Patrick was pleased that they'd been able to return to Teresa's old Chicago stomping grounds. Chicago was only a few hours' flight from Austin. It had been fairly easy to convince her that the goodwill she'd earn by making an appearance at baby Paul's christening would go a long way towards having at least one happy Lisbon brother. What he hadn't expected was that he would have such a good time. Religious services weren't part of his family tradition or his personal beliefs. But the Lisbons had welcomed him and he felt touched to be included in their family gathering and photos.

Teresa, in the middle seat, had snuggled against him and promptly fell asleep as the plane took off. They were already many minutes past cruising altitude when he felt a shiver against his side. Smiling, he looked down on his sleeping Teresa and moved his jacket from his lap and draped it over her. As he gently placed the jacket over her shoulders, he also pulled her closer to him, settling his chin atop her head.

There really was nothing more amazing than holding his fierce angry little princess in his arms like this. It was such a contradiction to her persona of mother hen to her brothers, to the office, to him, if truth be told.

Oh my little Teresa, he chuckled to himself, remembering her wall graffiti. He had really enjoyed meeting her family-every single one-from baby Paul to brothers Stan and Jimmy. And not surprisingly, he'd felt a special kinship with Karen-as a fellow Lisbon outsider. At the picnic, watching little Annie, with her pigtails and pretty green dress, he couldn't help but feel that he was in a time warp, watching a little Teresa.

And how about that surprise? Damn if she hadn't surprised him TWICE now. Just when he was getting over her birthday 'party' with her surprise teacup gift, she'd gone ahead and surprised him again.

She said those three special words.

He thought back to the last time someone had told him they loved him. He couldn't remember if it was Angela or Charlotte-it was on the same day-the day that Red John had destroyed his family. As a long-time married couple, he and Angela had gotten in the habit of a quick "Love you" as he left their home each day. Oftentimes, it was accompanied by a quick kiss, longer if he was going out to take the act on the road, leaving his sweet and beautiful girls behind.

And Charlotte, with her sticky jam-hands and infectious spirit, saying "I love you, Daddy" embodied the purest meaning of the word "love". How he missed those moments! Holding baby Paul, lifting him in the air, had tugged at his heart in a special way. He was reminded of just how much he missed being a father-and how now it was more poignant, because now he was once again loved.

Honestly, until he'd said the words himself to Teresa on a different airplane, he had reconciled himself to never hearing them again. To never feeling loved again. Now that they were together, he had not heard the words from her, but surprisingly, it didn't matter.

He knew she loved him, he just knew, because she showed him every day, in the smallest ways. Oh, there was no doubt as to how much she loved him, in every way. He'd been loved before; he knew what it felt like. These last few months, it often seemed that he was living an almost surreal life: living with his best friend, working with his best friend, and if truth be told, enjoying the most fantastic loving with the most beautiful woman in Texas. There was very little else a man needed.

So he'd never asked her to say the words, never expected her to say them. Words were meaningless unless backed by action. Like when she'd shown him with her actions with his favorite teacup-and surprised him.

Now she'd gone ahead and surprised him again.

"Would you be surprised if I said I loved you?" she'd asked at the post-Christening picnic.

At that moment, he knew, he just knew she was going to say the words. Her voice was so tentative and in a flash, he could see her muster her courage to say something that he knew she likely had never told another man.

And what did he say? "I'd be lying if I didn't say I'd be moved by that."

The understatement of the century.

When she said the words, they were said softly, barely spoken, really, followed by an almost girlish pride in having actually said the words.

He was moved, alright. More moved than he'd been since the day Charlotte was born.

He didn't know how often he'd hear those words again from her in the future. It didn't matter.

She'd surprised him again, and now he was sure she'd surprise him again some time in the future.

The flight attendant's announcement concerning their gradual and final descent into Austin jolted him out of his reverie. He gently shook Teresa awake, back to consciousness. Seats in their full and upright position, he held her hand as their airplane began its landing pattern.

"Did you sleep well?" he asked.

"Like a baby," she purred.

Adjusting the shade, he looked out the window.

"Patrick," she asked, hesitating, "Did it...bother you?"

He knew exactly what she was referring to.

"I'll always miss her," he said. "Always. But that doesn t mean I can't love the children around us."

He continued staring out the window. "I loved being a father, you know. So much."

She squeezed his hand, acknowledging his sentiment, and reached across to gently turn his head towards her.

"I know." She smiled. "And I also know, just watching you with children, that you were an amazing father. Your Charlotte was a very lucky little girl."

He struggled to maintain his composure.

She looked down at their joined hands, and a little tentatively, asked: "Patrick, would you be surprised if I...if I told you I want to stop taking my pills?"

He was rendered speechless. He squeezed her hand, and then gripped it tightly, holding on to her for dear life, as they landed.

As they entered the jetway, he placed his free hand on her back. "I think it's time to make some plans, T."

She playfully poked him. "Only my brothers get to call me that!"

He continued, "It just feels like the right thing to do. Don t you think?"

Both sported huge smiles as they stepped into the terminal.