"Sully!" Michaela exclaimed with great wonder, "Sully, look! You both look almost like twins!"

Actually, Jane Hunter, who was leaving the train this moment, looked more like Sully, with the same eyes, same hair, same smile…

"Ma!" Bridget shouted, and walked toward her along the platform.

Mrs. Hunter ran to her and then hugged her daughter tightly. Then she looked at Michaela and Sully:

"Dr. Quinn, Mr. Sully - I don't know how to thank you!" she said quietly.

"Just stay with us for Christmas - that would be fine!" Michaela smiled.

"Sure, thank you!" Mrs. Hunter said, "Nice to meet my brother's family!"

"Mrs. Hunter?" Sully finally asked, choosing the right time, "We need to talk about Bridget…"

He was afraid that they couldn't understand each other. She looked so much like him - but at the same time she was a refined British lady from another world. To his wonder, he noticed understanding in her eyes.

"Yes." she answered, "I know.. It's about my husband. Mr. Sully, I was a fool, when I tried to hide the truth from Bridget."

She took a deep breath and continued:

"George is a banker. But 4 years ago he almost went bankrupt, after he paid his investors, we were forced to sell our house and buy a smaller one, to fire the servants…My husband is… a very ambitious man, and he was suffering very much…

("Seems like my sister married Preston's double!" Sully thought.)

"He began to suffer headaches, and one man from his club advised him to use morphine against the pain. It helped…the first few weeks, but then…"

"Then it became a habit." Sully said.

"Yes, and the habit became stronger than him…He couldn't confess even to himself that his spirits even now depend on the morphine, but it was the truth."

She paused, then continued:

"I married George when I was 16, and never objected to him. But when I received your telegram, everything changed, I felt myself courageous enough to help Bridget.

"So, you…" Sully began.

"No," she smiled, "he didn't divorce me. It was a miracle - but he agreed with me and sent a letter to the Bostonian doctor who cures morphinism in his clinic. One more thing - we decided to leave England, and all the people who could remember him…like that. But Bridget -could she ever forgive us?"

"Yes, she could." Sully said, "I'm sure, especially if she knows the truth."

She looked at him gratefully, then suddenly asked:

"Mr. Sully, can I call you just…"

"Just 'Sully'," he said, "I hate my given name. .Sure you can."

"So you call me 'Jane'…I know you hate your name - Ma told me."

"She told you about me?" he wondered.

"Yes, she did. When I was a girl, I knew Ma had a son before, but he died long ago. I was sad because of it, I always wanted to have an elder brother who would take care of me and defend me…"

"Jane," Sully said, "You're not a kid anymore, but now you HAVE him - if you want him."

She took his hand:

"I dreamed about it all those years…"

Bridget washed the dishes after lunch when they came in. They both looked happy, so Bridget hoped they could talk…

"Buddy," Mother began, "Don't be shocked that I'm calling you this - I think I like this nickname. Buddy, I have something to tell you…it's about your father."

Bridget suddenly felt her hands trembling, and she almost broke the plate she was holding.

"I'm sorry for not telling you the truth," Mrs. Hunter began, "but your father was…was sick at that time. He has a disease called morphinism, and he was…was out of his mind. He didn't remember what he was doing…but now he's trying to recover in a clinic…and he's so sorry too."

"So, he'll never do it again?" Bridget asked quietly.

"Never!" Mrs. Hunter said firmly, "I promise!"

Bridget sighed heavily, then looked at Sully, fighting with herself, and finally said:

"Ma…can I send him a letter at the clinic?"

Sully looked at her with respect.

"Sure." she said, "He'll be very glad…Buddy, there is one more thing. We left England…"

"You - left???"

"Yes, we bought a little house in Boston…"

"So, we'll live in Boston?!" Bridget's eyes shone with joy, "That's where Dr. Mike's from!!!"

"It's not so far from here as London, is it?" Jane smiled, "So you can visit your uncle and aunt, and Grandma every holiday, if you're not bothering them yet!"

"Sure!" Sully said.

"I don't know what to say!" Bridget muttered.

"Say 'yes'!" Jane smiled again. Now she looked more like Sully than like a refined lady - and Bridget enjoyed it.

"One more thing - your father needs to continue his recovery after he leaves the clinic, so we need to go to Switzerland for a few months, and Dr. Quinn and Mr. Sully were kind enough to let you to stay here for that time…"

Bridget squealed with joy and hugged her mother…

The candles on the Christmas tree were lighted, and all the family sat at the table. There were two telegrams on the fireplace shelf - one was from Colleen, Andrew and little Charlotte, and another one - from Mrs. Quinn (including congratulations for the new family members)

All was wonderful, in Bridget's opinion - the Christmas gifts, and "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens, which the family read aloud every Christmas…

Finally, they sat at the table and joined their hands in prayer. There were so many things they needed to be thankful for, and they did it with all their soul.

But Bridget added something to the common prayer. She said quietly:

"Dear Lord. Please let Sully take care of me - even when I'm a grown woman, 'cause he's the best uncle- and the best man in whole world. He's the one who took me to this friendly family…and who gave me MY family again!"