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"CUT," BARRYcalled, and Lucas Reardon broke character and smiled as he strode off set. "That was amazing, and we got what we need here. Let's set up for the final interior apartment shots."

Once he had given his instructions, Barry, the director of the much-anticipated film Lucas was starring in, walked to where Lucas sat. "We should wrap this tomorrow, on schedule."

"I appreciate that." Filming had been running behind because of weather on location, but now that they had moved indoors, Barry had lengthened the filming days and they'd made up for lost time. Lucas only had two weeks before he was scheduled to be on set for another film, and he had been hoping for some time off. Not that he would be spending it in Tahiti or anything. He still had publicity to do for the movie releasing next month. Sometimes it seemed like he was on a treadmill, except he wasn't walking on it—he was the motor keeping the whole thing going. "If you don't need me, I'm going home for a while."

"Stay in your trailer. I'll put someone outside to make sure you aren't disturbed. We need to start at six in the morning."

Lucas nodded. "Will my two scenes be first?" God, he hoped so.

"Yes. We'll shoot the last things we need from you, and then you can go." Barry smiled, which was a rarity for him. "You are going to be so amazing in this, and working with you is a dream." He shifted his gaze to where Henry West and Vanessa Ritter stood talking to each other like a couple of chickens hatching their next plot to steal a rival's eggs. They had married eighteen months ago and seemed to feed on each other's prima-donna energy.

"Thank you," Lucas said as he followed Barry's gaze. "Never again… with either of them." He met Barry's gaze and received a nod of solidarity in return.

"Get some rest, and I'll see you in the morning." Barry dashed off to deal with his problems, and Lucas made his escape to his trailer, where his assistant waited for him.

Karen Robeson was the best assistant he had ever had. She'd been with him for a year, and Lucas hoped she stayed on. Karen looked up from her tablet, smiling as she got up, opened the refrigerator, and handed him a Diet Coke. He popped it open and drank.

"God."

"What time is your call tomorrow morning?"

"Six. I should be done by eight, so let's have everything ready to go. As soon as I'm done, I want to go home. I'm not taking meetings for at least two days."

"I know the routine," she said as she tapped away. "I've had the cleaners in the house, so it's spotless, and I stocked it today. Everything you like is there. The cars have been washed and detailed, the pool is sparkling, and I even put in an order to make sure the city is extra sparkly at night." She didn't break a smile. Lucas loved her sense of humor. She reached into her bag and pulled out a sheet of paper, which she handed to him.

Lucas opened it. "That little shit," he swore. "Henry tried to steal you away?"

Karen nodded and shivered slightly. "You know I'd never work for them."

"I do." He messaged his business manager to give Karen a thousand-dollar bonus. "And a deal is a deal." He got a thumbs-up response.

"Thanks, Lucas," she said gently and sat back down in her out-of-the-way spot, tapping away and then scowling. "Ummm…. Check your phone."

"Huh?" He never brought it with him on set. It was rude, and more than once a perfectly good take was ruined by someone's damned phone, and it wasn't going to be his. She sighed and went through to the back bedroom area and returned to press it into his hand.

Lucas read the messages from his aunt, which were coming in quickly. Then he set the phone on the counter next to the sink, entered the bedroom area, and pulled the curtain closed. "Fuck," he said, just once, and sat on the edge of the bed.

The trailer was quiet, the only sounds coming from outside, including the clomping of a horse's hooves as it passed. You never knew what to expect on a movie lot. He closed his eyes, shaking his head.

"Lucas, what do you want to do?" Karen asked after a good five minutes.

"I want…," he began, and then he retrieved his phone and called his aunt. She answered on the second ring.

"Auntie Rose," he said quietly, refusing to choke up over an old bastard who had left Lucas and his mother when he fell in love with someone four years older than Lucas was at the time. His dad's second wife had been the student aide in his middle school drama class, for God's sake.

"I know how things are between you and your father. But…." She was the only one on his father's side of the family that he spoke with at all. "Look, I'll be blunt. If you want the chance to make peace with your father, then you need to come home now. Say what you want to say, yell at the old codger, but if you have anything you want to tell him, get on a plane and get here. His days are numbered, and we're talking single digits."

Lucas swallowed hard. He didn't want anything to do with his father, but his aunt was right. If the old asshole was going to die, Lucas needed to be there, say what he wanted, and then see him off on his journey to hell—or at least that's where he hoped cheating assholes who left their wife and son hanging out to dry ended up. "I don't know."

Aunt Rose cleared her throat. "You know he's alone. Cherie is gone. Cancer… a year ago."

"I know. You told me."

"So will you come? Can you come?" The grief hung in her voice, and Lucas knew there was no way he could turn her down. "Make some sort of peace for both of you before he's gone. If nothing else, you'll know you tried."

The timing worked from a job perspective, but Lucas was worn out from weeks of long days and nights of filming, and he needed a chance to rest. It looked like he wasn't going to get it. "Okay. I'll see what I can do and let you know."

"Should I tell your father you're coming?" Aunt Rose asked.

"No," Lucas answered. "I'll let you know what I can work out." He set the phone aside and lay back on the bed, closing his eyes and just trying not to fly into a million little pieces. "Karen?" he said, not moving or opening his eyes.

"I know, Lucas. I'm already looking into flights for you."

"For us," he corrected. "I need you to come with me."

The curtain slid on its rod, and he lifted his head. "You know I can't," she told him. "I'll do whatever you need, but I can't go and leave my brother here alone."

Lucas nodded. "Sorry. I remember now." Karen had a brother in a school for kids with special needs, and Karen looked after him and made sure Lincoln knew he wasn't alone. Lucas admired her for that dedication. "Stay near him."

"What about Jerry?" she asked.

"He's out of town with his new boyfriend." For being a household name throughout much of the country, Lucas had a surprisingly lonely life. "I'll go on my own. I should be fine."

"You will not," Karen snapped, her fingers flying over her tablet. "How about Rachel? She looked after you last year when that stalker business got ugly. She's good, professional, and you liked her. She can stand in as your on-site assistant, and she can provide security if you need it."

"Then call her and make all the arrangements." Rachel was amazing, and she could kick ass. He'd seen it firsthand. Not that he expected trouble in Scottville, Michigan, but backup was always a good thing to have.

Lucas drank some more soda and then lay down and closed his eyes, trying to settle his mind. He was going home, but first he had a movie to finish, and that was where his head needed to be, not three thousand miles away.

"I have your flight all set, as well as a car. Rachel will meet you at your house tomorrow. I got you on a red-eye at ten, and you'll be in Detroit in the morning. From there you fly to Grand Rapids, and Rachel will drive you up to Scottville from there. I've sent messages to your agent and your business manager so they know what's going on. I also messaged Barry's assistant." She placed a tray next to him. "And you need to eat."

"You're a goddess, you know that?" Lucas told her.

"Rest and eat." The door to the trailer opened and closed behind her as she left. Lucas ate what he could, then reviewed the scenes for tomorrow before trying to sleep.

HE HATEDplanes, especially when he was tired. Lucas could never sleep regardless of how comfortable the seat was or how well his noise-canceling headphones worked. Fortunately, Rachel sat next to him in first class, and he could relax knowing she'd run interference for him. Airports were another matter entirely, with crowds of people trying to get where they needed. Things got tougher when a lady recognized him just outside the gate in Detroit and decided to scream his name up and down the concourse. Lucas never stopped moving and made it to his connection on time. He settled in his seat, doing his best not to be recognized.

"We're fine now," Rachel said. "The crew is aware and will keep people moving." She was almost as efficient as Karen.

By the time they landed and got in the car, Lucas could barely keep his eyes open. He got as comfortable as he could, put the seat back as far as it would go, and fell asleep, only waking when the sound of the wheels changed. "What happened?"

"The clouds opened up," Rachel said as she continued driving, water everywhere. "Reports are that this continues all the way to our destination. I slowed down, but I want to get off the road as quickly as I can. Go back to sleep if you want. It's going to take a while."

"Thanks." Lucas closed his eyes once more and let exhaustion take over. He was in the best hands possible.

"Sir," Rachel said as they got off the freeway.

"Lucas, please," he said gently.

"Do you want to go to the hotel or right up to the hospital?" Rachel asked.

"My aunt's." He showed her the address on his phone, and she pulled over, entered it into her phone, and then followed the directions through the driving rain.

Things were still largely the same as he remembered. There was the McDonald's where he'd gotten his first job, and the Meijers grocery store. They passed the hospital in Ludington and continued west into town before turning off the main street. Rachel found the house easily, and it seemed just the same too. Basically square, two stories. White with green trim.

The rain let up a little, and Rachel reached into the back seat and retrieved two black umbrellas. He took one and cracked the door, popped the umbrella open, and then got out of the car.

"Do you want me to come?"

"Yes." He wasn't going to ask her to wait in the car. "I have no idea what I'm walking into as far as the family is concerned. If things start to go south, remind me of a meeting with Spielberg and we'll get out of here." That always worked. Poor Steven took more fake meetings than anyone in Hollywood. "If I ask you to postpone my afternoon meeting, then you'll know everything is okay."

"What's your code word?" Rachel asked. "What will you say if I'm to get you out now?"

"Bananas. I hate the danged things, so if I say something nice about them or ask for one, we go now." She nodded, and Lucas hurried to the front door, which opened right away.

"I thought you were going to stand out there talking all day," his aunt said with a smile before ushering him inside. Lucas had barely gotten his umbrella down before he was hugged within an inch of his life. "It's good to see you in real life. I see all your movies." She released him and stepped back. "You look better in person, but you're too skinny."

Rachel came in and closed the door.

"Aunt Rose, this is Rachel."

"I see," she said, narrowing her gaze.

"Aunt Rose, no conclusion jumping. Rachel is here as my assistant and as security."

Aunt Rose shook her head. "She looks like a stiff breeze could blow her away."

Lucas chuckled. "Be nice. I've seen her take down men four times her size and leave them whimpering for their mamas on the sidewalk. She's not someone you want to piss off." He winked at Rachel, and she crossed her arms over her chest, looking even more badass.

"I see. Do you want some tea or coffee?" she asked both of them.

"Coffee for both of us is fine." He'd seen Rachel mainline the stuff. "Then we should go up to see Dad." Get that over with. Then maybe he could head back to the land of sunshine and swimming pools, where movie stars belonged.

Aunt Rose led the way into her bright, warm kitchen. Lucas had spent many hours at the table in this room, eating cookies and brownies as Aunt Rose helped him learn his lines for whatever play or show he could get a part in. She brought them coffee and then sat down across from him. "Your dad is fading fast. When I saw him this morning, he was talking a little, but he's really weak. His liver and kidneys are shutting down, as are other organs." She sipped from her mug, and Lucas bought his own to his lips and sipped the nectar of life with gratitude. "I didn't say anything on the phone, but he's been asking for you."

Lucas sighed. "That's a surprise."

"When you know you're going to meet your maker, you realize what's important." Aunt Rose lifted her gaze to the holy pictures on the wall. "This is a chance for both of you to have a little peace."

"What about the arrangements?"

"They've all been made already. Cremation, a simple service, and then he'll be interred with our parents. There's nothing you need to do." That was Aunt Rose. If they let her, she could run the Pentagon in her spare time. "How long will you be staying?"

Lucas shrugged.

"Karen figured three or four days," Rachel said. "But she left things open for you."

"Then I'll be here for a couple of days or so. I just finished filming and don't start another project for two more weeks."

Aunt Rose clapped her hands once, grinning. "Then you can stay for the children's benefit. We're raising money for a new addition to the hospital for pediatrics. We've been having a hard time selling tickets. It's just a few days, and it could mean so much to the area where you grew up."

Rachel finished her coffee, and Lucas switched mugs with her. "Let me think about it." He looked outside and saw the rain had let up. "Why don't we go to the hospital to see Dad?" he told Rachel. "We passed it on the way here. Then we can check in and I can rest awhile."

"Very good," Rachel said, and they all stood. Lucas hugged his aunt and promised to call her. Then he and Rachel left the house and retraced their steps. When they parked in the hospital lot, the clouds hung low, and it looked like they would open up again at any moment. Lucas went inside and up to the visitors' desk. "Adam Reardon," he told the lady.

She looked up at him. "Only family members are allowed."

"I'm his son," Lucas said, and she lifted her gaze. He realized the moment she recognized him. To her credit, she didn't yell, but she did smile brightly.

"And this lady?" she asked.

Lucas leaned forward. "She's my security. I'm sure you can imagine how it is," he said somberly, and she nodded. "I don't want to cause a fuss." He forced a slight smile, and the lady handed him visitor passes. He and Rachel went up to the second floor and down to the ICU. He headed down the hallway. Two children, about eight and ten, stood outside the room, and then a pair of littler ones stopped in the doorway.

"Bye, Grandpa Adam," one of the little ones said. The others crowded into the doorway, waving and saying goodbye. Then a figure from Lucas's past stepped out of the room.

Lucas knew him instantly. Hell, he'd know Matthew Wilson anywhere, even after all these years. He took the younger ones by the hand, and the entire little group turned Lucas's way.

Lucas couldn't breathe for a second, and he wasn't even sure Matthew noticed him. When Matthew paused and lifted the smallest little boy into his arms, Lucas said gently, "Matthew."

Matthew turned, eyes widening, and then his lips curled into a smile. "Lucas." He turned back toward Lucas's father's room. "I got special permission to bring the kids up to say goodbye." His smile faded. "This is Will, Gregory, Brianna, and Carl." He indicated each from oldest to youngest and smiled at the boy in his arms. "They're my sister Eden's children."

"Grandpa Adam is dying," Carl said before burying his face in Matthew's shirt. "Like Mommy and Daddy."

Well, that answered half the questions running through Lucas's head.

"I need to get them home," Matthew said, and their little group continued down the hall. Lucas couldn't help turning to watch Matthew go, and noticed that he looked over his shoulder before reaching the bend in the hall.

"Old friend of yours?" Rachel asked.

Lucas nodded. "The one I let get away." And the man he had thought about almost every day since he left town. He went to the room and stepped inside.

His father lay on the hospital bed, eyes closed. Lucas was tempted to leave, but then his father's eyes slid open, so Lucas came forward. "Aunt Rose said you were asking for me."

His father blinked and opened his mouth, but no words came out. He raised his hand, and Lucas took it. For so many years he had hated this man. Every time he needed to bring up a well of emotion or strong, deep hatred in a movie, he thought of him, and every director and critic remarked on the power of his performances. But now, standing here next to him, none of that mattered. His father had always seemed so big, and now there was very little left of him.

"I never understood," he whispered as he squeezed Lucas's hand.

"What, Dad?" he asked softly.

"I never understood, but I do now." He squeezed Lucas's hand a final time, and then his fingers went lax.

The beeping of the monitor stopped, and Lucas turned away. At least he had made it in time.

MATTHEW GOTthe kids into the van, and Will helped make sure the younger ones were buckled in. He hurried around the driver's side as the rain picked up. The door squeaked as he closed it. Matthew sighed and pulled out the keys to start the engine. It clicked, but nothing more. "Danged thing," he muttered as he tried again. Nothing. The lights were on, but the starter must have failed. "All of you stay here."

He popped the hood, and just his luck, the skies opened up as he lifted it to try to access the starter. A lot of the time, if he tapped it, the thing would turn over. He managed to reach it and then went back into the car, sloshing in his shoes as he tried the ignition again. No luck.

"Uncle Daddy, can we go home now?" Brianna asked.

"I'm trying, sweethearts." He closed his eyes and prayed to the god of cars to let this bucket of bolts start and get them all home. After that, the damned thing could die forever. "Give me a minute."

After getting out, he lifted the hood once more and tried to do whatever he could.

"Matthew."

He turned, the rain running down his face, soaking him to the skin. The window of a huge SUV rolled down, and Lucas Reardon looked at him. A face he had seen in his mind for years and one he'd watched in the theaters and on the small screen, never missing a movie, TV appearance, or Netflix series. "It's dead and I can't start it."

"Are the kids inside?"

He nodded, feeling more miserable by the second.

"Rachel, pull around." The window rolled up and the SUV pulled away, made a circuit of the lot, and came up on the sliding door side of the van. "Get the kids in here, and we'll get you all home."

Matthew was out of options. He pulled open the sliding door. "Okay, guys. Mr. Lucas is going to give us a ride home. Get your things and be careful." He lifted Carl into his arms, and as soon as the driver stepped out with an umbrella, he transferred Carl to the SUV, the other three hurrying over. Matthew checked for bags and things left behind, then unhooked Carl's car seat and the boosters for the others. The driver got them inside while he locked the van and got into the Navigator himself.

Will had the boosters for the middle two installed way in the back, and the driver had the car seat secured. Soon all the kids were seated, and Matthew climbed in back in the middle and closed the door. "Thank you." He was at his wits' end.

"You're Lucas Reardon, the movie star," Will said, his voice filled with awe. "You know Uncle Daddy?"

"I'm hungry," Carl said. "And I gotta go potty."

All Matthew could do was hang his head. There were times when he wondered why Eden and Jack had left the care of their children to him. Fuck both of them and that drunk driver who had sent their car off a bridge.

"Okay. What do you like to eat?"

"Nuggets."

"Chicken."

"Hamburgers." Each of the youngest three had an opinion. Matthew noticed that Will said nothing.

"Okay. Rachel, let's find a restaurant. I know there are some downtown. We can get the kids fed and use the bathroom." The car started forward, and Matthew pulled out his soaked wallet, wondering what he was going to get the kids on the twenty dollars that was all he had in the world right now.

"Do you really know Uncle Daddy?" Will asked Lucas.

"Yes. He and your mom and I went to high school together." Lucas turned with that smile Matthew had seen so many times in person and on the screen. "Matthew and I were really good friends." He caught Matthew's gaze for just a second, and Matthew felt a wave of heat run through him. It lasted only a few seconds, and then the fact that he was wet to the bone chilled away everything. "It's been a long time since we saw each other, but I like to think that he and I will always be friends."

Matthew nodded. There was no way he was going to hate Lucas. He couldn't blame him for getting out of the area when he had the chance. Most of the people he'd known in high school had wanted to leave, and many had gone away to college and never returned for more than a few days. Still, he and Lucas had had something special—at least he thought they had. But the lure of the chance to act had been too good for Lucas to pass up. Matthew had hoped to be able to join him, but family needs and life in general had intervened, and Matthew ended up going nowhere.

Rachel parked in front of the restaurant, and the kids got excited as they peered out the windows. The rain had let up again, and Rachel got out of the car and, with Will's help, got the kids inside. "I have a bag in back." Lucas used the break in the rain to get out some clothes. He passed a pair of light sweatpants and a shirt over the back of the seat. "I don't have any shoes that will fit you."

"I know. They'd fall off. You have huge feet."

Lucas's head popped up over the seat, that grin in place, and for a second they were high school seniors again. "And you know what they say about men with big feet… 'cause it's true and you know it." He winked, and Matthew laughed, deep and loud. He almost ended up crying, it felt so good just to let go, even for a few seconds. "It wasn't that funny… or even original."

Everything had been so tough lately. "I guess it's been long enough that you seem funny, or maybe it's living with four kids, and adult conversation is like water in the desert." He took the clothes and grabbed the to-go bag he always had with him. With four kids, he was never without the basics, like granola bars, socks, underwear, small bottles of water, and Tylenol.

Lucas closed the back, and they went inside. Rachel and Will had all the kids at a table, and Lucas joined them while Matthew went in search of a bathroom, hoping he didn't leave puddles with each step.

"UNCLE DADDY,"Brianna called when he came back, his wet things in a plastic bag, "I can see your nipples." She giggled, and Matthew laughed as he took the empty chair across from Lucas, between her and Carl. He felt more human in dry clothes and was grateful his shoes somehow hadn't been soaked through, but the shirt he was wearing was at least a size too small, and it stretched over him like a second skin. When the kids said something uncomfortable, he had learned to just ignore it and hope that the subject would end.

"Did you really fly when you played Superboy?" Will asked.

Lucas shook his head. "It's all movie magic. They put me in this harness and then they fly me in front of a special screen. After that, they take out what they don't want and put in everything else with the computer, so in the end it looks like I'm flying, but the whole time I was no more than two feet off the ground."

"Did you really kiss Paula Greer? I like her," Brianna said.

Lucas nodded. "But it was a movie kiss, not a real one. Paula is very nice." He spent a good ten minutes patiently answering all the kids' questions. When the server came to the table, she did a double take and shook her head. There was no way Matthew was going to make the kids sit here and not eat, so he just hoped he had room on one of his credit cards. He helped each of them order and then got something for himself.

"Sir?" she asked Lucas, who ordered a salad. Rachel placed her order as well and then got up and wandered toward the back of the restaurant.

"Where is she going?" Matthew asked quietly, just before Carl took Brianna's fork and she snatched it back, which ended in shouting and tears. "That's enough, both of you," Matthew said sharply. "You have your own fork," he said and handed it to him before soothing Brianna with a light touch.

"Rachel is checking out the room, making sure she knows all the exits and things. It's what she does." Lucas seemed relaxed.

"But…."

Lucas shrugged. "Last year I had a stalker who decided that watching and sending messages wasn't enough. Rachel helped me out and was able to catch the guy. She's very good at what she does." Rachel checked out front and then returned to the table.

Matthew had always wondered what it would be like to see Lucas again and if he'd even remember him. But now that he was sitting right across from him, he didn't know what to talk about. The two of them had been in each other's back pockets when they'd been in school and that year of college together. Matthew knew everything about Lucas back then. They hadn't had any secrets and had shared everything: their hopes, dreams, hearts… everything. But now Lucas was a huge movie star, and Matthew was still in the same town. Granted, he had the kids, and he wouldn't trade the four of them for anything in the world.

Rachel sat back down and then started talking to Brianna. Matthew smiled as his little girl, who was normally rather quiet, opened up to Rachel. She and Will even traded places so she could sit across from Rachel.

"What else have you been doing besides raising the kids?" Lucas asked. "They must keep you busy."

"I'm an electrician. I finished my stint as a journeyman two years ago, just before the accident, and I maintain all the equipment at the vegetable processing plant." It was a good job, and he was grateful to have it. The pay wasn't great, but he had benefits that covered him and the kids.

Lucas looked down the table, half smiling, and then leaned closer. "How did you know my father…? I mean…?"

Matthew shrugged. "I hadn't seen him for years after you left, but then he started volunteering for youth baseball, and Will is an amazing player. And after Eden passed, he was there for us. The kids all call him Grandpa Adam." He felt himself choke up. Matthew was now one step closer to loneliness. Adam had been there when the kids needed him. He'd helped Will through his grieving and given him something to look forward to. "Adam connected with the kids. He was their cheerleader, never missed a game or a school concert." Hell, he was a friend, and now he was gone. Matthew had known that Adam had little time left, and had done his best to try to prepare the kids.

Lucas seemed a little lost as well. "I'm glad he was there for you." His lips grew tight, and Matthew had a pretty good idea what Lucas was thinking. It was a shame that Adam hadn't been there for Lucas in the way he had for Matthew and his family. Maybe Adam felt that the kids were a way to make up for what he hadn't done with Lucas. They would never know now.

"I'm happy you're here. It—" Matthew paused as squeals went up from another table. Three girls and a teenage boy hurried over.

"Oh my God, you're—"

"Lucas Reardon," another girl finished, bouncing up and down.

"I can't believe it's you. Can I have your autograph?" All three of the girls bounced while the boy looked on in awe.

Lucas smiled and signed something for each of them while Rachel tensed next to him.

Once the kids returned to their table, talking excitedly, Rachel headed back through the restaurant, and after a few minutes, she returned and sat down, looking for all the world like she was ready to step into action at any moment.

"Does that happen a lot?" Will asked.

Lucas shrugged. "Sometimes. It's okay, though." He smiled, but Matthew knew it was one of tension. He remembered that same smile and bravado as they went into a big test.

"Can I get your autograph too?" Will asked.

"Of course you can. But how about after lunch? We can get a picture with all of us. Okay?" Lucas asked before turning back to Matthew. "I really think I'd like one of those." The longing and loneliness in Lucas's voice rang through, if even only to Matthew.

"That would be nice."

Rachel cleared her throat. "The restaurant has agreed not to admit anyone else until we leave," she told Lucas.

"Do you do that a lot?" Matthew asked.

Lucas sighed. "I haven't been able to go out to dinner without a huge production in years. The last time I went to the movies, I had to go in costume so no one would recognize me. When I'm in LA, I have a security staff that stays with me, and every time I leave the house, someone is always trying to take my picture. The last time I needed to buy clothes, the store was mobbed, and I had to be ushered back to the car."

Their food arrived, and a few people stopped by the table on their way out. Lucas greeted each one, shook hands, and gave them a smile before returning to his lunch. But after each time, that light in his eyes dimmed a little and he became more drawn. It had to be exhausting.

Lucas took care of the bill, and all four kids thanked him.

"Let's use the bathroom before we go home." They traipsed back toward the restrooms. "Thank you for lunch and the ride. And please let me know when the service will be. They'll all want to be there."

"Of course." Lucas stood, and before Matthew could react, one of the most famous people in the country hugged him tightly. "Maybe we can see each other again before I go back."

"I'd like that," Matthew said. Lucas released him, and Matthew made sure he had everything as the kids returned. Then they all headed for the door together.