John had been at the station filing the preliminary report on the woman known only as Jane Doe for the last hour, and finally he knew he couldn’t put it off. He arrived at Evangeline’s home with a heavy heart.

“John how did your time in the park go today?”

“Fine. Annie had fun until I got the call to go to work.”

“Oh new case?”

“New and it might become personal.” He said with a heavy heart, he reached for her hand. She seemed so far away, and he wanted her close when he told her what he knew.

“John what do you mean, personal? She asked rubbing his hand gently, she could see he was upset, he could never hide that from her.”

“I don’t know how to say it except to say it. I don’t have definitive proof, but a young woman was found in the quarry. I don’t know if it was your sister but the young woman is about the same age and fits the description of your sister.”

Evangeline breathed, she was processing. So many emotions were going through her mind and heart. The fear that it was her sister and the fear that her sister was still out their in trouble. “John what will it take for you to know for sure?”

“First are you okay?”

“I’m okay. Now what do we need to do to prove if you have found my sister, or if I can still have hope that she will come home?”

“You know. The best way is to do a DNA test, and for that I would need a sample of your hair or your mother’s.”

“Me. John my mom is not going to have to go through any pain of the possibility of Samantha not coming home until we know for sure. So you can have a sample of my hair. I’ll go get it now, and place it in a plastic bag.”

“Evan, you don’t have to be brave with me, just let me in.”

“I’m not being brave. I told you a long time ago; I’m a big girl. I can handle this. I promise.”

“You do know if you can’t I’m here for you.”

“Yeah, and I count on that more than you know.” She said touching his check and giving him a soft kiss on the lips, which left him wanting more. Then she moved away and got up. The sooner she got him the sample the quicker they would know the truth. The truth being whether Samantha was coming home: or was laying somewhere cold and alone.

Evangeline came back with the sample and John took it and put it in his pocket and got up to go. “I’m going back in. I know how important this is, I’ll take it to the lab personally and ask them to rush it.”

“John thanks for being straight with me, and thanks for helping us.”

“Hon you don’t have to thank me. I told you not long ago, we are in this together. I love you and I would do anything to help you.”

“I know you love me, but I don’t want you to become consumed by this.”

“Hey I don’t do anything half way. If we find that this young woman is your sister, then I’m going to make it my business to find out how it happened and who did it. That is who I am.” He said wrapped his hands around her waist, and pressed his forehead to hers the way they always did. Their eyes were closed and each found comfort, for just a moment. He then broke away reluctantly, and kissed her. “Look, I’m going but I’ll be back for dinner. Michael said to hold him a plate, he is tied up.”

“Tied up with? She asked.

“This case. He is helping us out too.”

“Michael is a sweetheart. Let him know his favorite plate will be filled with everything he likes.”

“Oh and I’m coming back. So make sure you lean in some so I can get a whiff or your essence.”

“My essence? John, Mom and Annie are here.” She said smiling.

“Yeah I know. I but your scent brings me to my knees, It reminds me of the all the times I hold you close and we see to be as one, and no one else exists.”

“Oh.”

“You know I have romantic moments. Since we aren’t having many, I’ll take what I can get.

“John I miss it too. I promise to lean in and give you your wish, just don’t give me that look.”

He turns as he was turning the doorknob, “What look?” He says and his eyes roam her body starting at the top lingering in his favorite spots and finding her eyes again, and he sees the desire coupled with the love, and he can’t stop him self. He goes to her an pulls her in his arms, hand in her hair and brings her lips to his and he kisses her like it was their first and last, and says “Now I can go.” Then leaves a woman breathless with desire and sweet memories.

Evangeline goes to the door and watches him pull away, and touches her lips, then heads into the kitchen to finish dinner and prays that her sister is still alive and that they would find her in time.

Llanview Police Station

John stops by the lab and asked for them to run the DNA test on the Jane Doe, and to give it top priority. Then he goes to check on Michael and his status.

“Hey Mikey.”

“John I told you not to call me that in the lab.”

“Yeah and your point, Mikey.”

“Forget it, did you give Evangeline my message?”

“Don’t you ever think of anything but Marcie and your stomach?”

“No. Did you tell her?”

“Yeah, she said she was going to put everything you like on your plate. How you rate your on plate in my woman’s house is beyond me.”

“Well she loves me what can I say? ” Michael smiled.

“Yeah. You got anything more on the young woman we found?”

“Waiting for the blood analysis, and we x-rayed the body to get a picture of the breaks, but I can tell you this, she was beaten to death. The chest seemed to have caved in we are doing the full autopsy in ten minutes I’ll have the full report on your desk as soon as possible.”

“I got Evangeline’s sample of hair for the DNA test. As soon as I get the results I’ll let you know.”

“You think she could really be her sister.”

“Yeah, my gut says it is, but I need to be certain.”

“How did Evangeline take the news?”

“Like Evangeline, she’s a big girl.”

“Yeah but underneath all that strength is a really vulnerable woman.”

“Yeah and I’m going to be their for her and her family.”

“You mean your family, ” Michael said with a smirk.

“I mean exactly what I said.”

“Get a clue, you need to propose.”

“Mikey stop!”

“Nope. You need to make an honest man of your self. Marry the woman.”

“Look I won’t have this conversation, get back to work, get me that report, and let me handle my own relationship.”

“I’m just saying, you’re not getting any younger, and Evangeline won’t wait around for you forever.”

“Look Evangeline and I are fine. I have plans, but I’m not telling you big mouth.”

“Bro I’m hurt, as if I would go and blab.”

“Please. You would tell Evangeline so fast, I wouldn’t have to say anything but hello.”

“Yeah but then I wouldn’t be me.”

“No you wouldn’t. I’m on my way back to the house, call me if you find out something I should know.” John said and waved good-bye and left the lab. He isn’t aware that he has been followed for once he is distracted. First about the fact that his women may be in danger from someone unknown, and second Annie, she had become his heart and he was afraid if this woman turned out to be her mother, how would she ever recover, he never did and he was not much older than Annie by a few years when he lost his father. So he knew what she would feel, because he had felt it all those years ago.

He remember the officers coming to the house, the ride to the hospital that seemed longer than any ride he and Mikey had ever taken, then it was the waiting. Finally the news, and he saw the light go out of him mom’s eyes, that only flickered again as she watched her boys become the men they were today, a part of her and her husbands deep love. Yes, he didn’t want Annie to feel what he felt, but if she did he vowed that he and Evangeline would make sure she suffered as little as possible and came through with a heart healed, and memories of her mom’s love in tact.