Grace’s eyes began to well up with tears. She came over and sat on my lap; laying her head on my shoulder. She began to cry softly. I gently rubbed her back. “It’s okay.”

“This is the best day of my life. You’re the answer to all my prayers.”

She leaned back from me and wiped her eyes.

“Oh, our candles are going out,” I said. The smoke from a dying candle snaked up toward the ceiling.

She turned back and looked at the remaining candle. “Before it goes out, what do you want to know more than anything?”

I didn’t answer her for a long time. Then my smile vanished.

When she saw me frown, her smile disappeared as well. “What is it?”

I looked down, afraid to say what I was thinking. “Nothing.”

“No, what is it?”

I took a deep breath. “I want to know how this ends.”

She breathed out slowly, then she turned and stared into the flame. It felt like forever before she spoke. “My stepfather is gone.”

“Where?”

“Somewhere he can’t hurt anyone ever again.”

I waited for more but she didn’t offer anything. “Where are you?”

She didn’t answer.

“Do you see Hawaii?”

She stared into the flame and I saw a trace of sadness in her eyes. Suddenly she looked back at me, as if the flame had released her. “I see Hawaii all around me,” she said. She kissed me. Then she said, “Let’s dance.” She took my hands and pulled me up.

The song playing was slow, a Hawaiian lullaby. She draped her arms around my neck, resting her head on my shoulder. I put my arms around her waist, savoring the warmth of her body next to mine. We gently rocked back and forth. It was the greatest moment of my life. Suddenly she leaned back. “I haven’t been completely honest with you.”

“About what?”

“Promise me you won’t be angry.”

“You couldn’t say anything that would make me angry.”

“Okay.” She closed her eyes tightly then touched her forehead to mine. “I’ve never been to Hawaii.”

“What?”

“I’m from Cheyenne, Wyoming.”

We stopped swaying. “Wyoming?”

“Hawaii was just someplace I’ve always wanted to be, the way some people think of heaven. After Stan…” She paused with the hurt that name carried. “It was a place I would go in my mind when he was…hurting me.” She looked at me. “Hawaii was my dream. And you gave it to me.” A tear fell down her cheek.

“It’s okay,” I said. “I don’t care where you’re from. I’m just glad you’re here.” I tried to pull her back into me but she stopped me.

“There’s something else I have to tell you.” She looked down for a moment, then back into my eyes. She brushed a strand of hair from her face. “I called my aunt.”