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turned more. Each succeeding step was faster and longer. My back straightened even more, until I felt I was truly standing on my own power.

I was doing it!

"I'm standing, Luke! I'm standing! It's not just the walker!"

"Oh, Annie, I knew you would!"

I grew very serious and lifted my right hand from the walker.

"Wait, Annie. Not too much in one day."

"No, Luke. I can do it. I must do it!"

He started toward me, but I put my hand up. "Don't help me."

"If you fall, my mother will shoot me."

"I won't fall."

Using only my left hand now, I moved the walker ahead so that I was nearly independent of it. When the walker was far enough from me, I straightened completely and then lifted my left hand from it.

I was standing on my own! Completely on my own! My legs were strong enough to hold me up again.

Luke held out his hands, only half a foot or so from. me.

"Annie."

I closed my eyes and then opened them quickly. I was still clutching the pink ribbon in my left hand. Without further hesitation, I lifted my right foot and shuffled it forward a few inches and then followed with my left. Luke's face broke out into a wide, wonderful smile, and so did mine. I took a longer step and then another before my legs gave out with the effort, but before I had a chance to sink to the floor, Luke's arms were around my waist and he was holding me tightly to him and kissing my cheek.

"Annie, you did it! You did it!"

I was so happy I started kissing his face, too.

And then suddenly our lips met. The encounter was so quick and unexpected, neither of us pulled back before our lips pressed passionately together. Luke lifted his face from mine first.

"Annie . . I . . ." He looked so guilty. We had passed through that veil between us, crossed that border, violated the prohibition.

"It's all right. I'm happy we kissed," I asserted. He still held me tightly to him.

And then we both spun around at the sound of Drake's voice.

"Annie!" he screamed. His eyes were wide with shock and anger. I reached back to clutch the walker and pull myself from Luke's embrace. Drake ran up to the gazebo, his shoulders rising along with the fury in his face. He turned on Luke.

"I interrupted an important business trip when I heard what happened at Farthy, and now I'm glad that I did. Seems I got here just in time."

"And just what is that supposed to mean?" Luke demanded. They faced each other, their fists clenched.

"You and that hillbilly mother of yours had no right . . . no right to take Annie from Farthy, where she was getting the best medical treatment, where she had constant care, day and night, where she had the best equipment, where--"

"Drake, please," I interrupted. "You don't know what went on. I tried to tell you, but you didn't listen. Let me tell you now."

"Tell me what?" He sneered. I'd never seen him so angry. "How you wanted to come back here to play your . . . your fantasy games with him? I thought it was wrong then, and I especially think it's wrong now. But you're not to blame, Annie," he said, turning from me. "You've been taken advantage of in your weakened state."

"No, Drake. That's not true," I cried, but he stared hatefully at Luke, his dark eyes blazing like lit coals.

"I oughta break your neck once in for all," he said, his lips curling up and twisting his face into an ugly grimace, a grimace of hate.

"Maybe you should try once and for all," Luke responded, his face hard, his lips taut, his eyes small and determined, his whole face beet red.