Alec and I are on the couch in the sitting room with Mrs. Stone still asleep upstairs. It’s dark outside, after 3:00 a.m. on the longest night of my life. My feet are tucked under me and I’ve got my head on Alec’s strong shoulder, his arm around me.

We’ve been silent for a very long time.

The curtains are open and Alec and I have been watching the palm trees sway in the warm night’s breeze for hours, illuminated by tall security lights. We watched the news for a time, but it got too painful. We knew that Jack and Sean would call if they were alive, and hearing the news regurgitate all of the crash’s details only struck greater fear in us that that call would never come. I’m sure Alec can see it all happening just like I’m able to. We were in the plane before, too. We can imagine it falling apart like no one else can. Getting the image of Jack and Sean terrified out of our heads is just impossible.

Their landline phone rings and Alec leans over to look at it. A number lights up without a name to signify who’s calling. He blinks at the area code and frowns, unsure of where it’s from. “Maybe it’s family,” he mutters. As it hits the third ring, he slowly reaches out and picks it up. “Hello?” He listens. After a moment, his arm tightens around my body, fingers pressing into me. “Wait, say that again!” His spine shoots up and he twists to look at me with happy disbelief.

“What? Are they okay? Did someone find them?” I cry out.

An incredulous smile builds to a grin on his tired face, and Alec nods. “It’s President Obama.” My eyes go wide. “Sir, can I please put you on speaker and get Mrs. Stone? This is Alec Gabriel, sir.” He laughs and hits the speaker button. “You’re on speaker, Mr. President. Hold on, please. I have to wake her. Rue Calliwell is with me, sir, she’s part of the family now. She’ll be very happy to hear what you have to say.”

“Hello, Ms. Calliwell, this is President Obama.”

Alec jumps off the couch, leaping into the air as he runs up the stairs, shouting for joy all the way up, “They’re alive! THEY’RE ALIVE!!”

I grin at the phone, humbled and overwhelmed. “Hello, Mr. President. This is Rue, erm, Ms. Calliwell. You found them?”

“One of our Navy submarines found them, yes. They’re dehydrated and one of them has a broken arm, and one has a broken nose, but other than that, they’re alive and very excited to be coming home.”

I clap my hands together. “Whose arm is broken?”

“Steve Lathem, the co-pilot. And the nose belongs to Jack Stone. I’m afraid he’s pretty bruised up.”

Concerned, I ask, “But they’re going to be okay?”

“Yes, all four men are in the hospital now. They’re going to be fine.”

“Oh my God! That’s amazing!!” Overcome, I lean back with my hands over my mouth. Alec’s running down the stairs followed by a very groggy but excited mother. “Here they come, Mr. President! Just one more minute. I know you’re busy.”

He laughs, and I have to love him for that, even if I am mad at him for a lot of other things. “It’s okay. I want to give her the good news about her boys.”

“What’s going on?” Mrs. Stone asks with her hands in the air like a blind person looking for something substantial to hold onto. “They’re alive?!! You found them?!”

“Mrs. Stone, I’m happy to report that your boys are very much alive,” comes the President’s sure, clear tone through the speaker.

She claps her hands over her mouth and screams pure joy. Falling into Alec for support, she stares at the phone, and looks to me, shaking her head. “I can’t believe it.”

Alec’s got the clearest head of all of us. “Where are they, Mr. President?” I can’t believe I didn’t think to ask.

All business, our President informs us, “They’re in Miami, Florida. They were found floating near Cuba and due to unfriendly waters and the boys’ public and financial personas, their rescue was kept a secret until they were on American soil. I just found out myself. They’re in the hospital and doing fine. We’ll be flying them back to Los Angeles in the morning. I have to get back to my affairs, but I hope you all have a wonderful day.”

“Thank you!” “Thank you, Mr. President!”

“Thank you, Barack! You made me a very happy woman tonight!” Mrs. Stone calls to him, clearly having met him in person before. I stare at her in awe a moment, taking that in.

I lock eyes with Alec. “It’s a miracle. I thought for sure they were…” I stop myself, and they know why.

Alec grins. “Anybody as starving as I am?”

“I couldn’t possibly eat,” Mrs. Stone mutters, holding her stomach with a smile. “I think I want to go back and lay down for awhile. I might have taken a pill to calm my anxiety. Will you let me know when they call?”

I pause, surprised the question was directed at me. “Sure. Of course. I hope you feel better.”

“Thank you.” She exhales, turning to walk away and resting a hand on Alec’s shoulder as she passes. “I love you, kid.”

He beams at her. “I love you, too, Connie.”

After watching her exit, he turns to me and holds out his arms. I rush into them and we laugh, holding each other tightly and rocking from side to side, so grateful.

After a few moments, the laughter subsides as we both become aware of each other as we haven’t been since the tragedy happened. Goosebumps spread across my skin as he rocks me and kisses the top of my head. He pulls back so he can look into my eyes, the bags under his evidence of what we’ve been through.

“Rue,” he hoarsely whispers.

Rising up on my tiptoes I rest my forehead against his and close my eyes. “We were being stupid.” He knows I’m talking about us.

He kisses my cheek and I can feel a difference in him, a chastity and restraint that can’t be ignored. Tucking my head into the nook of his neck, I wait for him to say what’s on his mind. “I didn’t protect you from Jack, and you…” he struggles to say it, “…almost drowned because I wasn’t there. I haven’t forgotten. This all made it more clear, actually, how much things have to change. This can never work otherwise.”

I close my eyes. “I know. I want to be in their lives, Alec. I don’t know if they’ll have me after abandoning them in Spain. I should have been on that plane!”

He strokes my head and whispers, “I should have been, too. I know exactly how you feel.”

My voice cracks as I admit what I’ve been feeling for hours, “I want to be their sister.”

He nods against the top of my head and gives me a squeeze, holding me so tightly. “When we were waiting for word, I decided if they made it, I wouldn’t do anything to harm our friendship. I care about you.” He pulls away and looks into my eyes, taking my chin between his forefinger and thumb. “I don’t know if it’s the heightened energy of everything that’s happened, or what, but I’m falling in love with you.”

My heart expands to hear it. “I feel the same way.”

“But it’s no good if it tears us all apart. This family, your family now, it’s been mine my whole life. My mom and I barely talk and my dad is gone on some bender in Cambodia most of the time.” Alec chuckles sadly. “These guys, they’re it for me.”

“I know. I don’t want to come between you. I was acting like a jerk. Tragedy sure has a way of putting your perspective in order, doesn’t it?” I smile up at him and he nods.

“Yeah.”

“Friends?” I ask, my eyebrows rising a little, even as my heart sinks.

He makes a small sound like he doesn’t want to say it, but has to. “Friends.”

I shrug and wink at him, “Sometimes that lasts longer,” trying to make us feel better. We’ve been through so much tonight and I want us to be happy for at least a little while, knowing that four people’s lives weren’t taken before their time. “Let’s get something to eat.”

He smiles and releases me, but not before planting one bittersweet kiss on my forehead. “I’ll make us some sandwiches.” He stares at me a second, the look changing in his eyes. Feeling like he’s about to kiss me, I try to make myself want to pull away, but I can’t. Instead my head tilts up of its own volition and I close my eyes. Alec leans down and his lips brush mine just as the phone rings again.

We both laugh nervously, the spell broken. Alec rests his forehead on mine again and grins, “With that timing, it’s got to be Sean.”