The day came when Robert and Donna received the call they had been waiting for. Donna opened her eyes to the telephone beside the bed ringing. She picked it up.

                                  "Hello?" She asked in a dry voice as Robert stirred.

                                  "Hello, is this Donna Hess?" Asked a voice on the other line.

                                  "Yes." She replied.

                                 "Who is it?" Whispered Robert. Donna covered her other ear and continued to listen to the voice on the other end.

                                 "I'm calling on the matter pertaining to custody of Mark Hess and Delilah Hess. We approved of your kinship request, and you will need to file a formal application for their adoption in family court."

                                 Donna gasped happily. "Thank you. Thank you so much. Alright, goodbye. Thank you again." She said excitedly hanging up the phone.

                                 "Who was that?" Asked Robert again.

                                 "CPS. Robert, they approved us. We can file to adopt them now." She explained.

                                 Robert sighed with relief. "Thank God," He said with a grin. A silence befell the pair, as they looked at each other somewhat curiously. There was still the issue of unfaithfulness between them. And now they had just gotten the word that was supposed to keep them to one another forever.

                                "So, um, we should do that. Like now." Said Donna, getting out of bed.

                                "Yeah, we should." Said Robert.

                                   The pair had brought the kids to school, and stopped by the farm to deliver the news to Michelle and Bill, and had now found themselves seated in the waiting room of the family court, waiting to file their official petition.

                                  Robert leaned back in his chair, looking at Donna. His eyes traveled up her fair legs, to her hands interlaced in her lap, and the wedding ring on her finger. That damn wedding ring. The one thing that was keeping her here.

                                 Jean's words were ringing loudly in his head, as well as his own inner voice, simply saying, "Tell her. Tell her."

                                He felt anxious, faint almost. His last chance was passing him by. His last chance to make things right, and give Donna the life she deserved.

                               A short woman with dark skin and black hair in a ponytail came out from a hall. "Robert and Donna Beaumont-Hess?" She read from a clipboard.

                              "That's us." Said Donna, standing up and getting ready to follow.

                              The woman turned and went back down the hall, and Donna followed her. Robert hesitated for a moment, then stood up, and followed the two women down the hall.