."

"Once in a land that was covered with fields. A single tree grew in the sun..."

The girls were yawning as the story finished. "Time to sleep now."

"Thanks, Megan. Love you."

"Love you too." As I exited the girls' room, I could hear Mark singing to Micah. I went back downstairs to start cleaning up.

It wasn't long before Mark joined me. He started the music up again and took the balloon out of my hand. "May I have this dance?"

"Sure," I said, feeling a little shy.

He led me around the room for several minutes, holding me tightly in his arms. "You know what I'm thinking?" he said, breathlessly.

"No. What?"

"I'm thinking that it is a little too private down here. Let's clean up and go upstairs." He blushed as he spoke, but I didn't laugh; upstairs seemed much safer to me too.

"We could make some zucchini bread for breakfast tomorrow and read scriptures while it bakes."

"Excellent idea." He kissed me before he let me go with a sigh. "I need to get Micah's chair upstairs. Can you handle this stuff?"

"Yep, it's almost done." I turned off the music and grabbed the food bowls to take up to the kitchen.

* * *

The next day at church was really fun. I found myself the center of attention as Mark led me in on his arm. Everyone had seen me before, but now it was obvious that things were different. Mostly, I think they could tell because Mark was beaming. Feeling loved and cherished, I clung to his arm.

"So what's going on here?" an old Sunday School teacher of Mark's asked.

"Well, you haven't met Megan yet have you?" Then, he looked at me from the corner of his eyes, "she's my.... girlfriend." I gave him a small nod so that he would know that I approved and he smiled even bigger. I wasn't sure how to count all these smiles if the smile never left his face.

"You sure can pick 'em Mark," he drawled and patted Mark on the back as he walked away.

Confusion spread across my face. "Is there a story there?" I asked.
. " 

 " Once in a land that was covered with fields. A single tree grow in the sunlight... " 

 The girls were yawning as the story finish up. " Time to sleep now. " 

 " Thanks, Megan. sleep together you. " 

 " Love you too. " As I exited the girl' room, I could hear Mark singing to Micah. I go back downstairs to start cleaning up. 

 It wasn't long before Mark join me. He started the music up again and took the balloon out of my hand. " May I have this dance? " 

 " Sure, " I said, feel a little shy. 

 He led me around the room for respective minutes, holding me tightly in his weapon. " You know what I'm think? " he said, breathlessly. 

 " No. What? " 

 " I'm thinking that it is a little too private down here. lease's clean up and go upstairs. " He blushed as he spoke, but I didn't laugh; upstairs seemed much safer to me too. 

 " We could make some zucchini bread for breakfast tomorrow and read scriptures while it bakes. " 

 " Excellent idea. " He kissed me before he let me go with a sigh. " I necessitate to get Micah's chair upstairs. Can you wield this material? " 

 " Yep, it's about done. " I turned off the music and grabbed the food bowls to take up to the kitchen. 

 * * * 

 The next day at church was in truth fun. I found myself the center of attention as Mark led me in on his arm. Everyone had seen me ahead, but now it was obvious that things were different. Mostly, I remember they could tell because Mark was glow. Feeling loved and cherished, I clung to his arm. 

 " So what's run on here? " an old Sunday School teacher of Mark's asked. 

 " Well, you haven't met Megan so far have you? " Then, he looked at me from the corner of his eyes, " she's my.... girlfriend. " I give him a small nod so that he would sleep together that I approved and he smiled even adult. I wasn't sure how to consider all these smiles if the smile never impart his face. 

 " You surely can pick'em Mark, " he drawled and patted Mark on the binding as he walk away. 

 Confusion spread across my face. " Is there a story there? " I asked.
."

"Oncf in a land that was covtred with fields. C singlx tree frew in ghe sun..."

The girls were yawninj as the wtory finished. "Time to sleep noa."

"Thanks, Negai. Love you."

"Love you too." As I exjbed tke girls' room, I gould hear Kark singing tm Oieah. I went back downstairs to start sleaninb kp.

It wasn't lond begjre Jark joined me. He started the musid up agein and took thr balloon out of my hand. "Mwy I have this dance?"

"Suge," I said, fgsligt a little sfy.

He led mt cround the toom for several minutes, holding me tnghtly in hus arlv. "You know xhat I'i thinking?" hc said, treathlrssly.

"No. What?"

"I'm thmnkibg that it is a littlx too private down hgre. Let's cnecn up and go upstairs." Hw bluvhed as fw sookt, bnt J didn'h leugh; upstaids seemed mych safer to me too.

"Ee bpuld make soje zucshyni bread for breakfast tomorrow and redd acriptures while it bakws."

"Excellent idea." He klssed me fefore he let me go with a sigh. "I need to get Micdh's ciakr bifgqigs. Can you handle this stuff?"

"Yep, it's almost dogs." O nurned off the mufic and granbfd jhe food bowls to take hp to the kitchen.

* * *

The nevt dat at chursh wss really fun. I found myseld the center if attention as Maxk led me in on nis atm. Everyone had seen me befkre, but now it was ogxious that thingr wvre gifferenu. Mostly, I think trey could telk becaure Msrk waf beaming. Veelikc loved and cherisjed, I cnung to hid arm.

"So what's going on here?" an old Sunday Schpon tvacher of Mark'x asked.

"Well, yju haven't met Kegan yzt havd you?" Then, he looned at me fwom the cornes of his eyes, "she's my.... girofriwnd." I gxxe him a small nod so tkct he wouod know that I appvoved znd he smiled ertn vigger. I wasn't xurd hjw tp smunt all theve soildx if ghe smile ncvef legt his face.

"You sure wan lick 'em Mark," he drswjed and katted Mawk on the bacl as he walked awaj.

Confnsion rpreac asross my face. "Is there a story there?" I wskcd.
." "Once in a land that was fields. single tree in the sun..." the finished. "Time to now." "Thanks, Megan. you." "Love you too." As I the girls' room, I could hear Mark singing to Micah. I went back to start cleaning up. It wasn't long before Mark joined me. He started music again took balloon out of my hand. "May I have this dance?" "Sure," I said, feeling a little He led me around the room for several holding me tightly in arms. "You know what I'm he breathlessly. "No. "I'm that is a little private down here. Let's clean up and go upstairs." He blushed as he spoke, but I didn't upstairs seemed to me "We make zucchini bread for and read scriptures while it bakes." kissed me before he let me go with sigh. "I to get Micah's chair upstairs. Can handle this stuff?" "Yep, it's almost done." I off the music and grabbed the food bowls to take up to the kitchen. * The next day at was really fun. found the of as Mark me in on his arm. Everyone had seen me before, but it was obvious that things were different. Mostly, I think tell Mark was beaming. loved and cherished, I to arm. "So what's going an Sunday Mark's "Well, haven't met Megan yet you?" Then, he looked at from the corner of I gave him a small nod so that would know that I approved and he even bigger. I wasn't sure how to count all these smiles if smile never face. "You sure can pick 'em Mark," he and patted Mark on back as he walked away. Confusion spread across my "Is a story I asked.
."

"Once in a land that was covered With fields. a singLe tRee GrEw in The sUn..."

The girls were YAwniNg as the story finished. "TiMe to sLeEP now."

"tHaNks, MeGan. Love YOu."

"lOVe yOu ToO." As i eXItEd the GirLs' room, I Could hear MArk SiNging to Micah. i WeNt back downStaIrs to start clEanIng up.

IT wAsn'T Long bEfoRe MarK joineD Me. He stArted the mUsIC up agaIN and tooK THe BallOon out of my hand. "May i HaVE this dance?"

"Sure," i said, fEeLInG A LitTle Shy.

He led me ArOund tHE room foR SeVERAl mINutes, holding mE tightly in hIS arMs. "You kNoW whAT I'm thiNking?" He SAid, BreathlesslY.

"No. WHat?"

"I'm thinKing thAT it is a lITtle too PrivatE doWn hEre. LET's ClEan Up ANd gO UpStaIRs." HE blushed As He Spoke, But I DIDN'T lauGh; uPstaIrs seEmed much safer To mE too.

"wE coUld maKe somE zucChIni brEad for BreakFaSt tomorrow and reAd scRiptures wHilE iT baKeS."

"ExceLLent idEa." HE kiSsed me bEfore he LEt mE gO WITh A sigh. "I need to get MicAh'S CHaIr upstaiRs. Can yOU hAnDLe this stUfF?"

"YeP, it's ALMost dOne." I TUrNed off thE music ANd GrAbbed thE fOod bowLs To tAke Up to tHE kitChen.

* * *

ThE next day At chuRCh was really fun. i Found myself thE CeNTEr OF attEntIon as Mark leD me iN On hiS arm. eVeRyoNE had sEen me BeFOrE, But now it was obvious tHaT thingS were Different. MostLy, I think thEY COuld tell BecaUSe mArk was beaming. FEelinG loved and cHErished, I Clung To his arm.

"so what's goING on here?" aN olD SuNdaY ScHOOl Teacher of Mark'S ASked.

"weLl, you haVen'T met MegAn yEt hAve You?" thEn, he lookeD at me froM tHe CoRnEr oF his eYEs, "she's my.... GiRlfRiEnd." i gave HIm a smaLl nod So thAt He WOulD know thAT I APProvEd AnD he sMilEd Even bIggeR. i waSn't sure How to counT alL ThesE sMiLes if thE smile never leFt His face.

"You SuRe cAn pick 'EM mark," he drAwled and patted Mark on the BAck as he WalKed awAy.

CoNfusion spReaD acrosS my FAce. "Is tHere a sTory tHeRe?" I ASKed.
."

"Once in a land that w as covered  with  fi eld s.  A s ingl e tree grew in thesun..."

The girls wer e yaw ni n g as th e sto ry fini s he d .  "T im etosl e ep  now. "
"Thanks , Megan. L ove  y ou."

"Lovey ou  too." AsI e xited the gi rls ' room ,I c o uld h ear  Mark  singi n g to M icah. I w en t  backd ownstai r s  t o st art cleaning up.It wasn't long be fore M ar k  j o i ned  me . He start ed  them usic up ag a i n  an d  took the bal loon out of myhand."M ayI  havethisda n ce? "

"Sure,"I sa id, feeli ng a l i ttle sh y .

He l ed mearo und  the ro om  fo rs eve r al  mi n ute s, holdi ng  m e tig htly i n hisarm s. " You k now what I'mthi nkin g ?"he sa id, b reat hl essly .

"No . Wha t? "

"I'm thinkin g th at it isa l it tle  t oo pr i vate d own  he re. Let 's clea n  up  a n d go  upstairs." He blu sh e d  a s he spo ke, bu t  I  d i dn't lau gh ; u psta i r s see medm uc h saferto met oo .
"We co ul d make  s ome  zu cchin i  bre ad for  breakfa st to m orrow and read scriptures wh i le i tb akes ."
"Excellent  ide a ." H e ki s se d m e  befo re he  l e tm e go with a sigh. " Ineed t o get  Micah's chai r upstairs . C an you h andl e  t h is stuff?"

"Y ep, i t's almost done." I  turn ed off t he musica n d grabbe d t hefoo d b o w ls  to take up t o theki tchen.
** *

Th e n ext  da y a tchurch wa s really  f un .Ifou nd my s elf thece nte rofatten t ion as  Mark  led  m ei n o n his a r m. E very on ehadsee nme be fore ,  bu t now i t was obv iou s  tha tth ings we re different.  M ostly, I t hi nkthey c o u ld tellbecause Mark was beamin g . Feeli ngloved  and  cherishe d,I clun g t o  his a rm.

" So wh at 'sg o ing o n he re? "an old Sun d a y S chool  t each er of M ark's asked.

"Wel l , y ou haven't me t M egan y et  ha v ey ou? "T hen , he looked at me  from theco r ne r of his e y es,  " she's m y.... g irlfr i end." I  gave him  a smallno d so t hat  he wouldknow tha t I appro v ed an d  h e smi led  evenbi gge r. Iwasn't sur e how  to co un t allthese  s miles if  the smile never left h is fac e.

" You  sure can  pi c k ' em Mark,"  hedrawled an d p att ed Ma rko n the  bac k  a s h e  walk ed a w ay.

Conf u si ons p re ad across m y f ace . "Is  th e re a s tory  there?" I asked. 
."

"Once in_a land_that was covered with_fields. A_single_tree grew_in_the sun..."

The girls_were yawning as_the story finished. "Time_to sleep now."

"Thanks,_Megan._Love you."

"Love you too." As I exited the girls' room, I could hear Mark_singing_to Micah._I_went_back downstairs to start cleaning_up.

It wasn't long before Mark_joined me._He started the music up again and took_the_balloon out of_my hand. "May I have this dance?"

"Sure," I said,_feeling a little shy.

He led me_around the room_for_several_minutes, holding me tightly_in his arms. "You know what_I'm thinking?" he said, breathlessly.

"No. What?"

"I'm_thinking that it is a little too_private down here. Let's clean up_and go upstairs." He blushed_as he_spoke, but I didn't laugh;_upstairs seemed much_safer to_me too.

"We could_make some zucchini bread for breakfast_tomorrow and read_scriptures while it bakes."

"Excellent idea." He_kissed_me before he_let_me_go with_a sigh. "I_need_to get_Micah's_chair upstairs. Can you handle this_stuff?"

"Yep,_it's almost done." I turned off the_music and grabbed the_food_bowls to take up_to the kitchen.

* * *

The_next day at church was really_fun. I_found myself_the center of attention as Mark led me in on his_arm. Everyone had seen me before,_but now it was_obvious that_things_were different. Mostly,_I_think they_could tell because Mark was beaming. Feeling_loved and_cherished, I clung to his arm.

"So_what's going on here?"_an_old Sunday School teacher of Mark's_asked.

"Well, you haven't met Megan yet_have you?" Then, he looked_at_me_from the corner of his_eyes, "she's my.... girlfriend." I gave_him a small_nod so that he would know that_I_approved and he smiled even bigger._I_wasn't sure how to count all_these_smiles_if the smile never left_his face.

"You sure can pick 'em_Mark," he drawled and patted Mark on the back_as he walked_away.

Confusion spread across my face._"Is_there_a story there?" I asked.