They spent the day walking around, trying to get to know one another. Andrew kept to his bad attitude all day, and no matter how much the others were enjoying themselves, he refused to join.

"That was really good, thank you," Heather said when she had finished her ice cream. She looked around the small 50's themed ice cream parlor, "I used to come here all the time," She smiled at the memory, "You know my parents used to-" She quickly caught herself and went straight faced, "It doesn't matter, that's all ancient history now."

Craig and Jeff exchanged glances.

"All of history is one giant memory," Jeff began, "I'd say history is pretty darn important."

Heather smiled weakly, "Not always, sometimes it's painful."

"Sometimes, the most painful things are the things we need to hold on to," Craig replied.

Heather looked down, "That solely depends on what the pain is, and why it's painful."

The conversation shifted after that.

Andrew looked down and his watch and said with yawn, "I hate to break up the party, but it's time we leave."

Craig looked at his watch and slapped Jeff on the shoulder, "He's right, it's almost dinner."

"Alright then, let's head back." Jeff got out of his seat, "Come on Heather."

"Alright." Heather stood up, "Thank you for the ice cream."

Jeff smiled, "No problem, kid."

They headed back towards the center.

When they pushed open the door Heather turned around and said, "Thank you very much, I needed that."

"You're very welcome," Jeff replied.

"We had a bunch of fun too," Craig added.

Andrew scoffed. Heather looked over at him, "I didn't much enjoy your company either, Andrew," She said.

Her confidence caught Andrew off guard. Her sea foam green eyes were locked on his and her face was completely serious.

"Enjoy your night boys," She smiled and nodded at Jeff and Craig. Her eyes went hard as she crossed her arms and held her head high, "Goodnight, Andrew."

"Night," He replied, eyeing her suspiciously.

The boys left the center and headed towards home.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"How was your outing?" Mrs. Laynie, Heather's foster mom, asked.

"It was good," Heather said.

"Darling, what's bothering you?"

"I just want my family back," Heather admitted.

"I know you do honey, and you know if I had the power to I'd let you, but I can't, it's not in my power." She walked around the table ad wrapped her arms around Heather.

Heather looked up, "If I have to have a foster family, I'm glad it's you."

Mrs. Laynie hugged her again, "That means a lot, you know."

"I love you."

"I love you, too."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"So, how was your little play date?" Lily asked.

"Shut up," Andrew scowled at her.

"Heather was actually really enjoyable," Jeff added.

"Yeah, if you think a 13-year-old brat is fun," Andrew scoffed.

"Cut it out would ya! You're giving that girl way to hard of a time. Just get over yourself!"

Everyone froze. Craig's, who was relatively quiet compared to his brothers, eyes bounced back and forth between his brothers. Lily was on the edge of her seat, waiting for someone to make a move.

Andrew got up and left.

"Should I go talk to him?" Lily asked.

Craig nodded his head.

"No." Jeff answered bitterly.

Craig turned and looked at his brother in confusion, "Why shouldn't she?"

"He needs to grow up, let him be alone."

"Lil, go talk to him."

Lily began to stand up.

"Lily! Sit down. Now!" Jeff snapped, "I said now!"

Lily, who was too petrified to stay and to angry to listen, marched up to her brother's room.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Andrew fiddled with a baseball and ran his fingers over the laces. There was a knock at his door.

"Go away," He called.

"Well hello to you, too." Lily pushed open the door.

"Why are you here?"

"We need to talk."

He leaned back on his bed and tossed the ball in the air then caught it," 'Bout what?"

"What makes you call Heather a brat?"

He shrugged his shoulders.

"Why is she in foster care?"

"Don't know, she never told us."

"Exactly." Lily headed towards the door.

"So, what was the point of that?" He asked.

She turned in the doorway, "She has a story you don't even know, and you still have the nerve to say she's an annoying little brat. Think about that." She pulled the door shut behind her.

Andrew slumped back onto his bed again. Sisters, always trying to convert you.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Two weeks breezed past and their weekly visits with Heather slowly became twice a week as the boys began to warm up to the girl. Even Andrew couldn't help but enjoy her a little, but he wouldn't be caught dead acting as if he did.

"Alright, where to today, ma'am?" Jeff asked as they walked up the sidewalks.

"Oh! There's a ranch up a back road," She pointed to a dirt road that was exiting their little town, "I know the man who lives there, he could use a visit."

"Who lives there?" Craig asked.

"Farmer Lance," She informed.

"Well, to farmer Lance's we go!" Jeff exclaimed.

Andrew rolled his eyes at his brother's over-excitment, he was talking to a thirteen-year-old, not a five-year-old. Nonetheless, he let out a chuckle.

"Andrew Marshall, is that a smile on your face?" Heather laughed.

"No, it's simply a slight curving of the lips, commonly used to express happiness," He corrected.

"Oh okay, I see," She joked.

"Last time I checked that was the definition of a smile," Craig muttered under his breath.

They piled into the car and set off down the dirt road.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"That's it! Right there!" Heather shouted, pointing to a ranch. A huge white farm house was in the middle of everything.

Jeff turned the car into the long, winding driveway.

"We can ride horses, if you like," She said excitedly.

"You don't get to come here often, do you?" Andrew asked from the back seat right next to Heather.

She shook her head, "Not in months!"

Jeff laughed from the drivers seat. Craig turned in the passenger's seat to look at Heather's ecstatic expression.

Jeff parked the car and they knocked on the door.

An older man opened the door. Heather threw her arms around him.

"Heather!" He shouted happily.

She pulled back, "How are you?"

"Great, and you?"

"Good! This is Jeff, Craig and Andrew," She gestured to the boys, "We wanted to come for a visit."

"Well, that's wonderful! Common in, and we'll see if the Mrs. can't fix something up. Dorothy!" He shouted, "Heather's dropped in for a visit!"

An old women with white hair neatly pulled into a bun, came down the stairs.

"Heather!" She threw her arms open.

"How are you Miss Dorothy?" Heather asked.

"Very well, dear. How are you?"

Heather shrugged, "Well enough."

"I haven't seen you since the funeral. Do you still love farms?"

"Absolutely! Oh allow me to introduce my friends, these are the Marshall boys."

"Hello." She shook their hands, "Am

I corrected in saying your mother is Hannah Marshall?"

"Yes ma'am, that'd be us," Jeff said returning her hand shake.

"Well, you kids hungry?" She asked, "I have cookies in the kitchen."

"Mmm, cookies," Andrew said in a dream like voice.

Farmer Lance laughed, "I take it this one likes his sweets."

"You have no idea," Craig laughed.

They sat at a small kitchen table with glasses of farm-fresh milk and a plate of fresh-baked cookies.

"I remember, you and your brothers used to love it here," Farmer Lance said to Heather.

The Marshall boys exchanged confused glances, did he say brothers?

Heather quickly changed the subject, "These are delicious cookies, Miss Dorothy."

"Thank you sweetheart. What do you think, boys?"

The boys nodded appreciatively.

"So, Heather mentioned y'all were in Boy Scouts, how's that going?" Farmer Lance asked.

"Great," Andrew replied.

"Jeffery, I understand you only have a year left?"

"Yes, that's right, sir."

"Eagle, right?"

"Yes sir." Jeff nodded.

"Well, how are y'all enjoying the company of little miss Heather over here," He shook her shoulders.

"Oh, she's great," Jeff said.

"Quite enjoyable," Craig added.

"Eh, she's not so bad," Andrew said, with a lopsided smile.

"Oh! Can we go horse back riding? Oh, please!" Heather begged.

"Of course, darlin'!" Farmer Lance answered.

"Yes!" She exclaimed, "He has the nicest horses! You guys are gonna love it!"

"Hon, we'll be right out, go ahead and wait outside," Miss Dorothy instructed.

"Yes Ma'am!" Heather hopped off her stool and headed to the door, "Comin' boys?" She asked.

"We're right behind ya," Jeff called while getting up from the table.

"I would never guess she's 13," Andrew whispered.

"Give the girl a break, she's just excited, you'd be too if you lost everything," Craig replied.

They headed towards the stable where they found Heather petting a horse.

"This is Buckle," She said, turning to see the boys.

"Buckle?" Andrew repeated, "Seems a little over used, don't you think?"

"Slightly, but it's not the name that matters."

"Heather," Jeff began, "Farmer Lance said something really odd back there."

Heather continued petting Buckle.

"About, you having...siblings," Craig finished.

Heather didn't reacted at all, "Oh, I'm sorry, what were you saying?" She said as she turned to face them.

"Nothing."Craig stared at the ground.

"Nothing of importance," Jeff corrected.

"Yeah, nothing of importance."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They raced through the fields, Heather in the lead. Her blonde curls were whipping behind her. She had chosen to wear her cowgirl hat again, and it nearly flew off her head. She looked back at the boys and raced. Jeff and Craig exchanged one glance, nodded, then leaned forward as their horses sped up.

Heather laughed again as she sped her horse up as well. Andrew shook his head with a smile, then joined in with the others.

By the time they came back to the stable, the sun was setting.

Heather hopped off her horse, "I won," She smiled up at the boys.

Jeff chuckled.

"Keep dreaming pip-squeak," Andrew said.

"Pip-squeak?" She asked.

He nodded and took a sip out of his glass coke bottle, "Yep," he said as he stared into the distance.

"Come on," Heather pulled Jeff's sleeve.

"What? where are we going?" He asked, as she dragged him along.

"Just come on!"

They stopped at the top of a small hill, where the yard ended and a field began. A white fence out lined the yard. It was an old fence, and the paint was chipping, it went up to about Heather waist line. She climbed up and sat on it, staring out at the sunset. The boy's sat next to her.

"It's beautiful here, isn't it?" Heather asked, breaking the silence.

"Yeah, it really is," Andrew said. They all turned at looked at him, "what?" He asked.

Jeff shook his head and chuckled.

"I can see why you wanted us to come out here," Jeff said, "Brings out the best in people."

"Yeah," Heather whispered quietly, not looking away from the sunset, "It really does, doesn't it?"

And there they sat, marveling at one of God's wonderful creations. The world.