Four years ago, she graduated from police college and came to this LA Police section with a few other young men. The person who received them was a tall and nice-looking young policeman. He took up the name list and read slowly, "Bob Lean Bruce, Frank George Cole, Claire Apple Trees?"

The new guys laughed. She flushed and said, "It is Trice." Her name got her into trouble whenever she went to a new place.

And after she got familiar with the nice-looking colleague, he sometimes would call her, "Hey, Apple Trees. Come here and help me." She would always bounce to his side.

A month later, after they cracked the morbid killer case, Jimmy and Claire had their wedding in a hotel.

The groom was known to be good-looking all the time. And he looked even better in a tailor-made black suit and caught a lot of eyeballs who happened to pass the lawn of the hotel. However, who really stunned the guests was the bride, who was always in uniform and without wearing makeup usually. For this day, Claire had not cut her hair for three months and had it grow to shoulder length. Now she finally could have an updo bride hairstyle. And after put on her makeup, the bridal crown, and veil, wedding dress, she was totally different from the tomboy she used to be.

When they walked together on the lawn to the flower arch, the guests whose eyes followed them all felt jealous of them.

Linda Galvin was among the guests. She brought a little boy with a cunning little head.

When the screen played a photo of Jimmy and Claire in police uniform, the boy jumped up and cried out excitedly, "I want to be a policeman too!" accompanied by a gesture of pointing a gun.

Everyone laughed, and Linda smiled awkwardly.

Jimmy walked to him and touched his shoulder, "Hey. Before you being a policeman, you have to protect your mom, OK?"

The little boy looked at him with admiration and nodded hard.

The wedding was merry and lively. The guests had great fun.

Only one person Jimmy invited didn't show up. She was afraid her coming would ruin the atmosphere there. She had invited the two to-be-couple to dinner two a week before the wedding.

When she said the restaurant name, Jimmy was a little startled because it was the restaurant he had dinner with her the first time.

Kate took her daughter to the dinner. Cathy, who was less than four years old, was cute and smart, speaking like an a.d.u.l.t. She brought fun to everyone around her.

Claire took an excuse to buy Cathy ice cream and left Kate and Jimmy alone.

As the person who was excited the atmosphere left, the booth suddenly was too quiet.

The two persons' appearance was not much different from five years ago, but the expression in their eyes and the air around them were distinct. They had all shed the naivete and carefreeness and replaced them with responsibility and maturity. Let bygone be bygones and live in the moment-that was the attitude a.d.u.l.ts should take.

"I heard that the hospital had issued critical ill notices twice. Is it true?" Jimmy showed worry in his eyes.

Kate nodded, "Yes. Liver and Kidneys have problems."

Her face and voice were all peaceful, but under the peace, there seemed to be suppressed agony.

Jimmy felt hard for her and said, "Kate, whatever happens, you have to hold on."

"I will. I have to because I have Cathy." And then she shifted the topic, "Don't talk about that. So your wedding is coming. I need to give a toast for you and Claire." She lifted the wine bottle and poured in his glass.

"Thank you very much for your help all the time."

Jimmy drank up the wine and smiled bitterly, "As long as you don't blame me."

The next day after the wedding, Jimmy and Claire flew to the Maldives for their honeymoon. They had saved one month's vacation in the past few years working. Of course, they didn't expect to have such a long vacation; a few days being alone should be enough for them.

Walking along the crystal clear water and snow-white beach, Jimmy received a call from the States. After putting back the cell phone in his pocket, he looked gravely to the sea. Claire, who was bouncing a few meters away from him, sensed something wrong and ran to him, "What's it?"

"He has gone."

"Two am this morning. Kidney failure."

Jimmy looked at the trestle bridge in the water, and the memory of the last meeting with Kate flashed in his mind.

Kate told him that if it was God's will to take him away, then she could not stop it.

"Should we go back? Kate might need someone to help her?" Claire asked.

Jimmy scrutinized her face, and she explained hastily, "I don't mind. She is your friend and thus my friend…"

Jimmy took up her hand and said, "She is my friend, but you are my wife. We are on honeymoon now."

They walked along with the coast hand in hand. Jimmy comforted her, "She got somebody else to help her with the funeral. She might need help, but we are not the right persons to help her with this."

The water climbed to the beach, crashed, and created some small white foam, and faded away. And in a regular interval, water climbed up again…

Some emotions belonged to the past, and the boundary had to be set. And the boundary had to be abided by. Now what he could give her were his best wishes.

"The smallest country in the world?"

"Vatican."

"The biggest…"

"Russia."

"Haha, I knew you would answer this." The girl sitting on the passenger's seat had soft and shining hair. Under the neat bangs were her bright big green eyes. She showed some cunning expression in her eyes, and her little hands searched the window. She spoke articulately, "I asked the biggest animal in the world."