The Space Between
Chapter 4: Your Heart and Mine

By Jared Chapman

Disclaimer:  I do not own JAG or any of the characters in this story.  
Those 
of you who do?please don?t sue me.  I?m just another one of the 
thousands of 
fans who love your show and I am not profiting in any way from this 
story.  
Those of you who read this story?please do not copy or redistribute it.  
You 
could get me in trouble and that?s just not nice!  However, if you wish 
to 
archive it, please send me an email and I will be happy to say ok!

Rating: PG-13 (some violence)

Category:  Harm/Mac Angst and Romance

Spoilers:  A little bit of everything to date.

Summary:  Chapter 4 in the series.  Takes place immediately after the 
end of 
Chapter 3.  Harm arrives home in the states to find that much has 
changed.  
Will he finally have the courage to tell Mac how he really feels about 
her?  
How will Rose react to seeing him for the first time?  This is the 
final 
chapter of the series.

Feedback:  jared2142@hotmail.com

Archive: BTL

From Chapter 3:

?I?m sorry, Commander.  Mac left with her daughter on a camping trip 
this 
morning.  She won?t be back for about a week.?  He could hear the sigh 
of 
disappointment on the other end of the line and he got an idea.  When 
he 
spoke again, he used his best command voice.  ?Commander, I strongly 
suggest 
that you be here waiting for her when she gets back.  Are we clear??

?Very clear, Sir!? he replied as his spirits lifted again.

?Good, she should be back by next Saturday.?

?I?ll be there, Sir!?

*    *    *    *    *

0955 Local Time
Monday
JAG Headquarters
Falls Church, Virginia

Harm could barely contain his excitement as the elevator doors opened 
and he 
looked into the bullpen at JAG ops.  It felt good to be back in uniform 
and 
back in these familiar surroundings.  Later today he would be headed to 
La 
Jolla to see his mother and Frank, as well as Sergei, who had gone to 
live 
in California after his plane went down.  But, first he just had to 
stop in 
to the office and see old friends.

Now, as he walked thru the bullpen, he noticed the odd stares that he 
received from the junior officers and enlisted men seated in the 
bullpen.  
They each saluted him as one would expect, but there was an awkwardness 
in 
the air, almost as if they new something that he didn?t.  ?Oh, well,? 
he 
thought to himself.  ?They are probably just wondering who I am.?  He 
did 
notice that none of the people he knew from his years at JAG were 
anywhere 
to be seen.  He decided that Sturgis must be having a staff meeting, 
and 
true to his old form, he marched straight toward the conference room to 
barge in on it.  Because of the damage to his knee, he now had to walk 
with 
the help of a cane, so it took him a little longer to make it to the 
conference room.  When he opened the door, he could hear his old friend 
handing out assignments in much the same way that Admiral Chegwidden 
used to 
do on Monday mornings.  He noticed Sturgis, seated with his back to the 
door, and Bud and Harriet on the far side of the table.  The rest of 
the 
young attorneys did not look familiar to him, and he thought to himself 
how 
much things had changed around here.

Harriet was the first to notice him standing in the doorway.  She 
didn?t 
even wait for permission, she just jumped out of her seat and ran over 
to 
him and wrapped her arms around his neck.  ?We missed you so much, 
Commander,? she whispered into his ear.  Harm couldn?t help but 
chuckle.  
Even after seven years of thinking he was dead, she still refused to 
call 
him Harm.

?Welcome back, Commander!? he heard a hearty voice say from behind 
them.  
Harriet let go of him and made her way back to her seat and Harm came 
to 
attention.

?It?s good to be back, Admiral,? he said sharply.

?At ease,? Sturgis said and then made his way around the table and 
hugged 
his old friend.  When he let go, Harm noticed that all of the other 
attorneys around the table were staring at him with wide eyes, much the 
same 
way the enlisted personnel in the bullpen had done when he first came 
in.  
Then he noticed something hanging on the wall at the far end of the 
conference room.  He walked quickly over and looked at the beautiful 
portrait of a much younger version of himself, standing next to a 
Tomcat on 
the deck of the Seahawk.  The inscription instantly touched him, and he 
quickly understood why everyone was staring at him strangely.

?You?ll have to forgive the younger officers for their staring, 
Commander,? 
he heard Sturgis say.  ?After all of the stories that they?ve heard 
about 
your adventures with Colonel Mackenzie, I?m afraid you?ve grown into 
somewhat of a legend around here.  I don?t think any of them were 
expecting 
to see you walk in here alive.?

?I see,? Harm replied, now feeling somewhat embarrassed by all of the 
attention.  Sturgis turned to the rest of the officers in the room.

?That will be all.  If any of you wish to introduce yourselves to 
Commander 
Rabb, there will be time for that later on.  For now, let?s all get 
back to 
work.?  With that, the rest of the staff filed out of the conference 
room 
and returned to their duties, leaving just Harm and Sturgis alone in 
the 
conference room.

?I actually need to speak to you for a few moments, Harm,? Sturgis 
began 
seriously.

?Yes, Sir?? Harm replied on instinct.

?Don?t ?Yes, Sir? me Harm.  If you hadn?t been a POW for all these 
years it 
could just as well have been you in this position.  So, call me Sturgis 
when 
the junior officers are not around.?

?Ok.?

?Have you been out to see your folks yet??

?I?m on the one o?clock out of Dulles.  I called and told Frank I was 
coming 
so that he could prepare my mother.  I wouldn?t want her to have a 
heart 
attack or anything,? he said seriously.

?Of course.  What about Mac?  I heard the Admiral?s order.  Did you 
follow 
it??

?Yeah, but she?s not home.  She and Rose are up in the mountains, 
camping.  
I talked to her uncle and he thinks that I should be there when she 
gets 
back.  I?m going to head over there after I see my folks,? he replied 
with a 
big smile.  Sturgis could tell that his friend was counting the seconds 
until he saw Mac again.

?Sounds like you?ve got it under control.  Anyway, back to business.  
Admiral Drake, the current chief of naval operations, called me this 
morning 
when he heard about your rescue.  He asked me to convey to you how 
truly 
proud he is of the courage that you displayed while in prison.  He has 
decided to let you decide how to deal with your current status in the 
Navy.?

?That is very generous of him.?

?Yes, he has laid out several options for you to consider.  First, you 
can 
return to JAG with an immediate promotion to Captain, where you would 
serve 
as a judge.  This would require that you attend some classes to brush 
up on 
the legal changes that have taken place over the last few years.  
Secondly, 
you can remain on active duty and transfer to Admiral Drake?s office 
where 
you would serve as a motivational speaker.  Mostly just telling your 
story 
to conferences and things like that.  The third option is definitely 
the 
sweetest option.  They are offering you a full retirement as a one star 
admiral.  As you know, the benefits that a flag officer receives are 
substantial, and the last time I checked, one could receive such 
benefits 
while residing in Arizona,? he finished with smirk.

?I guess you know which option I?ll be taking,? Harm replied with a 
matching 
smirk.

*    *    *    *    *

0725 Local Time
Tuesday
Burnett Residence
LaJolla, California

The smell of freshly brewed coffee and the sound of sizzling bacon and 
eggs 
brought Sergei Zukov Rabb out of a peaceful slumber early on this 
Tuesday 
morning.  The young man had come in late the night before from his 
first 
deployment as a Navy helicopter pilot.  He was very proud to follow in 
the 
footsteps of his father and brother by flying from the deck of an 
aircraft 
carrier, even if it wasn?t in a fighter jet.  As the young man rounded 
the 
corner and entered the kitchen, he stopped cold at the sight in front 
of 
him.  There, standing at the stove, was his brother.  For a moment, the 
young man didn?t know what to say or do.  His brother was busy cooking 
breakfast and did not notice the younger man enter the kitchen.  
Finally, he 
found his tongue for a moment.

?Brother?? was all that he could manage, but it was enough to get 
Harm?s 
attention.

?Well, good morning, sleepyhead.  I thought Navy pilots were supposed 
to be 
early risers, or is that only true of fighter pilots?? he joked as he 
turned 
around and flashed his younger brother a trademark Rabb smile.  No 
words 
were said for several minutes as the two men embraced and tears poured 
from 
both of their eyes.  Finally, after some time, the two men heard 
someone 
else enter the kitchen.

?Something smells wonderful in here.?  It was Trish, standing in the 
doorway 
with tears of her own, just watching the two brothers.

?Harm, you must tell me what has happened these years.  I had no idea 
that 
you were alive, or I would have tried to find you myself,? Sergei said 
sadly.  Harm could see that there was a trace of guilt in his brother?s 
eyes.  After all of the time that Harm had spent searching for their 
father, 
Sergei felt that he should have done the same with Harm.

?Sergei, you had no way of knowing that I was alive.  There were SEALS 
on 
the ground when I landed and they didn?t even find me.  There was no 
way 
that you could have found the place where they kept me all of this time 
either.  The only reason that I was found at all was because the Iraqis 
made 
the mistake of capturing Mr. Webb and putting him in the cell next to 
me.? 
As he said this, he placed a reassuring arm around his brother?s 
shoulder to 
let him know that everything was ok.  ?I am just glad to be back home, 
with 
my family,? he stated simply as he gathered his mother and brother into 
a 
giant bear hug.  ?Now, there is only one thing missing,? he thought 
silently 
as his thoughts returned to the one person that he wanted to hold most.  
?Just a few more days, Mac.?  As if reading his mind, Sergei chose that 
moment to pull back and ask the question.

?Brother, have you been to see the beautiful Colonel yet??

*    *    *    *    *

1025 Local Time
Friday
Johnson Wembly Airfield
LaJolla, Califonia

He couldn't have asked for better weather for flying.  The day dawned 
clear 
and bright.  There wasn?t a single cloud in the sky as far as the eye 
could 
see, and the weather service had confirmed that it would be that way 
all the 
way to Phoenix.  When he first told his family of his plans to go to 
Arizona 
to see Mac, his stepfather had suggested that he fly his Stearman to 
Phoenix 
instead of driving.  Harm hadn?t really given the plane much thought 
since 
his return.  In reality, he had assumed that most of his things were 
sold 
after he was reported dead.  Instead, his mother and Frank had kept all 
of 
the important things, including the red 68 Vette that now sat in the 
parking 
lot at the airfield.

He had called and talked to Colonel O?Hara again to find out about 
places to 
land the plane near the ranch and he was happy to find out that there 
would 
be plenty of room for him to land right there near the house.  He 
couldn?t 
have planned things any more perfectly than they were falling into 
place by 
themselves.

Now, Harm?s heart raced a thousand miles a minute in anticipation of 
seeing 
his Marine again.  The Colonel had suggested that he come over today 
instead 
of waiting until Saturday, that way he could settle in and relax before 
Mac 
and Rose got home.  He knew that it would still be more than a day 
before he 
would see her again, but he was nervous just the same.  Nothing in his 
life 
had ever been this important to him and he was determined to do it 
right 
this time.  He was jarred from his thoughts when his kid brother jumped 
down 
from the wing of the plane.

?You look nervous my brother.  Surely you are not afraid of seeing the 
Mac 
again??

?I?m terrified, Sergei,? he replied honestly.  ?Terrified, excited, 
nervous, 
and overjoyed all at the same time.?

?It sounds like you are in love, brother,? Sergei said with a smile 
that 
confirmed once again that he was his brother.

?Yes, Sergei.  I certainly am.?

*    *    *    *    *

Same Time
Friday
Campgrounds
Just west of Phoenix, AZ

It had truly been a wonderful week of camping for both mother and 
daughter.  
Both of them loved to ride horses and that is what they spent most of 
their 
time doing.  They spent the days riding and talking the way that they 
couldn?t when Mac had to work.  Rose had always been a very patient 
child, 
and she understood, with amazing clarity for a seven year old, that her 
mother was a single mom and would have to be away sometimes.  Mac was 
truly 
thankful for how understanding Rose was.  It made their relationship a 
very 
special one.

Now Mac sat silently by the fire and watched her daughter run a brush 
thru 
the hair of her pony?s mane.  As she sat there, she thought about the 
many 
conversations that they had had in the last week.  Not surprisingly, 
Rose 
still was not finished quizzing her about Harm.  Mac could see that 
Rose was 
desperate to know everything about him, and even though the little girl 
knew 
that she would never meet him, she was determined to know him.  In that 
moment, Mac knew that she had made the right choice.  She was glad that 
she 
had shared his memory with her daughter.

No sooner did the thought cross her mind, than a feeling came over her.  
Something was telling her that they should go home.  The two had 
planned to 
stay another night, and the feeling she was getting was not one of 
danger, 
but just the same, she couldn?t shake it.

?Rose, honey, do you mind if we go ahead and head for home.?  Rose, 
being a 
fairly easy-going child, didn?t mind doing so, but she was curious 
about why 
her mother wanted to go home now.

?Ok, mommy.  But, why do you want to go home now?  I thought we were 
going 
to stay one more night.  Is something wrong??

?No, sweetheart, nothing is wrong.  I just get this feeling that we 
should 
head home and I can?t shake it.?

?Ok, mommy, I?ll start getting everything packed up.?

?Where did you learn to be such a sweetheart?? she asked with a proud 
smile.

?From Uncle Matt,? the little girl replied with a wry smile.  She 
ducked 
when her mom threw an inflatable pillow at her.

?Well, at least you got your sense of humor from me!?

*    *    *    *    *

1115 Local Time
Friday
Johnson Wembly Airfield
LaJolla, California

After making a thorough check of his beloved plane, Harm climbed into 
the 
cockpit of the old Stearman and fired the engine.  He tossed the keys 
to his 
Vette to his brother, and then with a thumbs-up and a wave, he taxied 
toward 
the runway.  It had been over seven years since the last time he flew a 
plane, and still it felt as natural to him as breathing.  In a few more 
moments, he was airborne.  He felt the wind in his hair and his spirits 
soared.  He was doing the one thing that he knew he was born to do and 
it 
felt great.

He let out a loud whoopee and then proceeded to put the plane thru just 
about every aerobatic trick that he knew.  Soon a large crowd gathered 
on 
the ground to watch the performance.  When he brought the plane down 
close 
to the ground again he saw the crowd and his face blushed bright red.  
He 
hadn?t meant to put on a show, but flying again was so intoxicating.  
?Focus 
Rabb!? he chided himself.  ?You?re supposed to be going to Arizona, 
remember??  He quickly pulled the plane level and headed to the east 
and his 
date with the love of his life.

Meanwhile, on the ground an important looking man in a three-piece suit 
was 
approaching Sergei.  ?Howdy,? the man said with a thick Texas accent.  
?The 
name is Wilton Hickle of the great state of Texas.  And what is your 
name 
son??

?Lieutenant Sergei Zukov Rabb, of the US Navy, Sir.?

?Well Lieutenant, I noticed that you were helping that man prep his 
plane.  
Do you know him??

?Yes, Sir.  He is my half-brother.  His name is Commander Harmon Rabb, 
Jr.  
Also of the US Navy.?

?He is a tremendous pilot.?

?Yes, he is.  He used to fly F-14?s.  Our father flew F-4?s in Vietnam, 
and 
I fly Seahawk helicopters.  We are all pilots.?

?Very impressive.  Well, I won?t take any more of your time, son.  Here 
is 
my card.  You see, I put on airshows in different parts of the country.  
If 
you or your brother ever need a job, just give me a call,? the man said 
with 
a smile.

?Thank you very much, Mr. Hickle.  My brother will be retiring from the 
Navy 
very soon, and I have a feeling he may give you a call.?

*    *    *    *    *

Authors Note:  I have no clue how long it takes to fly a Stearman from 
LaJolla to Phoenix.  As I am sure you have noticed, I haven?t been real 
precise with the times in this entire series anyway, so please overlook 
this 
one as well.

1415 Local Time
Friday
Hills overlooking Uncle Matt?s Ranch
Just west of Phoenix, AZ

It had always been a tradition on their rides into the hills that, when 
they 
reached the pasture at the edge of Uncle Matt?s ranch, they would 
gallop all 
the way to the house.  Rose loved this part of the ride because it was 
one 
of the very few times that her mother would let her ride the horse at 
full 
steam.  She loved going fast and she had been looking forward to this 
all 
day.  She was a little disappointed when she saw her mother reach the 
edge 
of the clearing and stop instead of starting the run.

?What?s wrong, Mommy?  Aren?t we going to gallop home?? the little girl 
asked expectantly.  Mac didn?t respond, though.  She was frozen in 
place at 
the sight that lay before her.  The little girl started to get worried 
when 
her mother didn?t answer her and she quickly rode up next to her.  
That?s 
when she saw it too.  There, circling above their ranch, was a bright 
yellow 
biplane.  Her little heart soared in her chest.

?Mommy, isn?t that like the plane that daddy used to have?? she asked.  
For 
a moment her mother still didn?t answer.

?Honey, that is daddy?s plane,? she said finally, not sure that she 
believed 
it herself.  It was so clear, though.  From here she could see the 
markings, 
and she was sure that they were looking at Sarah.

?But, how?? the little girl asked, now very confused by what her mother 
was 
telling her.

?I don?t know, baby.  Let?s go find out.?  With that, Mac spurred her 
horse 
and set off in a gallop across the pasture.  Rose was not far behind, 
her 
little heart racing as fast as her mother?s was.  ?Could it be him??

High above the ranch, Harm saw them break out of the woods.  His heart 
leapt 
from his chest straight into his throat.  After all of this time, he 
had 
finally come home to his Marine.  He didn?t want to waste another 
second and 
decided to bring her in for landing.  After another quick circle of the 
ranch, he was lined up and he began his decent.  Just as the wheels 
were 
about to touch the ground, the plane went right past where Mac and Rose 
were 
riding.  In that split second, he turned and executed a flawless flyboy 
grin.  Poor Mac nearly fell off her horse.  Now she knew for sure.  
There 
could be no mistaking her flyboy from that close-up.  ?But how?? she 
wondered, then dug in trying to make the horse move faster.

Harm pulled the plane right up near the house and then hobbled down to 
the 
ground and waited for Mac and Rose to catch up.  After just a few 
seconds, 
the two horses appeared at the edge of a little ridge.  Mac reigned up 
her 
horse and Rose did the same.  Then the two jumped from their horses and 
ran 
as fast as they could toward him.  Mac made it to him first and leapt 
into 
his arms.  He pulled back and kissed her so hard that it took her 
breath 
away.

?I love you, Sarah.  I always have.?

?I love you, too.?  When he heard the words, he kissed her again.  This 
time 
it was tender and slow as they both enjoyed the feel of one another 
again.  
After a few moments, they were interrupted by a soft voice a few feet 
away.

?Daddy??  That one simple word made Harm?s heart soar higher than he 
had 
ever gone in any airplane.  He pulled away from Mac and looked into her 
eyes.  She started to try to explain, but he put his finger on her lips 
to 
keep her from saying anything.  Then he looked over at the little girl 
with 
the curly brown hair and deep brown eyes.

?Yes, baby, daddy?s home.?  The little girl instantly jumped into his 
arms 
and he held her tight as he spun in slow circles.  He was so honored 
that 
Mac had chosen him as the father of her child and he felt an instant 
bond 
with the little girl.  If Mac would let him, he intended to be this 
child?s 
father for real.

*    *    *    *    *

1536 Local Time
Friday
High above the Arizona desert

It was all Harm could do to keep the plane in the air when he heard the 
laughs and whoops of his daughter in the front seat.  ?His daughter,? 
he 
thought with amazement.  Not surprisingly, right after he finished 
explaining to Mac and Rose what had happened to him and where he had 
been 
for the previous seven years, the first thing that Rose asked him was 
if he 
would take her flying.  In the few short minutes that they had been 
together, Rose had managed to wrap him tightly around her little finger 
and 
he had readily agreed to take her up.  Now his heart soared when he 
heard 
the little girl in the front seat, whooping and hollering with delight.  
Many times he had imagined having a child of his own and sharing with 
them 
his love of flying.  It was just one of the many dreams that seemed to 
be 
coming true today.

As Harm and Rose enjoyed themselves high in the sky, Mac sat on the 
back 
porch of the house, sipping lemonade with her Uncle Matt.

?You knew he was coming, didn?t you?? she asked with a suspicious 
smile.

?He called right after you and Rose left for the hills.  He told me 
that he 
wanted to tell you how much you mean to him, so I suggested that he be 
here 
when you got back.  I told him to come on Friday, because I thought you 
wouldn?t be home until Saturday.  I was going to have a little heart to 
heart with him before you got back, just to make sure that his 
intentions 
were good.  I take it everything went like you would have wanted it 
to?? he 
asked when he saw the smile come over her features.

?He told me that he loves me, and that he always has,? she said softly, 
the 
glow that she felt inside radiating on every word.  Her uncle just 
smiled.  
He had been right.  Sarah would finally have the happiness she 
deserved.

?What about Rose?  I heard her call him daddy.  What happened with 
that??

?When she first said it, out by the plane, I tried to explain.  But, he 
just 
put a finger to my lips.  Then he turned to Rose and said, ?Yes, baby, 
daddy?s home,? as if it were the most natural thing in the world to 
him.  I 
can tell just from the way he looks at her that he is happy with what I 
did. 
  I can tell that he wants to be her father.?

?I knew he was a good man, ever since that first day at Red Rock Mesa.  
I 
guess I was just a little worried that this would be too much for him,? 
the 
old Colonel replied.  ?I couldn?t be happier about being wrong.?

*    *    *    *    *

2245 Local Time
Friday
Uncle Matt?s Ranch
Just west of Phoenix, AZ

Mac spent most the evening listening to her daughter bond with Harm.  
The 
little girl insisted on telling him every single thing that had 
happened 
since she could remember.  Harm just sat listening patiently, that 
wonderful 
smile never leaving his face for a moment.  Finally, after several 
hours, 
Mac decided that she wanted to have a little time with him herself.  
When 
she insisted that it was bedtime, Harm had convinced Rose to go on the 
condition that he tuck her in and read her a story.

Now, Mac stood just outside the doorway to the little girl?s room and 
listened while Harm read to her.  She quietly listened to the soothing 
sound 
of his voice, just reveling in the fact that he had come back to her.  
After 
a few more moments, she noticed that he had stopped reading and she 
peeked 
her head in to see what had stopped him.  She found him gazing down at 
their 
now sleeping daughter, with a look in his eyes that could only be 
described 
as love.  In that moment, he looked up at her and his smile grew until 
it 
was ear to ear.

?She?s so amazing, Mac,? he whispered softly, his cool green eyes 
gleaming.

?I know.  You are so great with her,? she replied, taking his hand and 
leading him out of the room.  They ended up on the back porch of the 
house, 
hand in hand, just gazing up at the stars.

?The stars never looked so beautiful as they do tonight,? she said 
softly.

?Nothing has ever been as beautiful as it is tonight, Sarah,? he 
replied.  
He turned, slowly and deliberately, and took her face in his hands.  He 
had 
so much to say to her, but she was the first to speak.

?You know, you don?t have to stay, Harm.  I don?t expect you to just 
come 
home, after seven years, to an instant family?? she was interrupted by 
his 
lips descending over hers.  The kiss was slow and soft, the way she had 
always imagined his loving kiss would be.  After a moment that seemed 
to 
stop all time, he broke the kiss and looked deeply into her beautiful 
gypsy 
eyes.

?Marry me, Sarah,? he said simply and then paused for a moment.  Her 
eyes 
instantly welled with tears and a slow smile crept across her stunning 
features.  ?I want to be your husband, Sarah.  And, I want to be Rose?s 
father.  I want to be here for you both, everyday for the rest of your 
lives.  I love you, Sarah.  I love you both.?  They were both crying 
now as 
Mac stepped into the warm comfort of his embrace.  She held on to him 
as 
tightly as she could and she reveled in the strong comfort of his arms 
around her.  In all her life, she had never been happier than at this 
moment.

?Yes,? was all she could say.  She whispered it to him over and over as 
she 
listened to the steady beat of his heart.  She didn?t see the little 
girl 
hiding in the doorway behind her, but Harm did.  He smiled and winked 
at 
her, and then he mouthed the words ?I love you,? to her.

?I love you too, daddy.?

*    *    *    *    *

EPILOGUE

FIVE YEARS LATER

1235 Local Time
7/5/2014
McNeil Airfield
Dallas, Texas

When Sarah Mackenzie Rabb looked back on the last five years with Harm, 
she 
was certain that they had been the happiest of her life.  She had 
accepted 
Harm?s proposal that first night and they had been married only a month 
later.  After six years together as friends and then another seven 
years 
apart, they simply couldn?t wait to be together.  Harm decided to take 
the 
Admiral?s offer of an early retirement as a flag officer.  He moved to 
Arizona right away so that he could be close to the two people that he 
loved 
most in the world.  He decided to work part time for the same firm that 
Mac 
worked for and he soon found that he hadn?t lost his touch for the 
courtroom.  Most of his time, though, was spent with Rose.  He adored 
her 
just as much as he adored her mother and the two had become 
inseparable.  
Although she was only twelve now, the little girl could already fly her 
daddy?s Stearman like a seasoned pro, and all she talked about now was 
becoming a pilot like him.  Life was good for nine months each year.

Then, as summer came around, life became great, and the little family 
embarked on their favorite family tradition.  Every June, July, and 
August 
they traveled with Harm while he flew in the world famous Hickle 
Airshows 
all over the country.  It was a wonderful experience, being on the road 
together and watching Harm fly everyday.

Now, Mac and Rose sat in the stands watching as Harm taxied his plane 
to the 
runway and prepared for his part of the show.  His trusty biplane soon 
soared thru the blue Texas sky and Mac found herself tied up in knots 
like a 
teenager with a crush.  That was the real reason that she loved the 
summer 
so much.  She just loved to watch him fly.  His routine went on for 
another 
five minutes and both girls were mesmerized by the show he put on.  
Then, as 
his routine wound down, Mac felt a nudge from the little girl next to 
her.

?Here it is, mommy.  Here is the new trick he wanted to show us!? Rose 
beamed with excitement.  Mac watched closely as Harm started his final 
run.  
In the cockpit above, Harm pulled a lever and white smoke billowed from 
the 
little tank at the back of the plane.  Then he slowly and carefully 
flew the 
shapes that he wanted his two special ladies to see.  When he was 
finished, 
Mac and Rose clung to each other with tears in their eyes.  He had made 
two 
hearts in the sky, a big one for Mac and a little one for Rose.

?He?s wonderfully, isn?t he mommy??

?Yes, he certainly is, honey.?

Her smile was so big that her face could barely contain it.  It was on 
days 
like to day, when the world seemed to rotate at just the right speed 
and 
everything seemed to work out right, that she realized just how lucky 
she 
really was.

*    *    *    *    *

The End