"All right, I’ll see you then. Yes, I’ll tell her. Bye," Jim Dye hang up the phone. He sighed and ran a hand over his blond and silver hair in the same gesture his son John had inherited. He had some news to share with his wife and he wasn’t sure she’d be thrilled.

He walked to the kitchen where Lynn was busy preparing dinner. "Who was it? John?" she asked not stopping her work.

"Yeah, it was John," Jim replied. "He said he’s coming next weekend."

"Really? Oh, great! When is he arriving? I’ll make sure to invite Sandrine over for dinner! She’ll be so happy!"

"Lynn…"

"Oh, and Annie! Did I tell you she’s always asking about him? I’ll ask John to go with me to visit her…"

"I don’t think that’s a good idea…" Jim said trying to stop his wife’s chatting, knowing where she was heading to.

"Oh, come on! Do you remember he used to ask both of them out? Sandrine’s still single…"

"Lynn!" Jim finally raised his voice. "John is coming to tell us something important according to him and I’m pretty sure what it is about… In fact, you do know too…"

"Oh, no, Jim! You can’t believe that! I’m sure those are nothing but rumors! He can’t be dating her!"

"He is dating her, Lynn! You yourself have seen it! The way he looks at her, the way he touches her in the episodes… It’s been years!"

"He’s acting! He’s a good actor!" John’s mother argued visibly upset now. To Jim that was not new: since the day rumors had started, Lynn was not happy to hear her son was dating his co-star. Contrary to everybody else, she just didn’t like the idea at all.

"When was the last time John had a girlfriend, huh? Think about it! Wasn’t it before he joined the angel show? It was eight years ago! And to me there aren’t but two choices: either your son has found the love of his life… or he’s become gay, and that I highly doubt it!" Jim tried to joke but he only made Lynn get more furious.

Hitting the table with the rolling pin she was using and making Jim jump, Lynn faced her husband with fury written on her eyes "That is not funny! I know my son and I’m sure he is not in love with… that woman! And you better go check his room is in order before you kept saying nonsense!"

Jim raised his hands in a ‘I said nothing’ gesture and walked out of the kitchen, knowing that the upcoming weekend would be nothing but peaceful and quiet.

***

"Call me when you get there?" Roma asked John, her cheek resting over his chest. She had driven him to the airport on her way to pick Reilly at her friend Betty’s house. She knew John was looking forward to visit his parents, yet she would miss him terribly.

"The minute I set a foot at home, baby," the blond actor replied hugging her fiercely. "Gosh, I’m gonna miss you so much! I wish you had accepted to come with me…"

Pulling away from his hold, Roma reached to stroke his cheek lovingly. "This is a time for you and your family, Johnnie. I’ll be glad to meet your parents next month in that charity event in Memphis, just as we planned".

"All right… I have to go now," he said kissing her palm. "I’ll see you on Sunday."

"Yes. Take care, please?" she then leaned forward to kiss him good bye and stayed by the gate until she saw John disappear inside the airport.

***

"Here we go…" Jim murmured when he saw his son climbing down of a taxi that Friday afternoon. He opened the door and hugged John as soon as he reached the frame. "About time you came visiting us, son!"

"Hey, dad!" John replied. "Where’s mom?"

"Fixing you a dinner like if it was Thanksgiving day! I hope you are hungry…"

"I’m not cooking that much, Jim!" Lynn interrupted them. "It’s just your favorite food, Johnny! I want to spoil you a little!"

John kissed his mom’s cheek soundly. "You’re always spoiling me, mom! If you don’t stop, I’ll go back with 10 pounds more this weekend!"

"That’s not true! Only God knows what you eat there where you work! Come in, come see what I have for you!" Lynn said almost pushing John inside. "I’ll take care of you properly…"

Remembering suddenly that he had a promise to fulfill, John stopped. "Oh, mom, wait…" he took out his cell phone. "I’ll meet you both in a minute, ok?"

Jim placed a hand on his wife’s shoulder when he saw she was about to argue. "Sure, John. Come on, Lynn…" By the moment they were at the kitchen, they could hear John talking by the phone. "Hey, baby… Yeah, I’m home…"

When the blond actor rejoined his parents, his smile spoke volumes for him. "Nice to be at home, huh?" Jim asked when he came in and smiled back at his son.

"Of course it is good to be home, Jim!" Lynn scolded her husband. "Imagine him surrounded by strangers all the time…"

"You know, mom? After eight years, we’re not strangers anymore… We’re really like a family…"

"That’s not true…"

"Yes, it is! Della took the role of Roma’s mom, you know, because… well… her real mom died when she was a little girl… and to me…" John made a little pause and chuckled lightly with and obvious hint of love in his eyes, "Roma was like a sister at the beginning… I loved her more than just a friend…"

"The way you used to love Annie and Sandrine, do you remember them?" Lynn interrupted her son. "And by the way, Sandrine is here too! She’s back and I asked her to come and have dinner with us tonight, what do you think?"

John took a deep breath knowing he wouldn’t have the chance to announce what he wanted that night, but the happiness in his mother’s face made him give up. "It’s great, mom. I haven’t seen her in so long…"

***

Lynn couldn’t hide the smile on her face later that night when they were all gathered around the table. She had insisted Sandrine took a seat by John’s side and although she had noticed the glances John and Jim were sharing, she had pretended not to notice and kept on trying to make John ask everything about Sandrine’s life.

"So, you never got married?" John asked innocently falling into his mother’s game.

"She’s still single!" Lynn replied for Sandrine, "just like you, Johnnie! Who would’ve told that you’d meet twenty years later after you used to go out together! Maybe you could do it again!"

John blushed and stuttered deciding this time his mother has gone too far. He glanced at his father and then at Sandrine, who was also ashamed and had her head down. "I-I don’t think that’s a good idea, mom…"

"Oh, why not?" Lynn insisted.

"Because it has been twenty years, Lynn! You said so yourself!" Jim finally made her stop.

"That’s true, Lynn," Sandrine finally talked. "John’s home just for the weekend, he may want to spend the time with you two, not remembering all times with friends…"

Not too long after, dinner was over and John walked Sandrine to her car. "Sandrine… I really hope you don’t take bad me not following my mom’s idea of going out together…" the blond actor offered.

"It’s ok…"

"I know you are not married, but I’m not sure of maybe there is someone else…"

The blond woman blushed again before she could reply. "Hum… no, not exactly. At least nobody serious…"

"I can’t believe it!" John said. "You used to be the heartbreaking queen!"

They chuckled at the memory. "And you, John?" she asked purposefully. "Why isn’t there a Mrs. Dye already?"

John blushed but his eyes immediately showed the happiness in his heart. "I hadn’t found the right woman until now… but there is a soon-to-be Mrs. Dye…"

"So… They are not rumors, huh? You are really dating your co-star? That’s why you are here!"

John buried his hands in his pockets and smiled widely. "Yeah, we’re planning to get married in the summer. I came to let them know… if my mom ever let me speak!"

They chuckled again. "You look really happy, John…"

"I am really happy, Sandrine," John said sincerely. "Lost in love, full of dreams… I never thought I’d feel like this! Roma is my everything…"

"I’m glad for you, John," the woman said squeezing his arm friendly. "You deserve to be so happy. Take care, Mr. Angel of Death."

"Thank you," the actor said hugging his friend briefly. "I hope to see you soon…" He opened the door of Sandrine’s car for her and saw her leaving.

***

"You haven’t lost your touch, John!" Jim exclaimed the following morning when he saw his son taking a big fish out of the water. "How long do you say you haven’t fished?"

John chuckled while he put the fish on the icing box they had taken with them. "Since the last time we came here, dad! Really, I hadn’t fished lately!"

"You are in your lucky day then…" Jim said moving his line to attract the fish. "Or being happy and in love makes you so much good that it even makes you a good fisherman…"

John smiled. His father always had a way to introduce the topics he wanted to discuss. "How couldn’t it make me good, dad? I have everything I could have ever asked for…"

"Eight years, son? If I didn’t know you, I would never believe this… You used to have so many beautiful ladies drooling for you… And I watch every episode of your show and I see the way you look at Monica and I truly believe she is the one for you…"

"She is, dad. I know she is. I don’t want to lose her ever. I had never thought I’d arrive to the day when I’d ask a woman to marry me…"

"And I had never thought I’d hear my son to say so!" Jim said truly surprised. "When are you telling your mom?"

"Tonight for sure… That’s why I came in the first place. But she doesn’t let me talk! It’s like if she didn’t want me to talk…"

"Maybe I should not tell you this," Jim told him meeting a pair of green eyes just like his, "but your mom isn’t exactly fond of the rumors of you and Roma…"

"Why?!" John asked and saw how his line tensed and then relaxed in a minute, letting him know he had lost another fish. "She doesn’t even know Roma!"

Jim helped John to get his line ready again. "Don’t jump into conclusions before you talk to her, John. But be prepared not to get an excited reply to your news…"

***

Lynn was already deciding what to do for dinner by the time John and Jim came back home. "Baked fish! That sounds good! I just hope you’ve caught enough so we can ask Sandrine and Annie and her son to come too!"

"Mom…" John interrupted her, "I’d really appreciate you not to invite anyone tonight. I have something important to tell you both…"

"Gosh, you sound so dramatic!" Lynn pretended not to understand what her son was asking. "I’m not running a big party! Just a dinner with your old friends! You need to see them! You’re 40 and still single?"

"Mom," John reached to hold his mother’s hand to force her to see him. "I need to tell you something that will change my life and I want to do it when we are alone…"

"Oh, John, you don’t need a dinner to talk to us, you have never had to! Talk now!" Lynn met her son’s eyes almost challenging him.

"Ok…" John said. "Please, take a seat. You too, dad…" When they were already seated by the kitchen table, the blond actor took a deep breath and started. "Mom, dad… I came to give you some great news. I guess you have already heard about this, but I came to tell you that I’m getting married…"

The blond actor took a second to read his parents’ eyes. Jim was smiling broadly, ready to jump and hug his son, but Lynn was obviously very tense. "I wanted you to know it before we make it public. Everything has been so far merely rumors, we’ve managed to keep it that way, but this time we’ll announce it: Roma and I are getting married by the summer…"

"Cong…" Jim started, but Lynn stood up in a hurry. "NO!" John turned to see his mother questioningly. "You can’t be serious! You are not marrying your co-star!"

"Mom!"

"Don’t you see it, John? She is not the right woman for you! There are a million women better and free!"

"I can’t believe you are saying this, mom! I came to tell you that I’m so in love that I’m getting married and you tell me this?" the blond actor was about to lose his patience.

"I’m glad you want to get married, but why her?!"

"I love her!"

"She is divorced and with a girl!"

"I love Reilly! I love her as my own daughter!"

"But she is not!"

"I don’t care!"

"You will!"

"I won’t ever!"

"You will! When you have your own children and you see that you don’t love them the same!" Lynn knew it had hurt John by the expression in his face.

"I can’t believe it, mom! You can’t tell me something like this if you haven’t even met Roma and Reilly, if you haven’t spent a single day with us! You don’t know how that little girl has made me grow, how she has changed my life! I’ve loved her since she was in Roma’s belly! She is my daughter!"

"Don’t fool yourself, John!"

"Lynn, John’s right! He has seen that girl grow since she was a baby! You can’t judge their relationship without seeing it!" Jim intervened.

John closed his eyes briefly and breathed trying to control his raising anger. "Tell me one thing, mom. Why don’t you like Roma if you haven’t even met her? Why are you so reluctant to the idea of me getting married?"

"It’s not you getting married! It’s marrying… that woman!"

"The woman I love, mom!" John exploded. "The woman that means the world for me! I will marry her either you like it or not!" he said and headed to the door.

Lynn ran to grab her son’s arm. "Don’t do it, John! Or you’ll have to choose: that woman or me!"

John looked taken aback and gazed his mother unable to believe what she had just said. For the long minute he kept silence, Lynn thought she had made him and smiled mentally in triumph. She never expected what he said next. "Don’t threaten me, mom," he said calmly and rather coldly. "Don’t make me choose between you and her because I will choose Roma."

Lynn dropped his arm. "I’m your mother…" she stuttered.

"And she’s the love of my life."

***

John slammed the door of his room and for a second he had the funny feeling he was back to his childhood years when he was punished to stay at his room. But the memory faded the second he remembered his mother’s words. He ran a hand over his hair and sighed, his mind drifting immediately to the images of Roma and Reilly. He loved them so much he couldn’t think about a life without them anymore. ‘I would never give up on you, Roma. How could I after how I fought to have you in the first place?’ he thought.

A couple of minutes later, he decided that the only thing that would make him feel better was in fact Roma. He dialed the number and a feeling of happiness invaded his heart the second he heard her Irish accent. "Hullo?"

"I miss you, baby," John said, forcing his voice to be as calm as possibly.

"And I miss you more every second you’re away from me," Roma replied, her heart beating faster and faster. "How’s everything going on there?"

He was silent for a brief second, just enough to make Roma see it wasn’t right. "Everything is fine, baby. I’ll be leaving tomorrow morning…"

"John…" Roma offered softly, "I’m not asking you when are you coming back…"

"Oh, no, huh?" he replied in a mockingly hurting tone. "You don’t miss me then?"

"Of course I miss you, silly! But somehow I’m under the impression that you are telling me one thing and your voice is telling me another one…" John chuckled softly at how accurate her impression was. "And I don’t need to be there with you to see the lost look in your eyes while your mind is racing to find an answer to my question…"

"Now you are telling me that you can in fact be in angelic form and unseen to any human being?" he teased her. "Then materialize yourself, sweet angel, I’m so longing to hold you tight and kiss you breathless…"

"John…"

He sighed softly knowing she had him cornered. "Don’t worry, ok? I’m alright, everything’s fine… And I’ll tell you the whole story tomorrow… Just please remember that I love you more than anything in this world and that nothing, nothing will take me away from you…"

"Johnny, you’re scaring me…" Roma said, his words making a feeling of unease grow in her stomach. "Are you sure everything is ok?"

"Positive, baby. I’m just missing you so much it hurts…"

"I miss you too, Johnny… Oh, wait, Reilly wants to talk to you…"

"Hullo, my sweet princess!" the blond actor said when he heard the little voice on the other end of the line. "I miss you too, honey, but I’ll be back tomorrow…" He kept on talking to the little girl unaware of his father’s presence, who was enchanted hearing how his son was so fond with a child unlike ever in his life.

***

"John?" When he recognized the woman, he smiled broadly. "Oh, God, you never know when you are going to run into an angel, huh?"

The blond actor chuckled and wasted no time in pulling his friend in a hug. "Good to know I’m not assigned to you, Annie! You look great!"

"Oh, no! You look great, Johnnie! I mean… there is no other way if you are so happy as I know you are! Your co-star, huh? Who would have thought?"

John blushed a little but he couldn’t hide a wide smile again. "I guess I have to say it was God’s plan, Annie, nothing but that!" They started to walk slowly, no more than a couple of steps. "I know you have a kid, right? It was what my mom said…"

"Yes, I do… You’ll be surprised…" Annie turned backwards. "Andrew! Come here, sweetie!" And from the threshold of the nearby door, a blond haired boy with bright green eyes appeared around.

John opened his mouth and turned to face his friend, who was hardly controlling her laughter. "He isn’t your clone, John! Relax! I didn’t steal a hair of yours or anything like that! He looks for all the world like my husband’s father, and he is named after him too."

The blond actor laughed openly in relief, not that the boy could be his son, but he really thought his friend had named him after his character in TV. "Nice to meet you, Andrew", John greeted the little boy.

"Hey, you’re that angel on TV!" the boy exclaimed excitedly. "Cool" Say hi to Monica! I like her!"

John laughed again feeling openly relaxed now. He made a mental note about telling Roma she had a little admirer. "Be sure I’ll tell her!"

Then the three of them started to walk again, Andrew leaving the two adults to talk freely. "If I didn’t know you better, John Dye, you’d fool me telling me everything’s perfect in your life…"

John smiled but he couldn’t meet his friend’s eyes. "Everything with Roma’s perfect, really! I’ve never been so happy, Annie… I had never understood how was it to love someone so much that you need to spend your life with her. These nine years with her have been so unique that I would give everything up to live each and all of them again… And I’m so looking forward to the upcoming years…"

"But that’s not what is wrong then…" Annie ventured.

"No, it is not… It’s my mother," John accepted. Annie’s mouth curled in an ironic expression. "Lynn… I knew it!"

"Huh?"

Annie smiled and held her friend’s arm. "Lynn thinks so highly of you that she’ll never find the right woman for you…"

"She has! Sandrine is her ‘candidate’ so to speak…" John couldn’t hide his anger. "Of course, Sandrine’s not really following my mom’s game but…"

"But you are a nice handsome guy, still single and your mom likes her… Sandrine would be stupid if she didn’t take advantage of the situation!"

"Annie," John shoved his hands in his pockets feeling frustrated, "don’t you see it? I don’t care what either Sandrine or my mother can make or say! I will never give up on Roma! I love her, I will always do!"

"John, John, I know!" the woman interrupted him. "I’m not trying to tell you on the contrary! I think Roma and you will be very happy!"

"You do?" in the actor’s voice there was a mix of surprise and disbelief.

"Of course! You are happy now, in love! You’ve changed a lot! And for what I know, Roma’s had a pretty rough life, right? She deserves someone that can really make her happy and never ever hurt her again…"

"I will hurt her, Annie… She’ll suffer knowing my mother is not happy with our marriage… If I know her well, she will even try to break me up…"

"No!"

"I will never accept it!" John continued. "But she will feel responsible for me being mad at my mother… We had planned to come and visit them before we made our plans public, but right now, I’m not sure it’s a good idea to come with her…"

"Can I ask you to come with her, John?" Annie met her friend’s surprised eyes. "I’m not crazy, John! Lynn has to accept you are marrying her!"

"But I don’t want Roma to have a hard time here, Annie… If my mom is rude, I will not stay calm and cool, and…"

"Warn Lynn, John, that you are coming with Roma and that you want her to treat her as what she is: your soon-to-be wife."

John looked skeptically at the woman. "I-I don’t know, Annie…"

"First of all, talk to Roma. I’m sure if she loves you, she will stay with you forever and go through all the hard times you will have to face together. Facing Lynn I’m sure it’s the smallest of all!" When he remained silent for a long minute, as if thinking about what she had proposed, Annie said, "Come with her, John. I’ll be happy to invite you to have dinner with us… and Andrew would meet his first crush!"

John laughed at this words, remembering how many other crushes Roma had met. "He has excellent taste, Annie! I totally agree with him!"

"Ha! I bet you do, Mr. Angel of Death!"

"Hey, Andrew!" John called the boy and he ran to his mother and the actor. "I gotta go, buddy, but I’ll see you soon. I’ll ask Monica to send you a picture, ok? And… we both might come back soon…"

"Really?" Andrew opened his eyes and smiled widely.

"Promise."

***

John was standing by the window of his room late in the night when Jim got in. "Dad?" John offered.

"How are you doing, son? I hope better now…"

"Yeah, I guess… I still can’t understand why she’s acting that way…"

Jim sighed and walked to take a seat on the bed. "I talked to her… She says she’s afraid it may not work between you and Roma and you’ll suffer in the process… She says she’s not blind and she can see you have never been as in love as you are with Roma…"

"Otherwise I wouldn’t have thought of marrying her, dad. But I still can’t see why she doesn’t trust Roma if she hasn’t even talked to her!"

"I came to ask you a favor, John," the old man said meeting his son’s eyes. "Talk to your mother again before you go. I know you love her and that this attitude of hers is hurting you a lot, but she loves you as well, and she is suffering too… Please?"

"Not tonight, dad. I don’t want to fight again. But tomorrow I will," John promised.

***

Lynn’s mood wasn’t the best the following morning to say the least. The bread got burned, she put a lot of salt in the eggs, she forgot the pepper for the hash browns and she cut her finger when she was cutting the oranges for the juice. Once and again she allowed herself to curse, her mind unable to think but in her son.

"Damn it!" she exclaimed just when Jim got in the kitchen.

"What’s wrong?" he gently asked coming closer to his wife, who was licking at her index. The smell of burned bread was still very present.

"You still ask?" Lynn couldn’t help the sarcasm in her voice, her finger in her mouth.

Jim shook his head and made his wife take a seat by his side. "Nothing’s wrong. Much on the contrary. It’s just what you are willing to accept…"

"I will never accept that, don’t ask me that, Jim!"

"Give me a true reason. One I cannot fight…"

"She’s divorced! She doesn’t know how to run a marriage!"

"No one knows, Lynn… Do you remember what the pastor said in our wedding? God wants to teach you how to stay married, one day at a time. He will teach John and Roma too…" When he heard John’s footsteps on the stairs, he knew the time has come and Lynn would have to accept their son’s choice, wanting or not. "G’morning, son…" he greeted pretending everything was ok.

"Dad…" John took a seat by the table. "Mom… I need to talk to you again."

Lynn pretended not to notice as she placed a plate with fruit in front of John. "I had come to tell you we’re getting married, but I also had another plan. Roma and I will be in Memphis next month and we wanted to come and visit you again…"

"You are not changing your mind, are you?" Lynn finally faced her son.

"No, mom. I’m not," John replied with as much determination as her. "Next summer, Roma will be my wife."

"God, if you could see!" the woman exclaimed.

"No, mom! If you could see!" the blond actor replied. "I didn’t come to ask for your permission! I am not a child anymore!" I came to let you know and I’m sorry if you don’t agree, specially since you don’t know Roma and Reilly. That was my second request: please, mom, give yourself a chance to know her".

"I just can’t, John! I don’t want to see you unhappy!"

"John," Jim interrupted both, "bring her home, son…" the man stood up and walked to his wife. Placing a hand on her shoulder so she wouldn’t argue more, he continued, "Bring your soon-to-be wife and your daughter home. They will be very welcome, I promise you."

***

ROMA DOWNEY AND JOHN DYE SET TO WED

TBAA stars have found love in each other.

A real match made in Heaven

"The ceremony to celebrate Operation Smile 20^th anniversary was the first official event where the couple arrived together. Now like John’s official fiancée, Roma confirmed they are planning to get married at the end of the summer, when the ninth season of the series is finally over".

Lynn closed the magazine and threw it on the coffee table, then walked towards the window. Jim saw her and closed the newspaper. "Lynn…"

"Don’t say a word, Jim, please," the woman said.

Jim sighed and walked to her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Think about John. He’s so happy and in love! He had always dreamed about the day when he would come back home with his wife…"

"I know, I know! It’s just that I still don’t want to accept it has to be that woman!"

"He loves her…" the man was about to argue but the sound of a car stopping by the door made him stop. "They are here." He sighed and turned to his wife. "Lynn, please…"

"I promised I’ll treat her right, ok? And I will…" she stated and walked to the door.

"Hey, mom!" John exclaimed and walked to hug his mother the second she opened the door. "I want you to meet them! These are Roma and Reilly!"

Aware of Lynn’s feelings towards her (as John had told her everything about his previous visit), Roma walked almost cautiously to the door and offered a hand to her soon-to-be mother in law. "Hullo. Nice to meet you, Mrs. Dye. Reilly, say hi to John’s mom."

"Hi, Mrs. Dye. These are for you…" the girl said in a perfectly polite tone and offered her a bouquet of flowers.

"Thank you. It’s nice to meet you two," Lynn finally said somehow surprised at Reilly’s touching image.

"Hey! I’ve heard so much about you two!" Jim said in a much more friendly way. "You’re prettier than what your uncle Johnnie said, Reilly!" the man winked at the little girl.

"Really?" Reilly smiled and blushed a little. She liked him.

"Oh, yes! Come on in, please! We have a room ready for you!"

"I told John we can stay at the hotel, Mr. Dye…" Roma started.

"No way! You are part of the family already!" he said and took Reilly in his arms. "Let’s show you your room, Reilly, all right?"

"Yes!" the girl said clearly amused with this man.

Roma saw Jim walking into the house with her daughter in his arms followed by Lynn and turned to see John. Her face must’ve reflected her worrying as the blond actor circled her waist and pulled her to give her a kiss. "Relax. Everything will be alright!"

"I don’t want you to be mad at your mom," she said running his arms up and down. "I want you to be happy…"

"You are my happiness, baby!" he said looking into her hazel eyes. "Now, let’s go inside and get you all set, ok?"

***

"We’re supposed to be back to film by Tuesday…" John was telling his parents when Roma and Reilly went back to the living room once they were all set in their bedroom. "Eight more weeks and the show will be definitely over. Nine years and all be over so soon…"

"It’s been ten years for me…" the Irish actress said taking a seat by his side on the couch. "What is most… Reilly doesn’t have an idea of what it is to live without visiting the set on a regular basis…"

The little girl had come with her mother and she had climbed up to John’s knees immediately, as if it was the most natural thing she’d do. Much to Lynn’s surprise, the girl seemed so comfortable around John that she couldn’t help but pay special attention to what her son did: caress the girl’s back, hug her and pull her close to him.

"Aren’t you going to take your nap, Reilly?" the blond actor asked kissing the top of the girl’s head.

"She’s way too excited to sleep…" her mother replied in her place. "She says she wants to know everything about her uncle Johnnie’s home so she can talk about that at school…"

John reached to kiss the girl’s cheek and squeezed her tightly. "Oh, now I am a homework, huh?" he joked.

"Nope", Reilly replied resting her head on his shoulder. "You are an adventure!" Jim, John and Roma laughed openly and even Lynn couldn’t help a wide smile at the comment of the girl.

Yet the conversation went far from John’s childhood memories to plans both actors had after TBAA. So, when they realized, Reilly was sound asleep, her head still resting on John’s chest. "Hum… I think you are not much of an adventure after all, son," Jim commented.

"I guess not… At least not the kind she likes…" he chuckled. Careful of not disturbing her, John stood up. "Let me take her to her bed…"

When Roma didn’t even try to move to stop him, Lynn turned to see her. "Is he…?" she didn’t even know what to ask.

"John’s the only one who can make her take a nap when Reilly has decided she’s not sleeping," Roma explained. "It’s been the same since she was a baby."

Jim rose his eyebrows, unable to believe it too. "Who would’ve thought…"

"Why?" Roma asked not understanding what was so uncommon. "He’s always done this. He has good practice… I mean… he even fed Reilly when she was a baby. He walked with her for hours when she was learning… Here, let me show you…" she reached for her bag that she had left there and showed them a picture she was always carrying with her: John with a bottle in one hand and holding Reilly with the other.

Jim was about to talk more but John was coming back. "All set," he announced proudly and took a seat by Roma’s side again, reaching a hand to place it on her knee. "Sleeping like a little angel…"

"Only you to make her sleep when she says no…" Roma accepted and leaned to kiss him on the cheek. "It was a long journey. She wouldn’t stay awake for a long time anyway…" John said now wrapping his arm around Roma’s shoulders and pulling her close to him.

**

They had spent almost all the afternoon chatting in the living room until it was time for Lynn to prepare dinner. "Can I help you?" Roma had offered and Lynn hadn’t refused. Yet the older woman kept on giving her instructions about everything. "Don’t add too much salt to that, please" she had ordered Roma while the actress prepared some pasta. "John likes it with almost no salt at all…"

Roma frowned but said nothing. More than once she had cooked pasta for John and he hadn’t complained about salt. More by mere courtesy, Lynn had asked her to call her so and not Mrs. Dye, yet she was far from friendly with the actress. John had realized his mother was not too pleased with Roma but he trusted his girlfriend to finally win his mother’s heart. "What?" he asked in a low voice when he saw Roma looking at him with special attention during dinner.

"Nothing", Roma replied and just smiled. He was adding salt to the pasta.

***

"Well… I think we should call this a night", Jim announced late that night, standing up from the couch and stretching. "We’ll have all the time to talk tomorrow."

"Your room is ready, Johnny," Lynn pointed out. "And, Roma, if you need something more… more sheets or another cover…"

"Thanks a lot, Lynn. Reilly and I will be just fine," the Irish actress replied smiling warmly.

"G’night, son…" Jim said placing his hands on his wife’s shoulders. "Roma…"

"Night, dad."

"Good night, Jim…"

John and Roma saw them leaving before the actor pulled her close to him. "The worst is over…" he said guiding her to his chest and getting comfortable on the couch. "I told you you’d find a way with them…"

Roma circled his waist and snuggled closer. "I so want you to be happy, Johnnie. I’m so sorry I’m causing you so much trouble with your mom…"

"Hey!" he moved and framed her face to force her to look at him. "I’ve told you that is not your fault. I love you, Roma! You are my happiness and I would never ever give up on you. I wouldn’t know how to live without you!"

"I’d die without you, Johnnie…" the Irish actress murmured in a low voice, her eyes shining with love and emotion. "I would have died years ago without you…"

"Don’t think about that…" he said stroking her cheek and looking deep in her eyes. "Think about all the years we’ll have together. I promise I’ll make you happy, baby…"

"You make me happy every minute, Johnnie…" she said wrapping her arms around his neck and reaching to kiss him lovingly.

Lost in their little world, they never saw Lynn, who was climbing down the stairs when she heard the conversation. She was mad at John for falling in love with a woman like Roma, but she couldn’t deny her son looked happier than ever, and that he had changed a lot. He was no more the self conscious guy looking for a little romance, but a man devoted to one only woman and, what was more, a loving father. The way John acted around Reilly still shocked her, as Lynn had never thought her son would care more about a kid who was not his.

Sighing in defeat, with the image of John and Roma sharing tender kisses and the silly conversation of two lovebirds, the woman turned around and climbed up the stairs again.

***

Actually, it was John’s completely different attitude what kept Lynn awake and thinking almost all night long. So when she found both John and Roma already in the kitchen cooking breakfast, she felt almost guilty for not wanting her son to marry her and saying so much.

Jim and Reilly had joined them in the table when the door bell rang. "I’ll go get it…" Jim offered. "Sandrine! What a nice surprise…" he couldn’t help the hint of sarcasm in his voice just as Lynn couldn’t stand his gaze.

"I know the handsome visitor’s home again!" she exclaimed and got in as if it was her own house, "and if I don’t come and see him, he won’t visit me!"

John felt color drain off his face when he heard Sandrine’s voice and turned to see how tense Roma was. Shooting her what tried to be a reassuring glance, he then said, "Hi, Sandrine. It’s good to see you. There’s someone I want you to meet. This is my fiancée, Roma…"

"Nice to meet you!" the woman said friendly shaking hands with the actress. "And who would this charming little lady be, huh?" she said stroking Reilly’s head.

"That’s our daughter, Reilly," John explained and met his mother’s gaze when he clearly marked the ‘our’ part. "Say hi, Reilly…"

"Hullo…" the little girl offered politely reaching to kiss Sandrine on the cheek.

"So what are your plans for today, guys?" the ‘unexpected’ guess asked taking a seat by the table and reaching to get a toast.

"Oh… Since the other time I came, Annie asked me to go have lunch with her and her family, and we all agreed in a picnic today… We’re actually heading to the river, by the place where my dad and I go fishing… Would you like to join us?"

"Sure!" Sandrine exclaimed not thinking twice. "It’ll be great!"

***

Barely a couple of hours later, John was helping Roma to fix a basket with food for the picnic, while Jim and Lynn gathered some other things they would be carrying to the river. John knew Roma wasn’t comfortable with Sandrine going too, but she hadn’t said a word about it.

"I’m sorry, baby," the blond actor said circling her waist from behind when they were alone in the kitchen. "I really didn’t know what to say… But she’s a nice person, I’m sure you’ll get along with both her and Annie…"

"Johnnie! Don’t worry so much…" she said turning to face him, surprised about his concern. "It’s ok you asked her to join us…"

"It’s just that I want you to have a good time and I know my mom’s not helping, and now this…"

She reached to silence him with a kiss on the lips. "I’m with you. You are home. You love me and you love Reilly. I don’t care about anything else…"

John felt how his heart beat faster with Roma’s words and he said a quick prayer of thanks for having her. "You are so special, Roma," he said lost in her hazel eyes. "You are the most incredible woman I could have found…"

"Ditto, Mr. Dye…" she smiled at him and closed her eyes to receive a long kiss.

***

"Andrew, not too close to the river!" Annie shouted to his son when the boy and little Reilly ran off after eating their lunch. "Watch over Reilly, Andy!"

"The river is not too deep here," Jim said also looking at the kids. "That’s why I used to br4ing John and his brothers here…"

"The place is beautiful…" Roma offered looking around while her hand distractedly combed John’s hair, as he was lying on the grass, his head pillowed on her legs.

"You won’t believe this, but I haven’t come in years!" Sandrine said too. "Maybe since we last came when we were still in high school…"

"It’s a good thing we have managed to keep this place untouched…" Oscar, Annie’s husband told them. "I’m so looking forward for Andrew to grow up a couple of years more so we can come fishing too…" He was also lying on his wife’s lap, still sipping a can of coke.

"Best thing father and son can do!" John exclaimed from his place. "Some of the most treasured memories are in this place…"

"Monica…" a tender voice said then and they all turned to see Andrew carrying a bouquet of wild flowers in his hands. "These are for you…"

"Aww, Andrew! They are so beautiful! Thank you!" the Irish actress said at the gesture. "You are so sweet!" She pulled the boy to kiss his cheek and he blushed deeply. Not knowing what else to do, he ran away.

"You have competence, Johnny!" Sandrine mocked him and the others followed the joke.

"Yeah, and he has a good chance to steal Roma’s heart for what I see…" he said in fake indignation rising up to seat by her side.

"Yes, he does!" she teased too and leaned to kiss him on the cheek.

But just then they heard a scream that froze their hearts, and a second later it was Reilly’s voice calling her mother.

"Mommy!!"

"Andrew!" "Reilly!" Annie and Roma exclaimed almost simultaneously. Both woman arrived just behind John, who had run towards the place where the kids had been.

"Uncle Johnnie!" Reilly cried when she saw the man coming closer.

"Don’t move!" he ordered the boys when he saw what had made them cry. It was a big rattle snake, hissing and up in an attack position. Obviously they had disturbed it with their games.

"Oh, my!" Oscar was the second to arrive and saw the scene. "Andrew, don’t move!"

"Oscar, dad, you go get the kids! I’ll call its attention!" John said reaching to get a branch that was by his side.

"Okay"· both men had started to walk to circle the place where the kids were but the serpent saw them. It showed its tongue and its fangs again and it terrified the kids.

"Uncle Johnnie! Mommy!" Reilly cried and lifted her little arms when she saw her mother coming.

She shouldn’t have done so. It was obviously a gesture the snake took as an aggression and it shot its dangerous bite. Reilly yelled when she hit the ground and her voice was mixed with that of her mother. "John!"

The blond actor had reacted at the very moment the snake had moved and his strong arm had pushed Reilly to the ground and out of the animal’s reach, but he hadn’t been able to escape it and he saw how its long fangs dug in his flesh, sending a dangerous amount of poison directly in his veins.

He turned to see Roma for a brief second and she saw the terror written on his face and only the sound of a big rock falling nearby made her turn: Sandrine had managed to kill the snake by hitting it right on the head.

"Aaargh!" John screamed in pain just when Roma was kneeling by his side.

"Johnnie!" she sobbed.

"We need to take him to the hospital right now!" Oscar ordered reaching to tie John’s arm with his handkerchief over his elbow to try to stop the poison run in his body. "It bite him on the vein!" He and Jim lifted John, who moaned in pain and they walked towards Oscar’s SUV.

"Are you ok, Reilly?" Roma asked her daughter. "I want to go with you!" the little girl cried.

"Go with them, Roma!" Annie told her. "We’ll meet you at the hospital!"

The Irish actress shot her a thankful gaze and reached to kiss her daughter’s cheek. "Mommy!" Reilly shouted but Lynn reached to hold the girl. "No, sweetie, let her go. We’ll go there too!" And the three women and the two children saw the red car moving away.

***

"Be sure he breaths!" Oscar shouted Roma, who was sitting on the back seat, John’s head on her lap.

"John, please, answer to me…" she was pleading him, touching his cheeks to make him react, all in vain as he could hardly keep his sight on her face for a second and then he’d lose conscience.

"Call 911!" Oscar ordered Jim, who was on the passenger seat. The old man did as he was told and informed about the accident. "An ambulance in meeting us on the way," he announced. "They’ll take him to Gilmore Memorial!"

"Okay…" Oscar barely replied as he was too busy driving as fast as possible, horning once in a while to warn the cars around them.

It all seemed like an eternity to Roma, who couldn’t take her eyes away off John’s arm, that was getting a nasty black color now, two enormous pustules big as cherries, growing where the fangs of the snake had entered his flesh.

"Roma…" he murmured quietly.

"I’m here, Johnnie, please, please hold on…" she begged, her vision blurring at the tears threatening in her eyes.

"I-I…" he tried to speak but he couldn’t continue as he barely had the time to turn around to vomit, his mouth all covered in white foam.

"John!" the Irish actress cried in utter terror.

"Made him turn, Roma! Otherwise he’ll get suffocated!"

Trembling form head to toe, Roma did as she was told, only her fear giving her the strength to move John’s heavy and completely rigid body. He then started to shake uncontrollably and it only made her terror grow. "Oh, God, please! Please, don’t let him die! John, please, John!"

Oscar chose not to turn and tried to focus only on the road, otherwise he knew he would lose his control. He knew John and Roma’s story for what his wife had told him and he didn’t want this to be the ending. Not when it was like a fairy tale come true.

Jim did turn when he heard John vomiting and tried to help Roma to hold his son’s body, but he couldn’t do a lot. He too couldn’t believe these were John’s last moments, he simply refused to think that way. It wasn’t his "dad’s side" talking, but John was in fact a great man and a great son, always willing to help, always willing to take care of those around him. Like Roma and Reilly. Never had he seen him so devoted to a woman like he was to Roma. It was just obvious he had found all he could have asked for in her, in her slim figure, in that sweet expression that only made believe she was the most innocent human being of the world, not matter how much she had suffered along her life. Jim knew life hadn’t been easy for Roma; she didn’t deserve another pain like this.

"The ambulance is over there!" Oscar’s voice made both Roma and Jim look in front of them.

"We thought it was easier to wait and catch you on the way!" a paramedic told Oscar when he climbed down to open the passengers door. "How is he?"

"He’s been conscious for moments and started to throw up like three minutes ago!" Roma tried to explain while Oscar and the paramedic placed John on a stretcher.

"Man, the poison must be all around his body now!" the paramedic exclaimed. "It bite him on an artery!"

"No!" Roma cried.

"We need to take him to the hospital immediately! Did you see what kind of a snake was? Did you kill it?"

"It was a rattle snake! A diamondback!" Jim told them.

From that moment on, the little actress would only remember fragments of the images passing by her eyes. John being introduced in the ambulance, the paramedic moving his head backwards to tube him before the doors closed. She knew that was bad enough and it scared her even more if possible.

Oscar pulled off the car right behind the ambulance at the hospital emergency entrance. The three of them ran behind the stretcher, Roma ahead of them, until a nurse stopped them. "I’m sorry, ma’am, you can’t go on. You have to wait here."

"But…"

"Come on, Roma," Jim said gently circling her arms and guiding her to the waiting room. "Let them work".

Annie, Sandrine and Lynn arrived around half and hour later, and saw the others sitting at the waiting room. "Any news?" Annie asked coming to take a seat by her husband. Reilly did the same with her mother sneaking her little hand between hers in silence.

"He's in the emergency room", Oscar said, "they hadn't come to tell us more".

Some minutes later, the gates were opened again and Roma almost jumped to meet the doctor. "How is him?"

The doctor took a deep breath before he placed a hand on the actress' shoulder and started to talk. "I don't want to lie to you. It was a very serious bite and the poison reached his whole body. We're making him a full transfusion, in the look of he to be clean of the poison. He got the antidote still on time but he's very weak... I don't want to be too pessimistic but I can't be too optimistic as well... He has as many chances of living as of not making it..."

Roma's sharp intake was the first response to his words, just as fresh tears ran over her cheeks. "Please, Father, make him heal..."

"That's where Mr. Dye's life is... in God's hands", the doctor said. "Pray a lot. That's the best you can do now..."

"When shall we know, doctor?" Jim asked, he as well comforting his crying wife.

"I don't know for sure... All cases are different. Some have a full recovering in no time... some take a lot... and some... well, let's not think about the worse..."

"C-can we see him?" Roma murmured cleaning her tears.

"He is in the ICU, so there's only one visit allowed each time, ok?" the doctor explained and being informed about the actors relationship as John was the local celebrity, he added, "Wives have priority, so in this case, you are allowed to stay more, Mrs. Downey. Come with me."

Roma was not at all prepared for what she saw when she got close to John: his whole body had a gray shadow, just as if the venom had changed the color of his skin, and the place where the snake had bite him was now a deep purple color, so swollen it seemed about to explode. She wanted to touch him, but she was afraid as if her simple contact would cause him a strong pain.

"There cannot be more than two people here, ok?" the doctor explained the little actress as he left her to John’s side. "I know you want to stay here as long as needed, but I would recommend you to rest too, Mrs. Downey. Mr. Dye is in good hands".

"I-is he in much pain?" Roma asked with trembling voice.

"I’m afraid he was when he arrived. He’s under sedation now, so I guess he’s not feeling anything. The monitors are all connected to the central computers of the station outside, but if you see any change, please let the nurses know…" The doctor wasn’t sure if the actress was listening to him anymore, so focused she was in the lying man on the bed. "I shall see you in an hour or so, ok?"

***

Lynn walked along the corridors, her mind screaming something she didn’t like at all: had she been wrong in judging Roma? Obviously her son was crazy in love with her, and the Irish actress seemed as lost as him… Maybe Jim was right and she had been blind, so blind that now her son was dying in that ICU room… She soon realized she was by the chapel entrance, and she walked in. She took a seat by the last chair, feeling somewhat ashamed of being there… "God," she murmured at last, "please, help me".

***

Jim lifted his eyes as soon as Roma’s small feet appeared in his sight camp. He noticed immediately the actress’ reddened eyes and took her cold hand when she took a seat by his side. "How is he?" the old man asked, more to make her talk than waiting to know something different of what the doctor had told him a few moments ago.

"The transfusion is over…" Roma explained with the lowest voice. "They say we have to wait now…"

"We have to have faith…" Jim replied squeezing her hand. "God is looking after him…"

The little actress only nodded, sure that if she talked she’d start crying again. Long minutes later she asked, "Where’s Reilly?"

"She fell asleep on the couch when it was pass midnight. Annie took her to her home. She’s in good hands…"

"Thank you…"

"I think you should go home too, and take a shower… perhaps try to sleep a little bit… You’re exhausted…"

"But I don’t want to leave John…"

"I-I can take your place, Roma…" Lynn interrupted. Her feelings towards her soon-to-be daughter in law were confusing, she was ashamed for treating her coldly but she couldn’t help but blame her after John’s accident. "You need to rest a little."

Roma looked at her mother in law almost with anger in her eyes. If she hadn’t been so nasty, this would have never happened! How she wanted to start shouting and crying, but she knew it would only make things worse. The Irish actress looked away for a little and sighed. "Okay… I’ll go get a shower and I’ll come back as soon as possible… Please, call me if you have news…"

"I’ll drive you home, Roma…" Jim offered. "You cannot drive or just take a cab after a night like this… We’ll come back soon, Lynn…"

"Okay…" the older woman replied, reading in her husband’s eyes the silent reproach he still had to give her.

**

It took a good deal of courage from Lynn to cross the frame of the door and walk up to her son’s bed. A nurse was changing his IV and writing down the numbers on his monitors. "H-how is he doing?" Lynn asked in the lowest voice, as if she would wake John up.

"He’s in God’s hands, ma’am…" the woman said. "We’ve done all we had to do… He has to fight for his life, and I’m sure he has many reasons to do it. His wife seems so in love with him…"

"They are not married…" Lynn couldn’t help but explain, her anger still fresh. "She’s not his wife…"

"Oh… I’m sorry, I thought… Seeing how she spent all the night here, and how she talked to him about their daughter…" the nurse felt rather uncomfortable with the woman’s reaction when she knew well families needed to be together in cases like this…

"The girl is not my son’s daughter… but he loves her a lot…" Lynn conceded.

"I know this is not the time, nor the place to talk about it, but I do believe a father is not the one who gives life, but who raises the children and make them good people… That is the kind of love that can make you son recover, ma’am…" the nurse finished doing her notes and left the room.

"How come did all this happen, Johnny?" Lynn started to talk to her son after a little while. "When did you grow and become an independent man who I cannot tell what to do? If I could… if I could still tell you who to talk to and who to bond with… Of course, you wouldn’t do as I say…" Lynn smiled sadly, "you’ve always been so independent, so self-secured… It’s only that I cannot stop thinking that this shouldn’t have happened! That you shouldn’t have to be here! I know you love that woman and that little girl, I like her too, she’s cute and nice, but… Oh, God, this is my son lying here!" she started to cry helplessly, "I love him so much! Please, don’t take him away from me! Don’t let him die! You cannot die, John!"

***

The nurse saw Roma walking back to the ICU and thought about Lynn’s words. How couldn’t she like her when it was obvious she was in love with the blond actor? She too was a fan of the show and that couldn’t be the ending of a love story that seemed so close to a real life fairy tale. Roma smiled at her and she smiled back.

"Any change?" Roma asked with hope written all over her face.

"I’m afraid not, Mrs. Downey, but it doesn’t mean he’s worse. He is fighting, and I’m sure he knows you’re here for him…"

Roma reached to squeeze the woman’s hand friendly. "Thank you…" and headed to the room.

"Oh, ma’am, Mr. Dye’s mom is there…"

Roma sighed and smiled sadly. "Okay…" and walked in there knowing nobody was to stop her of being close to the man she loved.

"Hi…" she greeted in the lowest voice when Lynn turned to look at her.

"His condition hasn’t changed… They say he’s still fighting…" the woman replied coldly, standing up and heading to the door, obviously upset with the actress’ presence.

To Roma it was enough. The last thing she could deal with by that moment was Lynn’s dislike and she had just had enough. "Lynn…" she called not moving from her place over the door frame. John’s mother stopped and turned to look at her. "I know you are not happy with my relationship with John…"

"I haven’t…" Lynn tried to defend herself but the actress didn’t allow her to go on.

"I’m not blind, Lynn, and I can sense you don’t agree with John. I know I’m not the kind of woman you’d like for your son: I’m older than him, I have a daughter that is not John’s and I’m twice divorced, I’m not a ‘perfect’ woman in any sense… But I love him, Lynn. I do. I have never been as sure of loving someone as I am about John. He’s such a part of my life I don’t know what would I do if he was not with me anymore… If you want me to tell you I’ll walk away from him, I won’t tell you that, Lynn… I want to spend the rest of my life by John’s side, and I know he wants the same. He has told me so, and I believe him. He has proven his love for me in all the forms you can imagine, he rescued me from the deepest despair and showed me there was a life different of everything I have known before. I don’t know what you know about me, but I lost my mother when I was a little child and my father when I was only twenty. My divorces weren’t any easier, and it was a real war to get my daughter’s custody… I know I’ve made mistakes, many more than I would be able to fix in my lifetime, but John loves me just the way I am… and I would never stop thanking God for sending him to me, and blessing you for rising him the way he is now…"

The last words surprised Lynn, who raised her eyes to meet Roma’s. There was such truth in her gaze that for a moment Lynn wondered if she was the best actress in the world or if it was only a woman in love… She kept her gaze for a long minute before she walked away. "I’ll see you later…"

Roma saw her walking away and sighed. She went back to her place by John’s side and took his hand. "Hey, handsome, how are you doing?" she greeted and reached to kiss him lightly on the lips. "Can you open your eyes for me, please? I need you here, Johnny… Only God knows how dark my world seems to be without you around. You’re my light, John Dye…"

Lynn could hear the last words and a feeling of guilt took place in her heart, yet still mixed with the anger she felt against Roma. But somehow she was starting to see the truth: Roma and John were in love, and she couldn’t judge the actress because of her past. Perhaps they were really meant to be together, after all God always had a perfect plan, and a perfect match, for all His children. The woman walked to the waiting room to find Annie and Oscar back with Andrew and Reilly. And the little girl immediately was standing up, asking for her "uncle Johnnie".

"She’s still unconscious, sweetheart", Lynn explained. "Your mom is back with him."

"Can I see him?" her pleading tone made Lynn doubt for a second and she turned to look at Jim.

"No, honey, they don’t admit little children there…" Jim said pulling the girl to his chest.

"But I want to see him…" Reilly still argued. "I want to ask him to wake up… My mom must be very sad, and I don’t want her to be sad anymore…"

Lynn bit the inner part of her cheek and walked to take a seat by her husband’s side. "Do you love Johnny a lot, Reilly?"

The little girl rose her brown eyes and met Lynn’s. "He’s my daddy… I know he is not, not really, but he is for me. He gives me a piggyback every night and he taught me how to ride my bicycle. If I fall, he’s the one kissing my boo-boo’s away… Who is going to make that for me?" The last words were nothing but a mere whisper, as big tears crossed the little girl’s cheeks, a vision that also made Lynn, Jim and Annie’s eyes wet. They let her sob a little, and then her following words made surprised them. "I know Mrs. Lynn is not happy because my uncle Johnnie is in love with my mom, but I am. I used to pray a lot for him to fall in love with my mom so he could come to live with us, and my mom wouldn’t be sad anymore. I want them to have a baby too, so if my dad ever takes me away, my mom won’t feel alone ‘cuz she will have my little sister or brother and my uncle Johnny will be with her too. Was it bad for me to ask so much?" She looked up at the three adults, her tears never ceasing to fall. "Tell me this is not a punishment. Please, tell me God didn’t get mad at me for wanting my uncle to fall in love with my mom…"

"Oh, sweetheart…" It was too much for Lynn. Reilly’s tears made her heart ache with so much guilt and shame that she pulled the girl into a tight hug and kissed her head repeatedly. "I’m so sorry… I never thought you were aware of all this… If this is a punishment, Reilly, it certainly is not for what you asked for, baby, but for my stupid attitude!" The woman started to sob as much as the little girl, and she remained there, hugging Reilly, freeing her guilt with every sob. Then framing the little girl’s small face, she added, "You’re not guilty, Reilly, you are a blessing. God gave your mother and John a present when you were born! I know he has never loved a woman as he loves your mommy, and I’m sorry for not telling her I’m happy and that I only want her to be happy with your uncle Johnny. God, I’m so sorry, so sorry…"

Jim reached to hug his wife and Reilly, allowing his tears to fall too. In silence, he thanked God his wife had started to accept Roma and prayed for his son to recover soon. He couldn’t die now, not when he had everything a man could ask for in his whole life…

After long moments, hugging Reilly and being hugged by her husband, Lynn let go of them both and dried her eyes. "I’ll be right back," she said and walked along the corridor towards the ICU unit.

"Lynn?" Jim asked, but she didn’t reply.

"Can I go in?" Lynn asked to the nurse on the station when she arrived.

"I’m sorry, ma’am, but Mrs. Downey is there… Do you want me to call her so you can be with your son?"

"Actually I would like to talk to her by my son’s side. Do you think I could do it?"

The nurse seemed doubtful. She didn’t want a scandal there, yet there was a hint of anxiety in the woman’s eyes that reached her very heart. I must’ve been so difficult to see a son almost dying… "Just please remember to keep your voice low…" she recommended.

"Roma?" Lynn’s voice surprised the little actress, who took a second to sigh deeply and stood up to leave the room. "Come in, Lynn. I’ll leave you with him…"

"No, Roma… please, stay…" the woman said defiantly holding the actress’ eyes. "I need to tell John something… and I want you to hear it too."

"Lynn…"

"Please… I know I’ve messed it up these days, but… please, give me a chance".

It took a lot for the Irish actress not to say all the things she wanted to say to John’s mother, but she knew she had to be patient. "All right…" She crossed her arms and stood by the door, watching as Lynn walked towards the bed.

"Johnny…" the older woman started doubtfully. "I want to say I’m sorry, sweetheart… I was so blind… so blind that I didn’t see you have a wonderful family already, and that what you wanted to do was nothing but the right thing to do: make it legal. Reilly is your daughter for all the purposes that matter, and you are what Roma has been looking for all her life. And now, son, I see she will make you happy too… because a woman that has seen the depths of despair knows how hard is to leave and blossom to a happy life again. I should’ve seen that before, Johnny… and perhaps all this would have never happened… You have to fight and wake up soon, Johnny, please: you wife and your daughter need you by their side. No one could ever take the place you have in that sweet girl’s life, and no one else deserves to take that place…" Lynn was crying, and her tears were covering her son’s sleeping face. "Please do it for me… so I can apologize the way I have to…" She leaned to kiss his forehead and when she turned, Roma was crying too.

The two women looked at each other for a long second, before they crossed the distance between them and shared a long, painful hug, where their suffering became just one. They were crying for what they were feeling, for what they were afraid of losing. They were crying for one man that had two different roles in their lives, but who was at the end only one great, marvelous guy.

"Thank you, Lynn…" Roma murmured when they pulled away.

"No, Roma, please… I need to apologize. I’m so sorry I’ve given you such a hard time… I don’t know what I was thinking about…"

"Lynn… please, don’t say more…" Roma asked Lynn.

"I don’t even know where to start…"

"You don’t have to say more… Please, Lynn… Everything’s fine…"

Lynn looked at Roma’s eyes, and saw in between her tears the light of a warm hearted woman, who always put the ones she loved before her own well being. "God bless you, Roma… For making my son so happy… and for giving him such a wonderful daughter…"

Roma smiled, swiping her tears away. "What did Reilly do now?"

"She made me see the truth. I’m so happy to have such a granddaughter…"

It brought a shiver to the actress’ spine to hear her daughter being called so. "Sometimes I wonder if she isn’t a little cherubim dressed in my daughter’s clothes…" Roma joked. "When I’m feeling sad and lonely, and my world’s getting all dark, she brings light back to my life…"

"I can see now…" Lynn smiled. "I wanted to ask you to let me take my place as Reilly’s grandma tonight… I guess I won’t be able to take you away from John’s side, right?"

Roma sighed. "No… I’ll stay here…"

"I’ll take Reilly home, ok? And we’ll come back in the morning…"

**

Jim opened the door of their house and let his wife and Reilly in. The little girl had been quiet all the way back home, after she had cried and begged her mother to let her stay at the hospital or at least go see her uncle Johnnie. It had broke the little actress’ heart, but hospital rules didn’t allow little children, and she didn’t want to leave John’s side. Now she knew Lynn would take good care of Reilly.

"Come on, sweetie… Let’s have you taking a shower and then a nice dinner and you can go to bed… I guess you must be tired…" Lynn said taking Reilly’s little hand and guiding her upstairs. Jim saw them go and thanked God for this.

"Mrs. Dye?" Reilly asked in a low voice when they were in the bedroom the little girl was using with her mother. "Do you think my uncle Johnnie will wake up soon?"

The worried tone in the child’s voice made Lynn’s heart ace again. She took a seat on the bed and placed Reilly on her lap. "I’m so praying for him to do so, baby…" Lynn replied, kissing the girl’s head. "Can I ask you a favor?"

"Uh huh…"

"Do you think you could call me grandma?" Reilly pulled away and looked at her skeptically. "When your mommy marries Johnnie, you will become my granddaughter… But we can start right now if you want to…"

"Yey!" the little girl exclaimed and wrapped her little arms tightly around Lynn’s neck. "I love you, grandma!"

Lynn closed her eyes and returned the hug. "I love you too, sweetheart. Your mom’s right, you’re an angel…"

*

It was very late in the night when Lynn woke up with a strange feeling. She turned lightly to her left, where her husband slept peacefully and then to the right, to see Reilly snuggled against her body, holding tightly her teddy bear. After reading her a story, Lynn had tucked her in her bed… but less than an hour later she had appeared by Lynn and Jim’s door, asking if she could sleep with them. To the old lady, who hadn’t had a little kid around her in a long time, it was all her heart needed to ache again with guilt and remorse. She welcomed Reilly and sang to her until she was fast asleep.

Reilly was not the origin of her concern. Then what was making her heart pound so loud? She started to think and it wasn’t long before she knew it: whatever it was, it had to be with John in the hospital. Just thinking in her son made her feel like she couldn’t breathe properly. Something was going on there, she knew it… but she couldn’t wake Jim up to call in the middle of the night… "Father, please, take care of him…" she murmured and closed her eyes, trying in vain to catch the sleep once more.

She was almost falling asleep when the telephone rang, her breath was now coming in short, ragged breaths. "Jim…" she elbowed her husband. "Jim! Pick up!"

"Huh?" Jim was confused for a long moment before his brain managed to gather the ring, her wife’s callings and the thought of moving to pick up. "Yes?" he finally replied all sleepy.

"Jim, please, come soon!" It didn’t take him but a split second to recognize Roma’s voice. "It’s John!"

*

Jim couldn’t remember when he had driven faster than that night, perhaps not even when driving Lynn to the hospital under very different circumstances… They there were now, in the middle of the night, rushing to the front desk, a half asleep Reilly in his arms…

"We’re looking for John Dye!" Jim asked the nurse when they arrived to the ICU desk.

"He’s not here anymore…." the nurse started to say but Lynn didn’t allow her to continue.

"Why? Where is he?"

"He’s been transferred to the second floor, ma’am!" the nurse rose her voice so Lynn wouldn’t be asking more questions. "He’s awake now and out of danger!"

"Oh, my God, thank you!" Lynn cried, hands joined until her knuckles were white.

"C-can we see him?" Jim asked moving Reilly to keep her in his arms. His knees were trembling more than the night the doctor had told him he was the proud dad of a healthy baby boy.

"Of course you can… Second floor, room 230…"

Even the doctor and the nurse turned around when the door flung open in John’s room. Jim and Lynn were standing by the door frame, almost breathless and as confused as Reilly, who was rubbing her eyes and stifling her yawns with all she was.

"Hi, mom…" John murmured with a very low, harsh voice. Roma was by his side and turned to look at them with eyes bright with tears.

"Oh, my, oh my…" Lynn was repeating like a mantra. She ran to the bed and reached to take John’s hand. "You’re awake, Johnny, you’re awake…"

"It was only a nap…" John tried to joke but it was obvious he had trouble in talking. The doctor noticed and called for order.

"He is too weak, ma’am, so I will please ask you all to let him go back to sleep. You will be able to come back in the morning… You too, Mrs. Downey…"

Roma was about to protest but a look at Reilly, who was again asleep told her she had to rest. After all, John was now out of danger and her daughter needed her too. She turned to look at John and he nodded. "Go to sleep, baby…" he managed to say. "I won’t go anywhere…"

*

Much to the contrary of what should’ve been expected, John couldn’t sleep much after Roma and his parents left. He had the horrible sensation of being left behind, of being living what he should’ve lived days ago. And that sensation had to do overall with the situation between Roma and his mother. He just couldn’t understand why his mother didn’t like her, but he was sure he would never give up on her. He needed to heal fast so they could go back to Salt Lake City. If that was how his mother wanted it, then so it’d be… He would live his life with Roma and Reilly, as much as it hurt him to be away of his parents.

That’s what he was thinking when he heard his door being open and he turned to see Roma walking inside, followed by Lynn and Jim. Reilly was holding her mother’s hand but let go to run to her uncle’s bed. "No, Reilly, don’t!" "Ouch", John moaned but he was happy to have the little girl in his arms. "How are you, princess?"

"Happy that you’re awake, uncle Johnnie! My mom and grandma are happy too!"

"Grandma?" he asked quite surprised. Lynn and Roma looked at each other before they talked.

"Reilly, come here, sweetie…" Jim said offering a hand to the little girl. "Your uncle and your mom have things to talk with your grandma… Come on…"

John waited for them to leave the room and reached to take Roma’s hand to find the courage to say what he had been thinking. He took a deep breath and lifted his eyes to face his mother. "Mom, there are so many things I need to say…"

"Johnny, I need to talk and say…"

"No, mom, please… Listen, this is very hard for me but I’ve been thinking a lot… What happened to me made me think that I cannot give up what I love the most just to please you, mom. See? I could be dead by now! I would never have the chance to live with Roma and Reilly the way I want to, to marry Roma and live with her for the rest of my life! You cannot forbid me to do so, mom!

"John…" Lynn tried to interrupt.

"It will hurt a lot, but if you are not willing to accept me marrying Roma, I will miss you a lot in the wedding, ‘cause liking it or not, I will marry her!"

"John…" Lynn tried again.

"Johnny…" Roma tried to stop him too.

"No, Roma, don’t try to convince me of the contrary! Don’t you see it, baby? All our plans almost went to hell! Roma, I love you, I know you’re the one for me, and it’s a life law: you must find your soul mate and leave your parents behind if that’s the case!"

"John, that’s not necessary…!" Lynn almost cried.

"You are making it necessary, mom!"

"John, will you please stop?!" Roma rose her voice when she saw the situation was running out of control. "Will you please listen for a moment? We do have something to say here, I do and Lynn does, so please, listen to us!"

John looked at her with skeptical eyes. He knew she felt all this was her fault, and she wasn’t willing to accept otherwise. "Roma…"

"Please, listen to your mom, John…"

"Johnny…" Lynn didn’t know what to say. "First of all I have to ask for your forgiveness. I was so blind and I was such a fool… All this time I had it in front of my eyes and didn’t want to see it… I know Roma is your happiness, John, and I won’t interfere anymore. Much on the contrary, I will always thank God for you to have found the love of your life…"

"Mom…" John couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He turned to look at Roma, who had tears in her eyes.

"I’m sorry, John, and I’m very sorry, Roma…" Lynn took the actress’ free hand. "If you are his happiness, you’re my happiness too ‘cause I know my son is in good hands, in the best hands!" Their laughter was nervous, yet it was the best moment in their lives in months. "God bless you, Roma Downey, for making my son a happy man!"

Roma was speechless. Although she had had a serious talking with her soon-to-be mother in law, she hadn’t expected such a change in Lynn’s attitude. It was overwhelming. She turned to give the woman a tight hug. "Thank you, Lynn. This means so much for me…"

"Oh, no, please, don’t thank me… Please, tell me you forgive me for being so nasty and stupid before…"

"It’s all forgotten…"

"Now, please, John, leave that bed as soon as possible, will you?" Lynn turned to look at her son, who also had tears shinning in his eyes. "You have a job and a wedding to attend soon!"

"You’re incredible, mom…" He murmured and reached to hug her tightly.

Lynn kissed his forehead when she pulled away. "I’m only a very blessed woman, with the best son in the world, who has given me a wonderful family…"

"Thank you, Lynn…" Roma murmured again holding her mother in law.

"Please, make him heal fast, Roma… I want him back on the road soon…" she said heading to the door to leave the couple alone.

Roma moved to take a seat by John’s bed and leaned to kiss him lightly on the lips. Lynn smiled at seeing them in such a tender attitude. "Oh, only one thing…" Lynn said making them blush lightly. "Will you please hurry up? I want another grandson soon!"

Both Roma and John laughed and blushed a little. That was the simplest request they had received in many weeks.

THE END