One memory leading to another, Ally forgot she was initially looking through a photo album. She got through the Christmas one and shut it, going for the third. When she opened it, she was greeted with more Christmas pictures. The first images were with the whole family opening presents on Christmas morning. After a few pages, Ally came to a picture of Faith and Nathan on Santa’s lap. She could faintly make out some shorter people in the background dressed up in elf costumes with pointy hats and shoes standing there with candy canes and smiles.

“Midgets,” Ally whispered, all of a sudden laughing.

Ally and Larry were going head to head on this case where this couple fell in love online and when the woman moved her whole life to be with the guy she fell for, she decided to sue for travel damages when she found out.....he was a midget. Looks weren’t important in their relationship, but apparently being a midget counted in the woman’s point of view. Ally was a bit angry with Larry for the way he cross-examined her client.

“You didn’t have to beat him up,” Ally was stabbing her Chinese food with chopsticks.

“I didn’t beat him up,” Larry replied with a mouthful of yogurt.

“No you did Larry, you were a bully,” Ally gestured with her chopsticks.

“Nope, BULLY? No.”

“No see ya when you pick on somebody who’s smaller than you, that makes you a bully,” Ally was getting annoyed.

“Okay just if you’re gonna get all,” Ally walked over to the cupboard, opened the doors, and started taking dishes out only to put them in the dishwasher below, “ya know, angry and all,” Larry gestured widely with his arms.

“I’m not angry,” Ally brushed the remark off.

“Then,” Larry continued, and then stopped, “you’re not angry?”

“I’M NOT ANGRY!” Ally emphasized, raising her voice.

“Oh, well you’re taking clean dishes from the cupboard and you’re putting them in the washer,” Larry leaned against the counter, snickering at all of this.

“Well that’s because I’m bored,” Ally brushed it off, reaching for a towel.

“Bored?” Larry questioned again.

“Yes, I’m bored, and stop making me repeat myself because THAT,” Ally pointed dangerously at him. “Is what’s gonna make me angry. And, and I’ll let you know,” Ally moved towards him, “what really upsets me if you would like to know, is that I I just don’t understand how you can believe in the merits of your client’s actions. I mean what kind of a woman locates love on physical appearance? I m-mean let’s just think about this, think about this, think about if I were a midget,” Ally spoke quickly.

“Little person,” Larry interrupted quickly.

“Well right, little,” Ally shook her head and got back on track. “Little, were, if I were three feet tall, would you still love me?”

“Okay so ah, are you telling me if you walked into Tracy’s therapy office months ago and there I stood, three feet tall, that you and I would be standing here?”

“Well,” Ally contemplated her answer.

“Liar!” Larry shot back before Ally could get anything else in.

“Oh don’t call me that,” Ally half-threatened, playing with the collar of her shirt distractedly.

“You would never fall for a midget,” Larry said mockingly.

“Oh, little person,” Ally snapped back at him.

“Oh you know what Larry, well first of all I’m not big on looks,” Ally was looking up, still rubbing the front of her neck with her hand.

“Right, you know you’re not big on looks,” Larry mimicked.

“I just said that,” Ally merely said.

“And does everyone mark off on his or her calendar 903 more days till my first facelift?” Larry kept slamming Ally left and right.

“Hmm, that’s nice, you, you know I I share with you one personal insecurity,” Larry cut her off.

“Right about your appearance,” he was dying inside with laughter.

“Stop changing the subject,” Ally rolled her eyes and turned around, leaning on the cutting board counter.

“What subject?” Larry got down on his knees.

“MIDGET!” Ally yelled, turning around and seeing a shorter Larry. “Oh that is not funny. You, you know what, you know what? You wouldn’t love me if I were one would you?” Ally pointed at him. “I, I never realized how shallow and superficial you are and I am, not gonna sleep with you tonight Larry,” Ally looked at him like he was the most piteous thing in the world and turned to walk away.

“Wait,” Larry crawled over towards her slightly, stopping. The door slammed, “well,” Larry was stumped.

All of a sudden the door opened back up just as soon as it slammed shut. Ally reappeared. “So I suppose if I’m old and gray and wrinkled one day you’ll no longer love me?” Ally questioned.

“No I, I’ll still love you, you’ll still be tall,” Larry concluded.

Ally just turned around and walked away, slamming the door harder than the first time.

Ally was dying from that memory. The next day she had asked him to beat up Jackson for her because he had done something to Renee, and he was a smart ass so she had said that he was still on thin ice for not loving her if she were half her size.

The little arguments they had always got her to laugh, she could never get over how well they pushed each other around mentally. It was like they were meant to do that forever.

“Hey sweetie, what are you doing?” Ally felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned her head around and was greeted with a smiling Larry Paul.

“Hey Mr. Larry,” she smiled.

“You haven’t called me that in years,” Larry remarked, taken back.

“Well,” Ally turned her head back and touched the album. “There are a lot of things I haven’t done recently,” she turned back around. “I love you Mr. Larry.” Ally stood up slowly. And like the cute old couple they were, they pecked each other on the lips.

Curious, Larry decided to pry. “What HAVE you been doing all day?”

Ally looked him in the eyes, turned her head to face the albums and then back to Larry. “Just.....reminiscing.”

Faded pictures in my scrapbook

Just thought I’d take one more look...

“Actually, there are a couple of things I’d like to do if you don’t mind,” Ally continued.

“Sure. Do you want to do it before ALL the kids get here?”

Ally smiled, a small family reunion was in the works for that night. They were all going to go out to eat and catch up, Sam, hers and Larry’s kids, and their kids. Three generations...it was more than enough to make Ally smile even wider.

Ally and Larry walked down the street hand in hand into the nearby florist. Ally bought two single white roses.

Billy Allan Thomas

Beloved Son, Husband, and Friend

1968-2000

Ally bent down, kissed one of the roses and placed it on the soft green grass in front of the tombstone. **I miss you Billy. I hope you’re happy up there,** Ally whispered, mainly in her head.

Ally stood up and walked across half of the cemetery before reaching her destination. She fingered the other rose as she stopped, turned, and stared at the next tombstone.

John Cage

A.K.A.

The Biscuit

A Very Special Man

1963-2001

**Oh John, you went too soon and it was mostly my fault. I hope you’ve forgiven me. I really have always loved you, just not the way you deserved to be loved.** Ally closed her eyes, kissed the second rose gently, then slowly placed it before John’s tombstone. **I’ve never forgotten you. Never.** Ally closed her eyes tight, and then wiped away a single tear that rolled down her cheek.

Suddenly she felt a breeze and then a soft hand touch her silvery hair. She turned around slowly and came face to face with a silhouette of John Cage. He was surrounded by a golden light, which highlighted his facial features. He hadn’t aged a day. Ally gasped for breath, looked down at the ground, and then back up again, catching John’s loving gaze.

“Oh Ally, it was never you fault. It was just my time to go I suppose. And I’ve always loved you. You were my dearest friend,” John brought up a hand to touch her cheek. “Don’t ever forget what you meant to me,” and with that, he disappeared into the light and then the light disappeared. Ally just kept staring where his ghost once stood, an amazed look on her face.

“Ally?” came a voice from down the path a little. “Ally?” it came again. Ally finally whipped her head around and caught the gaze of Larry, walking with his cane. The old age had taken it out of his back, but he still refused to sit down. ‘I have to walk,’ he always said. “Did you see something?” Larry approached Ally and brought a hand up to her shoulder. Ally couldn’t lose eye contact with him.

“Nah, I uh, I just saw...” she looked where John once stood, “I just saw my angel,” she looked back at Larry. “Oh I do love you.”

Larry smiled; old age had matured Ally in a way unimaginable. Larry wouldn’t trade her for anything in the world. “Well I suppose we ought to get back if we expect to meet the kids in time for dinner,” Larry switched hands with the cane and wrapped a protective arm around Ally. Ally allowed herself to melt under his wing. A montage of images came flooding back to her once again......

Larry stepped towards Ally, "I don't wanna go. I want you to ditch the father and son act, I’ll declare Nelle void and we can have dinner tonight."

"Done," Ally said before turning around and smiling.

"I uh, I agreed. If there was anyway we could work it out we should," Ally was crushed, not catching the hidden message in what he said. She looked down and let out a heavy type sigh and tried to cover it with a slight cough. Larry continued, "But uh," he moved towards her. "I didn't think there was any way since I was so, totally in love, with somebody else," Larry struggled to get the rest of that sentence out, getting emotional himself over his love for Ally. Ally looked up at Larry with bug eyes, surprised, relieved, happy, all of the above.

"You, are the biggest nut, I’ve ever met."

"That's a good thing," Larry said looking straight at her.

"That's a good thing," she repeated, kissing him.

"I can't handle goodbyes, okay?" he said raising his voice a little. "So just, bare with me on this and just know that, I love you and, I’ll be back."

You are always there inside my mind

I'm so preoccupied

Sending love to you across the sky

So I, never seem to get things done

You're the only one

I worry all the time

So I have to let you go

"The subject I suppose was extensively about you but, I guess I needed to talk about me," he tried to explain.

"And?" Ally prodded.

Larry sighed unbelievably, not wanting to continue anymore. "The thing is, I don't really trust myself. Look, I, failed as a father, I failed as a husband; I would be lying if I said I understood what makes me fail. The biggest lie of all, would be to say I'd never fail again."

I'd climb right up to the sky

I'd take down the stars

Just to be in your arms, baby

I'd go and capture the moon

That's what I would do

Just to hear you say that you love me

Just to hear you say that you love me

Ally looked John dead in the eyes. "He wants to talk. He, uh, he uh, he still," Ally sighed. "He still, loves me."

John felt like Goliath had punched him in the gut. "He does, does he?" John was trying to hold in anger that was slowly but surely surfacing. He loved Ally, and it looked as if she wanted Larry...and would go to him on a second's notice, slowly, but surely. "And you still love him, I take it," John gritted his teeth.

"Of course I still love him John," she looked at the ground. This time, she didn't say anything about her feelings for John not being in competition with Larry, like she had done every single other time.

John kept speeding down the road through lights. Luckily they changed to green, cause there was no way he was stopping. Then, one light, it didn't change...quick enough...

Ally froze for a minute and then snapped back to reality and began running, screaming, towards John. "John! John! OH MY GOD JOHN!!!!" she got to the car and was about to touch John's head which was covered by glass shards when a police officer pulled her away by bringing her arms behind her back, trying not to hurt her too much. Ally apparently wasn't paying attention to the police officer because tears were streaming down her face and all she kept uttering was "John, John, hang in there! You'll be okay!" The police officer looked at the fireman standing by and they shook their heads in sympathy.

"Miss," the policeman said softly, "Miss, I don't think he made it." Ally whipped around and glared at him, fire shooting from her eyes.

"How dare you say he didn't make it! How dare you!" Ally started beating on his chest accusingly with her fists, crying harder, then she just collapsed and the policeman found himself cradling this crying woman. A woman who had lost someone who apparently meant something to her, meant the world. If only John knew that before...before...

My time has come the clouds are calling.

December wind has come my way.

And now I feel the world falling.

All at once, it's too late.

Life fades away.

“Well,” Ally looks at him ludicrously. “That was a lot,” Larry stands straight up. “Though it was not my intent to be clever, I have a slight problem with your lament on prioritizing sex as you come in here, wafting of vanilla wearing a $2,000 outfit designed to punctuate every contour of your body looking very much like the women in the magazines except I don't have the luxury of turning the page,” Ally’s eyebrows rolled up as she concentrated on him. “As for locating self-worth in physical appearance I'm sure there's a mirror in your purse. And as much as you might hate,” Larry rolls his eyes sarcastically, “the idea of being the object of a man's desire what you truly loathe is the idea that one day you might not be. And the question burning deep, deep, deep down under the lip-gloss is... "Has that day already arrived?"

Ally glared at Larry as she stood up, “You are the biggest ASS I’ve ever MET!”

Larry smirked, “Perhaps this is where you kiss it goodbye.”

Renee felt bad, “Why do you ask me this? What do you think Ally?”

“I think that he’s lovely, he’s smart, he’s kind, he’s sweet,” Ally paused. “He’s not the most boring person on earth but certainly of the ones I’ve met.”

“Keep going.”

“I’ve always wanted to live a long life and with Brian I’m sure it will feel like that.”

“Keep going,” Renee knew where this was going.

“Maybe sex does last more than sixty seconds but will it, no,” Ally rambled on.

“Keep going.”

Ally looked her directly in the eye, “That therapist was really cute,” she couldn’t help herself.

One fine day, you’ll look at me

And you will know our love was, meant to be

One fine day, you’re gonna want me for your girl

Faith Avery Paul

Born: February 7th, 2004

Place: Detroit Memorial Hospital; Detroit, Michigan

Time: 12:46 a.m

. Weight: 5 lbs 4 ounces

Length: 19 inches

"Larry," Edna began again. "It's not Sam, it's Jamie. Jamie has," Edna paused, swallowing a tear. "There's a tumor in her colon that has spread and can't be stopped. She's," a tear sprang out of Edna's eye, "She's dying of cancer Larry."

I think you’re so mean

I think we should try

I think I can need this in my life

And I think I’m scared

And I think too much

I know it’s wrong it’s a problem I’m dealing

If you’re gone

Maybe it’s time to come home

There’s an awful lot of breathing room

But I can hardly move

If you’re gone

Maybe you need to come home

Come home

There’s a little bit of something me

In everything in you

Ally went back around the corner and peeked in. Jamie now had her hand in Larry's and Larry had left it there. **What the hell?** She thought, feeling the nervous butterflies in her stomach. Sam came up around the corner from her slowly, sneakily and looked in the room. Suddenly, Larry stood up; **good he's leaving,** and sat back down, but on the bed, proceeding to take Jamie in his arms. **No no no no!!!! What's happening??**

Don't fall away
And leave me to myself
Don't fall away
And leave love bleeding in my hands
In my hands again
Leave love bleeding in my hands
In my hands
Love lies bleeding

Ally thought fidgeting very clearly, shifting her weight every two seconds, feeling a dull pain begin to rise in her groin.

She heard a small soft squeal and looked down to see Sam with a huge smile on his face, his head pressed against the window happily. Ally quickly focused her attention back to the window inside Jamie's room and saw Larry lean down slowly and kiss Jamie.

Ally was still in pain and started screaming again. Just as the doctor handed the baby to the nearby nurse, he turned back to see blood POURING out of Ally. "She's hemorrhaging!" the doctor hollered.

Don't fall away
And leave me to myself

"Even though I watched you hold her hand, and hold her, and kiss her," Ally stopped, taking a breath, "I still have faith in us. I love you. I know you love me. No matter how much you've screwed up, you love me. And now we have this little girl to think of," Ally looked down at Faith. "I have my faith, in my little girl," Ally looked back up, "and every time I look at you. I see the love in your eyes," Ally stopped and hugged Faith.

"I do love you," Larry choked out.

"I know you do baby."

“Well I can’t remember the last time we danced, and I had something to say to you,” Ally looked at him as he whipped out one of his little remotes and turned up the volume on the radio a bit. A raspy but sweet voice filled the air accompanied by a sweet piano rhythm.

Have I told you lately that I love you
Have I told you there's no one above you
Fill my heart with gladness
Take away my sadness
Ease my troubles, that's what you do

Name: Nathaniel Dylan Paul

Born: June 24th, 2009

Place: Boston General Hospital

Time: 1:30 p.m.

Weight: 6 lbs 5 ounces

Length: 22 inches

Larry and Ally were just staring at their child, in complete awe at how perfect he seemed.

They looked at each other, “I love you,” they said simultaneously and then smiled and looked back at their little boy.

It was time for the first dance and Ally and Larry had walked to the dance floor. Larry left Ally in the middle of the dance floor and made his way to the microphone stand. Ally was somewhat confused, but thought maybe he was going to sing.

Everyone was hushed and Larry proceeded. “Ally, Mrs. Paul, my new blushing bride, you truly are my world, my everything. I love you, and I dedicate this to you,” he cued the band and they started playing the song that he had written for her so long ago. He grabbed a white rose from a bouquet nearby and made his way slowly towards Ally, holding the rose delicately in hands. “Mrs. Paul, may I have this dance?” he offered the rose.

Ally took the rose, “For the rest of our lives,” she simply replied.

And I can’t explain

But there’s something about the way you look tonight

Takes my breath away

It’s that feeling I get about you deep inside

And I can’t describe

But there’s something about the way you look tonight

It takes my breath away

The way you look tonight

“Okay, so let’s figure this out once and for all!” Ally shouted out to him. “What were you and miss, miss, whatever the hell her name is, doing, Lar-ry?”

“We were just talking! Nothing was happening!!! What, would you have preferred me to talk to Helena?” Larry retorted back sarcastically, not caring that what he was saying was extremely crossing the line.

“Oh, oh, lemme guess, you were talking about ME!” Ally shouted back.

“She was a sympathetic ear, I needed that! It was nothing further!!!!”

Chances are I’ll see you, somewhere in my dreams tonight

You’ll be smiling like the night we met

Chances are I’ll hold you and I’ll offer all I can

You’re the only one I can’t forget

Baby you’re the best I’ve ever met

Oh I wish I had a river

I made my baby cry

I’m dreaming of a white Christmas

Just like the ones I used to know

Where the treetops glisten

And children listen to hear...

Every breath you take, every move you make

Every bond you make, every step you take

I’ll be watching you

“Does forever work for you?”

“I told you before, I’m only at the beginning of loving you.”

For once in my life I have someone who needs me

Please come home for Christmas

Please come home for Christmas

If not for Christmas, by New Year’s night

“It worked,” she said as she looked at him, her eyes shining bright.

“What worked sweetie?” Larry asked, puzzled.

“I didn’t want mommy to be sad anymore, so I wished that instead of presents, Santa would bring you home to her,” Faith wrapped her arms around Larry’s neck and Larry lifted her up in an embrace.

“You’ve been bad Faith. You do know you’re grounded right?” Ally hated grounding her daughter, but there was just no other way.

“I know mom, and I welcome it. I know I was wrong, I do,” Faith looked back up into Ally’s eyes. “I don’t ever wanna do that again.”

Ally wrapped her arm around Faith’s shoulders and they family walked out of the police station to the car.

“What’s going on with me, what’s going on with ME, well, you really wanna know what’s going on with me?” Nathan asked her. Emily nodded. “Emily,” his brain said screw it, his emotions moved him forward, and before the two of them knew what was going on, they were lip to lip.

For the first time I am looking in your eyes
For the first time I'm seein' who you are
I can't believe how much I see
When you're lookin’ back at me
Now I understand why love is.......

Love is.....for the first time.....

“She may not be your mother, but she IS your stepmother and you will show her respect. As far as I see it, she’s all you got,” Larry finished.

“Sam, I don’t know what you think I did, but your mom had a tumor Sam. It wasn’t me. You can’t catch a tumor from someone,” Ally tried to explain. Sam of course was non-responsive and so Ally tried to continue. “I wouldn’t dream of being your mom, God knows how much of a little brat you are, but be nice to me for your dad’s sake. He loves you very much and he doesn’t deserve to be torn between us. I won’t make him choose cause I know it would be the hardest decision he would ever have to make and I ALSO know that he wouldn’t make it,” Ally tried a little bit of reverse psychology on the little runt to see what the reaction would be. Sam’s vision shot over towards Ally. “That’s right Sam, you’re a little brat. I’m not going to deny the truth. You’ve been unfair to me and while I can’t say that I won’t tolerate it anymore, being that I’m not your mom,” Ally exaggerated that point, “Larry CAN tell you so. Don’t push him away. He loves you so much. Don’t make him choose,” and with that, Ally stood up and walked out of Sam’s room. When she shut the door, she saw Larry standing in the shadows, arms crossed, leaning against a closed door.

“Now I know why I love you so much,” he said, shocking Ally who thought he might be mad at her.

“Larry, if you don’t talk to him, he’s going to ruin Katie’s life as well as his own,” Ally said sternly, one hand on her outstretched hip, foot tapping, irritated.

“...When you go long enough without love, which I have, you realize it’s everything.”

“Do you, Samuel Paul, take this woman to be your lawful wedded wife, to love, honor, and obey, for richer or poorer, through sickness and in health, for as long as you both shall live?” the presiding minister asked Sam as him and Katie eyed each other lovingly.

“I do,” Sam said without missing a beat or looking away from Katie. Upon looking in her eyes, he couldn’t believe he ever doubted doing this, marrying his baby.

All of a sudden the door opened back up just as soon as it slammed shut. Ally reappeared. “So I suppose if I’m old and gray and wrinkled one day you’ll no longer love me?” Ally questioned.

“No I, I’ll still love you, you’ll still be tall,” Larry concluded.

Larry guided Ally down through the rest of the cemetery in which they then proceeded to get a cab to take them home to greet their family. Ally held onto Larry’s hand tightly while they sat in the back of that cab. She was still thinking of the full life she had lived with Larry. He had given her everything she could have ever hoped for. He gave her love, he gave her two beautiful children, and a lifetime of wonderful memories. Nothing could be sweeter than that. Ally brought Larry’s hand up to her mouth and kissed it gently, squeezing it for extra effect, and then she looked out the window and sighed.

Faded pictures in my scrapbook

Just thought I’d take one more look...

Well guys, this is it; this is the end of a jewel I’ve been
harvesting for over four months. I’m very proud of it and
I hope you all liked it :) constructive criticism, ALWAYZ welcome!