Mari and Mike had been busy boxing up his belongings. Much of what he owned he would donate or sell. He arranged for the owner of the local consignment shop to come to get anything he deemed sellable. His furniture was old and well worn. He seemed embarrassed, but she reminded him she loved him not his furniture.

Mari was dreading the appointment with the real estate agent. She didn't know why it worried her. It could be because the woman's history was so recent or because she had turned on Mike like so many others in this town.

"If she tries anything with you..."

Mike laughed. "It will already be all over town that I'm with a beautiful woman."

"How can you trust her?"

"Because she makes commission off the sale. She'll sell it for as much as she can."

Mari freshened up a few minutes before Nadine arrived. When she came out, she heard a woman's voice.

"I can't believe you're leaving Turner," she cooed.

"You were mixed up in the gang trying to run me out of town. Well, you got what you wanted, but my decision was because I want to be with the woman I love."

"Love! I heard you were using her to make me jealous."

Mike laughed and Mari chose that moment to walk out of the bedroom.  "Oh the real estate agent is here. I know you're familiar with the house, but look around. We are planning to leave the furniture. The buyers can take anything they want and we'll donate the rest."

"You won't need your furniture?" She asked Mike.

"Of course not, my house is fully furnished."

"You're moving in together?"

Mike said, "Yes, the house is beautiful. It's right on the ocean."

"What about Anna?"

"She loves the house too," Mike said.

"I saw her baby." Nadine had a nasty smile.

Mike said, "The only baby in my family is my brother's, although I'd like to change that."

Mari couldn't stop the smile that came across her face. He had never said he wanted another child. Forgetting they weren't alone, she asked, "Do you mean that?"

He smiled at her. "If that's what you want then I do too."

Nadine turned away with a huff. "Where is the furnace?"

When Nadine finally left, Mari asked, "Were you just putting on a show?"

"Absolutely not. I have wanted to find a woman to love and to have more children for over ten years. It killed me when Anna was pregnant, because I didn't want to be a grandfather when I still wanted to be a father."

"I want a child, but I want to be together for a little while. I don't want to be like Lana who got pregnant on her wedding night."

Mike laughed. "Ryan is older than me."

It surprised Mike at how little emotion he had when he drove away from the house he had lived in for over six years. He had lived in a small apartment after the divorce until he bought the tiny ranch. It wasn't much, but it had felt like home for a long time until nothing in Turner felt good. His and Anna's belongings squeezed into the backseat and trunk of Anna's car. He wasn't a pack rat and didn't own a lot of clothes. His biggest collections were tools and sheet music. He brought both with him. A man needed his own tools. He kept that comment to himself or they might have been late setting off.

It took them only three days to dismantle his life. One trip to the diner, saying goodbye to Jake and a dinner at Darlene and Brad's was the extent of his farewell to Turner. He also saw Shelby, but regardless of the distance this move wasn't severing their connection. He and Shelby would always be Anna's parents and he hoped Shelby would take him up on his offer to come to see their daughter.

As he reached the town line, Mari turned towards him. "Are you okay?"

He nodded and smiled. "With you by my side, how can I not be? Anna and a new job are waiting for me. Then there's you and my best friend and let's not forget the world's best coffee."

She rested her hand on his thigh and her warmth radiated through him.

Anna sat on the beach with Rory. Her father was at his new job and Mari was home doing whatever it was she did. Life was so different from what she ever thought it could be, but school was starting the next day and she was nervous.

"Don't worry, you're Cole's girlfriend."

"I know, but what about Cassie?"

"Cassie has enough to deal with. Her parents are getting divorced. She told me they have to sell her house."

"Don't make me feel sorry for her."

Rory laughed. "You know she was my first friend when I moved here. I didn't have friends at my old school, so her friendship meant a lot. Then she was with Cole and I met Sam and now it's been like two-and-a-half years."

"Cole said that you and Sam don't... you know." She knew it was none of her business, but she and Cole had decided after what they had both been through they would not rush to do anything.

Rory didn't reply for a minute. Finally she said, "My father is not my bio dad. My sperm donor was a guy who used my mother and then spread rumors about her. I know he wasn't supposed to, but Sam told me about what happened to you. In some ways it was a lot like what happened to my mom except she kept me and she met Jack who became my dad. Sam and I just decided we want to wait. He respects me too much."

"But don't you ever feel like you want to?"

"Yeah and maybe we will one day. I'm sure you and Cole..."

"No, we don't want to. He said it was Cassie who wanted to. He wishes that he never had with her."

"Cole's a good kid. I always liked him and I hated what Cassie did to him. He has a good heart."

"So your dad isn't your dad, and he is married to your stepmother so your brother...?"

"Is my brother, but not my bio brother. I guess it's like how Amy's baby is not her bio baby, but Michaela's related to her dad.  JP is related to my family and my sister and I both have our mom in us, so we are all linked."

"I wonder if it will be weird if my dad and Mari ever have a baby. What if I love my cousin more than my own half something?"

"If there is one thing I have learned, I have plenty of love. I love little JP as much as Emma and I love Maddie even though I love and miss my mom. If your dad had a baby, you would love it because it would be his and Mari's and you love them but aren't you jumping the gun a little they just got together?"

"How long were your dad and step-mother together before she got pregnant?"

Rory laughed. "Okay, you have a point."

They stood to walk back. It was almost low tide and there was a lot of beach. Rory stopped and looked down. "Oh! Look!" She picked something up and handed it to Anna. "Here. A sand dollar. Some think they're lucky!"

This is what Rory would have seen as they were walking. Check out the picture at the beginning.  I found it at "The Point" last summer and took the picture.

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