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Wisconsin summer day. She blinked, trying to adjust her eyes to the sudden change in light, then stared in amazement at the scene before her. |
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A field of wildflowers in full bloomwhite, purple, green, orangestretched out before her. In a small clearing blanketed with grass lay a red-and-white checkered tablecloth. On the cloth sat a picnic lunch and three childrentwo boys with dark hair full of cowlicks that stuck up every which way and who looked to be about six and five years old and a baby girl with red hair. She was just old enough to crawl, and at the sight of D.J. she made a noise that sounded suspiciously like "mama" and put her knees into high gear, bringing her to D.J.'s feet in seconds. Once there she plopped her padded bottom onto the ground and reached up in supplication. The two-toothed smile on the child's face broke D.J.'s heart. |
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Confused, she looked around for an explanation to this disturbing dream. Her eyes fell on the one person she recognized. |
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He leaned against the rock wall at the entrance to the cave, smiling at her with an expression on his face that she couldn't fathom. The baby yanked on her shoelace and let out a squall of protest. D.J. looked down, and the child held up her hands once again in mute appeal. |
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"Honey, you'd better pick her up. You know how she is when she doesn't get her way. Her temper's just like yours." |
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D.J. looked back at McCall with a frown. Before |
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