"Whew!" Rio exclaimed as she plopped down into her seat. "I can't believe we made it!"

"Just barely," Vaughn said drily as he shoved his pack alongside hers in the overhead storage bin.

"True, but still! It took much longer than I'd planned on to drop the horses off at that stable. We're lucky that the owner's daughter showed up when she did. She moved much faster than her dad!"

"Yep," Vaughn agreed, settling back into his seat and stretching his long legs out as best he could in the limited space. He tugged his hat down low and closed his eyes.

Rio turned to gaze pensively out the window at the scenery rushing past in a blur. Mountains stretched away to the north as far as she could see, and blue skies sparkled overhead.

She knew she should rest, too, since they had a long trip ahead. The first leg took a little over four hours by train, then they had to change trains—quickly, as there was not much time to spare—for the second, much longer leg of their trip, around eleven hours. That part of their journey would take the whole night, and they ought to arrive in the port town of Sunny Beach in time to catch the morning ferry to Sprout Island. She shivered a little at the thought, not knowing what reception awaited her. But even if it was positively frigid, she had to sign over those papers to Mark, at the very least... and she needed to see Mirabelle with her own eyes, needed to see how she was doing herself. Plus she had to try to apologize to her old friends, if they'd let her.

Rio squeezed her eyes shut and tried to silence her thoughts and worries and fears, but her brain was having none of that. Visions of Neil flashed across her tightly closed eyelids, and she sighed. She liked him very much, maybe even loved him—really loved him, that is. If only he'd just... thaw out a little towards her. It was hard to be sure how she felt when she didn't even know for sure how he felt about her. Did he actually enjoy being with her? Did he... did he want more out of their relationship, same as her, but for some reason couldn't admit it? Lately he'd been more irritable than usual... was he tired of her? She just couldn't figure him out. He was so... different from other men she'd known. For one thing, he didn't seem to have any interest at all in—

"Just forget about him for now, Rio," Vaughn drawled, startling her out of her reverie. "You can think and think all day and all night, but it ain't gonna get you nowhere. You need to talk to him, not just think and wonder and worry all to yourself."

"How did—" she asked, surprised.

"Women only sigh like that when they're having troubles with their men. I guessed it wasn't me you were thinkin' about, and that leaves Neil." He tipped his hat up just enough to peer at her from beneath the brim. "Am I right?" She nodded, mouth still agape, and he grunted and tugged his hat back down. "Figured as much. I know you too well, Rio."

"I... I guess so," she stammered, still staring at him. Then as her travelling companion relaxed and eventually began to snore faintly, she turned again to the window, finally dozing off with her cheek pressed against the cool glass.

**************

As the ferry approached the dock, Rio anxiously shouldered her pack, squinting as she tried to see through the mist at the island looming before them, like a seer peering into a scrying glass. Though she'd lived on those islands for some time and had known them like the back of her hand, the approach was nevertheless unfamiliar—this was only the second time she'd made this particular crossing.

As far as she knew, no one had any idea that they would be arriving, so it was reasonable to assume that no one would be waiting for them at the shore. Still, she felt a small pang of disappointment as she scanned the barren shoreline. Up front, nothing seemed to have changed in the three years since her departure. Will's yacht was still moored at the dock, rocking gently on the rolling waves, Denny's run-down shack was still standing nearby, and familiar rooflines peeked out of the fog at her. She even saw that same huge rock on the shore, down near Gannon's shop.

The ferry jerked suddenly as the engines reversed thrust briefly before the pilot cut them, bringing the huge boat to a slow stop as it swung alongside the dock. Rio grabbed the railing and Vaughn grabbed her as she nearly lost her balance, swaying unsteadily. Deckhands secured the ferry to the dock, and the gangplank was dropped down as passengers began to gather on the deck.

Rio shivered slightly, and Vaughn looked at her sympathetically, keeping hold of her arm to help steady her. "Cold?" he asked, and she began to nod, then shook her head.

"Just... just a little nervous," she said, struggling to keep her teeth from chattering.

He gave her arm a squeeze, then released her as they started down the gangplank and towards the shore.

They stopped first at the inn. Carol looked up and started in surprise. "Vaughn? Why, it's been ages! And—is that Rio? My word, I thought we'd never see you again! What a joy to have you both back home again!" she exclaimed joyfully as she scrambled down from her seat to shake their hands.

"Howdy, Carol," Vaughn said, tipping his hat to her with a smile. "Long time, no see."

"Hello, Carol. It has been a while. It's good to be back here in the islands," Rio replied, smiling a little shyly at the innkeeper.

"Well, now, you two would like a room, I guess? Will you be sticking around for a while?" Carol asked as she returned to her desk, her face beaming as she looked from one to the other.

"Yes, uh, two rooms, please," Rio said, reddening a little at the momentarily startled look on Carol's face.

"Two? Well, now, that might be a little tricky. You're sure two? Hmmm. You see, with Julia's wedding, we're a little booked up. I do have one room available—a very nice room with a king bed, a cozy little sitting area...."

"Definitely two," Rio said, firmly. Carol looked at Vaughn in dismay, and after a slight hesitation, he nodded agreement.

"I apologize, dear. I just thought... well, never mind. I do have a suite available. It'll cost more than a room, and it's... well, it's a mite specialized. But it's a room with a bed, all the same."

"'Specialized'?" Vaughn asked, tipping his hat back and looking baffled.

"How much more?" Rio asked, frowning slightly. She'd already had to tap into her emergency funds for this trip, especially as she was paying for Vaughn's travel expenses, too. He very much needed to be here, as much as she did, and she understood that, but he just didn't have the money. She wondered if it would be so very awful to share a room, after all.... Then she imagined herself trying to explain that to Neil, and decided that yes, it would be.

**************

"It's, uhh... colorful?" Vaughn commented as they stared through the doorway into the upstairs suite.

"Very colorful. Wow, Carol. I had no idea that you had something like this up here," Rio gasped, shaking her head slightly as if in disbelief.

"Oh, yes," Carol said brightly, her cheery, wholesome appearance at odds with the lurid scene before them. "Sometimes couples just need a little something different, something out of the ordinary, to break up their routine, you know. Most couples who book this suite react just the same as you, but by the time their stay is over, they're nearly always rejuvenated—not just individually, mind, but their whole relationship. It just gives them that little 'spark' that they needed."

"Spark?" Vaughn said, looking at her in amazement. "Looks like the whole damn room's on fire."

They were inspecting one of the two large suites upstairs, the one Carol gaily referred to as the 'Romance Suite'. Crimson oriental rugs were scattered across the hardwood floor, the furniture was old and heavy, mostly walnut with some rosewood accents. Ruby red velvet drapes, tied back with gold tasseled cords, framed the windows. A chaise upholstered in the same red velvet stood before an ornate black marble fireplace, and a small table and chairs were placed near the window. But what caught their eyes first—what caught everyone's eyes first—was the enormous bed. A scarlet velvet spread, embroidered around the edges with gold thread, covered the monstrosity. Matching curtains and canopy enclosed it on all sides, and masses of velvet and satin cushions were piled high at the head.

"It... looks... soft?" Rio said, doubtfully.

Carol gently pushed between them and walked over to the bed. "Oh, very! All my clients tell me how comfortable this bed in particular is. And look—satin sheets!" she exclaimed, turning down the spread to reveal a golden sheen beneath.

"Ahh, yes, so I see," Rio said.

"You can still change your mind and bunk with me," Vaughn said, his lips twitching in an effort to keep from laughing.

"Uhh, no. Thank you. I don't think Neil would care much for that."

"Yeah, I reckon he'd kill you if you shacked up with me, huh?" Vaughn said with a glint of humor in his eyes.

"Oh, no, he'd never do that. He'd kill you," Rio said as she turned and headed back down the stairs.

**************

After they'd paid for their rooms, unpacked, and freshened up a little, their next stop was on neighboring Verdure Island. Normally at that time of day on a sunny Saturday, Mirabelle could be found standing outside her shop, chatting with her good friend, Felicia. But there was no sign of her, so scowling with concern, Vaughn pushed the shop door open and stepped in, Rio close behind.

Mirabelle was there inside, sitting tiredly at her kitchen table in her apartment adjacent to her shop. She looked up at the sound of Vaughn's boots, and her whole face lit up as she struggled to her feet. "Vaughn! You came, you really came! I'm so happy you're home at last," she sobbed as she threw her arms around him and hugged him like a mama bear.

Caught off guard, Vaughn stood speechless for a moment before awkwardly returning her embrace, patting her back as he muttered that it was real good to see her again, too.

After a few moments, she looked up, and her eyes widened as she spotted Rio, half hidden by the door, nervously waiting. "Why, Rio! You, too? This is a grand occasion—two lost lambs returned to the fold! I hope you're planning to stay for a good, long spell at least? Oh my, I must sit down. I'm just so overwhelmed with delight to see you both!" She resumed her seat, fanning her flushed face a little as she gestured to the pair to sit down.

Rio took a seat close to Mirabelle, peering anxiously into her face as she grasped her other hand in both of hers. "How are you, Mirabelle? Are things going well with you? How do you feel?"

"Oh, my dear, I'm fine. Just fine! Really. I'm just not as young as I used to be. And, well, you know how Dr. Trent is, always making such a fuss. He insists I need to slow down, take it easy. Well, who'd run the store if I slowed down, I'd like to know? And business has been good, though I have to say, Vaughn, I don't like your replacement nearly as well. Oh, don't get me wrong, he's all right, I suppose. He just doesn't have quite your knack with animals. That reminds me! Speaking of animals...." She struggled up to her feet and gestured them to follow her back out to the store.

Stepping behind her counter, she leaned over and picked up a cardboard box and placed it on the counter. Hearing a faint cry, Rio hurried over and peered in, Vaughn strolling over and looking over her shoulder. Inside were five tiny kittens—soft, fluffy little creatures, their tiny pink mouths opening wide as they mewled, their eyes bright blue, their paws no larger than the tip of Rio's finger. With a little cry, Rio reached in and pulled out a little ball of black and white fluff. "They're adorable! Where'd they come from?"

"Mark dropped them by early this morning. His cat had kittens a few weeks ago, and he asked if I'd be able to find homes for them," Mirabelle replied as she lifted up a mewling gray kitten.

"Mark? Then these must be... are they Tipsy's?" Rio exclaimed.

"Oh, no, my dear. Tipsy... well, she never really took to Mark, I'm sorry to say. She really was a one-woman cat, you know. So I'm afraid that about a year after you left, she vanished. He's seen her here and there about the place, but she's more or less gone feral. He leaves food out for her when the weather's bad, so she won't go hungry, but she won't come near anyone. A while before she ran away, though, she had some kittens. He kept one, and these are her babies."

"Oh, no... poor Tipsy," Rio murmured, sadly returning the kitten to her littermates. Just then the door banged open.

"Ma! Are you home? I—" Julia's voice stopped midsentence when she saw them at the counter as they turned to face her, startled by her entrance. "Vaughn? Is that you? Goodness, it's been ages!" Then Rio stepped out from behind him, into her line of sight, and she stopped again as the two women stared at each other.

After the initial shock, Julia's eyes narrowed as she glared at Rio. "You... you bitch! You selfish bitch! How could you do that to me, to your best friend? How could you just... just leave and not even write to me, not even once?" She charged at Rio, who stood open-mouthed. Vaughn began to quickly step between them, to intercept Julia's assault, but Mirabelle reached out and pulled him back, shaking her head at him. He started to protest, but she lay a finger across her lips and pointed to the girls.

As he turned back to watch them, Julia leaped and tackled Rio, knocking them both to the floor. "You tramp! Don't you ever, ever do that to me again!" Julia screeched as she flung her arms around Rio and sobbed. "Do you have any idea how much I've missed you? Don't you know how much that hurt, having you just disappear like that?"

The pair sat up, still hugging and sobbing. Rio stammered an apology, overwhelmed with relief and joy and distress and a tangle of other emotions, but Julia hushed her. "I don't know why you left like you did, but I guess you must've had your reasons. You weren't one to just take off on a whim. You were so... dependable. Anyway, I've got that out of my system now. I forgive you. Just don't do it again, you hear? I really missed you, you idiot!"

As he stared at them in astonishment, Mirabelle grinned and quietly led him past the girls and outside. "Oh, Vaughn, it's so good to have you home again. You don't know how we've all missed you—both of you."

Vaughn grunted as he tugged his hat down, his cheeks reddening. "Nice of you to say, Mirabelle. I'm sure they missed her, but I doubt anyone besides you missed me."

"Nonsense. And how are things between you two, anyway? I take it since you're here together that you've patched things up?" she asked, looking up at the tall man beside her with hopeful eyes.

Vaughn turned abruptly away, scowling into the freshening breeze as it blew through his pale silver hair. "Nah. Wish I could say differently. She's got herself another man now."

Mirabelle sighed. "Oh, Vaughn... I'm sorry, really I am. I know how much she means to you and how hard you've been trying."

Vaughn looked back at her, scowling for a moment at the pitying look in her eyes. Then he smiled a half-smile at her. "Don't you fret, Mirabelle. I haven't given up yet. And I don't reckon I will, not as long as there's any hope."

"That's my boy!" she exclaimed, smiling so that her eyes crinkled up as she patted him on the shoulder. "You two really were made for each other. You just have to find a way to remind her of that."

"Easier said than done," he grunted, turning to look as the two younger women stepped out, their arms around each other's waists and laughing—just like old times.

"Ma, I hope you won't mind, this being my last night at home and all. But I've asked Rio to stay over tonight. We have so much to catch up on and so little time to do it. Please say you aren't hurt?" Julia looked at her mother pleadingly.

"Not at all, my dear. I already had it in mind to ask her to dinner tonight. You, too, Vaughn," she added, turning back to him.

"Then I suppose I had better grab some lunch and track Mark down," Rio said with a sigh, giving her friend a squeeze before releasing her. "Do you want to come along and see the farm?" she asked Vaughn.

"Sure. I could do with a bite myself, and I have to admit I'm curious to see what he's done with the place," he replied with a nod. With that, they said their goodbyes and headed over to Nick's for a late lunch. The diner was empty at that hour, so they were able to get their food and be on their way fairly quickly. Even so, it was mid-afternoon before they started across the bridge connecting Verdure Island and her former home.

As they stepped off the bridge, they heard the distant sound of a dog barking in warning. Looking around, they finally saw movement in the field of tall grass between the windmill and the stable, heading towards them as the barking grew louder and more frenetic. Finally a small brown dog burst out of the grass and charged towards them, barking furiously.

"Tanner?" Rio exclaimed in surprise, and the dog stopped and looked suspiciously at them. She crouched down and held out her hand, and the dog closed the gap, sniffing at her hand before exploding into excited whimpers and wriggles and squirms, its tail wagging furiously as she scratched his ears and chest. Looking down with a faint smile at the reunion of the pup and his former mistress, Vaughn was surprised to see tears trickling down Rio's cheek.

Just then, a voice hailed them from a distance. "Howdy!" a deep voice called, and they looked up to see a familiar worn blue cap bobbing between cornstalks, heading their way. A minute later and Mark stepped out, calling, "What can I do for ya?" He paused in surprise when he saw who his visitors were. "Rio? Is that really you? And Vaughn? You're back!" Hopping over the canal that fed the small pond, he reached out to shake their hands in an enthusiastic welcome.

Mark was more than happy to show them around, and Rio looked pleased but wistful as she noted all the changes since she'd left. He'd expanded and improved the barns and coops, and a decent-sized herd of cattle lay in the grassy pasture, quietly chewing their cud in the afternoon heat. On the small islands to the northwest of the main ranch, the orchard was well-grown, with fruit hanging heavy from the neatly pruned limbs, and the rice paddies were full of stalks of green grain, swaying in the gentle breeze.

When they reached the last of the small islands connected to the ranch island, Rio saw that Mark had constructed a greenhouse on the site where the remnants of a former greenhouse, destroyed many years ago by a severe storm, had once stood. It was large and sturdy, and she walked around it, admiring it as it gleamed in the brilliant sunlight. Mark was justifiably proud of his latest achievement, and happily gave her a tour of its interior, where he was presently growing sweet potatoes for market.

On the way out of the greenhouse, as Rio and Mark earnestly discussed his improvements and his future plans, Vaughn followed behind, listening to their conversation with minimal interest. As they walked past a large maple tree, a loud yowl assaulted their ears. Looking up, they saw a scruffy black cat glaring down at them, its back arched and tail fat as it opened its mouth wide in a warning hiss.

"Oh, hey, that's—" Mark began, but with a cry, Rio cut him off, darting to the tree.

"Tipsy! Oh, you poor darling, just look at you!" she crooned, her eyes full of tears. The cat edged farther along the branch away from her, but ceased its hissing as it eyed her warily. Getting no further response, Rio crouched and leaped up, grabbing the lowest limb and swinging up.

"Careful there, Rio," Vaughn called after her as he walked over. "You don't know for sure that's your cat, for one, and some of those branches might be weak, for another. Don't want you falling and breaking your damn-fool neck."

"Calm down, Vaughn. I'm sure it's her—look at her toes! White on the very tips, just like Tipsy's. It has to be her. And I used to climb the trees around here all the time. Sometimes it was the only way I could escape some of the more persistent boys," she laughed. She eased herself out onto the branch where the cat crouched, watching her suspiciously. "There now, Tipsy, just hold still and I'll get you down."

Vaughn snorted. "She don't need you to rescue her. She can get down just fine anytime she wants. She's—look out!" he cried as the cat sprang at her without warning.

He blinked, and to his surprise, the cat was climbing up Rio's chest, nuzzling her chin and pushing its nose through her hair as it kneaded her shoulder, causing Rio to wince.

She sat like that for several minutes, crooning softly to the grubby feline as she gently stroked her. Then she carefully lowered her down to Vaughn, who had to stand on the tips of his toes to reach her, despite his height. Then she dropped down and took the cat back into her arms.

Looking up at Mark, who had watched the entire proceedings with his mouth hanging open, she said, "You won't mind if I take Tipsy back with me, will you?" He slowly shook his head, and she smiled as she looked back down at the cat burrowing into her neck and purring as if her life depended on it. "I... I think she's missed me," she added, slightly choked up.

"So it would seem," Mark replied, pulling his cap off and running his fingers through his golden hair. "I did my best with her, honest. But she just never did take a shine to me."

"It's okay, Mark. Mirabelle told me all about it. It's not your fault. She's just a stubborn old thing. I guess I should have known to take her with me—and I would have done, anyway, if I'd known at the time where I'd be going. But since I didn't...." she trailed off then, frowning at the memory.

Vaughn cleared his throat. "I reckon we should take her back to Mirabelle's and get her cleaned up. She's going to need a lot of TLC. And I'm not sure if Carol will allow a cat in that fancy room of hers, let alone one in Tipsy's condition."

"Yes, you're right. And no, she probably won't. Maybe Mirabelle would let her stay there until we leave?"

They took the cat back to Mirabelle's after arranging to meet Mark at Taro's house in an hour. There, they bathed her—very much against her will, as she let them know in no uncertain terms—trimmed her claws, and treated her open sores and wounds before giving her a can of food, which she tore into, simultaneously purring and growling as she devoured her meal. Mirabelle readily agreed to let her stay there for the remainder of Rio's visit, pleased that she'd been reunited with her person at last.

Vaughn stayed behind to talk with Mirabelle while Rio went to meet Mark, though he watched her go with thinly veiled longing in his eyes. Noticing his forlorn expression, Mirabelle sighed to herself. These young people and their complications, she thought to herself. If only they had half the sense of their elders! Then she ushered him back into the house and set about making coffee while chatting happily with him.

Rio knocked on the door of Taro's house and went on in. She found the old man at his desk, and he scrambled to his feet with surprising agility, given his advanced years. He hadn't changed a bit, she thought fondly as he shook her hand and patted her back enthusiastically. Mark hadn't arrived yet, so she explained to Taro that she had come back to see how Mark was getting along before signing over the deed to her former home to him.

"Oh, sure, sure. Yes, he's doing very well now. Had a bit of a struggle at first, in spite of all you did to get him started. But he's a fast learner and a hard worker, and he soon caught on. Maybe not as quickly as you did, but you're uncommonly talented. He's doing just fine now, anyway, and able to relax a little now and then. You know he's taken up with Regis' little girl, Sabrina? Yep, they make a nice couple. Though I don't quite see her as a farmer's wife.... Still, you never know. People surprise you sometimes, don't they?" He gave her a keen look, and she flushed slightly under his scrutiny. Then he returned to his seat and opened a drawer in one of his filing cabinets. "Let's see... Rice, Rimaldi Shipping Co., Risk Management... ahh, here we go. Rivera, Rio. Now if I recall...." A moment later he pulled a few pages out of the folder and set them on the desk before him. Settling a pair of pince-nez on the bridge of his nose, he looked over the paperwork. "So before you left, you agreed to sign the deed to your ranch, including all buildings and other assets contained thereon, to Mr. Mark Dalton—"

"That's my name," a low voice rumbled as the door opened and Mark stepped in.

"Ah, yes, Mark. Good timing. I was going over the agreement with Rio here. Both of you, take a seat. Now," he continued as he perused the documents, "as I was saying, Rio here agreed to sign over the deed to her real estate and ranch assets here in the Sunshine Islands to you, Mark, provided you fulfilled certain prerequisite terms. Those are: a) you must restore Sunny Island so that it is again inhabitable by the indigenous peoples of these islands; b) you must, at a minimum, maintain the ranch and its produce at the standard which Rio had set when she relinquished control to you; and finally, c) you must care properly for all of your animals, whether acquired from Rio or otherwise." He looked up, glancing at Mark before turning to Rio. "Now, do you consider these terms to be fulfilled, my dear?"

"I haven't seen Sunny Island, but I have been assured that it is now habitable?" she said, looking back and forth between both men.

"Yep, took quite a while, but I finally reversed the sinking and fixed it up. Wanna go take a look?" Mark asked, looking questioningly at her.

"Maybe later if I have time, but for now, I'll take both of you at your word. I've already looked over the ranch, and it looks great. You've done a terrific job there. I didn't examine your animals, but they appeared contented. Tanner certainly took to you, even if it did take some time. I think the only animal that could be said to not have been well-cared for is poor Tipsy, but..." she held up her hand to quell Mark's protest before he could blurt it out, "...I know it's not your fault, and I'm sure you did your best for her. So I'm satisfied."

Taro nodded. "That's just fine, then. Now I believe you hadn't actually requested any recompense, but I must warn you that if you do not accept any payment in exchange for the land, you may be liable for taxes just the same as if you had sold it for its full value. Therefore, I really do urge you to sell it for at least a nominal price. It needn't be anything near its value; it may be said that Mark has paid off much of the sale price with his hard work."

Looking in dismay at Mark, Rio said, "Oh, but... I don't know. That wasn't really part of our original agreement, you know. It doesn't seem right."

Mark smiled and said, "That's true, but I never felt quite easy just accepting it as practically a gift, either. I couldn't have paid a dime for it three years ago, but the past year has been a profitable one. I can afford to pay you something for it, anyway, even if not its full value."

In the end, Rio accepted a payment in cash of 1% of the market value. Despite being such a small percentage, it was nevertheless enough for her to recoup the expenses of this trip with a little leftover, and she left Taro's offices feeling as though a weight had been lifted from her shoulders.

**************

Mirabelle smiled to herself as she programmed the coffeemaker to start the coffee extra early in the morning. The girls were in Julia's room, and the house had been filled with laughter ever since they'd retired there. She was delighted that her daughter was enjoying herself so much on the eve of her wedding—a night which many brides-to-be found rather nerve-wracking.

Dinner had gone well, she thought, though she wondered about Rio's new life. She had talked a little about her new home, new farm, new friends... though only mentioned her current boyfriend rather briefly, which Mirabelle found curious. She'd noticed Vaughn's jaw tightening when Julia asked about him and while Rio answered. Then he'd changed the subject, and Rio had not returned to it again. Perhaps being around her old friends, her old home, and her old ranch had given her pause with respect to her new love when compared to her old. She didn't know this other young man, of course, but she found it difficult to believe anyone could be as well suited to each other as those two.

Sighing again to herself, she picked up the large bowl of popcorn that she'd popped while making the coffee and headed back to Julia's room. Their apartment was on the small side, and her room was fairly tiny. The girls were squeezed into her single bed, but they didn't seem to mind, given how hard they were talking. As she opened the door, she smiled at the giggles being stifled by both of them. "Popcorn?" she offered as she stepped through. With a sigh, she looked around. "Oh, Julia. Your room is a disaster! What will Elliot say if you keep house like this? What will Felicia say?"

"Ma! You know I can keep house just fine. It's only my bedroom that's a mess, and that's just because it's so teensy! Besides, we've been kind of tearing around through my stuff, catching up. So it's more of a mess than usual," Julia pouted as she took the bowl from her mother, though her eyes sparkled with laughter.

"If you say so, dear. Now, don't you two stay up too late. Tomorrow's a big day!" Then feeling the tears suddenly springing to her eyes, she turned quickly and bustled back out the door.

"Ma! You forgot something!" Julia yelped, and sprang back off her bed, nearly spilling the popcorn.

"I did?" Mirabelle said as she turned in surprise, just as Julia threw her arms around her neck and gave her a great big hug and kiss.

"Yep, you forgot your goodnight kiss, Mama dearest. Sweet dreams," she said, holding her mother tightly.

"You, too, my dearest darling," Mirabelle replied, patting her daughter's arm and kissing her. Then she hurried away to her room, where she spent much of the night listening to the muffled chatter and giggles of the two girls while crying silently over old photo albums.

**************

"Okay, so now that Vaughn's gone... tell me all about this new guy! You hardly even mentioned him at dinner! I mean, I know Vaughn was there, and maybe it was kind of awkward because of that... but come on! Details!" Julia said, shaking her friend's arm for emphasis, her eyes shining.

Rio grabbed a handful of popcorn and sank down onto the bed dramatically. "I can't tell you details!"

Julia blinked in surprise. "You can't? Why not? Come on, you used to tell me all about you and Vaughn!"

With a sigh, Rio said, "I can't tell you details, because there aren't any details to tell."

"What?! None?"

"None at all."

"But aren't you and he...?"

"Dating? Yes. But... so far, nothing more than a few little kisses. If no one else is around."

"That's it?" Julia asked incredulously.

Rio just nodded. She felt that maybe she wasn't being quite entirely fair to Neil, but in that moment, she didn't really care. After all, she had a lot of pent-up frustration she needed to vent, and this was the first opportunity she'd had to do so.

"Well, I don't know how he can keep his hands off you. You're like a... a luscious, perfectly ripe peach, just waiting for someone to come along and take a bite!" Julia grinned and bared her fangs, threatening to bite Rio's shoulder with a deranged look in her eyes.

Laughing at her friend's antics, Rio pushed her away. Giggling, Julia went on. "Seriously! If that boy doesn't get some sense into his head soon—either one of them!—you should start lookin' around for a replacement! I bet there's a ton of boys who'd be more than happy to take his place! I know all the boys here in the Islands were crazy about you, at least at some time or another. Even my Elliot! Lucky for me you never had eyes for anyone but Vaughn, or tomorrow might not be happening!"

"You're crazy," Rio snorted. "At best Elliot had maybe the teeeeeensiest crush on me right after I moved here. For maybe all of five minutes, until you walked by and recalled him to his senses. He's always loved you, and you know it! The only boys that really chased me much at all were Denny and Will and Shea, that wild boy from one of the local tribes. How is he, anyway? Do you know?"

"Shea? Oh, I heard from Kirk that his dad had arranged for him to marry some girl from another tribe on a neighboring island. I'm not sure when that's supposed to happen, though. Anyway, you left Vaughn off your list, silly!"

"Oh, Vaughn never chased me. He just slouched around looking at me from under the brim of his hat, waiting for me to come to him!"

"Until you left... then he chased you—like he'd never chased anything in his life, I bet. Too bad he didn't catch up to you sooner. What... what happened between you, anyway?" Julia said, with some trepidation. She knew she was treading on thin ice.

After a long pause, Rio replied in a soft voice, "He cheated on me, that's what happened. I found out from one of his 'flings'."

"Vaughn did? Are... are you sure? I mean, you only had her word for it, right?"

Rio shook her head. "I was sure. And he admitted it after he tracked me down. Not at first, of course. He tried to deny it when I confronted him. But then he slipped up, and it all came out."

"Vaughn... cheated on you. That... that's so hard to imagine. I mean, he was—is—so crazy about you. I don't know what the hell he was thinking!" Then staring intently at her friend, she said, "But even so... I mean, I can see why you'd be pissed off at him. I'd be mad as hell if Elliot pulled a stunt like that. And I'd kick him out, too, no doubt about that. But I sure wouldn't leave the islands because of it. So... why did you? Was there something else?"

Rio didn't answer, just stared blankly at the crocheted coverlet spread across her lap while her fingers wove in and out of the lacy design. After a moment, Julie gently shook her shoulder, a worried look in her eyes. "Ree? Hey, what is it? What happened? You know you can tell me anything—anything at all. I might not be able to help, 'specially after all this time, but... I'm still here for you."

A tear slowly trickled down Rio's cheek as she looked up at her friend. "I... You can't tell anyone. Anyone! Not even your mom. Or Elliot. Promise me?" Julia nodded, and she added, "Pinky promise?" Julia held up her pinky, and Rio hooked their pinkies together and nodded, satisfied. She leaned in close, reluctant even to speak out loud.

As she whispered, Julia's eyes widened in shock. Pulling back to look into her friend's eyes, she gasped, "No! You're kidding, right? You didn't! You did? Really? But then, what... what happened? Where...?"

"I gave her up. She was adopted by a really nice couple who couldn't have kids of their own. They keep in touch with me, so I can hear how she's doing. It... it was the right thing to do. I think. But, oh... you've no idea, Jules, how hard it was to do that." She bent her head over her knees and cried a little, silently, while Julia rubbed her back, comforting her.

After a few minutes, she straightened up and wiped her arm across her eyes. "Anyway, that's why I left. And why I never wrote anyone. I just didn't know what to say...."

"Like I said, you can tell me anything—I'll always be here for you," Julia whispered, putting her arms around her friend and holding her tightly.

Ten minutes later, they were sound asleep, still holding onto each other—one offering solace, and the other accepting it at last.