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Abby turned onto her side, and smiled at the nervous young man now cocooned in the sleeping bag beside her.

"Thanks for doing this," she said, gratefully. "I know it isn't easy for you."

"It isn't," he affirmed.

"If you could do anything at all with your life," wondered Abby, "what would it be?"

"I don't understand," replied Jake. "Do you mean, as in an occupation?"

"Yes," coaxed Abby, "what job would you like to have?"

"Well," answered Jake thoughtfully, "I suppose, I'd want to become a wildlife artist."

Abby softly laughed. It was the very same ambition that she had had before pursuing a career in fly fishing.

"But," he continued, "I don't have the proper training. The only time I've ever painted in any medium at all, was when I worked on the murals in your old room. I'm only really good at pencil sketching, Abby. I don't know how to properly use colors, yet. I know you liked the mural for the triplets, but it's not good enough for a serious artist."

With a sigh, Abby closed her eyes. Before she knew it, she had fallen asleep. But not Jake. He lay awake on her bed for hours, finally deciding to return to his room. Before he could act on that impulse, however, Abby woke up without warning.

"I just had a thought!" she announced in an excited voice.

At this sudden unexpected outburst, Jake nearly jumped out of his sleeping bag in surprise.

"It came to me in my sleep!" Abby laughed. "Jake, when you let me read your file before we got married, it said you had taken your high school equivalency exam-- is that correct?"

"Yes, it is," replied Jake, forgetting to make good his escape. "What about it?"

"If your grades are good enough, you could go to college," she suggested. "You could get the training you need to become a professional wildlife artist."

"But," argued Jake, "I couldn't attend college. I'm an ex-convict! They'd never let me into a place like that, Abby!"

"If you have the grades and the money, then I think they might," she reasoned.

"I had decent grades," admitted Jake, "but we don't have the money."

"Yes, we do," smiled Abby. "We have my college fund, remember?"

"But, that was intended for you," he resisted. "Besides, I could never graduate!"

"I happen to think you could," she debated. By the light of the aquarium, Abby could see the hopeful look on Jake's face. She smiled happily. He was interested.

"Me," he breathed in amazement, "go to college?"

"Why not?" she asked, resting her head against his shoulder. "More miraculous things have been known to happen."

Jake nuzzled his cheek against the side of her head and sighed contentedly.

"I never knew shampoo could smell this good," he remarked.

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