Author's note: Hi! This is going to be the last chapter. Thanks, Sachita, for your continuous support over the past few months.  I hope you have had as much fun reading as I had writing.

Chapter 12

A week later, Danny and Jeslyn arrived at Tennessee. The weather was great, with a few wisps of clouds in an otherwise clear blue sky. The perfect day for a wedding. One of the first things Jeslyn saw was the huge stretch of golden fields, the wheat stalks waving merrily in the light breeze. The scene before her was so peaceful that it was hard to imagine there was still a war going on. It felt almost like home. Almost.

Beside her, Danny took in a deep breath. The fresh smell of wheat hung in the air. It seemed such a long time when he left home to join the army, and he hadn't been home since. For the first time in years, he was home. Radiating happiness, he grinned at Jeslyn and made a theatrical flourish, "Welcome to my home."

Jeslyn smiled back at him, amused at the way Danny bounded down the lane, eager to make his way home. Someday, she would show him her home as well. Or what was left of it anyway.

He showed her his home, where they were going to stay for the duration of their stay. Jeslyn saw a picture of Danny's parents on Danny's bedside table, and she asked, "These are your parents? "

Danny's smile had a strained quality to it. "I don't talk about them much, I guess." And he left it at that. Jeslyn recognized his deliberate attempt to avoid the topic, and she let it go. She didn't talk about her parents much either. Danny would tell her when he was ready.

Brightening up, he said, "Come on, we have to get ready. They are expecting us in two hours' time."

Evelyn swirled around in her gown, making sure that there were no wrinkles or spots. Satisfied, she looked up and smiled as little feet padded hesitatingly into her room. "Morning, darling."

Danny eyed his mother suspiciously. "What are you doing, Mummy? Why are there so many people around?" He wasn't used to all this bustling activity that had been taking place during the past week. What's more, there were a lot of guests and visitors in the house today, and they were invading into his space. It was his home, he didn't want anyone else here, other than Daddy, of course, but Daddy wasn't here. That got him into a bad mood this morning, when he was woken up by the noise in the living room. He hadn't been able to find his mother, until now, and she was twirling around in a dress he hadn't seen before. Something was not right, and he was not happy.

"It's Mummy's big day today, honey." Evelyn explained cheerfully. Danny pouted, and turned to leave the room. He had asked Aunt Barbara just now too, and she also said something about his Mummy's big day. What was a big day anyway? Why was it his Mummy's big day? Actually, he didn't care much about big days. The most important thing is, Daddy is not here, and Mummy had promised he would come.

Frowning slightly, Evelyn went over and gathered him up, gently patting his head as he curled up automatically in her arms, "What's wrong, honey?" Usually, Danny was very talkative in the mornings, especially if there had been visitors. When Barbara and the others came over to visit, Danny would be keeping them busy. Well, his Aunt Barbara, Aunt Martha, Aunt Sandra were all in the living room now, but he didn't seem happy at all.

Mummy hadn't been paying him much attention during the last few days, always being busy with her hair, or the cleanliness of the house or everything else but him. Aunt Barbara, He wasn't used to this. Mummy used to carry him around whenever he asked her, and she always had lots of stories to tell him about his father, but she hadn't done any of that in the past few days. The more he thought about it, the sadder he felt, and he begun to sob. "You said Daddy was coming home. Where is Daddy?"

Evelyn blinked, then sighed. The same question again, but she could tell that her son was really upset this time. Patting him on the back, she murmured comforting words in his ear as they left the room. By the time they reached the living room, Danny had calmed down somewhat, and he raised his head from Evelyn's shoulder. The edges of his mouth curved upwards slightly when he saw Uncle Rafe coming towards them. He held out his arms expectantly.

At the sight of Danny's tear-streaked face, Rafe raised an eyebrow questioningly at Evelyn. She shook her head, and Rafe understood. Dotingly, Rafe took Danny in his arms and hugged him tight. "Morning, darling." Danny resembled his father so much, every time Rafe saw him it was as if he was seeing Danny at that age all over again.

"Morning, Uncle Rafe." Danny sniffed.

"Come on, honey. Mummy is getting married to Uncle Rafe today. You want that, don't you?" Danny tilted his head to one side, and considered the question carefully. He looked so earnest that Rafe couldn't resist pecking him on the cheek. Then, after careful thinking, Danny decided that he did want Mummy to marry Uncle Rafe. After all, Uncle Rafe had always been very nice to him. So, he nodded.

"Really? Then give Uncle Rafe a smile." Danny pursed his lips, then gave Rafe a grudging smile. Laughing, Rafe set him down on the floor. "Be good, alright? Uncle Rafe has to talk to Mummy." Danny promised, and he wandered over to the window to play by himself.

Rafe went over to Evelyn, and smiled. "You look great today." He took in the intricate braids in her thick brown hair, the careful make-up, earrings, necklace…she had spent a lot of effort getting ready. All this, for him.

Evelyn smiled back, her hazel eyes twinkling. How she had waited for this day. There had been times when she thought this day would never come, and she felt so thankful now that it was indeed happening to her. She had a lovely son, and she was going to get married to the guy she loved. What more could she ask for?

Actually, she had Danny to thank for all this. His unwavering support, his understanding, everything. But where was he? Rafe did say he was coming. Evelyn bit her lip. Young Danny was not the only one who wanted to see his father. She missed him too, and she had no idea how to explain to Danny if his father did not turn up.

Her worry must have shown on her face, as Rafe put an arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer. "Don't worry," he whispered. "He will show up."
Danny was staring out of the window, almost bored to death. The adults were all busy talking about something, and there was nothing that he was interested in. Maybe he should go over and see what all the adults were talking about. It could be something about this big day that they say Mummy is going to have. Come to think about it, he still didn't know what a big day is yet.

Just as he made up his mind to ask his mother, he saw someone coming towards the gate. Two someones. Suddenly, he sat bolt upright. His head whipped around to stare at the picture Mummy had placed by the windowsill, which Mummy had taken with Uncle Rafe and Daddy a few years ago. He turned back to look at the person approaching the gate, and then looked back at his father's features, just to make sure.

A brilliant smile lit up his face, and he shot out of the house before any of the adults could stop him, running as fast as he could. "Danny!" Evelyn called out in astonishment, and hitching up her skirts, she hurried after him. The rest of the adults followed, and they almost plied into her when she stopped at the doorway. Puzzled, Rafe looked past Evelyn's shoulder, and he grinned knowingly. Ah, so that was what made young Danny so excited.

Danny Walker was just coming up the front lawn, with Jeslyn Hills following behind, and he was rather taken aback when a small figure came running towards him at full speed, all the while squealing, "Daddy!" However, despite young Danny's best efforts, he was only a two year old, and his maximum speed might not be as fast as he wanted it to be. It was just as well that the window hadn't been far from the front door, and he hadn't really been running for a very long distance. Already he was out of breath, but he still tried to keep running.

Danny blinked, and his mind finally registered what the little boy had just called him. His face lit up at the pleasant surprise, and he went forward eagerly. Kneeling down, he laughed happily, and caught his son just as he stumbled.

"Daddy!" Young Danny launched himself fully into his father's arms, and buried his face in his shoulder. Danny held his son tight, inhaling the soft scent of baby shampoo. "Hello, little one." Standing up, he carried his son back towards the house.

"You came." Evelyn smiled happily.

"It is my wedding, you know." Rafe said reproachfully.

"Hey, I wasn't late…yet." Danny glanced guiltily at his watch. Satisfied, he said, "Five more minutes, at least."

Rafe rolled his eyes, and shook his head in mock disappointment. He grinned as he remembered the countless number of times when Danny said just that to the discipline mistress at school, who would stare at him reprovingly and shake a warning finger. Danny will always be Danny. For all his brilliance in words, he was lousy at numbers.

"Before I forget, Rafe, Evelyn, meet Jeslyn." Danny gestured to Jeslyn, and they shook hands.

The wedding went on as planned. Rafe and Evelyn had wanted a simple wedding, so they only invited a few close friends. No matter what Evelyn, Rafe and Danny tried, young Danny refused to be pried from his father's arms. Throughout the short session at the neighbourhood church, everyone couldn't stop grinning as they watched the harried best man try to coax his son into keeping quiet. It must have been one of the most interesting wedding ceremonies ever.

Having overcome his initial excitement at finally meeting his father, young Danny had reverted to his usual inquisitive self. Danny found out that the hard way that his son had indeed taken after him in this aspect, and he finally understood what his teachers felt. He caught Jeslyn's eye, and mouthed a word of distress, but Jeslyn only laughed and turned away. Danny had a very interesting family indeed.

After the ceremony, the guests took their leave, and only the four of them were left. Young Danny had fallen asleep halfway through the ceremony, to Danny's relief, and he was now tucked safely into bed, hugging his favourite teddy bear. Before he joined Rafe, Evelyn and Jeslyn in the living room, Danny ruffled his son's hair, kissed his forehead and whispered, "Sweet dreams, my darling." Then, he walked softly out of the room and closed the door.

Danny and Jeslyn made for the door after having a long chat with Rafe and Evelyn, and they turned to say their goodbyes.

"Congratulations again to both of you." Danny shook their hands, and Rafe laughed. "Thanks, Danny. Hey, when will we be joining you for yourwedding?"

Evelyn smiled too. "Yeah, when are you getting married, Danny?"

Danny looked over at Jeslyn, and reached out to take her hand, interlocking their fingers. She blushed furiously, and Danny grinned. "Soon, perhaps."

They walked towards Danny's home, still holding hands. Noticing Jeslyn was exceptionally quiet, Danny leaned over and whispered, "Come, I want to show you something." And he led her in the opposite direction. Puzzled, Jeslyn followed.

He led her up a small hill, and Jeslyn gasped at the sight. The sun was just setting, and the sky was a brilliant red. A few clouds floated lazily in the sky. Wheat fields stretched into the distance, waving in the breeze, dyed red by the sun. There was even a sparkling lake not far away, and a few birds sang overhead as they headed back to their nests. It was the perfect picture of peace and bliss, everything she could ever dream of. "Its beautiful." Now she understood why Danny had insisted that his home had the best sunset ever.

Sitting down beside her, Danny said, "This was my favourite spot when I was young." The two of them sat in silence for some time, admiring the scenery. Glancing over at Jeslyn, Danny hesitated, then said, "There is something else I want to show you."

Cocking her head to one side, she gave him a questioning look. Danny swallowed, then gathered up his courage. Reaching in his pocket, he produced a small box tied with a ribbon, and Jeslyn's breath caught in her throat.

She opened the box, and a small ring twinkled back at her. The words rushed out of Danny all at once, "Will you…marry me?"

Eyes sparkling, she flung her arms around him and kissed him in reply. This was turning out to be the best day in her life.