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A persistent knocking at the door roused Ellena from a deep, contented sleep. She went to sit up, only to have her movement hampered by a thick, tanned arm tightening around her middle. The more she tried to wriggle out of his grip, the tighter he held her.
They hadn’t had sex that night. They had made love – slow, sensuous, emotionally healing love – and then fell asleep with their bodies tangled together in the sheets.
The knock became louder and Ellena let out an exasperated sigh. “Kevin, let go of me.” She whispered. “There’s someone at the door.” Kevin groaned and rolled over, freeing Ellena to answer the door. Ellena picked Kevin’s t-shirt up off the floor and pulled it over her head. She checked the peephole and opened the door. Marci stood on the other side, her face still red and creased from her pillow.
“Lenny, the hospital just called our room. Lacey is awake and asking for you.”

~*~

Kevin, Mitch and Marci walked briskly down the hospital corridor, trying to keep up with Ellena. Ellena walked ahead of them, speaking with the doctor about Lacey’s condition.
“She’s awake, but still a little groggy from the sedatives. She was very scared and confused when she awoke but her father got here about twenty minutes ago.”
Ellena became alarmed. If Eric was actually back, that meant he could take her away again. Her footsteps quickened as the group rounded the corner. She practically ran to Lacey’s door. She stopped in front of it and took a deep breath. There was no need for her to alarm Lacey by bursting through the door. She was trembling and she clutched her hands together in a feeble attempt to stop. She turned the doorknob slowly and quietly stepped into the room.
“I spy with my little eye, something that is blue.” A deep voice said playfully.
“I know what it is!” Lacey giggled softly. “It’s your hair!”
Ellena stepped around the privacy curtain to see who owned the voice. It certainly wasn’t Eric. Lacey was the first to spot Ellena in the room and she smiled. “Hi Lala.” She chirped. She was sitting up in the vast hospital bed, leaning against two pillows. She looked pale and fragile but she still had the twinkle that Ellena had always loved. The man sitting beside the bed stood up and turned so Ellena could see him. She immediately smiled and gave him a great bear hug.
“AJ. It’s so good to see you.”
“Hey girl. I’ve really missed you.” AJ hugged back.
Ellena pulled away quickly and sat on the bed. “Hi baby. How are you feeling?” Lacey only smiled and held her arms in front of her. Ellena gathered Lacey in her arms and kissed the top of her head. “I promise I’m never going to let you go again.” She whispered.
AJ sensed it was time for him to leave the two alone. He quietly stepped outside the hospital room and into the hallway. Kevin was standing guard on the other side of the corridor, waiting to pound the piss out of Eric as soon as he exited the room. Instead, he blinked a few times before breaking into a grin.
“What the hell are you doing here?”
AJ shrugged. “Oh, you know how well Nick can keep a secret…”
Kevin frowned. “How did Nick know?”
AJ smiled and sat down beside Mitch. “Well it seems that my man, Mitch here, tells his girlfriend everything. Cherry, in turn, phoned your house, wanting to know how Lacey was. Anyway, Nick went to your house and just happened to be there when the phone rang. To make a long story short, she told him, he told us and here I am.”
Kevin shook his head. “I should have never trusted him with that extra house key.”
“Yep!” AJ agreed. “I bet your entire playstation game library is cleaned out by the time you get back.” AJ stood up and peeked through the window in the door. “I had to tell the woman at the nurse’s station that I was Lacey’s dad before they would let me see her. Sorry man, didn’t mean to give you a heart attack.”
“What was everyone doing back in Orlando? We have a concert tomorrow night in –“
AJ shook his head. “We’ve already re-scheduled for the end of the tour.”
Kevin slapped AJ on the shoulder. “Thank you.”
AJ shrugged. “We had to. This was a family emergency.”

~*~

“Feeling okay?” Kevin asked.
Ellena leaned back in her seat and smiled. “Yes, I’m good. I’m better than good. I’m great. And you?”
Kevin lifted her hand to his mouth and kissed it. “Never better.” Ellena sighed and closed her eyes.
Across the aisle of the airplane, Mitch, AJ and Lacey were playing ‘Fish’. Ellena could hear Lacey giggle as Mitch groaned and handed over his last card. Lacey was almost fully recovered from the car accident. The doctor sent her home with the name of another doctor in Orlando who could oversee the rest of her recovery. Ellena had taken a personal leave from the dance troupe with the promise that she would be back for the beginning of the next season. She had already called Orlando and made arrangements for Cherry and the movers to take her belongings out of storage and put them in Kevin’s house. Everything would be finished by the time they arrived.
“Can I ask you a question?” Kevin began.
“You just did.” Ellena quipped.
“No really.” He said seriously.
Ellena opened her eyes and looked at him quizzically. “Okay, what do you want to know?”
“Why weren’t you more upset when you found out that Eric isn’t Lacey’s real father?”
Ellena leaned forward and lowered her voice. “When Eric left the hospital, he said he never wanted to have anything to do with me or Lacey again. Eric is gone and out of our lives for good. Don’t you see, Kevin? Lacey doesn’t have to be my niece anymore. She can be my daughter.”
The light bulb came on for Kevin. “You’re going to need a lawyer. I have-“
Ellena grinned and patted him on the arm. “Paperwork was started a week ago, my dear. I’m way ahead of you.”