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Stunned. He was more than stunned. He was also choked up. He knelt there with her shaking hand in his and stared into eyes so blue, and so full of unshed emotion, he couldn't move.

Tracy smiled. "I want to serve you breakfast in bed on Father's day. I want to sit with all our kids in church and watch you on the stand, when you're Bishop someday, winking at me. I want to play music with you, I want to go fishing with you...."

"Where did that come from? You've never mentioned fishing before." He tried to laugh, but it came out like a croak.

"It sounds good." She nodded, pursing her lips. "Here, this one sounds better; I want to go scuba diving in Egypt with you."

"Oh yeah." He nodded, remembering.

"So, Richard, what's your answer?" She pouted prettily.

"Yes, yes, I will marry you and be your husband and do all those things with you." He said quickly. "I love you."

"I love you too, honey." She said. "All terms are off. New terms."

Richard cleared his throat gruffly, running a finger under his nose. "I will never leave the house without kissing you three times. Once for the time before Raine, once for the midnight walks in the snow, and once for the days after Raine. I will never let you forget him or Steven. I promise never to go to sleep without talking to you, each and every day of our lives together and telling you how much you mean to me. I promise to honor my priesthood, to do my church duties, to support our family no matter how many kids you try and adopt, I will take care of you, Tracy Lynn. I love you so much. Really truly I do."

She pulled him up. "Are you going to kiss me now?"

He glanced around. "Not sure I can."

"Because it's here?"

He knew she meant in a General Authority's office. He nodded. "Let's give them our answer, and then maybe can we go for a walk down there." He jerked his head in the general direction of the Temple grounds. Tracy wiped under his eyes for him, still looking up into the face that was at once familiar, so familiar, so... hers. 

Yes, he was hers, had always been hers, since the moment they'd met, even though she had been too occupied to really see, or understand. How could she have understood? No, there was no understanding this one. She just knew that this was right, as if... she glanced outside, as if Raine had given her away and his choice to give her to... was Richard.

Richard took her hand and led her to the door and opened it. The two Elders had been joined by several more and they were standing in the hall speaking quietly. Elder Harrison turned and looked at the two radiantly beaming faces. He shook Richard's free hand. "Good work, son. A little unprecedented, but under the circumstances..."

They all went back into the room and closed the door, joined by three other older gentlemen. Immediately they began to ask questions. They asked about Tracy's past, about her children, about passports, plans and occupations. 

Several expressed concerns that because of the suddenness of the call, and the circumstances surrounding it, that perhaps Tracy had felt pressured into it. She hurried to assure them that she and Richard had actually been together longer than just this day and that the decision to marry had been made quite some time ago. 

They asked her about her conversion and her answers to prayers, about how she'd known for sure about Richard. Tracy had been in many interviews in her life, so many she couldn't count, and hundreds of them by extremely grilling reporters, but this, she thought, this takes the cake. After longer than an hour, four of the five men finally gave their approval and exited the office, and Tracy sat back in her chair, exhausted.

"We may have to stay in Salt Lake tonight." She said looking out the window at the setting sun.

"You weren't planning to?" Elder Harrison looked up from his computer, startled.

Richard cocked his head to one side. "Ah, no, we were on our way to visit my folks."

"Hm..." the Elder mused. "I had quite a different thought for you then. I am looking up your Bishops, and was hoping to interview you tonight for live endowment, Sister McCaffrey, and perhaps arrange for a sealing tomorrow.... Or tonight."

Richard's thumb had been gently rubbing her fingers when he stopped abruptly and stared at Elder Harrison. His eyes had turned opaque, like slate, unreadable. Tracy felt her insides quiver.

"The mission needs to be attended to in three months. If we marry you right away you'll have three months to get settled as a couple. That was the recommendation I received when I spoke with the brethren outside this very door."

Tracy swallowed. Married tonight? Tomorrow? What about the children? She'd wanted them sealed to her. Could that be arranged also? She wasn't going to Mongolia without them sealed together. And what about family and friends who had wanted to attend?

"Elder Harrison, I hate to be a bother to you, I know it's getting late, but I think Tracy and I need to take a little walk, how long will you be here?" Richard said, with that same compelling force that Tracy admired. He had pulled her up, and would have left for a walk no matter what anyone else said. She liked that about him too, her needs and their needs were a great consideration for him.

With permission, they exited the building and found Zack at his wit's end right outside the door. He shoved the screaming baby into Tracy's arms, and turned and picked Melia up and shoved her and a diaper bag into Richard's arms. Then without a word, he grabbed Danny's and Megan's hands and strode about twenty feet away and stood there with his back to them.

Tracy and Richard both started laughing. Richard called after his brother his gratitude at this unexpected babysitting assignment and promised to make it up to him. Zack's left arm came up and his fingers pinched together, in a talk to the hand gesture, and Richard laughed again. One whiff told Tracy that Melia was poopy, and the wriggling and screaming infant was evidence enough of her problem.

"Give her to me." Tracy said, reaching with her free hand for Melia, and the diaper bag, but Richard pulled both out of her reach.

"I can change a diaper." He said easily. He turned to the hallway marked restrooms. "Go feed Kylie."

Melia wailed at being separated from her mother. Her little arms reached over Richard's shoulders automatically, a fear-stricken expression on her face. Tracy turned from almost sitting on the unoccupied couch in the lobby, and would have gone back over to get her, but Richard turned Melia's chin to face him gently. "Daddy's change little girls poopy diapers too." He said.

"Want Momma!" Melia wailed, the last note turning to a high pitched scream.

Tracy stood there, feeling torn, wanting to go to her, and yet waiting to see what this new and improved Richard would actually do. Babies hadn't been his thing that she recalled, or maybe it had just been fidelity, he may have liked children.... 

He'd changed Danny's diapers enough in the past. He may have actually been the one to potty train him.... In fact, she had a vague recollection of such an event. And suddenly, she also saw them in Paris, that beautiful day on the Seine.... 

Later, who had changed Steven's diaper? Richard. He hadn't shied away from it, ever. She deliberately sat down and pulled the blanket up over her shoulder to adjust for Kylie's dinner.

"Go with Richie, Mia. Momma's got to nurse Kylie." Then she looked down at the baby under the blanket, adjusted her and felt her latch on. She looked up. Melia's face registered her shock. She stopped mid-scream, realizing that her mother wasn't coming to her rescue. There was nothing Melia hated more than a poopy diaper. If she wanted it changed she would have to overcome her resistance.

She gazed through bright shining tear-filled eyes at Richard's firm face, his gentle blue eyes. He turned and took her into the mother's lounge.

A few seconds later, they returned, she walking comfortably and he wearing an extremely satisfied expression. "Still got the touch." He whistled. Tracy laughed.

"Go get the others and we'll talk about dinner."

Richard and Melia did go and get the others and dinner was discussed, and also some of the plans revealed to Zack who was astonished and bewildered at the same time. Richard indicated to Zack that as soon as Kylie was done nursing he could take the children again, that he and Tracy needed to talk. Zack gave Tracy a stricken look.

"I'll keep Kylie." She said firmly. "We can still go for a walk. Kids, go get some dinner at the ZCMI food courts, with Uncle Zack. We won't be very long; Zack, and then we'll meet you over there." This met agreement with all involved, except for Richard and Tracy's rumbling stomachs, but they knew a few more details would have to be discussed before they could join their family and eat.

*****