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"Well," smiled Vera, taking smoked sausage out of the refrigerator, "I'm glad you and Adam had a chance to be together before he leaves, today."

"Yes," sighed Charlie, a little sadder now at the recollection of his impending departure.

"Are you sure you won't have some sausage?" coaxed Vera, once more trying to get Charlie to forsake her vegetarianism.

"Thanks, Grandma," replied Charlie, "but I don't honestly see how you can stand to eat all that meat every morning!"

"I'll take that as a 'no,'" sighed the grandmother, fixing only enough for her, Chuck, and Kevin.

"Is Daddy awake, yet?" asked Charlie, getting up with boots in hand.

"No," replied Vera, placing the offending substance in a frying pan. "He wandered around the house last night, so I think he's a little tired this morning."

"I'll be careful not to wake him, then," said Charlie, quietly going to her room to change into the clothes she would go to the airport in.

In the bathroom, she looked at the mirror and said,

"He loves me."

Much to her joy, the reflection did not doubt it.

After taking a quick shower, Charlie dressed and went to the kitchen to eat a little breakfast, for she was too nervous to have much of an appetite.

"If you don't mind," said Vera, as Charlie took her place at the table, "I think I'll stay home with your father, and forego the trip to the airport. With all those reporters coming, I'd rather stay out of it, if I can."

"Maybe no reporters will come," said Charlie, so overoptimistically, that even Kevin gave her a disbelieving stare.

"From the calls I was getting early this morning, they WILL be there," warned Vera.

With spoon in hand, Charlie absent-mindedly played with the cereal in her bowl until it became inedible. Her mind was on Adam, and what he had told her last night. Charlie didn't want to face the media, but he had expressly requested that she come. He wanted to see her, one last time before leaving.

At nine-thirty, Kevin escorted Charlie out to the gray landrover, while a few reporters clamored for some kind of comment concerning how she was feeling now that Wallace Shipley was going back on tour. Charlie only smiled politely, and got inside the vehicle, while Kevin did his best to keep everyone at a safe distance.

The airport was not very far, (nothing in Twin Yucca was), and before long, Charlie could see Adam's jet, sitting on the runway, poised for takeoff. Outside the airport waiting room, she saw Adam, flanked on either side by Bill and Melvin, giving an "impromptu" press conference. Microphones were crammed together in front of Adam, as he said what Melvin had prepared for him to say, and then began to answer questions.

"Will she be coming, today?" was the first question asked.

Before Adam could open his mouth, the landrover pulled up.

Reporters immediately swarmed around them as Kevin escorted his client to the airport waiting room. Fans holding up signs of good wishes, shouted the now familiar chant, "Wal-lace! Wal-lace!" Soon, Adam joined them in the waiting room, for it had been quartered off for their use.

"Thank you for coming, Charlie," he said, taking her by the hand and leading her to a corner of the room not so populated. "If I have any down time between gigs, I'll try to make it back, but Gary doesn't think it will happen."

"I understand," replied Charlie, as Adam tightly took hold of her hand. "Do I have to go out there and answer any questions?" she asked, nervously.

"No, not if you don't want to," he assured her.

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