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"Oh, Heaven, Heaven, how I'm paying for not being stronger, for being blinded by Tony. I'm so sorry and I love you so much. Please forgive me."

"I have nothing to forgive you for, Logan. Please," I whispered, lifting his head so that we looked into each other's eyes. "I was as dazzled by all he offered as you were. I'm not perfect, either."

"Oh, yes, you are. You are perfect. It's no accident your name is Heaven. You are a piece of heaven on earth and I bless the day we knew we loved each other."

I kissed him softly and we held each other tightly. Then I rose from the bed and took off my robe. Logan watched me dress and fix my hair and my makeup. I wasn't going to look defeated when I faced Fanny.

"I'm going now, Logan," I said when I was ready.

"Shouldn't I go with you?"

"No. This is something between Fanny and myself. It's more than just Drake and you."

"But I feel so helpless here," he pleaded. "Maybe I'll just ride along and wait outside in the car?'

"It's not necessary and I wouldn't want her to look out her window and see you."

"Heaven," he called as I started out. I turned in the hallway. "I love you!" he cried.

"I love you, too," I mouthed and went down the stairs and out of the house, closing the door softly behind me. I looked up

toward the Willies. The sky had cleared and the stars were sharp and bright like tiny jewels pressed against the velvet night.

Appleberry, who was shoveling one of our walkways, paused as I started for the car.

"Going somewhere, are you, Mrs. Stonewall?" "Yes, Appleberry."

"Well, it's a cold night, but the air's as fresh and clean as a new blade of grass. Makes your skin tingle in a nice way, though."

"Yes, it does." I smiled.

I paused at the car just after I opened the door and looked up at the Willies again. The hills and the mountains loomed quietly before me, waiting triumphantly, just as I always knew in my heart that they would.

Fanny's house was so dark I was afraid she wasn't at home. It looked to me that there were lights on only in the living room. For once she had her dogs penned up. They barked madly when I drove up and got out of the car. Then I saw another lamp go on in the living room. My heart was pounding like a tiny metal hammer beneath my breast. I took a deep breath and headed for the front door. She opened it before I arrived.

"What'dya want, Heaven?" she asked standing in the doorway, her arms folded tightly under her breasts. She had her hair brushed down loosely around her face and she looked to me as if she had been crying. Her eyes were bloodshot, her mascara was smudged, and I saw what I knew to be tear streaks across her cheeks.

"I want to talk to you, Fanny "

"My lawya don't want me talkin' ta ya without him bein' present."

"Fanny, I think you and I can talk to each other without lawyers. I didn't bring my lawyer. I didn't even bring Logan." I gestured behind me.

She looked past me at y car, but she didn't move. "It's cold out here, Fanny."

"Awright, then, you kin come in, but I ain't sayin' nothin' you kin use against me in court tomorra. You kin count on that."

"We're not going to be in court tomorrow, Fanny. There's no point to it."

She smiled widely and stepped back.

"Oh, well, then, ya kin come in, Heaven Leigh."

"Where's Drake?" I asked after I entered.

"He's in his room. He has his own room here, too, ya know." Her eyes flashed as if pride flowed through her body like electricity to light them. Even though there was no blood relationship between us, I still felt that was one way in which we were very alike.

"Is he all right?"