Marc lifted her hands to his lips and kissed them, over and over, as his eyes filled with tears. “This breaks my heart for you. How did you survive? I heard your parents died while you were with the Raineses.”

Lovey nodded. “And that’s how I did survive. I was sixteen by then, and I’d inherited the car, the house, and their little bank account. I’d already sold the house when my ultimatum came, so there was some money in the bank and it was the nest egg I needed to find a place to be. It took me several years of running and marrying two different men who weren’t all that good to me, but I never felt safe enough to stop running until I came to Blessings. Within a month, I found a good man. I married him for a place to live, and he loved me enough to save me. He owned this place. We got married in Vegas and came back here. He always called me Lovey, not Janie, and that’s how everyone here came to know me. I didn’t care. In a way, I felt reborn. Finally leaving Janie behind gave me a reason to stop running.”

Marc grabbed a handful of tissues and began wiping the tears from her cheeks.

“No matter what else happens, from this day forward, Lovey Cooper, you are part of the Adamos family and the beloved mother of my child. I never married. I never met anyone I couldn’t live without. I didn’t know what I’d missed until I found out what I’d lost. My apologies that you bore the brunt of your sacrifices alone, but never again. Do you hear me? Never again. Wherever I am, all you need to do is call and I’ll be at your side. We’ve gotten a whole lot older, but in my eyes you will always be my girl.”

“Thank you, Marc. This is where I belong, and I’m very happy here. But I still can’t believe you just walked into the restaurant like that.”

“Fate. Meant to be.” Then he touched the cross hanging around her neck. “You still wear this?”

Lovey smiled. “I hadn’t…not for a very long time.”

Marc nodded. “I found out about our child’s adult life because of my cousins…but I can’t find him. He was a fireman and just retired. I called the station where he used to work and left my number, but he never called me back. I had to accept he probably wants nothing to do with me.”

Lovey smiled. “Start the car.”

“What? Why?”

“Trust me. Just start the car, and drive where I tell you to go.”

Marc never said another word, and as they drove back onto Main, he began following her directions wordlessly, driving through a residential area until she pointed to a big redbrick two-story home.

“Pull into that drive and park.”

So he did, and when she motioned for him to get out, he followed her all the way up to the door, watching as she rang the bell. But when she turned and looked up at him, her eyes were sparkling.