chocolate-y, marshmallow-y, graham cracker ring around his mouth. “These aren’t called messes; these are s’mores,” he said cheerfully. “You guys want one? I made plenty.”

Everyone was famished after their escapade, so they all chomped into a s’more or two.

Wildcat swallowed and said, “Do you think we need more s’mores?”

“Well...maybe,” Baloo mumbled around his fifth. He scooped up a s’more in each hand.

After a pointed look from Rebecca, the big bear changed his answer to ‘no’.

“Is it time to open presents yet?” Molly asked.

“In all the excitement, I plum forgot about the presents,” Baloo said.

“Ididn’t,” Molly said smugly. She and Kit ran out to the car and returned with the two gifts. She handed her mother Wildcat’s lumpy package.

Rebecca tore off the newspaper and pulled out something that appeared to be a mishmash of metal held together by big wads of pink bubblegum. “Why, Wildcat,” she said uncertainly, “it’s...it’s...”

“A picture frame,” the mechanic said proudly. He took the object from her and swung the two sides out, revealing an oddly beautiful silver picture frame. “I found that bubblegum’s the best thing for hinges or fixing broken clinkenheimers, whichever comes first . You can put three pictures in here. Maybe three wedding pictures.”

“You made that yourself, didn’t ya?” Baloo smiled, clapping Wildcat on the shoulder.

“Yep.” Wildcat nodded. “Out of the Sea Duck’s spare parts.”

“S...spare parts?” Baloo echoed uneasily.

“Thank you,” Rebecca said with a half-hearted smile. “It’s very...unique.”

“Yeah, thanks, Wildcat,” Baloo said.

Louie plopped his heavy gift on Baloo’s lap, prompting a wheeze of pain from the big bear.

Baloo unwrapped the box to reveal...”Hey, dishes. Solid.” He held out a plate. “Fill ‘er up, Becky.”

“It’ll take more than one plateful to fill your bottomless pit up, flyboy.” Laughing, she shoved a s’more in his mouth, causing Baloo to grin.

“Figured everyone could use a set of dishes,” Louie said.

“We definitely can,” Rebecca said, remembering yesterday’s moving fiasco when Wildcat broke most of their dishes.

“What’s all this writing on the packing paper?” Kit asked.

Louie laughed. “That’s my second present to ya. It’s Baloo’s tab. Figured ya’d like to start married life with a clean slate, cuz.”

Rebecca quickly unraveled the paper from the dishes and looked at the figure at the bottom of the tab. “Sixty-seven dollars and forty-three cents?”

Baloo shrugged and grinned. “What can I say? I’m a growin’ bear.”

Kit poked the pilot’s stomach. “Yeah, whenever the ‘Big Guy’ growls, it grows,” prompting Baloo to push the boy’s hat down over his eyes.

“How can we ever repay you, Louie?” Rebecca asked.

Louie pointed to his cheek. “Plan a wet one right there, Rebecca.”

Obligingly, Rebecca pecked him on the cheek. “Thank you for everything, Louie, and not just for the presents,” she said sincerely with a warm smile.

Louie blushed and let out an embarrassed chuckle. “No problemo, Rebecca. Guess I’ll be moseyin’ along now.” He shook Baloo’s hand vigorously. “She’s all yours now, fuzzy, you lucky bear. Have a blast on your honeymoon.” With a wink, a wave, and a smile, he was out the door.

A Half an Hour Later

The sun was sinking in the western sky when Rebecca emerged from Higher for Hire. She had donned her wedding dress. It was a little crumpled from being wadded up in a burlap sack and sat on. Her hair was back to its everyday coiffure.

While Baloo - wearing his familiar yellow flight shirt - loaded the suitcases and a picnic basket into the Sea Duck, she gave a few last minute instructions to the cubs. “Be good, both of you. Mind Wildcat.” She shot an askance look at the simple-minded mechanic, who was picking a long, sticky strand of marshmallow from his chin. She hated to think what her home would look like when she returned. “Well...just be good. We’ll be back in three days.”

“Tuesday!” Molly chirped.

“Yes, and the day after that...”

“Wednesday!” Molly said brightly.

“Yes, Pumpkin, Wednesday we have a very special meeting at Cape Suzette Child Services.”

Coming up behind his wife, Baloo added, “Where we gotta sign tons of forms to adopt these little troublemakers.” He fondly tousled Kit’s hair and patted Molly’s head.

“You mean save-the-dayers,” Rebecca said with a smile.

“Adopted! Adopted! We’re gonna be adopted, and we’re gonna get new last names!” Molly sang, skipping around in a circle.

Kit smiled shyly. His eyes shone with anticipation as he looked up at his future parents. “Uh, Miz..Rebecca, I have something for you.”

“What is it, sweetie?”

Kit pulled his pair of pink earmuffs from underneath his shirt with a sheepish smile. “I think you’ll need these.”

“Hey!” Baloo cried. “I don’t snore that loud.” He thoughtfully rubbed the back of his neck. “At least I don’t think I do.”

“How would you know?” Rebecca retorted. “You’re asleep.” She caught Kit in her arms for a big hug. “Thank you, Kit. I’m sure I’ll get a lot of use out of them.”

“I heard that, Rebecca,” Baloo said, scowling.

After the newlyweds had hugged and kissed the children goodbye, Baloo asked, “Are ya ready ta fade into the wild blue yonder, Becky?”

“I’m ready,” she answered with a demure smile, feeling as if she would follow him to the ends of the earth and back.

Baloo scooped Rebecca up in his arms and carried her to the Sea Duck.

Rebecca, seated on Baloo’s lap, asked coyly, “Now are you going to tell me where we’re going?”

Baloo resolutely shook his head, a teasing glimmer in his eyes. He went through the start-up procedure. “When will you get it through yer purdy head, Becky, that you’ll see it when you see it?”

“Not even a tiny hint?”

“Nope. You’re not gettin’ it out of this bear.” He mimed zipping his lip and throwing away the key.

She crossed her arms across her chest. “I bet you don’t know where we’re going.”

“‘Course, I do. It’s the purdiest place I’ve ever seen, an’ I’ve seen a lot of places.” He smiled affectionately down at her. “The best part is it’ll just be us.”

“No pirates?”

“No pirates. Cross my heart an’ hope ta fly.”

They both gave one last wave to the cubs and Wildcat before the seaplane taxied into the harbor.

Rebecca relaxed against her new husband and placed a paw on his chest.   Her eyes shifted from the rings on her finger - wedding and engagement - to Baloo’s face. She couldn’t get enough of his beloved face.

Baloo, however, wasn’t paying much attention to her at the moment; he was busy guiding the Sea Duck through the cliffs.

When he finally noticed her staring at him, he asked with a lopsided smile, “What? Is my face on crooked, or somethin’?”

“I love you, Baloo,” she said softly. Four very simple, very common words, but she meant it with every fiber of her being.

As the seaplane flew over the sun-kissed ocean, Baloo tenderly caressed her cheek and murmured, “I love you, too, Mrs. von Bruinwald.” He bent his head to kiss her lips.

TheSea Duck disappeared into a brilliant sunset blaze of yellowish-orange, fading into pinks and purples.

The End

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