MaryJo & Mack are the main focus of this story... Mack realizes that his proposal to MaryJo in reaction to David's threat has put them on the wrong footing... but when he breaks it off, maryJo misunderstands... but they both value their friendship, and MaryJo enlists Mack's help in digging up information on the people of the love letters/diary she found under the closet floor boards... ultimately, they find that the soldier survived D-day, was in a prisoner of war camp for awhile, and made it home, and his love was there, they married, had 3 children, and she passed at the young age of 71... and MaryJo is finally able to trust Mack's love and sincerity for her and they marry by the end of the story...

Linc & Lori are personally doing well, but her father is sabatoging Linc's new auto repair business... he will go under in the month, but has not shared with Lori... what will happen next? he is a good man...

Rachel & James finally see each other's weaknesses, and forgive one another for them... and James has sucessfully sold his video game - and explains he did not tell her about it because he was afraid of failure again...

Shirley Bliss is dating an artist (name?) and feels like a teenager again... Will is disappointed - he is almost likable/understood in this book, as we get a little more insight into his marriage and it's path to divorce... he still is trying to manipulate Shirley, but her friend Margie is probably going to put him on the right footing... Tanni Bliss is trying too hard to hold onto Shaw longdistance... she volunteers with Kristen at the library in a reading program that matches dogs to poor readers... at first Tanni doesn't like Kristen because she is the typical cheerleader to her, but they become friends, and Kristen guides her in understanding Shaw's behavior, and moving on...

Gloria accepts a date with Dr. Chad (3 years after their 1st)... and they connect, and end up in bed again...and she is shamed, and breaks it off again... she ends up pregnant, Chad has moved away, and she goes to him, willing to risk her vulnerability & with the expectation of having a family again... and sees him returning from a date, and he tells her he has moved on... she doesn't want him to know about the pregnacy - and goes to Corrie and Roy for support (her birth parents)... her father, who still has some anger about how Corrie gave Grace up for adoption without ever telling him about it, goes to Chad to tell him the truth... what will Chad do with that information? Hmmmm....

and sadly, Rachel and Bruce separate at the end of this story... Rachel is pregnant... Jolene has continued to be angry and uncooperative, and Bruce is unwilling to see how Jolene is not trying, and won't go to therapy... and Rachel is too tired and fed up, and leaves without any desire to work on things... Hmmmmm....