered her to the end of the sofa nearest the fire.

Parker sat down on the edge, holding her injured arm, staring at the flames in the fire, wishing with all her heart that she could say something to break the fraught tension that hung between them.

"Do you want some tea, Parker? You look frozen!" said Jarod gently.

"Yes, thank you, that would be nice, Jarod," she replied simply, anything to give her time and space to get her thoughts together.

‘Oh God, I don't know what to say; what the hell am I doing here?' she whispered to herself.

Jarod went out into the kitchen and set about making tea, conscious that he needed to quickly comb his hair and put away the towel! As he poured the boiling water, he noticed that his hand wasn't quite steady and as he lifted the tray, the cups rattled slightly as he carried it.

Setting the tray down on the small table in front of Parker, he poured her a half cup and handed it to her carefully. Taking his own cup and saucer, he walked over to the fireplace and he leaned against the mantelpiece.

Parker sipped at the tea and then she put the cup down. Suddenly, she stood up, her nerves at breaking point.

"God dammit, I don't know what to say to you ......Ethan made me come ......this is a mistake ......I should go!" she told him quickly.

Jarod straightened up, placing his tea on the ledge, and then he turned to face her.

"For God's sake, sit down! Tell me why you're here, Parker?" he asked quietly.

"I don't know ......Ethan made me come here!"

"There isn't a person alive who could make you do something you didn't want to do, Parker!" he replied with a small smile. "So try again ......why did you come here? ......I thought we'd said everything there was to say, yesterday."

Parker sat down again on the edge of the sofa.

"You're not making this easy for me, are you?" she said ruefully.

"No, Parker, I'm not going to make it easy for you. If you have something to say, then spit it out."

Parker looked up at him, leaning back against the mantelpiece, arms folded in front of him. God, he looked so handsome just standing there in the firelight, she thought.

Parker took a deep breath and with her eyes lowered to the floor, she whispered:

"I made a mistake yesterday, Jarod. I want to be with you ......if the offer is still open? I can't live my life without you" ......Parker trailed off, not knowing what else to say, tears forming in the corners of her eyes.

Jarod closed his eyes and he took a deep breath, hardly daring to believe the words that he had just heard ......words he had dreamt about hearing from Parker. Was it really true?

"What about my family, Parker? You gave me the impression that was going to be a stumbling block for you," he said carefully.

"I know ......I guess the thought of them blaming me for being one of the reasons why you couldn't be together these last five years ......well, it scared the hell out of me. I didn't want you to have to choose between us ......but Ethan made me realise that it wouldn't be like that ......that they already know about me ......who I am," she whispered.

"Yes, they do know about you, Parker. They know everything about you!"

"I see. Does that ......does that make a difference to them? I mean, there will be times when ......you know ......God dammit ......will they hold it against me?" she snapped, finding her voice at last.

"No, Parker, they do not and they will never hold anything against you. They realise that you were manipulated by all those bastards around you at the Centre; that you had as many questions that needed answers as I did, that there was no escape for you. They were just happy that I had someone in my life who was going to make me happy ... ...at least they were," he said quietly to her.

Jarod turned and picked up the poker. Pushing at the half-burnt logs, he picked up another pine log and threw it to the back. Idly, he tried to rearrange the embers and the burning wood, hoping to give himself the time to organise his thoughts. Turning back to her, he asked carefully:

"What about us, Parker? Can we put the last five years behind us? There's a lifetime of pain, lies and deceit to forgive and forget?"

"I don't know, Jarod but I'm willing to take that chance, if you are!" she replied hesitantly.

He nodded briefly and then he looked at Parker, his face set.

"Come here," he commanded.

She got up slowly and took the few steps to stand in front of him, keeping eye contact with him. Putting his hands on her shoulders, he looked into her lovely eyes and he said softly:

"Do you love me, Parker? Do you love me enough to marry me?"

"Oh Jarod ... ... yes please!" she whispered to him. He drew her close to him and then he covered her mouth with his in a passionate kiss that left her in no doubt as to his feelings.

Pulling away breathlessly, he moved her away from the fireplace to sit next to him on the sofa. Putting his arm around her, he pulled her close and he said carefully:

"I know we've a lot of history, Parker. A lot of bad things have happened to both of us. We've been lied to and manipulated all our lives but I promise you now, that there's no going back. It's all behind us now. You and I will be together always, through good times and bad times. I'll always love you, you know that, don't you?" he whispered picking up her hand and kissing her fingers.

She sighed happily and then she pulled his head down to hers again.

* * * * *

Sydney sat back in his chair looking into the fire. Jarod had come to sit opposite him, having taken Parker back home to rest for a few hours prior to their dinner date that evening.

Jarod picked up a log and he threw it to the back, watching the flames devour it quickly.

"Do you know something, Syd ......our house in California better have a fireplace - I seem to do my best thinking looking into these flames!"

"Is everything really OK between you two," asked Sydney, looking anxiously at Jarod's face.

"Yeah Syd ......it seems I have my little brother to thank for saving my life ......he spent a couple of hours with Parker this morning ‘straightening her out' as he put it!" he replied, his face alight with happiness.

"Have you had a chance to talk to her about California ......is she happy about it?"

"She's mad about the idea ......it seems all that sunshine is the main attraction although she made it very clear that she wouldn't be going anywhere without you, Syd. I think she's hoping that you will agree to give her away at the wedding ... ...but I haven't said anything to you!"

Sydney sat back and he swallowed hard, trying not to let the tears of happiness well up in his eyes. As much as he tried, he couldn't take in the change in Parker - he could see glimpses of Catherine's personality, the way he remembered her from so many years ago, and the emotions of those precious memories threatened to overwhelm him.

God, he had so much to look forward to!

Turning to Jarod, he said quietly:

"If anyone had told me two weeks ago, how much my life was going to change ......I would never have believed them. You were right, Jarod - it is possible to live together as one family - I just didn't have your faith."

They sat in companionable silence for a few minutes, each remembering the events of the past two weeks when suddenly, Sydney looked up and said to Jarod:

"What was it that you said to Lyle before we left Mr Raines' house ......you whispered something in his ear and you said that you would tell me later? I could see from his face that it affected him badly".

Jarod frowned, trying to remember and then suddenly, memory dawned on him and he sat forward, grinning at Sydney.

"I told him that if I ever set eyes on him again, that I would kill him but that the Centre would probably do it for me. I then went on to describe what Parker was like in bed ......what a tigress she was and how she was every man's dream conquest! I went into quite a lot of detail which I won't embarrass you with but I wanted to torment him with those thoughts ......in some small way to make up for the torment he put Parker through, plus ... ... I wanted a bit of revenge for myself. I'm hoping the sick bastard won't forget in a hurry!"

"Mmm ......remind me never to get on the wrong side of you, Jarod!" he said laughing.

They both fell silent, lost in their own thoughts, both staring into the flames of the fire.

"Did Parker agree to return the files, Jarod?" asked Sydney, rousing himself from the warmth, trying not to imagine how good a nap would feel.

"Yes, she wanted to hold on to them ......just in case, but I persuaded her to return them. I believe that Mr Cox is being truthful when he says he's going to sweep clean the Centre. So far, he's not gone back on anything."

Sydney sat and thought about Jarod's words, his thoughts returning to Parker and the way she had been over the last three months.

"You know, Parker was never the same after Carthis ......I mean, I understand the reasons why she started to change ......you told me about her ancestors ......but it was as if she had started to really listen to her heart, as if she remembered more of what Catherine had taught her. I guess, without the influence of Mr Parker, she could hear Catherine's voice more clearly. She certainly lost the will to search for you! I'm sure that's what tipped Lyle over the edge - he knew that he'd lost her even though the thought of her taking the top job was unthinkable to him. ......Catherine would be proud of her today!"

"I hope so, Syd. We've all come a long way ......we've all changed to some degree, including you! Do you feel different, Syd?" asked Jarod, looking at Sydney with affection.

"Yes, I do feel different ......for one thing, I'm not in fear of my life ......but the most important change is that I feel free, in my heart to acknowledge to myself and others, the love I have for you and Parker - I'm not afraid of those feelings any more, Jarod.

"I'm glad, Sydney," said Jarod softly, looking at him earnestly.

"Since losing Jacob, I've not really had anyone to share these feelings - I used to spend time unloading a lot of grief on him - the fact that he couldn't answer back was probably the reason I talked to him in the first place! I felt he understood what I was saying, even so. I still miss him but I know he would be so happy with this outcome, Jarod. It's what he would have wanted for me, more than anything."

"I think so, too ... ... Welcome home, Sydney!" said Jarod with a gentle smile.

* * * * *