The three of them were seated at the kitchen table, the two men at one end, and the young girl at the other. Lucy watched them, her eyes huge blue saucers, her hands clutching a ragged doll next to her. JC unfolded the letter that had accompanied Lucy to read to Justin. “This is from Rory’s lawyer in Boston,” he said, unfolding the white sheet. He cleared his throat and spoke softly. “Dear Mr. Chasez. It is with great sadness that I confirm by letter the death of your brother, Rory Chasez, and his wife, Elizabeth Stanfield Chasez. As stated in my telegram sent last month, Mr. and Mrs. Chasez perished in a streetcar accident on May 3, 1891. What I did not convey in that telegram was the decision of the disposition of the Chasez’s minor child, Lucy Marie Chasez.” “Disposition?” Justin interrupted. “What does that mean?” JC cast a glance at Lucy and lowered his voice even more. “It means, basically, what to do with Lucy, the disposal of her.” Justin’s eyes widened. “Disposal?” JC covered Justin’s hand. “It’s just a legal term, Justin.” He continued reading: “Mr. Chasez’s will was specific as to the disposition of his monies and property. According to his wishes, all property was sold at auction and the monies placed in a trust for Miss Chasez when she marries or comes of age. However, the physical disposition of Miss Chasez was not specified. Mrs. Chasez was without living relatives. My partners and I considered many options, and had decided on placing Miss Chasez in an orphanage…” Justin gasped. “…when it was discovered you were her only living relative. Therefore, we, as the executors of Mr. Chasez’s estate, made arrangements to send Miss Chasez to you. Included in this pouch are copies of Mr. Chasez’s will and death certificate, as well as details of the Lucy Chasez Trust. If you have any additional questions or concerns, please feel free to contact my office. Signed, Preston Branch, Esquire.” They sat silently for a moment before Justin spoke. “How did she get here?” he asked quietly. “They sent her in care of the conductors,” JC explained. “Three thousand miles all by herself?” Justin asked, incredulous. JC nodded. “Tom said, according to her ticket, she’s been traveling for ten days.” A small sound came from the other end of the table. JC cocked his head, but Justin, all too familiar with that sound, recognized it at once. He jumped up from the table and moved franticly around the kitchen. “She’s hungry!” he exclaimed. JC smiled as the boy scrambled to put some food together. Soon, a plate of biscuits left over from this morning was sitting in front of the girl, along with a big glass of milk and a bowl of canned peaches. Lucy looked up at Justin as he stood next to her. He nodded at the girl, handing her a biscuit. Shyly, she took the bread from him and bit down hungrily. Justin smiled and returned to his end of the table. “Why doesn’t she talk, Jace?” JC shrugged. “I think she’s just scared, Justin. According to her birth certificate, she’s only five years old. Her whole life, the only life she’s ever known, has disappeared. She was thrown on a train, alone, for days. Now she’s in a new place with strangers. I wouldn’t blame her if she never spoke again.” Justin looked horrified at the idea and again, JC’s hands covered Justin’s to calm the boy down. “Give her a while, Justin. I’m sure she’ll be alright.” He grew serious as he considered the other man. “How are you about all of this?” “What do you mean, how am I?” JC looked at Lucy, now eating the peaches. “We’ll be right back, Lucy,” JC told her, taking Justin by the hand and pulling him out onto the back porch.” “I mean, how do you feel about raising a child?” JC held Justin’s hand tight. “Let’s face it, it’s not anything we ever discussed…I mean…it’s never even been a consideration… it’s…well…us…and kids…” Justin laughed as the usually eloquent JC got all tongue-tied. He lifted a hand and placed it over JC’s mouth, effectively stopping the older man’s ramblings. “There’s nothing to even think about, JC,” he told JC. “She’s your family. She’s our family.” JC relaxed, pulling Justin close for a quick kiss. “I love you,” he murmured against the boy’s mouth before releasing him to open the door. “I love you, too,” Justin replied, shifting out of the way as Fagin pushed between them to enter the kitchen first. The Shepard, sensing the new person in the room, automatically stood between Justin and the girl, protecting Justin. The girl paled in fright as the big dog watched her, his eyes unblinking. “Sit,” Justin commanded. The dog sat. Justin walked around Fagin to Lucy’s side, squatting down so they were eye level. “Lucy, my name is Justin,” he told the girl softly. “And this is Fagin,” he explained, indicating the dog. “And we both want to be your friend.” Justin lifted a hand to Lucy’s face, his heart breaking as the girl flinched away from him. He looked at JC, knowing they both were remembering Justin doing almost the same thing when they met. Justin continued, though, letting his hand touch the girl’s hair lightly, stroking gently. “Lucy, no one here is ever going to hurt you,” he vowed. “Not me, not your Uncle JC, not Fagin.” The girl’s eyes slid to the dog. Justin patted his knee, calling Fagin close. “See? He wants to be friends with you,” Justin told her as the dog’s big muzzle came closer. Soon, Fagin’s big pink tongue snaked out, drawn to the peach juice on Lucy’s face. It was as if the clouds disappeared and the sun broke though. Lucy’s face brightened as the dog licked her, her mouth stretching into a wide, gap-toothed grin, her eyes crinkling in laughter, and a bright, high pitched giggle escaping her lips. Justin and JC looked at each other, then at the giggling girl still trying to push the exuberant dog away with little success. “He’s tickling me!” she said through her laughter. Finally, Fagin had cleaned all the peach juice off Lucy’s face and dropped way. The girl continued to smile at the men, her eyes bright and happy. And just that quickly, little Lucy stole both their heart