centerChapter 3 /center

iSo much has happened./i Minnie thought as she drove down a long straight road. She wiped a tear away from her face, trying to stop crying. For the past week she had been crying, calling out for a missing family member. iI hope Mickey's not worried about me. I know what I'll do. I'll go straight to his place and surprise him. Too bad I don't have good news./i.

The mouse drove into town and went straight to her boyfriend's yellow house, surprised to see his car not in site. She parked on the side of the street and went to the door, knocking on it. She waited a while before knocking again, wondering where he was. She leaned over to look through a window and saw Pluto and Figaro snuggled up. iGood, he got my letter./i Minnie thought, smiling at the site of the two animals.

Minnie went back to her car and decided to go over to Goofy's to see if Mickey was there. She parked in front of his little trailer and went to the door only to find the same scene. No one home.

"Are you looking for Dippy?" an elderly voice asked, getting her attention.

"Uh, ya." Minnie said, remembering Goofy's real name was Dippy as she walked around Goofy's fenced in yard to get closer to the older woman sitting on her porch. "Do you know where he is?"

"Probably with his best friend, Mickey." the woman said, rocking herself. "They're at the viewing."

"Who's viewing? Someone died?" Minnie asked.

"I would guess so." the woman nodded her head.

"Thank you." Minnie said, rushing towards her car. She jumped in and turned on the car. "I wonder who died." Minnie said to herself as she rushed towards the only funeral home in the city.

Minnie rushed into the building, skidding to a stop at what she saw. Pictures of herself hung by a casket that Mickey was standing by, tears streaming down his cheeks. She made her way towards him and heard some of what he was saying.

"What will I do without you, my poor little Minnie." Mickey said, one of her bows in his hands as he fought back his tears. He gave up, letting the tears run down his cheeks. He pulled out a ring from his pocket and slid it on the girl's finger as he said, "I... I never got to ask you... if you'd... like to marry me."

"I'd say yes." Minnie said, getting his attention as she walked over to him.

"Minnie!" Mickey gasped, stepping back as his face went pale.

"Minnie?" Daisy asked, first to take notice of the commotion at the front of the room.

"Minnie, you're alive!" Mickey said, jumping up to hug the girl. "How? Where? What?"

"I had to go out of town. One of my cousins disappeared and I had to go and help try to find her. Didn't you get the letter I left you?" Minnie tried to explain as everyone surrounded them. She pulled Mickey away and looked him in the eyes. "You thought I was dead?"

"Letter? When I got to your house last week, it was a mess. I thought you had gotten kidnapped, and when O'Hara said the DNA matched this girl to a toothbrush I got from your house, everyone assumed it was you." Mickey tried to explain.

Minnie let go of Mickey and went to look at the girl in the casket only to sigh. "I was afraid of this."

"What?" Donald asked, wondering what was going on.

"Last week my cousin disappeared. I had to come back home today, but they're still looking for her. I guess I can tell them to stop looking." Minnie explained, her eyes glued to the girl that looked so much like herself. "This is my cousin, Caroline."

"That would explain why the DNA was a close enough match that we thought it was you." Horace said, understanding.

"I'm just glad you're here and alive." Mickey said, hugging her tight.

"Me too, Mickey." Minnie giggled as she hugged him back.

They let go for Mickey to turn to Caroline's body as he removed the ring he had just put on her. He knelt down on his knee in front of Minnie and asked, "Will you forgive a crazy mouse and marry him?"

"Of course Mickey. I love you." Minnie said as he put the ring on her left hand before the two found themselves in an embrace.

"Why can't you be as romantic as that?" Clarabelle asked, looking at Horace.