---

They got the news at eleven o'clock that night. She was being operated on. No one would tell him what operation, how long it went for, what it was actually doing and whether she'd be safe or not. In the end he ended up telling his father everything, how he fell in love with the girl after becoming close friends, how he'd give her piggy back rides at youth, how she'd touch his hair, how they'd steal away after each youth group session for secret kisses.

Of course, his father was understanding at first, then concerned since the two were so young. But Jonathan assured him they were being responsible and mature. In the end he was grateful he let it all out, because his father suddenly understood why he was so desperate to know she's healthy, because it's love, you see. It's love. And Jonathan's father knew exactly what that felt like.

To distract himself during the waiting of the next two days, he played his x-box with his friends chronically. Of course, his mother started to get suspicious, but didn't ask any questions. She assumed the two were good friends and he was just fretting over his friend's health. At school it was worse, questions were being asked and he couldn't be gloomier. No one was there to hold his hand or randomly touch his knee. No one was there to braid his hair or give him a freshly picked dandelion to place behind his ear.

He realised how much he relied on Abigayle to make him happy and enjoy his day. During classes he would collect an extra worksheet because he knew she'd want to catch up. Sometimes he thought he'd seen her in the corner of his eye, but it was someone else with honey coloured hair.

---

After a week he was allowed to go see her, and Nathan was so excited that he almost forget how to breathe without hyperventilating. His mother drove him to the nearest hospital, slightly begrudgingly as it was so far away. Jonathan babbled on the whole way, useless facts and small talk.

He burst out the car once they had parked and raced through the door. He asked for her room at the reception, and even the receptionist had a funny smile on her face to see a fifteen-year-old boy rush to see a sick girl in hospital. He had left his mother behind, took the lift to her level and gently open the door.

She was lying on her back with the crisp white covers up to her chin, her glasses were on her bedside table and she lay very silently in the bed. Her cheek bones were sunken and her face was even paler than it usually was. Her eyes opened when she heard him come in and she squinted at the blurry figure in front of her.

"JJ? Is that you, or is it cousin Brad?"

"It's Jonathan," he smiled.

"Could you get my glasses?" Abbie asked but he was already on it, he passed the tortoise shell frames as she slipped them on, "Ah, now I can see you much better."

Jonathan sat down in the chair beside her bed and Abbie slipped her hand from under the blankets and held onto his.

"How are you feeling Abbie?"

"Better," was all she said.

"Are you sore?"

"Yes," she nodded, "Everywhere, my chest, my throat, my arms, my tummy, my ankles, my wrists, my pinkie finger nail. Everywhere."

"Do you need me to get anyone?"

"No, they've done all they can, it's just me," she coughed, "Ow."

"Abbie," Jonathan pressed on, "Please tell me the truth, don't try and act-"

"Fine, I'll call the nurse button," she groaned, and pressed a button on the remote she was holding in her other hand. She exhaled in frustration.

A few minutes of silence passed and a nurse came to Abbie's room. Abbie explained how everything was hurting and the nurse gave her more pain killers. Jonathan stared at her as he watched her facial expression change as she eased into comfort.

"Thanks Jonathan," she murmured, she slowly moved onto her side and snuggled into his arm.

"For what, Abs?"

"Everything, Jonathan, everything," she mutters into his warm arm, "Maybe for accepting me and-"

"Abbie," Jonathan interrupted.

She looked up at him, "Jonathan?"

He swallowed, his heart was beating incredibly fast, it was time to tell her the truth, "I love you."

"You do?"

"I do."

"I never thought someone would, until you came."

"You were someone else, Abbie."

"I love you Jonathan."

---

15 years later...

Jonathan stood at the door with two-year-old Harrison held at his hip. The brown-eyed toddler was clapping at his chin and gurgling happily.

"Daddy!" Five-year-old Marie yelled, "Daddy have you seen my hairbrush?"

Jonathan sighed and turned around.

"It's on the kitchen bench!" He yelled back, he turned back to his wife who was searching through her shoe box, "Have you got your shoes yet Abbie?"

"I don't. Know. Where. I put. THEM!" she groaned as she searched.

"Daddy! I don't want the brown one, I want my sparkly purple one!"

"Come here and talk to me Marie," he called back, then turned to his wife. "Abbie do you want me to find them for you?"

Abbie stood up and slipped on her silver heels, "I'll just wear these."

"Should you be wearing heels Abbie?" Jonathan asked as Abbie dumped some Nappies into a bag.

"Hey, I'm only thirty, watch it big fella!" Abbie quickly looked at herself in the mirror and shrugged.

"I know but you are six months pregnant-"

"And proud of it JJ," she patted her pregnant belly.

Marie came up behind Jonathan and held up her brush" I found it!"

"Good patience, Marie," Abbie sighed as they made their way to the kitchen.

"Am I going to be late to school?" Marie moaned, "I want to learn my letters!"

The girl jumped up and down continuously seemingly so excited she has turned crazy. She stuffed her packed lunch into her school bag and skipped around the lounge room singing, "I'm going to big school, I'm going to big school!"

Jonathan put on Harrison's shoes and jacket, "No Marie, you aren't going to be late, we'll drop you off first."

Blue-eyed Marie already had her school bag on her back, "I can't wait to start school!"

"And your brother can't wait to start day care, can you Harry?" Jonathan asked the toddler who was still babbling on to himself. Marie went over and took Harry from Jonathan's arms and gave the toddler a sloppy kiss on the cheek.

Harry babbled, "Ma-rie! Ma-rie!"

Abbie placed her hands to her heart, "My babies are growing up so fast, one's already starting school! Now Marie take your bag off and let me do your hair."

Once Marie had her hair styled by her mother, and Harry was handed back to Jonathan, the family piled into the car on the way to Marie's new school, the Primary school that was connected to their church in Tarrington.

"I'm going to big school! I'm going to big school!"

"Ma-rie! Ma-rie! Ma-rie!"

"Jonathan have we located the volume buttons on them yet?" Abbie smiled.

"Not yet," Jonathan laughed, "We're almost there."

"Are we?!" Marie yelled in excitement.

Abbie didn't even bother to remind Marie to use her inside voice, because she saw her child was so excited, "JJ, we should remember this, because bet you that one Monday Morning when she's in year nine..."

Jonathan shivered, "Not looking forward to that part of parenting."

Harry giggled as they parked the car in the school car park. The family walked Marie to her classroom as she sang, "Big School! Big School!"

Abbie and Jonathan gave Marie the biggest hugs they could, and they watched their daughter settle in to the classroom.

"I'll miss you," Marie squeaked as she is getting very squished in the hug, "But I'll tell you all that happened when I get home."

"Thanks, sweet pea," Abbie kissed the girl on the forehead.

"I want to hear all your adventures when you get home," Jonathan tapped Marie on the nose. The five-year-old kissed his nose, reminding Jonathan of his teen years.

"Bye bye Harry, good luck at baby school," Marie kissed Harry on the cheek.

The two parents left the room, both a little teary-eyed to see their oldest child start school.

As they drove to Harry's new day-care, Abbie looked at her husband as her concentrated on the road, "We've done well, Jonathan."

"I think we have, Abigayle," Jonathan smiled, "We definitely have."