
Sky Romance Novels

# San Diego

love comes in many forms

# by AJ Harmon

www.skyromancenovels.com

First eBook Edition, February 2014

Copyright 2014 by ABCs Legacy, LLC

All rights reserved. This book may not be reproduced in any form, in whole or in part, without written permission from the author.

Contemporary romance author AJ Harmon is going to do it again with her new romance series, Sky Romance Novels. Book 1, San Diego - love comes in many forms, is the beginning of this heartwarming and inspirational new series.

Building on the success of her First Class Novels series, an Amazon bestselling author, AJ Harmon is going to answer the question we all ask ourselves when waiting in the airport for a flight. "I wonder where they're going...and why?"

In "San Diego – love comes in many forms" we will follow three passengers and one member of the crew as they explore, discover and embrace love, passion, loyalty and selflessness to fulfill their desire to love and be loved in return.

Flight attendant Jill Delaney has a surprise waiting for her at her weekend vacation destination in San Diego and a life altering decision to make.

William Nestor, an esteemed and wealthy New York Oncologist, flies west after decades of living on the opposite coast to bury his father, where he recognizes an unexpected opportunity to conquer his fear and claim a love that was lost. Will he finally be bold enough to claim what should have been his twenty-five years ago and secure a second chance at love? Or will he once again retreat from his desires?

Annie and Evan Wilder, the perfect couple, travel to San Diego to discover the true meaning of unselfish love and the missing piece to their perfect life, only to be blessed beyond their dreams.

The heartwarming and inspirational stories you'll follow in this new contemporary romance novel "San Diego – love comes in many forms" will brighten your day as you laugh, cry and celebrate love and family with these loveable and relatable characters that AJ Harmon has brought to life.

This contemporary romance series will continue with "Las Vegas – what happens in Vegas doesn't always stay in Vegas" coming in the fall of 2014.

# Dedication

I know I've said it before, but I'm gonna say it again. I have some of the most amazing people who help me publish my books and without them I would be nothing. I am doubly lucky because these amazing people are my family.

To my son, Christopher, who makes it all possible, thank you! You are so incredibly gifted and talented and I love having you for a publishing partner. From proofing to website design, profile pictures to cover layouts, kindle formatting to plot discussion, and everything else that you do, I appreciate it more than words can express. May our collaboration be long and prosperous. Love you, Ursur.

# Table of Contents

1. 5

2. 10

3. 15

4. 19

5. 23

6. 28

7. 32

8. 38

9. 42

10. 49

11. 54

12. 58

13. 61

14. 66

15. 70

16. 73

17. 78

18. 82

19. 86

20. 90

21. 94

22. 99

EPILOGUE. 105

About the Author

# 1.

BALANCING A SALAD AND a bottle of Coke in her left hand, Jill Delaney pulled out dollars from her wallet with her right hand and paid the cashier. Then, still balancing her lunch, she stuffed her wallet back in her bag and dragged her carry-on luggage out of the airport news stand and to Gate C37. Her flight was fifteen minutes from landing so that gave her twenty minutes to eat and visit the bathroom before her shift started.

The airport was buzzing. Mornings were always busy and today was no exception. It seemed like every other person she saw were men in business suits, carrying a laptop bag and talking on a cell phone. The overhead speakers were filled with a pleasant woman's voice paging this person and that person to meet their party at the baggage claim. The massive monitors displaying arrivals and departures were constantly being updated and travelers speed walked up and down the terminal, hurrying to their gate or out of the airport and on to their final destination. The airport had a life of its own.

Jill loved being a flight attendant. In fact, today was her twelfth anniversary. As she found an empty seat near her gate, unloaded her luggage and began inhaling her Cobb salad, her mind drifted back to the very first flight she worked. It was a crazy experience. Even now, a seasoned professional, she couldn't believe she survived that first day.

Finishing her training with glowing reports and high expectations for her performance, Jill nervously arrived at the airport in her crisp new uniform pulling her brand new airline-approved carry-on. She quietly sat next to the door of the gate, awaiting her co-workers. She was early...a full thirty minutes early, so she fidgeted and twitched in the plastic chair, constantly watching for others dressed in the airline's blue and cream colored uniforms to approach her. Twenty-two minutes later Emma arrived, all smiles and meticulous in her appearance.

The two women introduced themselves and chatted for a couple of minutes before the other two flight attendants arrived. The four women stood by the door as the Captain and co-pilot stepped ahead of them, off to do their pre-flight inspection of the 737 that had been sitting at the gate overnight. Just as they were grabbing their bags, an airline employee interrupted them and told Emma she was needed immediately in the management offices. She hurried off as the others made the walk down the gate and entered the plane.

Jill's hands were sweaty, her heart beating hard against her ribs, and her eyes wide open as she watched Lilly and Rachel, her co-workers, stow their luggage in the reserved bins and begin the inspection of the inside of the plane...the cabin. Jill had repeated this same routine countless times in training, but it felt so different walking down the aisle of a _real_ plane, knowing that _real_ passengers would be boarding in just a few minutes. Fortunately, the training took over and pushed her into auto-pilot, checking seatbelts, making sure the floor was clear of trash, and opening all the overhead bins ready for passengers to overstuff them with bags that should have been checked at the ticketing counter.

As the Captain and co-pilot entered the plane, Jill squared her shoulders, trying to give off an aura of self-confidence, even though she was scared to death that one of them would see her legs shaking in fear.

"Good morning," Ray said.

Jill smiled at the Captain and extended her hand. "Hi. I'm Jill Delaney, the newest member of the crew."

"Jill," he nodded, "Ray Gilliam. Morning Lilly. Morning Rachel."

Further introductions were halted as an airline employee rushed into the cabin. "Change in plans this morning," she said. "Emma will not be joining you today. She's been suspended pending investigation."

Jill all but swallowed her tongue as she choked. "Investigation?"

"Emma's been suspended _again_?" the co-pilot asked. The airline employee nodded. He shook his head and turned to Jill. "Hi Jill. I'm Roger. Welcome aboard," he chuckled. "Never a dull moment, eh?"

Rachel rolled her eyes. "Why?" she asked.

"I bet I can answer that," Lilly frowned. "I warned her more than once."

"No!" Rachel sighed. "Again?"

Jill was obviously in the dark. It appeared it had been just a matter of time before Emma was suspended. The question remained. What did she do?

Lilly read Jill's expression. "She _visited_ the mile-high club again...with a passenger. One of the many...many _perks_ of working in first class, at least for Emma," she said as she shook her head in disgust. "I've told her, along with many others mind you, to quit screwing the passengers. Apparently she didn't listen."

Ray interrupted. "The reason at this point is irrelevant. We have one hundred and seventy-three passengers about to board, so you won't be an on-looker today, Jill. You ready?"

Jill nodded. "I am. I won't let you down."

Rachel smiled and placed her hand on Jill's shoulder. "You'll do great. And Lilly and I am here for you so just ask if you have any questions."

Lilly pulled the passenger manifest from her pocket. "There are only four first class passengers on this flight, so Jill, you take them. Rachel and I will handle the masses," she smiled.

"I...I can't do first class!" she wailed. "I'm not ready for that!"

"Sure you are," encouraged Roger. "Just fill 'em full of liquor and they'll be fine," he chuckled.

Their conversation was halted when the gate agent stepped onto the plane. "You guys ready?"

Ray and Roger disappeared into the cockpit and Lilly and Rachel gave Jill the thumbs up signal.

"We are," Jill stated with false confidence.

And so her first flight, from Atlanta to Denver, a four-hour induction into the world of domestic first class travel, was completed with only a couple or minor mishaps. As they bid farewell to the passengers as they disembarked, Ray patted Jill on the shoulder.

"Well done," he smiled. "You're good for the next leg? On to Portland?"

"In first class again?" she exclaimed.

"Sure. You did great. Just a quick two-hour flight and you'll be a seasoned professional," smiled Lilly.

And so she did. Her first day on the job was spent in first class. The Denver leg was easy compared to the Portland leg, however. Jill smiled at the memory. That one passenger in seat 4A made the flight interesting, to say the least.

The elderly woman in seat 4C stuck her head in the galley before take-off, looking very anxious.

"Is everything alright?" Jill asked.

"I don't think so," the woman replied. "The woman sitting next to me is...is having some kind of emotional...well, breakdown, I think. Can you come and check on her?"

Jill followed the woman to Row 4 and slid into the empty seat. "Excuse me, ma'am? Are you okay?"

"Fine," the woman sputtered out. "I'll...be...fine."

"Can I get you something? Anything? A drink, maybe? Some tissues?"

The woman shook her head. "Thank you. I just need to get home."

Jill attempted a smile and looked up at the woman in whose seat she was seating. They both shrugged their shoulders. Apparently, seat 4A was upset but wasn't about to share why.

Once back in the galley, Jill looked at the passenger manifest and found seat 4A. Janie Anderson. She felt bad for the obviously distraught woman, but there was nothing more she could do. After take-off, Janie ordered a drink, a rum and coke, and nursed it the entire flight, taking small sips in between blowing her nose and stifling little sobs.

To this day, twelve years later, Jill recalled everything about that flight, and often wondered what, or who, had broken Janie's heart. Over the years she'd seen it all. But Janie Anderson had stuck with her...her first, if you will.

But the time for reminiscing was over. Esther and Rose sat down beside her, her partners in crime for the next few hours. And she was looking forward to it, too. Once in San Diego, she had two days to relax in the sun before her next shift. She was ready to get this plane in the air.

*****

Annie Wilder nervously paced in front of her husband, Evan, ten paces to the left then ten paces to the right, over and over again. Evan watched his wife chew on her bottom lip, noted her fidgeting hands and the creases in her forehead. She'd been like this for days and he still had no idea how to calm her nerves. Only a couple more days and the worst of the anxiety would be over...hopefully.

This had been a long time coming. In fact, it would be ten years ago next month that they'd received the news that any couple wanting to start a family would dread. It'd been devastating for sure, but they'd never given up hope on the dream of having a child and this trip would _finally_ make that dream a reality. A baby...a girl...a child in need of a family...them in need of a child... _their_ child...their new daughter waited for them in San Diego, just a few hours by airplane away. If ever Annie needed a plane to depart on time, this was it.

Still pacing in the aisle in gate C37, Annie looked as tense as she felt. Evan looked decidedly calmer...on the outside. On the inside he was a ball of nerves one twitch away from a breakdown but he needed to be strong and keep it together for Annie. He took a deep cleansing breath and watched the flight crew disappear beyond the gate door and knew it would just be a matter of minutes before they'd be called to board. Grabbing Annie's hand on her next pass in front of him, he pulled her down beside him.

"Go to the restroom now and when you get back it'll be time to board."

Annie shook her head. "I don't need to go. I _need_ to get on the plane."

"You know the second we take off you'll lean over to me and whisper you need to use the bathroom," he chuckled, trying to lighten the air.

She grinned. "You know me too well."

"Not well enough," he smiled and leaned in close. "I'd like to _know_ you right now."

Annie laughed. It was a welcomed sound causing Evan to kiss her on the cheek. "Thank you," he whispered.

"For what?"

"For everything! For all of it! For going through life with me. For loving me. I don't know...just everything."

"Well, someone had to make the sacrifice and put up with you," she teased, slapping him on the arm.

"I know. And I'm glad it was you who martyred herself to do it," he grinned.

"Me, too."

*****

With the Wall Street Journal read, William Nestor folded it neatly and placed it on the empty chair beside him. He checked his cell phone again and deleted the junk email that had somehow made it past his spam filter and then turned off his phone and placed it in the outside pocket of his laptop bag resting against his leg. He watched the other people in the gate area, waiting, just like him, to board the plane and fly to San Diego. As he looked at families, couples, the individuals around him, he wondered what was taking them to southern California. Was it vacation or work? Was it a welcomed trip or one that was being made grudgingly, like himself?

When he'd left for New York all those years ago, the thought that if he never returned home didn't bother him one bit. Now, older and hopefully a lot wiser, he realized he should have visited more often, that constantly making excuses to avoid visiting had just hurt him more than his father and brother. However, there was no use wishing it could be different. If he'd learned anything as an oncologist it was that he should look at the here and now and make the most of the present. The past was gone and who knew what tomorrow would bring, or if there would even _be_ a tomorrow? Today should be the focus. He would go home today. The rest was of no importance.

William watched the flight attendants head down the gangway so he stood and straightened his suit jacket, lifted his laptop bag and placed it on top of his carry-on luggage. He always flew first class and knew that he would be boarding momentarily. He'd stow his bags in the overhead bin, settle in his window seat, and order a stiff drink. Then he'd sit back and wait to land in his hometown and see if his brother would pick him up at the airport or if he would be left on his own. He'd emailed his itinerary to Lewis but hadn't received any sort of reply. Only time would tell how this trip was going to go.

# 2.

ESTHER AND ROSE STOOD at the front of the plane greeting the passengers as they boarded.

"Hello. Welcome aboard. Hi. Good Morning. Hello." It went on for two hundred and four people until all were on board and accounted for. Esther's smile disappeared as she was summoned to row fifteen.

"Excuse me, but this isn't going to work," the woman said stiffly. "I paid for a whole seat. I should get the entire thing."

Esther glanced quickly at the portly man in the middle seat. His hips, legs, waist, arms and shoulders were all spilling over to the seats on either side of him. _Dammit! Why don't the flippin' gate agents take care of this before they board the plane?_ "Ma'am? Let me see what I can do." Hurrying to the front, she grabbed Jill by the elbow and pulled her into the galley and quickly summarized the simmering situation in row fifteen.

Jill poked her head around the corner. The airline had filled the first class cabin with all the frequent fliers, giving them a taste of the good life and rewarding them for flying with them. "Crap!" she muttered. "There's nothing up here."

With a sigh, Esther headed back to coach and pushed her way through the congested aisle to the back galley where Rose was preparing the ice buckets for the drink service after takeoff. Once again explaining the situation, Rose pointed to the last row of the cabin with one young man at the window. With an alternate seating arrangement ready, Esther forced her way back to row fifteen and explained that if the woman would like to come back to the last row, they could settle her there with a free drink and lunch box and a voucher for another flight.

"I'll take it," the stout man in the middle piped up.

"It was not offered to you, sir," Esther replied, attempting a pleasant smile.

"Thank you," nodded the woman. "I'll take it." With one last look over her shoulder at the man sitting in the middle seat, and most of the seats either side of him, she followed Esther to the rear of the plane.

"One crisis averted," Rose whispered as Esther looked up. "On a four-hour flight we should only have two more to go."

Esther shook her head as a baby starting screaming, instantly knowing what number two was going to be.

*****

Annie and Evan Wilder were sitting in Row 27, seats B and C. Her flicking through the Sky Mall magazine for the tenth time was driving Evan crazy, to the point he put in the ear-buds of his cell phone and scrolled through the playlists 'til he picked one and pushed the play icon.

Memories filled his mind as he leaned his head back on the seat and closed his eyes as the melody of a favorite Snow Patrol song soothed his nerves. When he'd met Annie nearly fourteen years ago, they'd been at college, getting ready to graduate and start their careers. Evan had already secured a job as an engineer with a county in Wisconsin and Annie was still sending out applications to local hospitals. She'd changed her major to physical therapy after her grandfather had fallen down the stairs and through the help of dedicated and kind therapists had regained his strength and ability to walk without the use of a walker. It had made such a huge impact on the whole family that Annie had walked away from her dream of being a teacher. They'd met at the bookstore when they were both trying to sell back some textbooks in order to pay for some of the graduation costs. Both having worked their way through school, every little bit helped. Annie had dropped a book at his feet and the rest, as they say, was history. Looking into her big brown eyes was all it took and he was a goner.

They had coffee, then two days later went to a movie. The following week included two dinners together and several cups of coffee in the bookstore between classes. He'd known quickly that she was the one for him. He loved everything about her; her eyes, her laugh, the way her tongue peeked through her full pink lips when she was concentrating, the feel of her skin, and the love she obviously had for her family when she spoke of them, which was often. As he kissed her the spark between them was powerful, overwhelming and undeniable. A week before graduation he took her to the river, a favorite spot for him to do homework when the weather was good, and a place that provided solitude away from his apartment and three obnoxious roommates. They sat on a blanket holding hands and talking about the future. He was waiting for the perfect moment to ask her to come to Wisconsin with him when Annie turned to him and said, "I'm sure they need physical therapists in Wisconsin, don't you think?" They were married the following summer in a perfect garden wedding with all their friends and family in attendance.

She had found a job...one she loved. They were living the dream, able to buy their first home and vacation in Mexico twice a year. It appeared they had it all, but few knew the heartache they were experiencing not being able to conceive a baby. Eventually, they ended up forgoing their annual trips and selling Evan's car. Fertility treatments weren't cheap but they were prepared to sacrifice wherever and whatever in order to achieve their dream of becoming parents.

Their sixth anniversary involved the selling of their home and moving back to the family ranch in Oklahoma. Annie's grandfather welcomed them with open arms, thrilled to have them moving in with him. He'd been alone since his wife had passed away several years earlier and was happy to have the company. After his fall several years earlier, he'd converted the den off the kitchen on the main floor into his bedroom, no longer comfortable climbing up and down the stairs several times a day, which left the whole second floor available for Annie and Evan to occupy, giving them ample space and several bedrooms for their furniture and plenty of privacy. Evan found a job with an architectural firm, a forty-five minute drive from home and Annie began seeing the top fertility doctor at The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center.

Leading a quiet life, Evan worked hard during the work week and helped Annie's father and brothers on the ranch on the weekends, when needed. A lot of the time, Annie was a hormonal wreck, either shooting herself up with syringes full of hormones or the emotional downward spiral of discovering the latest IVF didn't work. Hell. That's how Evan thought of those three years. Hell. It took all of their financial resources and most of their emotional ones, too. The day they decided they were done with it all was one of the worst and best days of their lives.

Evan's eyes fluttered open to see Annie, arms folded in her lap, eyes closed and finally still. How he loved her. No, that didn't really seem to express the depth of his feelings for her. She was his world and it all but broke him knowing he couldn't help her fulfill her dream of having a baby. It could have torn them apart, as it had several of the other couples they'd met in the support group they'd joined, at the advice of their doctor. Somehow though, their love and commitment had deepened, allowing them to express their hurt and disappointment openly bonding them further.

Finally letting go of the idea that Annie would eventually become pregnant freed them. It was devastating but it allowed them to step back and appreciate what they already had. They had each other and their family and eventually, it led to the new-found hope of adoption, one Annie had rigorously avoided as she held out with the idea of having a biological child. As Evan gazed at his precious wife he acknowledged that it was his dream to have a little girl that looked just like her mother, but that had been replaced with the idea of just having a child to raise together...any child. A child for them to love. He didn't care whether it was a boy or girl or what color its skin was. He just wanted a family and this trip would bring that dream to fruition.

*****

All sixteen first class passengers were content. They'd eaten, drank, received pillows and blankets if they had been requested, and Jill had tidied up the small galley. The Captain and co-pilot had eaten too, so Jill took the peaceful moment to check her email.

A smile spread across her face as she opened up the message from Greg. They'd been dating for almost a year now and he managed to make sure that every time her flight landed, there was a text waiting for her. Now that she had Wi-Fi on the plane, the messages didn't have to wait to be read until she was on the ground.

_Miss you already. Love you, Greg_

Sliding her phone back into her pocket, Jill sighed with contentment. After her divorce a few years before, she wondered if she would be able to find a man who would put up with her crazy schedule. She'd ended up marrying a pilot, thinking they would understand the demands on the other's time. As much as they had loved each other, it'd been a disaster. They never saw each other and grew apart rather quickly. Neither of them was willing to give up their career and the only option left was separation, and later divorce.

Feeling like a total failure, Jill had declined all offers from friends to set her up, to 'get back in the saddle' as they put it. If a man in her own profession couldn't accept her schedule, how the hell would anyone else? But despite the irony of it all, she'd met Greg on a flight from Chicago to San Diego and they'd ended up staying in the same hotel. She figured the odds of that happening were pretty darn slim, so when he asked her to have dinner with him in the hotel restaurant, she accepted.

Greg was an internet marketer and worked from home. He'd made his first million selling a fitness e-book and had successfully gone on to turn a couple of former NFL players into online health and fitness gurus, sitting back and enjoying the profits from their videos and weight loss programs. Jill's schedule didn't bother him in the slightest. He was home fifty weeks out of the year and always worked when Jill left home for her work. She couldn't believe she'd found him and certainly didn't believe it would last. How long would he put up with it? Only time would tell.

But, in the meantime she enjoyed the emails, the texts, and the occasional bouquet of flowers waiting for her at her hotel. Greg was thoughtful and generous and Jill convinced herself she should just enjoy it and not make anything more out of it than what it was – two people who enjoyed spending time with each other.

Seat 2A's light flicked on. Personal time was over.

*****

William pushed the overhead button, summoning the flight attendant. He needed another drink. The closer they got to San Diego, the more nervous he was becoming. In his professional life as a doctor, he was cool, calm and collected. Nerves were never part of the equation. This trip, however, was definitely not professional and his nerves were becoming a problem. Another drink would only help temporarily. Once in the airport he would have to face what was coming, and if his brother was there to pick him up, sooner rather than later. In one mouthful he downed his drink, the ice cubes clinking in the bottom of the glass as he placed it on his tray. _Another? No. Better to face it sober._

He hadn't seen his brother since the wedding. _The wedding. More like the betrayal._ That was unfair. The moment William thought it, he silently chastised himself. It wasn't a betrayal. Lewis had no idea that he was in love with his brother's bride...neither did she.

William had fallen for Erica in high school. He'd admired and loved her from a distance, never more than a few mumbles spoken to her when it was unavoidable. He was quiet and slightly socially awkward, felt unattractive and was a tad overweight. He'd attended all the advanced placement classes, quite brilliant for someone so young. He barely passed P.E., not being the athletic type, and had taken college classes his senior year. He had a handful of signatures in his yearbook, but had scholarships offered to him by every university to which he'd applied.

Lewis, a year older, wasn't nearly as smart as William, although he may have been but never applied himself to find out what he was capable of. But Lewis had the looks and the charm and was one of the popular kids in school. Their paths rarely crossed in the halls but when they did, they both ignored the other. At home it was pretty much the same. Their bedrooms were next to each other but their lives were headed in different directions and they had nothing in common.

Their mother had died of pancreatic cancer when William was seven, leaving their father to raise them on his own. He did the best he could, and William credited him with trying, but basically, with the exception of supplying mostly takeout for dinner and doing a couple of loads of laundry on the weekends, the boys raised themselves. The dream of a future with Erica kept William focused on school and his desire to make something of himself so that she would want him...would desire him...would finally notice him. With his acceptance to Harvard, William packed up and headed for the east coast, determined to come back nine months later more confidant and ready to make his big move.

Lewis was working in a garage, learning how to be a mechanic, and still living only a couple of blocks from Erica. She'd enrolled in a local beauty college and by the time William returned home the following June, she was dating Lewis and would occasionally stay the night, sleeping in the room next to his. On occasion he could hear them...the moans and the bedhead hitting the wall. It drove him close to mad. The following summer he stayed at school and found a job.

Lewis and Erica were married the summer between William's junior and senior year. He returned home only because he couldn't think of an excuse good enough to get out of the wedding. He sat in the pew and watched the woman he loved marry his brother. He vowed never to return to San Diego.

That had worked until his father had a heart attack a few years later. William had finished his residency and had been offered a fellowship in Oncology. There wasn't a lot of time for him to be visiting family, even if his father was ill. He arrived back in San Diego long enough to discuss his father's condition with the doctors, assure his father he would be fine if he followed the recovery plan and then he caught the first plane heading east. Lewis was furious that he hadn't stayed for more than a few hours. Apparently, they were supposed to pretend to be close and brotherly. William hadn't received the memo. He had no desire to see his brother, especially since he'd divorced Erica after cheating on her multiple times. William had picked up the telephone hundreds of times, desperately wanting to call Erica, and each time he'd chickened out, deep down, still that same awkward fifteen year old boy.

Eventually he'd lost track of Erica and barely kept in contact with Lewis – an occasional email or Christmas card was about it. The call a few days ago to tell him his father was dead was short and without emotion. Lewis had informed William of the death and forwarded all funeral arrangements by email. After booking a flight, William replied by email. It was just easier that way.

The Captain's voice came over the speaker announcing their decent into San Diego. _Here we go_.

# 3.

THE ETIQUETTE OF DISEMBARKING an airplane is really quite simple. Row 1 goes first, then Row 2, and Row 3, and so on until the plane is empty. But there's always those couple of people who are sure that they are more important than everyone else and try to push their way out first. These were the people that drove Jill crazy. Most were kind and considerate, friendly and accommodating. However, there always seemed to be at least one with their self-importance factor in overdrive.

"Sir," she said, trying not to snarl. "If you could just hold on a moment, we can get everyone off the plane and on their way in an orderly fashion."

He looked up at her, six or so rows away, with no expression, but then realized his pushing was going to get him nowhere.

"Goodbye. Thanks for choosing Sky Airlines," the Captain smiled as he stood next to Jill and nodded at the passengers as they exited.

"Bye-bye. Goodbye. Thank you. Bye," Jill added with a smile until the impatient egomaniac stepped in front of her, then she quickly turned and pretended to be putting something away in the galley as he stepped passed her and onto the gangway.

As the final passenger exited, leaving the crew to themselves, Esther and Rose joined her at the front of the cabin, luggage in hand.

"Ready for dinner?" Rose asked. "It's still early. We can drop our bags off and get changed and actually have a night out."

"And it's warm here!" grinned Esther. "I'm so sick of being stuck in all these cold places. This is a welcomed change. I think I'll have enough time in the morning to hit the beach before I head to Atlanta."

The Captain and co-pilot pulled their luggage from the cockpit, said their farewells and left, leaving the three women to follow behind. Jill pulled her bag from the bin and took one more look around before she stepped off the plane to enjoy two whole days of anticipated relaxation.

*****

With his hand placed gently in the small of her back, Evan guided Annie off the plane and into the San Diego airport. It was crowded, masses of people everywhere. It was the busy time of day with planes arriving from all over, delivering the masses seeking seventy-five degree weather.

San Diego was the destination for fun in the sun year round. Perhaps leaving from the terminal on a cruise, or heading into Mexico for some great shopping bargains or sight-seeing, or even a business trip was made better with a view of the bay from a hotel room. This was no such trip for the Wilders. Angst and anxiety was all they felt as they followed the crowd to the baggage carousel and waited patiently for their bags to roll past them.

Out at the curb Evan assisted the taxi driver in stowing their luggage in the trunk and then gave him the name of the hotel that held their reservation...the Grand Hyatt, a gift. As they'd sat at the dining table searching for the cheapest hotels in the city, Philip, Annie's grandfather had watched and listened from the living room, knowing that the adoption had cost them everything they had in savings. He wanted their experience in San Diego to be perfect and the fewer stresses the better, so he'd given them his credit card to book the room after protest from both Annie and Evan. But he'd have none of it. They deserved a beautiful and peaceful trip to meet their new daughter and this was one way he could contribute.

It was a city view room, rather than the pricier bay views but they didn't mind. As Annie walked to the window and looked out over the downtown just as the evening lights were beginning to appear, she took a deep breath. Evan stacked the bags in the corner and then stood behind his wife, encircling her in his arms and pulling her back to rest against his chest. He kissed her cheek and hugged her tightly. "It's gonna be okay," he whispered.

Annie nodded and took another deep breath. She hoped so.

*****

William sat at the bar in the airport restaurant and ordered a drink...scotch. He'd walked off the plane and through the airport to the sliding glass doors and stood just outside looking for a familiar face. He didn't see it. Instead of grabbing a taxi, he swung around and headed back inside to where he now sat, a view of the road and the cars coming and going, picking up and dropping off loved ones and friends.

Would Lewis show? Was there any relationship left? With their father now dead was there anything to hold them together? William downed his drink in one gulp, pulled a twenty dollar bill from his wallet and threw it onto the bar, grabbed the handle of his luggage and walked out of the airport. He stood in the taxi line and within just a few minutes was on his way to the Grand Hyatt hotel. It was just a ten minute drive, traffic a little heavier with the hour. He glanced at his phone, confirming he hadn't missed a call or a text. Nothing. He was on his own. Not unexpected but slightly disappointing, a surprising reaction he wasn't prepared for.

William lived in Manhattan and had been there for many, many years. After medical school and his residency he'd relocated to the East Side after accepting a position at Beth Israel. He loved his apartment which was a short ten minute walk to work and he loved the people he worked with. He loved making a difference in someone's life, literally the difference between life and death, and he loved the self-satisfaction he had when a patient was announced cancer free. He was respected by his colleagues and peers and loved by his patients. His professional life was more than he'd hoped for. He was paid handsomely for doing what he was passionate about. It couldn't get any better.

His personal life, however, was non-existent. Social outings were limited to hospital gatherings and the occasional fundraiser he couldn't get out of. He interacted with other human beings at work...at home he was all alone. He had a housekeeping service come in once a week, though he never saw them as they came while he was at work. He had groceries delivered, again, while he was at work. William chose to eat most of his meals in the hospital cafeteria, eliminating the opportunity to eat in restaurants, thereby pretty much avoiding all human contact outside his work hours.

His apartment was tastefully decorated. Three bedrooms and two and a half bathrooms seemed ideal when he bought it, although truthfully, he'd hoped to fill it with more people, but as time went on the idea of marriage and family was getting pushed further and further from his mind. It's not that he was old, not at all. He knew several men that had married for the first time in their forties, but then, they also dated and had a social life.

Starting to go bald, still slightly overweight and painfully shy around women, William's prospects were certainly limited. Actually, they were non-existent due to his rule of not dating anyone in the workplace, and seeing as though that's the _only_ place he met women, he was destined to remain single. He was alone...at home in New York and returning to San Diego. Not even his brother wanted to spend time with him.

William rode the elevator to the twenty-sixth floor and paced down the hall looking for his room. Once inside, he removed his jacket and tie and ordered room service. Once again, he would spend the evening alone.

*****

Jill slid into the empty seat on the shuttle bus behind Esther and Rose. The driver hoisted their bags onto the luggage rack and they sat idle at the terminal curb for a few minutes before heading off to the Holiday Inn. Sky Airlines had a contract with the giant hotel chain and Jill had spent many nights under one of their roofs. They rolled out of the airport and around the bay and within just a few minutes pulled into the hotel parking lot and strolled into the lobby, ready to dump their belongings in their rooms and enjoy a relaxing night out - just the girls. Usually one or all of them had to be up early the following morning and at the airport. This was the first night in months that Jill had had the time and the desire to spend the evening out. Some yummy seafood, a nice bottle of wine and the view of the bay was the prescription she needed to start her two-day reprieve in style.

All three women were on the ninth floor.

"I need a shower," Rose sighed. "Can you give me forty-five minutes?"

"Me, too," agreed Jill.

"You need a shower?!" Esther exclaimed. "I'm the one that got thrown up on!"

Rose laughed as she pushed the elevator 'up' button. "You wanted to hold the baby!"

"Yeah...well," Esther said as she tried to hide a grin. "She was adorable."

Jill suddenly had the distinct impression that she was being watched. Turning her head slowly, nonchalantly, she glanced around the large area. There were business men on laptops and a few people at the coffee cart, but nothing noticeable jumped out at her. The ding of the elevator had her swinging back and tugging on her luggage as she stepped inside.

"You okay?" Rose asked, seeing the look on Jill's face.

"Yeah, just...never mind. So, meet you back down here at ten minutes to seven?" she asked.

"That's perfect. Do you want me to pick the restaurant?" Esther offered.

They agreed, although Jill knew it would be more of a bar than a restaurant, but she didn't mind. A night out was just what she needed.

They parted in the hallway, each heading to their rooms. Jill's was the closest to the elevator and was inside in just a few steps. Collapsing on the bed felt good. Calculating in her head how long she needed to be showered and back downstairs to meet her girlfriends, she figured she could close her eyes for exactly seven minutes. With a deep breath her eyelids lowered and then opened wide when there was a knock at the door. Frowning, Jill dragged herself from the bed over to the door, to which she all but jumped at the sight of the huge floral bouquet in front of her.

"These were just delivered, ma'am."

"Oh, wow! Ah, thank you," she smiled as she tried to take them from the hotel bellman.

"I can bring them in," he offered.

"Oh, right. On the table is fine," Jill mumbled as she dove for her bag and her wallet. Pulling a couple of one dollar bills out, she handed them to the young man standing at attention by the door.

"Thank you," he nodded and quickly left.

Jill flicked off her shoes and padded across the carpet to the table that now held the magnificent array of red roses.

"Greg," she smiled as she read the card. _Happy anniversary sweetheart. All my love xx_

Inhaling the glorious aroma, she buried her face in the soft petals. _He remembered!_

It was the little things like this that had her falling in love with him harder and harder. He was kind and considerate and sent her flowers. He remembered important dates and now anniversaries. Who wouldn't love this man? For the past year she'd been trying to keep it casual, but there wasn't really any point in pretending anymore. She'd fallen for him and that meant it would hurt that much more when they broke up. Not that she wanted to break up with him...it was just inevitable.

With a sad smile, Jill backed away from the flowers and grabbed her phone. _The flowers just arrived. They're beautiful. Thank you xx_ She hit send and the text was sent. She'd call him when she got downstairs and was waiting for Esther and Rose. She was always the first one ready. Jill rummaged through her bag 'til she found her toiletries then stepped into the bathroom and closed the door.

# 4.

THE FUNERAL SERVICE WAS scheduled for one o'clock. As usual, William was showered and ready for the day by seven...habit. Already decidedly uncomfortable, he took the feeling one step further and headed down to the restaurant for breakfast. He could easily have just ordered room service, but seeing as though it was already a lovely day, he'd take a risk for a change.

Settled in the sparsely seated dining room, he perused the menu and gave his order of an omelet and wheat toast to the waiter, who filled his cup with steaming coffee as William spoke. With a nod, the waiter was gone, leaving William once again on his own.

Not one to often delve into his emotions, William took the opportunity to question this feeling of loneliness he was experiencing. He didn't feel this way at home, but then, he rarely had time. He was a busy doctor with an overflowing case load...he had no use, or time for that matter, for _feelings._ Yet here he found himself looking around the room at the couples having breakfast and wondering what he was missing out on.

He certainly wasn't past his prime. He imagined there would be lots of women who'd be willing to share his life...and money. Was it worth it to give up on the idea of love for companionship? Was he willing to just buy a marriage? There was some appeal in that. With Erica he could have had love. With Erica he could have had it all. But Erica chose his brother and that still stung over twenty years later.

William sipped his steaming black coffee. _Erica_. He tried not to think about her because when he did it caused a pain in his chest...a real physical pain. Being in San Diego however, he now found it difficult _not_ to think about her.

The waiter arrived with his food and asked if there was anything else he needed. William smiled and dismissed him to eat his breakfast...alone, as usual.

*****

Annie paced in front of the window. The sky was blue, the sun was shining and it was going to be a glorious day, but she didn't see any of that. Evan stood at the sink in the bathroom, a towel wrapped low on his hips, his face covered in white shaving cream. As Annie paced, Evan shaved.

Splashing warm water over his whisker-free chin, Annie came and stood in the doorway. "So how do you think this is gonna go?"

Evan wiped away the water with his towel and emptied a few drops of aftershave into his hand, then rubbed his hands together and patted his cheeks, neck and chin. "I think it's gonna go just like the email said it would. We'll meet with the case worker and make sure all the paperwork is in order and then we'll wait for her to tell us when we get to meet them. It might be this afternoon but don't get your hopes up, okay?"

"Why would the mother want to meet us? And why would she want to wait to give us the baby? I don't think it's a good idea for her to bond with the baby. What if she changes her mind and..." Annie frowned.

Standing in front of his wife, Evan lifted up Annie's chin with his finger. "Look at me," he interrupted.

She did.

"These agencies do this every day. The attorneys have everything worked out and I'm sure that they aren't going to do anything to jeopardize this all going smoothly. They've asked to meet us this morning and we will do just that and then we'll do whatever they tell us next."

Annie nodded and accepted the embrace Evan offered. Nestled against his warm, slightly moist skin had her closing her eyes and inhaling his scent...Evan mixed with Calvin Klein...a perfect combination. _I can do this. I can do this,_ she told herself over and over.

"Let me get dressed and then we'll go down to breakfast. K?"

Annie released herself from his arms and returned to pacing in front of the windows as Evan quickly pulled on a pair of dress slacks and a button up shirt, which he rolled up at the wrists exposing his tanned, lightly haired forearms. He slipped on his watch, wedding ring and shoved his wallet into his back pocket. He pulled on socks and then slipped into leather loafers. As he buckled his belt he came and stood next to Annie, who was nervously chewing on her bottom lip.

"Hungry?" he asked.

"Not really, but let's go down anyway. It'll be a good way to pass the time. And then maybe we can decide where we're going to buy the car seat."

"I thought we did that last night?"

"Well, maybe we can look again."

"Why don't we take a walk along the marina and enjoy this California sun?"

"Whatever."

"Okay," Evan chuckled. "Let's go eat."

*****

Jill's eyes fluttered open to the bright sunshine coming in through the sliding glass door. She'd slept in. It was after nine.

They'd had a great time last night. They'd found this awesome Italian restaurant in the Gaslamp Quarter and had laughed and eaten and drank some fantastic wine. They'd been hit on at the bar they'd stopped in for a nightcap on the way home and they'd done a little dancing to work off the calories from the yummy pasta. They'd jumped into one of the pedi-cabs and laughed the whole way back to the hotel where they'd said goodnight and goodbye and Jill had fallen into bed.

Both Esther and Rose were on their own today, as they both had to work, although on different flights. Jill, however, had two days to herself in the beautiful city of San Diego and looked forward to the needed relaxation. She stretched under the cool linen sheets and debated whether to get up or stay in bed a little longer. The decision was made for her when there was a loud knock on the door that startled her.

"Who is it?" she asked cautiously. She wasn't expecting anyone.

"Room Service."

"I didn't order room service."

"Compliments of another guest," came the reply from the other side of the door.

Jill looked through the peep hole. Sure enough a hotel employee stood in the hallway with a room service cart. "Just a minute," she said and hunted for her robe. Once covered, she opened the door. "What do you mean from another guest?"

"Would you like me to bring it in for you, ma'am?"

"I guess," Jill frowned. The hairs on her neck suddenly pricked and she found herself extremely nervous. "Thank you," she stammered and pushed a tip into his hand, ushering him from her room.

"You're welcome. Thank you."

She quickly shut the door behind him and used the chain to secure it. Something wasn't right and she didn't like the feeling she had in her gut. Lifting the silver plate cover, Jill looked at the breakfast that had been ordered for her.

"How...?" she began. "I don't understand."

Before her lay Eggs Benedict, only the Hollandaise Sauce was on the side and grilled tomatoes were added to her hash browns – exactly the way she liked it. There was a glass of orange juice along with a carafe of coffee with a small jug of cream. It was perfect and it scared the hell out of her.

The knock at the door had her jumping in surprise and she hurried to the door, only she couldn't see who was on the other side because a giant bouquet of flowers covered the face of the holder. "Who is it?" she asked for the second time.

The response was muffled, but she could make the words...hotel staff. Slowly, she released the chain and then cracked the door. Every hair on her body was standing straight out and her heart was thumping so loudly in her ears it was distracting. But all that melted away as the roses fell away and revealed his face.

"Greg!"

*****

William had signed for his breakfast and returned to his room. There he brushed his teeth again, printed off the address of the funeral home and checked his phone for any communication from Lewis. Nothing. Not that he was really expecting anything, but he acknowledged to himself that he'd hoped, and by so doing, left him feeling saddened. Maybe Lewis felt he'd already reached out to his brother by sending the email. Maybe he thought it was William's turn to initiate contact. So he would.

He rode the elevator down to the lobby and out to the bellman's desk where he requested a cab. Within a few seconds, a yellow taxi pulled up and William was ushered inside.

"Where to?"

William gave the driver his brother's address. _May as well get this over with_ , he thought, as the cab pulled away from the hotel.

# 5.

"I DON'T UNDERSTAND. WHY...how...you're here!"

Greg grinned. "I am. Is that okay?"

"Of course it's okay!" Jill stepped back into her room and motioned for Greg to come in. "I'm just totally surprised, that's all."

"Well, that was the idea," he chuckled and set the flowers next to the other bouquet from the day before. "Did you have fun last night?"

"I did. Were you here last night?" she asked suspiciously.

Greg just smiled.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Jill exclaimed. "I would have stayed here and not gone out and..."

"No! You needed some time to blow off steam with your friends. I got a room and had a good night's sleep, something I wouldn't have done if I'd been here with you," he winked.

Jill threw herself into his arms and hugged him tightly. "This is a wonderful surprise."

"That's good. So what are your plans for the day?"

"Well I was going to eat breakfast. Well, I was _considering_ eating _this_ breakfast, but I wasn't really sure what to think about it." She motioned to the breakfast tray. "You and my mom are the only ones who know how I like my Eggs Benedict so I was pretty confused...more like creeped out actually."

Greg grinned again. "Eat. It's getting cold."

"I don't want to eat in front of you. Why don't we share?"

"I've already had breakfast. I was up early."

"Well okay then. Have a seat and watch me eat."

He did just that and as Jill took delicious bite after delicious bite her thoughts were focused on the man sitting in the armchair chatting away about his flight in the previous day. He was any woman's dream man; confident, handsome, sexy, great sense of humor, smart, kind and considerate, rich, and apparently smitten with her enough to fly across the country to bring her flowers on their one year anniversary. Yet Jill still waited for the bottom to fall out...for it all to end. She couldn't bring herself to imagine it lasting.

She wiped the last of the egg yolk onto the final piece of English muffin and savored every chew. Downing the last of her orange juice, she pushed back from the desk and smiled. "Delicious. Thank you."

"You're welcome. Now, what were your plans today?"

"I was thinking about spending some time on the beach just soaking up the sun."

"May I join you?"

"Of course! I thought it was going to be a perfect day before but now that you're here, it really will be perfect!"

*****

Natalie sat in the hospital room...waiting. She's scrubbed her hands and put on the hospital gown just like she'd been instructed. Quietly she sat and waited for the nurse to bring her the baby.

Natalie was almost sixteen. She came from a good home where she was loved and cared for by parents who took their responsibility seriously. Pressured by her ex-boyfriend to have sex, she'd obliged, not really enjoying the experience and was devastated to discover a few weeks later that she was pregnant. Terrified, she told her mother one afternoon on the way home from school. The few block drive home was suddenly silent as Mrs. Peters digested the news. Once inside their house, she pulled Natalie into her arms and cried, grateful that they had a relationship strong enough for Natalie to trust her enough to share this with her.

There was no pressure to either keep the baby or put it up for adoption from her parents. They told her they would support her in whatever she decided to do. The father quickly signed away all parental rights, relieved the burden of fatherhood had been taken from him, realizing that he was not prepared in any way to take on a child...or a wife. He'd pretty much cut off contact with her when she'd broken down crying and told him after school one day that she was pregnant. She was actually relieved. Natalie did everything she could to ensure a healthy baby and it wasn't until two weeks before she was born that she decided to give her up for adoption, although even from the beginning, she had never really thought of the baby as hers. Through a friend of a friend she was connected with an attorney who worked with an adoption agency and within two days Natalie had files of hopeful parents looking to adopt a baby. It was swiftly narrowed down to two families and then once she decided she wanted to meet the prospective parents it was narrowed to one, the other couple wanting a closed adoption and the idea of meeting the mother was not welcomed. That meant the Wilders would be her baby's new family, a decision she was at peace with. That is, until she gave birth and held the child for the first time.

The social worker encouraged her to bond with the baby, something Mr. and Mrs. Peters questioned on several occasions. But they were told that they'd found that it helped the mother deal with the loss better, rather than never having seen or held the baby as was the practice previously. So Natalie spent the first day in the hospital with the baby and now she was back to say goodbye. It was much harder than she'd anticipated.

The nurse opened the door and pushed through the crib holding the most perfect baby girl Natalie had ever seen. Ten fingers and ten toes with a head of dark hair and beautiful blue eyes. Pink pouty lips sucked on her thumb as she slept peacefully.

"Here you are," the nurse smiled. "Just knock on the door when you're done."

Natalie nodded and scooted to the edge of her chair and placed her hand on the silken head of her child.

*****

William pulled up in front of the address his brother had sent him. It was a small ranch house with an old truck in the driveway. Some scattered bushes and almost-green grass was the extent of the landscaping and there was mail sticking out of the mailbox attached to the front of the house beside the front door.

"Can you wait, please?" he asked the driver as he climbed from the backseat. William strode purposefully to the door and knocked three times and waited. He pushed the button and heard the chimes inside. He knocked again, this time hitting the door five times. Still nothing. With a sigh he slowly walked back to the cab and climbed in. He gave the driver the address of the funeral home and made his way there, hoping that his brother would be there early so they could have their initial conversation, or confrontation, in private, without interested eyes and ears around.

Rounding the corner in front of the funeral home William took a deep breath. There was Lewis standing by the door talking to a man dressed in a black suit, presumably the funeral director. William paid the driver and walked up the sidewalk and stopped a few feet from his brother.

"I don't expect more than thirty or so," Lewis was saying. "A few friends and some family." He turned to see William. "Hello. You're early."

"I stopped by your house so that we could talk but there wasn't anyone there so I came straight here."

"No, I was here."

"I see that." William wasn't comforted by the way the conversation was going. It was civil but clipped. "Maybe we can have a chance to catch up before anyone else arrives?"

The funeral director nodded to Lewis and left the two men alone, heading inside the building. Lewis looked down at the ground and shrugged. "You're a doctor, I'm a mechanic. I still live here and you left for New York. Does that about sum it up?"

"Technically, I suppose it does. How are you?"

"Let's see. Dad's lived with me for the past six months which ruined my social life but gave me time to get to know him again, so I guess it all worked out okay. And then one morning I went to tell him I was leaving for work and he'd died in his sleep. Since then it's just been making the final arrangements, although he'd done most of it already."

"If I can help out, you know, financially, I'd be happy to..."

"We don't need your money, William. We did just fine before and we're... _I'm_ doing just fine now."

"That's not what I meant," William began.

"I know," Lewis sighed. "It's fine."

The two men looked as uncomfortable as they both felt, neither making eye contact, neither knowing how to talk to their own brother.

"How's the shop doing?" William finally asked.

"Good. Business could always be better but it pays the bills."

More uncomfortable silence.

"Did you ever remarry?"

Lewis looked up. "Did you ever get an invitation to a wedding?"

William shook his head.

"Have you seen Erica or James or anybody from school?" Lewis asked.

"I just got in yesterday," William replied quickly. "When would I have had time?" Erica! She's all he'd thought about. Was it that obvious?

"Well, I just figured you hadn't been here in years and you might want to get in touch with some of your old friends, that's all."

"Oh, well, I only came for the funeral. I hadn't planned on being here long."

"Oh."

William thought that perhaps he heard disappointment in Lewis' reply, but then again, maybe he just imagined it. Lewis hadn't made any attempt to contact him in years so why would he be disappointed they didn't spend any time together now? Yet, the thought persisted. "I do have some vacation days though," he added.

Lewis looked up. "Perhaps after the funeral's over we could grab a drink."

"I'd like that," smiled William.

*****

"Sign here, here, here, and here."

Annie signed first and then Evan after her.

"Is that it?" Evan asked.

"That's all the paperwork for now," Barbara said. "But I wanted to also talk about what's going to happen this afternoon."

Annie smiled. "Okay. We'll do whatever you ask of us. We want to make this is as smooth as possible."

Shuffling the papers in her hands, Barbara looked up. "Natalie is with the baby right now, at the hospital, and..."

"Has she changed her mind?" Annie gulped, tears already filling her eyes.

"No, no," Barbara tried to put her mind at ease. "She's preparing to say goodbye to her baby. You know, I have a great admiration for these girls...young women who give their babies up for adoption...loving them enough to understand that there is someone better situated to give them all that they can't. Natalie has made it very clear that she wants the absolute best for her daughter and she has chosen you. That is a _huge_ compliment, one you should not take lightly."

"No," Evan said humbly. "We certainly do not take her gift to us lightly."

Barbara proceeded with the afternoon's itinerary. They would all meet at the hospital at two o'clock. The Wilders would have an opportunity to meet Natalie and they would get to know each other for a few minutes before Natalie would be given the baby to then give to the Wilders. Barbara said this was the best way for it to happen. Annie nodded, ready to meet her daughter.

On the way out of the office building, Evan looked over the list in his hand. There was a lot of stuff they needed to get in the next three hours. "Off to Target?" he asked.

Annie nodded and hand in hand they headed off to buy diapers and everything else the baby department had to offer.

# 6.

THERE'S SOMETHING VERY DECADENT about lying on a beach in the middle of the workday and having a waiter bring you drinks and chips and salsa without having to be asked. Jill relished the time in the sun, as once she returned to Chicago the sun was a thing of the past, at least for a few more weeks. In a comfortable silence she and Greg relaxed on the private beach of the private resort, two guest passes given to them by one of Greg's clients on the west coast.

"This is perfect," Jill sighed, peering over the rim of her sunglasses at the waves lapping the white sand. "I'm thrilled you decided to surprise me."

"Are you? Really?"

"Of course! I figured you'd be working while I was gone."

"But it's our anniversary. I didn't want to be on opposite sides of the country."

"Most men wouldn't have even remembered this anniversary, let alone dropped everything and flown to San Diego for forty-eight hours."

"I'm not most men."

"No," Jill replied as she gazed at the man lying beside her. "You're not."

"Are you hungry?"

Jill shook her head. "I had a big breakfast, remember?" she chuckled. "But order something if you're hungry. I'll watch you eat. I'll watch you do anything," she grinned.

Greg summoned a waiter and glanced at the menu before ordering a burger and onion rings. Jill watched the ease with which he interacted with everyone. It didn't matter if it was a three hundred pound linebacker from the NFL, a celebrity with a new fragrance line, or a waiter. He treated everyone with kindness and respect and Jill had learned a lot from him that had helped her in her own profession. She remembered coming back from a particularly harried flight and throwing herself on the sofa and whining about how all people were horrible and how she had the worst job in the world. Greg had handed her a Ferrer Roche chocolate, he kept them on hand for moments such as that, and sat beside her. "People aren't horrible," he explained, "just misunderstood. Give them a chance. They might just surprise you." From that day on she had enjoyed her job much more. He really was a great guy and a phenomenal human being.

"What are you smiling at?" Greg asked, interrupting her thoughts.

"You," she admitted. "I'm a very lucky woman."

"I'm the lucky one."

"Well, maybe you're a little lucky, too," she grinned.

*****

It was a quiet affair, simple and short, just the way Mr. Nestor would have wanted it. He was quiet and simple, living his life going to work and spending the evenings and weekends at home. He'd never remarried and after his boys left home he spent his spare time maintaining the yard and building bird houses in the garage, some of which he gave away to neighbors and the rest filled the back yard, attracting all kinds of birds that had come to visit and never left.

William stood next to Lewis and graciously accepted the offers of sympathy and kind words and memories about his father from his friends. Vaguely remembering a couple of them, William smiled and made small talk before the line would back up and he'd politely end the conversation. It became very apparent that he didn't know his father at all in the latter stages of his life. He knew nothing of the birdhouses until a neighbor spoke of them. He didn't have a clue that his father could name practically every shrub and flower in the cul-de-sac where his house was. He didn't know that his father was a history buff, studying all about World War II and collecting memorabilia from eBay. By the time William watched the casket being lowered into the ground after everyone had left the cemetery, the deep sense of loss overwhelmed him. He wasn't mourning the death of his father, but rather the life that he'd distanced himself from...purposely.

Lewis stood several feet from him, conversing with the funeral director. William vowed there and then that he wouldn't repeat his mistake. There was no way to go back and capture all those lost moments with his dad, but he _could_ fix his relationship with his brother.

*****

"I've loved you since the day I found out about you," Natalie whispered as she rocked the baby in her arms. "We've spent the last nine months together and now it's time for us to say goodbye...at least for a little while."

The child in her arms wriggled and blinked a few times before opening her eyes and looking straight up at Natalie. It was as if she wanted to hear the words Natalie needed to say.

"All my friends told me to have an abortion...that it was the easiest thing to do. I could have my life back and still do all of the things I loved to do. They said I didn't want to be a mother...that I was throwing my life away. It would have been easy to listen to them."

Reaching her hand out, the baby grabbed onto Natalie's finger and clung tight.

"But I could never do that. Never. You are a human being and deserve life. I created you and I need to give you a chance. I owe you that much. I need to give you the same opportunities that I've had. That's why I'm doing what I'm doing. I love you so much that I know you deserve much more than what I can give you right now. You deserve a family who will love and cherish you and I know they will."

A tear escaped and fell down her cheek, but Natalie wasn't sad. She was at peace with her decision and was glad that her baby would have a happy life with her new parents.

"One day, when you're old enough, your new mommy and daddy are going to tell you about me and maybe you'll want to meet me and we can be friends. I'd like that. And maybe by then you'll have brothers and sisters and we can have big dinners together and you can call me Natalie and tell me all about your life in Oklahoma. I'd like that, too."

Natalie gently placed her baby back in the crib and knocked on the door, signaling the nurse to come and take her back to the nursery until the Wilders arrived.

"I love you. I'll always love you."

*****

With the help of the taxi driver and the bellman, Annie and Evan unloaded their purchases from the car and took them up to their room, covering the bed and a lot of the floor with plastic bags full of baby paraphernalia and a giant box that held the stroller and car seat combo.

"That was the quickest indoctrination into the world of parenthood on the planet," Evan laughed as he stood in awe of all the stuff they'd just purchased. "Visa is going to love us. I think we just made customer of the month!"

"And this is just the stuff to get us by until we get home!" Annie sighed. "Just as well we have the mall within driving distance back home."

Evan tried to not think about the money they were spending...the money they didn't have. It was all going on credit with the hope of being able to tighten their spending once home in order to pay for it all, but he knew that a child would only bring more expenses and he was prepared to do whatever it took in order to have a family. If he had to take a second job delivering pizzas at night and on the weekend, so be it. He'd gladly do it in order to care for his family.

"We have just over an hour before we are due at the hospital. Will you order room service and I'll start getting this stuff in some kind of order?"

Evan nodded and walked to the desk to find the menu. "Burger?"

"Sure thing. No fries and a coke."

Evan picked up the phone and placed their order while Annie searched through the bags for the very chic diaper bag she'd picked out. It was a light tan color with pink piping around the edges. It looked kind of like a feminine messenger bag. Annie said it meant Evan could carry it and not feel like his masculinity was ever being threatened. She ripped the tags off it and pulled the wadded paper from inside, filling the garbage can under the desk. Using the coffee maker, she boiled water and sterilized the new baby bottles and called the hotel laundry service to wash a load of the new baby clothes, giving specific instructions because they were for a newborn.

"Just as well we are in a hotel that caters to finicky clientele," Evan grinned as Annie closed the door after handing the bag off to the employee.

"I didn't imagine doing all of this in a hotel. I guess we should have been more prepared," she frowned.

"We didn't have enough time to be prepared," Evan replied. "We're lucky we got here at all."

Annie packed up the diaper bag with diapers and burp cloths and formula and freshly cleaned bottles and a pacifier. Evan opened the giant Graco box and began pulling out the car seat and then the pieces to the stroller. It would only take a few screws and it would be ready, as it came mostly put together. The knock on the door brought their lunch, which Evan quickly ate, Annie just picking at it and drinking her Coke, and then looked at the clock. It was time to leave. Evan grabbed the car seat and Annie the diaper bag and with a deep breath, a hug and a lingering kiss, they were ready to go and meet their daughter.

# 7.

GREG CLARK HAD MADE it. He'd hit the jackpot and was set for life, even if he lived to be ninety years old. He'd been in the right place at the right time doing the right thing and he'd never looked back. Now, he'd achieved the kind of freedom most only dream about, but he experienced it in reality. If he didn't work another day in his life he'd still be a wealthy man.

Divorced from his first wife many, many years ago, Greg hadn't felt the need to seek out another companion. He enjoyed his work and it kept him challenged and busy and he was comfortable being alone. The day he met Jill Delaney however, changed his opinion, and changed his life.

He'd gone to San Diego on business, meeting with clients he was collaborating on a new venture with. Jill was an attractive woman, there was no doubt about that. She had a sparkle in her eye that captured his attention instantly. He realized, as they sat on the shuttle heading to the same hotel, that he couldn't take his eyes off her. He checked for rings on her left hand and to his relief, there were none. So when he found himself in the elevator with her on the way up to their rooms he took the chance and asked her to dinner. Her immediate hesitation had him frantically coming up with reasons for her to say yes and so he offered to stay in the hotel, dining in the restaurant off the lobby where she could safely assess if he was an asshole or not. That had her smiling and though still reluctant, she agreed.

He was mesmerized pretty quickly. Jill was articulate with a wicked sense of humor. He was hooked before the check arrived. They were both shocked to discover the other lived in Chicago and Greg took that as a sign that fate was playing her hand. Miraculously, Jill gave him her number and told him when she'd be home next. Greg promised to call her and take her to dinner and he did. Giordano's was the place of their first official date and a few weeks later they were dating exclusively, now celebrating a year together. Broaching the subject of marriage on occasion, Jill laughed it off, saying that her schedule was not conducive to marriage and only a fool would be crazy enough to put up with it for the long term. Greg was certainly no fool, but he didn't want her to get away either.

These two days in San Diego were not just to celebrate their anniversary. Greg needed to know if Jill could move to the next stage. Could she commit to him completely?

*****

After the cemetery was seemingly deserted, William joined his brother near the car. They were the last to leave. It was a pleasing day – the sun was shining and it was pleasantly warm. William had a hard time leaving.

"Shall we?" Lewis asked, heading for the car.

As William turned to follow him, a car pulled up, blocking the driveway and their exit. The door of the red sedan opened and a woman stepped out. She was in a black dress and her dark hair was pulled into a bun at the back of her head. She wore big sunglasses that hid her eyes, but William would have known her anywhere. _Erica._ Lewis was closer and as such, walked towards her, reaching her quickly. Their conversation could not be heard by William...he just watched the apparent uncomfortableness between them. Erica shook her head, looking disappointed, and started to step backwards when she looked up and saw William. She hesitated for just a second and then slowly pulled her glasses from her face, studying him intently from afar.

William froze, as though his legs were trapped in columns of concrete, unable to move. Erica headed in his direction and small beads of sweat began to appear on his forehead. For years he'd wondered about her, thought of her, wished to see her, and here she was...in the flesh. His mouth went dry and his heart was beating rapidly, his fingers twitching at his side. Still she strolled toward him.

"William! Is that you? It's been so long since I've seen you."

She smiled. He melted. His fifteen year old self was back.

"Hello Erica." At least he was able to form a couple of words.

She reached for him, startling him, and embraced him warmly. His arms lifted like wooden planks and he managed to bend them stiffly around her frame. He touched the fabric of her dress. It was soft and silky and felt nice under his fingertips. When she stepped back, out of his arms, William willed himself to speak.

"You look great." It wasn't much, but at least something, and he genuinely meant it.

"Thank you," Erica smiled. "I'm so sorry I missed the funeral. I tried to get off work early, but..."

"Lewis and I appreciate you coming."

The smile disappeared from her face. "Well, I didn't come for Lewis. But I always liked your father. He was a good man and was very kind to me when...well, after the divorce."

"Well, I appreciate you coming. It means a lot."

The smile came back. "How long are you in town? I hear you're a big shot cancer doctor in New York now."

William chuckled. "I don't know anything about being a big shot, but I am an oncologist."

"So how long are you in San Diego? Are you staying with your brother?"

"No. I'm in a hotel downtown."

"Maybe we could get together while you're here and catch up?"

"I'd like that," he nodded, his heart still beating wildly. "Dinner, maybe?"

"That would be nice. Give me your phone."

"What? Why?"

"Just give me your phone," she grinned. William hesitated but eventually pulled it from his pocket and Erica immediately snatched it away. She typed for a few seconds and handed it back. "My number is now in your contact list so you can call me before you leave."

"Okay," mumbled William.

With a swirl she turned and walked briskly back to her car. She climbed in and drove away, leaving William in exactly the same spot as when she'd arrived.

*****

Irrational for sure, but knowing that didn't help Annie one bit as the panic attack swept through her on the sidewalk in front of the hospital. Evan ushered her to a wooden bench a few feet away and deposited the car seat and bag from his shoulder next to her feet.

"Breathe," he begged.

Gasping for air, and unknowingly creating a scene, an audience gathered around her. "She's fine," Evan pleaded but to no avail. Within a minute or so, two nurses were at her side with a gurney being rolled out right behind them. They pushed their way through the crowd of onlookers and had her drop her head forward, trying to stop her from hyperventilating.

"I think its anxiety," Evan offered. "It's an overly stressful time for us and it's all caught up with her."

As Annie's breathing slowly returned to normal, the gurney was sent back and one of the nurses disappeared back inside the hospital, leaving one with Annie. "In through your nose and out through your mouth," she repeated over and over until Annie had a little color back in her cheeks. The gawkers dissipated and Evan was relieved the sideshow was over.

"Let's get you inside and I'll give you the once over," the nurse offered.

"I'm fine," Annie shook her head. "Embarrassed, but fine."

"Your heart is still going a mile a minute and I'd like to take your blood pressure."

"Let's go in, just to make sure you really are fine," Evan smiled.

"But Barbara will be here and she won't know where we are, and..."

"I'll watch for her and it will all go smoothly."

The nurse helped Annie up and held her arm as they made their way to the door while Evan loaded up with the car seat, the diaper bag and Annie's purse. He took a deep breath in through his nose and out through his mouth, and followed his wife into the hospital.

*****

Breathing was difficult for William as he sat at the wooden table across from Lewis. When agreeing to have a drink after the funeral, this was not what he had envisioned. The bar was dark and hazy with all the cigarette smoke and he was convinced within minutes of sitting down that the health department hadn't been to inspect the establishment in years. But this is where Lewis had brought him, so in the spirit of reconciliation, he bit his tongue.

The bartender appeared to know Lewis...well. As did most of the patrons scattered along the bar. It actually seemed to be busy for three o'clock in the afternoon on a weekday. Lewis ordered two beers right off the bat. William stuck to a club soda, which Lewis frowned at but didn't say anything. Within seconds, their drinks were placed before them and they each took a drink, extending the uncomfortable silence that was present.

"The lawyer wants to see us before you leave town. We have to decide what to do with the house and stuff."

"I don't need the house nor any money from its sale. You can have it," William shrugged.

"I don't need your charity," Lewis replied with veiled hostility. "I do just fine even though I'm not a doctor."

"That's not what I meant, Lewis," he sighed. "I haven't been here. I don't live here and I don't plan on moving back. I wasn't a part of Dad's life. You were. Any assets should, by right, just pass directly to you. That's all I meant."

"Let's just see what the lawyer has to say, okay?"

"Fine," William agreed. "Can he see us tomorrow?"

"Anxious to get out of here, huh?"

The words stung. They shouldn't. William _was_ anxious to go home. New York was his home now. His heart held no special place for his childhood home. The only reason he thought about San Diego was Erica, and that thought made him feel guilty. He had a father and a brother that he'd ignored for years.

"No, not at all," he lied. "But I do have to get back to work eventually."

"He said he'd try to make himself available to accommodate your schedule, although I'm sure he'll charge us for his _availability_. I'll give him a call this afternoon."

"Great."

More silence as they sipped on their drinks. Lewis finished his first bottle quickly and started in on number two. William realized mending his relationship with Lewis would be much harder than he imagined. Maybe he should start with the one, and only thing they had in common.

"So do you see much of Erica?"

"Haven't seen her in years before today," Lewis shrugged. "We didn't end on...great terms."

"I heard."

"Yeah. My fault. I accept that. We shouldn't have gotten married. _I_ shouldn't have gotten married. It's not for me. I just made her miserable and she made me miserable."

"Oh."

"You know, I always thought you liked her, but you never made a move, even after you came home from college."

"I couldn't!" William's voice raised a little and his spine straightened. "You were already dating her when I came home."

"So you did have a thing for her?"

"What does it matter now? Everybody's moved on since then. It was a _long_ time ago."

"Yeah, it was."

The silence returned...and stayed.

"Well," William said as he finished his drink. "You should call the lawyer and I'll settle the tab."

*****

"I've got sand everywhere," Jill moaned as Greg shut their hotel door behind them. "I'd better jump in the shower and rinse off. Care to join me?"

The smile that immediately spread across Greg's face told her he did indeed want to join her. "Don't have to ask me twice."

"I can't believe you surprised me like this! It was so sweet of you," Jill spoke as she stepped into the bathroom, Greg right behind her.

"I like being with you. I'll take every opportunity I can get."

Pushing her shorts down her legs, Jill swiftly disposed of her clothing piece by piece, leaving her standing before him naked.

"Damn!" he smiled. "You are gorgeous."

"Why thank you Mr. Clark. You are too kind," she grinned. Stepping into the tiled shower, she turned the faucet on and the water began flowing. "Are you going to come in here with your clothes on? Or are you gonna strip?"

Greg remained still, gazing at the woman before him. Flight attendants had a height minimum. Jill barely met it at five foot eight. Greg liked taller women...it made him feel not quite so self-conscious at well over six feet, and Jill was perfect; he still felt like a man with her at his side, but not a giant. Her dark brown hair flowed over her shoulders in soft waves that made him want to run his fingers through it, feeling the silkiness in his hands was a definite turn-on. He watched the water cascade down her hair, running over the mounds of her breasts and down her taut stomach. His arousal was instant.

Flip-flops off and clothing removed, Greg stepped into the shower and reached for Jill, her body quickly aligning with his once in his strong arms. With her arms tightly linked around him and her cheek resting on his chest, their embrace was filled with emotion and Greg knew that he wanted her with him always.

But doubt crept in as her words of previous conversations replayed in his mind. Her marriage had left wounds that she had healed with the resolve to never make that mistake again. She was content being single and was confident in herself and didn't need a man to fulfill her. It was actually one of the many things about her that he was attracted to – her self-confidence and independence. And he knew that she would still be those things even if they were married. Would she feel the same?

His hands travelled up and down her back, feeling her smooth skin. They moved lower and grabbed her ass, pressing it to him, allowing her to feel the depths of his desire. Jill lifted her head and tilted it back so she could look up at him. "Well, hello," she winked.

"Hi," he smiled. And then there was no more talking.

# 8.

THE FRUSTRATION ANNIE WAS feeling at being confined to a gurney in the Emergency Department was nothing compared the anxiety she was feeling about missing Barbara. How would it look being late to pick up their new daughter?

"I'm fine," she pleaded for the umpteenth time. "Please, I need to go."

Dr. Cole was reviewing her chart and the look on her face was one of puzzlement. "Your appointment. It's to pick up a baby?"

Evan answered. "Yes. We are adopting a baby that was born here a couple of days ago and we are meeting the social worker in twenty minutes to go and meet the birth mother and be introduced to our new daughter. It's been pretty stressful the last little while and that's why Annie had her...her little episode today."

"More like a stressful few years," Annie muttered.

"How so?" Dr. Cole asked.

"We've been trying to have a baby for a long time now. We've tried _everything_ and now we are adopting. It's all led us to today when we finally get to be parents. _Please_ let me leave so I can go and meet my baby? Please?" Annie's eyes welled with tears.

The doctor's eyes looked at Annie and then over at Evan and then back at the chart in her hand. "I tell you what I'll do. You can leave the ER and go upstairs and do everything you need to. Go and get your daughter," she smiled. "But then you MUST come back here. I need your word that you will come back to see me this afternoon. It is extremely important that I speak with you and explain some things before you leave. Do I have your word?"

"Of course," Evan replied solemnly. "But now you have us extremely worried," he said as Annie grabbed his hand.

"There's nothing to worry about," Dr. Cole assured them. "But I do need to see you again."

"You have our word," Annie nodded. "But we'll have a baby with us."

"That's just fine. I'll see you later then?"

Both Annie and Evan nodded in agreement and the doctor left the room, allowing Annie to get dressed. "So now I have to worry about what's wrong with me?" Annie all but cried.

"No, no," soothed Evan. "She said there was nothing to worry about. You finish getting dressed and I'll meet you outside. Barbara should be here any time now."

"Okay. See you in a minute."

*****

Feeling bad about declining Lewis' offer to return to his home for another drink after leaving the bar, William called him from the taxi on his way back to the hotel and suggested they have dinner together. Lewis surprised him by saying he'd love to and offered to meet him saving him another taxi drive. That suited William just fine. He felt comfortable at the Hyatt and it would be easy to pay for the meal by charging it to his room, thereby relieving Lewis of any awkwardness in who was going to pay. The differences in their lifestyles, and bank balances, had already caused tension in the one day he'd been home. Avoiding any more was a priority for William.

Not one to look down on others, he had no problem with his brother's profession, or anyone else's. Money was certainly not a way to judge people. He'd met plenty of assholes that had loads of money. Economic status did not automatically make one a decent human being. Yet at times throughout the day he'd allowed Lewis to make him feel embarrassed about his success. That wasn't fair. He'd worked damn hard to get where he was and he shouldn't let others make him feel guilty about it. If the opportunity arose at dinner, he would tell Lewis how he felt.

As he stepped into his hotel room, he checked his watch. He had plenty of time before Lewis was meeting him downstairs so he decided to shower and get rid of the stench left on him from the dive bar he'd visited. He called housekeeping to see if they could possibly have his suit cleaned and returned to him by morning, to which they gave a resounding "certainly." With it left hanging on the door, he stepped into the bathroom and washed away the day.

His face was covered in soap when his cell phone rang. He let it go to voicemail. But when it rang not a minute later, he figured it must be important. "Hello?" he asked as he put the phone against his wet ear.

"You haven't called yet," came the reply.

"Erica?"

"I was beginning to think you didn't want to see me so instead of making myself crazy I decided to just call."

"Oh."

"So were you planning on calling me?"

"Ah, I was going to, yes."

"Oh, that's good."

"It is?"

"Of course it is. So when should we have dinner...or lunch...or something?"

"I can't tonight. I'm having dinner with Lewis and then tomorrow we are meeting with Dad's attorney about his will."

"So, dinner tomorrow night?"

"Um, yes, I guess that works."

"I'll come to you if that's easier."

"I can get a taxi."

"No. It's fine. Why don't you call me tomorrow after the lawyer's then?"

"Ok."

"Great! I'll talk to you tomorrow. Bye."

William tossed his phone onto the hand towel on the sink counter, a smile spreading across his face. Dinner tomorrow. He was looking forward to it.

*****

Blow dryer in hand, standing in front of the mirror, a towel wrapped around her and secured under her arms, Jill dried her hair. Greg stood next to her and shaved, leaving his goatee just the way Jill liked it.

"This is nice," he smiled. "Standing side by side getting ready."

Jill agreed. "You're not a counter hog. I like that," she teased.

"There's plenty of room in my bathroom for _all_ your stuff, not just the few items you leave there."

Switching the dryer off, Jill swung around to face him. "And?"

"And what?"

"That's what I'm asking you."

"I was just saying there's enough room for all your stuff."

"But what does that mean?"

Greg was trying to gauge her mood...assessing the potential ramifications of pushing the conversation further. All he saw in her expression was curiosity so he continued...carefully.

"We've been together for a year. It's been a great year, better than all the other years I've had." He smiled. So did Jill. "You still keep an apartment even though you're hardly ever there. Maybe it's time we talked about taking the next step."

"And what do you think that is?"

_Marry me!!_ Instead, he said, "Move in with me. You know I have the space. It's closer to the 'L' and would take twenty minutes off your commute to the airport. And...and I love you. I don't want to be apart from you if I don't have to be."

Jill grinned. "It's just as well you added that last part or I'd think you were being all cerebral and thinking just about the practicality of it. I love you. You know I do. And there would be lots of benefits of cohabitating," she chuckled. "Let me think about it?"

_No! Just say yes!_ "Of course," he said as he leaned in and kissed her check. "Take all the time you need."

*****

Natalie's parents sat in the family area on the third floor of the hospital. Natalie was off in the bathroom when Barbara came in.

"The Wilders are here," she informed them. "They are in the other waiting room. Let's wait for Natalie and see if she'd ready."

When Natalie entered the room and saw Barbara, she took a deep breath, knowing it was time.

"Are you sure about this?" her mom asked. "You can change your mind. There's still time."

"Mom," Natalie said. "Thank you for all the support you've given me. I could never have gotten through this without you. You never judged me, or berated me, and I am forever grateful. But we've had this discussion a hundred times. I know what's best for me and I am sure that this is the best thing for her. I will finish school, go to college and find my soul mate. And together, when we're ready, we'll have babies together. I can't do all that if I have a baby."

Her mother began to speak but Natalie cut her off. "I know you're willing to help. But that's not right either. You and dad have a life and it doesn't include changing diapers and babysitting all the time. The Wilders are good people...I know that and I am excited, and nervous, to meet them. I am trusting them with my baby and I know that this is how it should be. I can't tell you how I know, I just do."

Barbara smiled. "The Wilders are good people. They have been waiting for this moment for a long time, years, in fact. They already love your baby. I've been placing babies with adoptive families for a long time and I always have a feeling about the parents and I can assure you that they are wonderful people who will cherish this baby and love her with all their hearts. Shall we go meet them?"

Natalie's parents stood and Natalie swung around. "Mom. Dad. I need to do this alone."

"Oh, okay. Are you sure?"

She nodded. "I am. I'll be back soon." And she and Barbara left the room and headed down the hallway to meet Annie and Evan.

# 9.

LIGHTHEADEDNESS WAS NO LONGER Annie's problem as she bent over the toilet heaving. Evan was beyond frustrated at his inability to help his wife feel better, especially at this monumental moment in their lives. This was supposed to be their Kodak moment...the afternoon they would look back on with nothing but beautiful memories.

"It's just nerves," Annie guessed, not really having any idea why her body was betraying her on this particular day.

"I'm sure that's it," Evan agreed, as he rubbed her back and shoulders. "Do you think you're ready to leave the bathroom? Is it safe?"

Annie attempted a weak smile. "I haven't eaten in hours so there's nothing to throw up. I should be fine."

"Maybe that's your problem. You're hungry?"

Annie considered the question. "Maybe."

They stepped out of the bathroom and into the hallway. Evan hurried his wife the few feet to the waiting room, hoping that Barbara wasn't there yet. He opened the door and ushered her inside and straight to the empty recliner directly ahead, relieved the room was still empty. First impressions were important and the Wilders wanted to exude confidence, stability and trust, so punctuality was essential.

Slowly the color once again returned to Annie's cheeks and her sweet demeanor returned as well. "I'm so ready to be a mother," she sighed. "I feel like it's Christmas morning and I'm waiting for Dad to let me leave my room and run downstairs to see what Santa has brought me."

"Except you know what it is," Evan grinned. "A beautiful baby girl."

Annie smiled, that smile that made his heart thump. The smile that turned his pulse wild. On any other day he would step close and snake his arms around her, pulling her close and whispering seductive temptations in her ear. He'd pin her against the wall, his hips pressing his temptation to her and nuzzle her earlobe. He'd wait for her to giggle and relax against his hard body, surrendering to him. He loved her so much. But that was for another time. Today was not about their physical desires. Today was about becoming a family. So he remained in the middle of the room and returned her smile...and waited.

*****

Standing behind the glass, Natalie gazed at the blue-eyed bundle in front of her, sleeping peacefully with her thumb in her mouth.

"My mom says I used to suck my thumb," Natalie whispered as her fingers touched the cool glass before her. "I don't remember though."

"Lots of babies do," Barbara said. "She is absolutely beautiful."

"She is. I'm doing the right thing, aren't I?"

"I can't answer that, honey. _You_ have to make that decision and _you_ have to be able to live with it for the rest of your life."

"I know."

Natalie's answer was barely audible and Barbara pulled her into a motherly embrace. She'd gotten to know this remarkable young girl quite well over the past few weeks. Somehow, through it all, she'd maintained her 4.0 GPA and hadn't buckled under the emotional stress of being fifteen and pregnant. Providing Barbara with a detailed list, Natalie had outlined all the pros and cons of keeping her baby versus giving her to an infertile couple. She'd been astonished at the maturity shown in each bullet point and each time they met, Natalie had shown such love for her unborn child as she always spoke about putting her child's needs above her own.

Now, at this pivotal moment in her life, Natalie was, for the first time, asking for an assurance that she was indeed, doing what was best for her baby. Knowing that Natalie's parents had left the choice to their daughter, but in a very passive-aggressive manner had tried to influence her to keep the child, Barbara felt the hefty weight her answer would have and took a moment to pause. She wanted... _needed_ to say the right thing...to somehow address the enormity of Natalie's decision without giving her cause to second guess herself.

Barbara released Natalie and turned her so she could look at her in the eye. Then with a deep sense of purpose she spoke. "I can't tell you what to do. My job is to help you find a couple that possesses all you desire in being prospective parents. Theoretically, by the time I come into the picture, you've already made the enormous decision to allow your child to be adopted. I would never claim to understand how you came to it, nor would I ever try to change it. Having said that, however, I am in awe of you, Natalie. You are wise beyond your years and have shown such grace and maturity during this process. But you shouldn't be having to make these decisions...you are so young. You should be thinking about boys and getting your driver's license and piercing your ears, or God forbid your nose! You should be worrying about whether or not you get asked to prom, or if you want to be a cheerleader, or in the chess club, or on the debate team, or in the choir. I've watched girls decide to keep their babies at such a tender age and their future is filled with tall mountains to climb. Don't you want to go back to just being a teenage girl? Wait a few years to grow up. Enjoy...no, _treasure_ these years as a kid. You never get this time back...never! I've met the Wilders. They are wonderful people. You will feel that when you meet them. You've made a sound and wise decision. Trust yourself."

Natalie pursed her lips and then smiled. "You're right. I'm right. It's just, well, now it all becomes very real."

With a nod Barbara said, "Yes, it does. Why don't we go and meet Evan and Annie. I'm sure that will ease your mind...and your heart."

*****

The door opened. Annie's spine straightened immediately and Evan swung around. In walked Barbara with a lovely young lady following close behind. Annie's eyes were drawn to the girl; her big blue eyes screamed of innocence and her long blond hair was in a ponytail, making her look even younger than her fifteen years. Her face was void of make-up and she wore leggings and a big t-shirt with a denim jacket. She looked as though she was headed to the mall to hang out with friends and the overwhelming desire to hug her flowed through Annie's body. She stood and took a step toward Natalie, never taking her eyes off her.

"Hello," Evan spoke first. "Uh, I'm Evan Wilder and this is my wife, Annie." His outstretched hand summoned Natalie to take a few steps and she placed her hand in his and smiled.

"I'm Natalie. It's nice to meet you."

"Oh, Natalie," Annie choked. "I...we are beyond grateful. Words will not capture the feelings of my heart."

"I know the feeling," Natalie replied.

"How are you feeling?" Annie asked, concerned for her health after giving birth.

"I'm fine. The doctor says everything is good and in a few weeks it will be just like it never happened."

"No," Annie frowned. "You'll always know it happened. I can't imagine this will ever be something you'll forget. Do you want to forget?"

"I don't think I do." Natalie shook her head as she answered. "I love this baby and could never just forget her. I may go back to just being a teenager," she glanced at Barbara as she spoke, "but she has changed me."

"Why don't we all sit and get to know each other," Barbara suggested.

Annie went back to the recliner and Barbara and Natalie sat on the sofa to her left, Evan pulled up a chair and placed it on Annie's right and sat beside her.

"So you live on a farm?" Natalie asked.

"We do," Evan smiled. "We live in a big old farmhouse in the middle of Oklahoma. We live with Annie's grandfather."

"What do you farm?"

"Well, we have cows, lots of cows, and hay in the summer, lots of hay," he smiled. "And we have chickens and some cats that live in the barn and we're thinking of getting a puppy."

"A puppy!" Natalie smiled. "I've always wanted a dog, but Mom is allergic."

There was a sadness in her voice but all Annie could hear was a child talking. _How can she be old enough to have a baby?_ she wondered. _She's so young._

"And what is your job, Evan?"

"I'm an engineer. I design subdivisions for houses, and roads and where to put bridges and stuff like that. I'm in the Urban Development department of an architectural firm that contracts with cities and counties around the midwest."

"Do you like it?"

"I do," he replied.

"What do you do, Annie?"

"I was a physical therapist at a hospital, but now I'm going to be a stay at home mom."

Natalie smiled and nodded. "That's good. I like that."

"Me, too," said Annie.

"So what do you like to do, Natalie, for fun?" Evan asked.

"I paint and I used to do gymnastics, but...well, I haven't for a while, obviously. And I'm thinking about trying out for the a cappella choir next year," she said and smiled at Barbara. "There are lots of things I want to try. I won't know if it's something I like if I don't try, right?"

"Absolutely right!" Evan grinned.

"You're right," Natalie said to Barbara. "You were right." With a deep breath, Natalie stood and looked at Evan and Annie. "Would you like to come and meet your daughter?"

*****

Nursing a scotch, William sat at the table and watched the restaurant entrance waiting for Lewis to arrive. He wore grey trousers with a light blue dress shirt and tie. Fortunately this establishment did not require a jacket, yet he still felt underdressed...slightly uneasy with his casual appearance.

The Nestors had never been a wealthy family; blue collar for several generations back. It wasn't until a few years ago that William experienced the comforts and freedom that money could buy. For the first several years after completing his residency, he remained in the tiny studio apartment in Harlem and paid back his student loans, determined to not have them loom over his head for years and years to come. He led a quiet existence; work and more work and occasionally made it home to sleep and do laundry. The lack of social life enabled him to put most of his expendable cash into paying off the debt, leaving him now with just the mortgage on his Manhattan apartment. However, over the past few years he'd learned to enjoy the finer things in life: Italian shoes, tailored suits, silk ties, Rolex watches, and a good bottle of wine. When he traveled he flew first class, stayed in four and five star hotels and expected the service to match the bill. By no means was he a snob, but he'd grown to appreciate the things that money could buy. He'd worked to reach this level of success and he wouldn't apologize for it...not even to Lewis, though deep down he was still that introverted fifteen year old boy...just, now he had a black American Express in his leather wallet.

Feeling the weight of the lead crystal tumbler in his hand as he brought it to his lips, he betrayed his own feelings as he saw Lewis step around the corner looking completely out of place. Dressed in jeans and tennis shoes, a short-sleeved shirt that was unbuttoned at the neck, he didn't belong in the Grand Hyatt. William felt sick at the thought that he'd judged his brother and found him lacking. He'd been angry at the assumptions Lewis had made about him just earlier in the day. He gulped the last of his drink and set the empty glass on the table before standing to greet his brother who was making his way through the tables towards him. And he felt even guiltier as Lewis looked down at his attire, instantly aware, knowing he was underdressed.

"Eh, don't worry about it," William smiled. "This is California and everyone is so laid back. I'm used to attending board meetings and hospital functions. I feel naked without the tie," he offered as he flicked the smooth blue and grey striped silk tie around his neck. "Sit. Please." He summoned the waitress and they each ordered a drink. She picked up William's glass, took their order and headed to the bar, quickly returning with a fresh scotch and a bottle of beer. They each took a drink, postponing as long as possible the conversation that was to follow.

Even though they were brothers, neither felt at ease in the other's presence. Lacking any brotherly affection when William left for college, the expanse between them had widened over the years, leaving them almost as strangers. As the smooth liquid slid down his throat as he drank, William accepted that in order for them to have any kind of relationship, he would have to make the first move, and be willing to work at it, assuming it was, in fact, his desire to get to know his brother. Consciously acknowledging that he did, he spoke first.

"Tell me about your life, Lewis."

"Huh?"

"Tell me about your life. Everything."

"Not much to tell. I work. I hang out with the guys on occasion and I sleep. That about sums it up."

Chuckling, William nodded. "Sounds like my life, without the hanging out with the guys part."

"Aw, give me a break," Lewis sneered. "You're some bigwig doctor at a prestigious hospital with a fancy apartment. Your life is nothing like mine."

"You know nothing of my life and how I spend my days," William rebuffed, irked at the tone Lewis had used.

"So tell me then."

"I asked you first."

Lewis rolled his eyes and William instantly regretted his words. "Look," he began. "I know nothing about you. That is a pathetic thing to admit. We're brothers and we don't know each other at all. I'd like to remedy that...that is, if you're willing."

The frown on Lewis' face softened and he took another swig of his beer. "I'm willing."

"Good," William smiled, determined to start over. "So, you're a mechanic? Do you enjoy it?"

"I own the garage now. Mack took me under his wing and taught me everything he knew, about fixing cars and running the business. He never had any kids and he was more like a father to me than a boss, so when he died he left me his shop."

"Wow. That's great. You like it then?"

"I was always good with my hands. School wasn't for me. I was never smart like you. I was never going to go to college...it wasn't for me. But now I have two mechanics and a couple of techs working for me and I have expanded the shop to four bays and I've even got a retirement account. It's all I'd ever hoped for."

"And after Erica, was there...is there...a special..."

"Nah," Lewis shook his head. "I screwed up with Erica. I messed up big time. And I still feel bad that I hurt her but I learned my lesson. It took me a while to figure out, but I don't know how to be with a woman, really, _be_ with a woman. My shrink says it's probably because Mom died when we were so young, but..."

"Your shrink? You're in therapy?" William was all but speechless.

But Lewis didn't have an opportunity to answer as the waitress reappeared and handed them dinner menus. The conversation switched to what looked good and how expensive the entrees were.

"I can buy a carburetor for this!" Lewis exclaimed. "Or a couple of cases of oil!"

"It's on me," William smiled. "I rarely have a chance to enjoy a good meal...with my brother. Let's live a little, shall we?"

"Yeah, lets. For Dad."

"For Dad."

*****

"I don't care what you wear! You could go naked for all I care!" Greg muttered.

Jill had been in the bathroom for a long time and he was getting a bit antsy. Tonight was supposed to be a resplendent evening, but he'd made changes to the plans based on Jill's hesitance over the idea of living together. But if she didn't move her ass and get dressed they wouldn't be going anywhere.

"If you'd tell me where we were going I could make a decision on what to wear," he heard her grumble. That made him smile.

"You can't possibly have that many outfits to choose from!"

"That's not the point," was her rebuttal.

"We're going to dinner. It doesn't matter what you have on."

"What are you wearing?" she asked as the bathroom door opened. "Oh." He was in dress slacks and a button up shirt with the sleeves rolled up and loafers. "I can match that." And the door closed again.

# 10.

SWADDLED TIGHTLY IN A pink thermal blanket, the baby was sleeping soundly as the nurse pushed her crib into the family room where Annie and Evan were holding their breath in profound anticipation. Natalie met the nurse inside the door and gently lifted the tiny bundle into her arms. Barbara stepped back, off to the side, and quietly watched as Natalie pressed her lips to the forehead of her child as a single tear escaped down her cheek.

Evan snaked his arm around Annie's waist and squeezed. There was complete silence in the room – you could have heard a pin drop. The Wilders stood and watched the amazing and selfless act of a young woman they greatly admired and were now deeply in her debt. Natalie whispered something. Nobody heard what she said, and then she took a few steps and stood in front of Evan and Annie.

"I can't explain what I'm feeling right now. It's all very jumbled. I'm sure none of this will sink in for a few days." She looked down at the baby in her arms and spoke quietly. "Some people may think that I'm being selfish by giving you up because I get my life back. I get to go back to being a teenager and think about boys and prom and getting my license. If I could give you all that you deserve, I would, but I can't. I hope that you won't hate me. I hope that one day you will understand why I did it. I did it because I love you so very much. I will always love you. And it's because I love you that I'm giving you to the Wilders, because they are the wonderful parents you need. They will love you. They _already_ love you. I see it in their eyes."

Natalie didn't look up but gave Annie the baby and turned quickly and left the room. Barbara, tears streaming down her face, smiled at Annie and then hurried after Natalie, leaving the new family alone.

As a small sob escaped her lips, Annie mouthed, "Hello, beautiful," as Evan took his finger and softly caressed the silky dark hair on his daughter's head. Then he kissed Annie and pulled her even closer. The three of them stood huddled together, Annie and Evan crying with joy, and the baby forever safely in her mother's arms.

*****

"I don't want her to ever think that I didn't want her! I did! I do!" Natalie sobbed, her heart breaking.

"I know, I know," Barbara soothed, holding her and rubbing her back. "And she'll never doubt that. The Wilders understand and when the time is right, they will tell her all about you and how much you love her."

The sobs eventually eased and Natalie wiped her eyes and blew her nose. "I do like them. I think I chose the right people."

"You did. I know you did."

"But I would hate to think that she ever thought that...I didn't want her. That would break my heart."

"I have an idea. Why don't you go home and write down all the things you want to tell her now. If she could understand you, what would you say to her? Put it all in a letter, and then one day, you'll get to give it to her."

With a nod, Natalie agreed, and with a sad smile she went to find her parents and go home...back to being just a regular teenager.

*****

"Now what do we do?" Evan chuckled.

Annie looked up at him and he knew she'd never looked more beautiful than this very moment. The beam in her eyes, the smile on her lips, the rosiness of her cheeks were all because of the precious bundle in her arms.

"We need to give her a name. We can't keep calling her her," she laughed.

"Well, we sorta talked about it. Her middle name will be Anne."

"So, something Anne Wilder."

"I don't like something. I think we can come up with a better name than that."

"Ha ha," she laughed. "Seriously."

"Roberta."

"I said seriously."

"Laqueesha."

"Evan!"

"Grace," he whispered. "Gracie Anne Wilder."

"By God's good grace," she smiled. "Grace."

*****

Given priority seating, Greg and Jill slid into the booth of the restaurant. The waiter suddenly appeared with a bottle of champagne and popped the cork, causing cheers from the people close by.

"Are we celebrating?" Jill giggled as the waiter handed her a crystal flute filled with tiny bubbles floating in the golden liquid.

"Yes. Our anniversary, and...you moving in with me?"

Jill smiled at the hopeful look on his face. His brown eyes sparkled and his perfectly straight teeth were in full view as his lips curved upwards. "You are adorable."

"And loveable and dependable and trustworthy and loyal and hopelessly in love with you."

"And if it doesn't last?" The words were said with complete vulnerability.

"Why wouldn't it?" Greg placed his glass on the table and held her hand in both of his. "I love you with everything that I am and I cannot fathom that ever changing. Are your feelings for me inconstant?"

"No! I love you and this past year has been...been such a...a beautiful surprise. I didn't think that I would ever find someone like you. You're perfect in every way, and..."

"I'm far from perfect!" he scoffed at the notion. "But my love for you is perfect in every way. Don't doubt that, please?"

"I don't," she shook her head and smiled. "It's just that, well, I'm a lot to put up with."

"Good grief! If you're worried about my feelings changing you're wasting your time. Focus your energy on something else. Sweetheart, you are _it_ for me. There will _never_ be anyone else. It's just you...warts and all," he teased.

"Really?"

"Why do you not believe that I could love you? You are smart and sassy and confident and funny, and sexy to boot. A man would be a complete moron to pass on you, and I'm no moron."

Jill smiled. "No, you are definitely _not_ a moron."

"So let's toast to many, many more years as perfect...no, _even more_ perfect than this one. To you and to me. To us." In ritual fashion they clinked their glasses together and sipped the champagne, Jill giggling as tiny bubbles tickled her nose. "And I love the way you laugh," Greg grinned.

"To moving in together," Jill agreed.

_Oh, to so much more than that,_ he thought.

*****

The two men each ordered a salad to start their meal; William a Cobb Salad with Bleu Cheese dressing and Lewis a Caesar Salad. They ate, not talking much, and when the waitress removed their empty plates, Lewis cleared his throat.

"So, Erica spoke to you today."

"Yeah, she did," William replied, uncomfortable with where the conversation was heading.

"That's good. You haven't seen each other in a while?"

"Not since I left for my sophomore year of college."

"So well over twenty years."

"Yep."

"Huh."

"What?"

"Nothing, I, ah, just, nothing."

William hadn't thought about mentioning to Lewis that they were going to dinner the following evening, but as the uncomfortable silence grew, he decided to put it out there to see what his response would be. "We're going to have dinner tomorrow evening. I hope that you're okay with that."

"Course! Why wouldn't I be? What she chooses to do and who she sees is no concern of mine. We're not married any more. Haven't been for a long time."

"Good. I just thought you should know."

"It's fine with me," Lewis said as he lifted the beer bottle to his lips. "Fine with me."

As the waitress delivered their entrees, William got the distinct impression that perhaps it wasn't as fine as Lewis wanted him to believe. But as he said, they weren't married anymore and Erica could have dinner with whomever she chose. And William wasn't going to lose his nerve...again.

*****

Evan thought it was a miracle they figured out how to put Gracie in the car seat on their first try. Buckled in and still asleep, Evan hoisted her up and Annie threw the diaper bag over her shoulder and they made their way to the elevator.

As they stepped inside once the doors slid open, they were met with gushes over the baby they carried. Offers of congratulations were made by everyone as they got on and off the elevator. Annie decided it was the longest ride in her life, but she graciously accepted the compliments with a smile and a nod of her head. As they walked through the front doors, Evan suddenly stopped and swung around.

"We need to see Dr. Cole!"

"I'm fine," Annie insisted. "Let's just go. We have no idea how long she's going to sleep."

"No. We promised her and we're going back."

Pouting for a moment, Annie didn't move but finally followed Evan back through the sliding glass doors and walked to the ER. Evan headed straight for the woman behind the glass window and explained why they were there to which the woman smiled and asked them to have a seat while she located the doctor.

They sat and sat and sat and just when Annie told Evan it was ridiculous and they should leave, Dr. Cole appeared and asked them to follow her back to one of the triage rooms.

"And who is this beauty?"

"This is our daughter, Gracie," Evan beamed. "She is three days old and our little miracle."

"We thought we'd never have a child, yet here we are. We sign off on the rest of the adoption papers tomorrow and then we fly back to Oklahoma the day after that with our new baby. Truly a miracle."

"Yes. There seems to be a few miracles today," Dr. Cole smiled. "Annie, we need to talk about the tests we ran earlier today. But first, let's take your blood pressure and a couple of other things and let's see how you're doing. Okay?"

Annie nodded and Dr. Cole stepped out of the room and a nurse entered and put the cuff on her arm and took her temperature and her pulse. She wrote everything down on a piece of paper and then left just as quietly as she came in.

Gracie moved and she promptly had both her parents' complete attention. She wiggled, yawned and was back in a sound sleep, never even opening her eyes. They didn't hear the doctor sneak back in.

"Annie."

She jumped at her name. "Oh, yes. I'm sorry, the baby..."

Dr. Cole smiled. "She is going to be front and center of everything you do from here on out, well at least for the next few months."

"Yes, I'm sure she will be," Evan smiled. "And we will enjoy every second."

"Annie? When was your last period?"

"No clue," Annie admitted. "I've been so messed up with all the hormones and stuff and when we quit doing them, things have taken a while to get back to normal. Why?"

"Annie, part of the standard blood work we did today was a pregnancy test. We do that on any woman of child bearing age. Well, the test came back positive. You're pregnant."

"No, I can't have children. We've tried for years and years. The test is obviously a false positive. We've had those in the past and..."

"Annie," Dr. Cole smiled, "you're going to have a baby."

# 11.

WILLIAM AWOKE THE FOLLOWING morning feeling optimistic and renewed. His dinner with Lewis had started the reconnection and he hoped it would continue to build. After spending time with his brother, he realized how much he'd missed having a relationship with his family. He should be in deep mourning over the loss of his father, but quite frankly, he barely knew the man. The saddening thought gave him more determination to not allow the same thing to happen with Lewis. They _would_ get to know each other. They _would_ come to love one another and they _would_ treasure the bond. His goal was set and perfectly attainable.

His suit had been dry cleaned and returned to his room, so he dressed in preparation for the meeting with his father's attorney. He had no idea whatsoever what his father owned before his death, other than the house, and he had no desire to profit from that. Lewis could have it all. William didn't need it, and he would feel enormous guilt if he took it, any of it. He hadn't been a real son in a very long time. Lewis had been there for their father. If someone was to benefit from the will, it should be him.

As he was tying his tie, a text message appeared on his phone, the bell alerting him. He finished the Windsor knot and picked up his phone to see a question from Erica. _What time do you meet with the lawyer?_ He quickly responded. Then another text. _How long do you think it's going to take?_ He really had no idea. He assumed it would be less than an hour but he wouldn't be sure until he found out what the will entailed, so he replied with his uncertainty. Immediately another text popped up. _Okay. I work till 4. Call me after that._ Responding in the affirmative made him smile. She appeared anxious to see him. The thought made him deliriously happy...and hopeful.

*****

Jill's eyes fluttered open to see the sheer curtains billowing with the cool breeze. It was still early...barely light outside. Sleeping beside her, Greg looked peaceful, his deep and slow breaths in a steady rhythm. She studied his face, the chin dimple she adored, barely visible under his goatee, the long eyelashes she envied, and the soft whiskers that tickled her skin when he brushed his lips across her body. Her eyes traveled to his shoulders and the scar from having his collar bone surgically repaired, the strong arms that were wrapped around her now, the smattering of dark hair across his chest and his flat taut stomach that she was so tempted to kiss. Greg took care of himself physically and she reaped the rewards.

But it wasn't just his body she was powerfully attracted to. His mind was sharp and his intellect high. His sense of humor was dry and his smile contagious. He was generous, not only with his money, but with his time and knowledge. He'd set up scholarships for high school seniors who wanted to go into marketing. He provided new books every year for the local Head Start. He gave freely and without ever needing an ounce of recognition.

And he was in love with her. The thought brought a smile to her lips and a quickening of her pulse. She did love him, more than she dared to admit. She'd fallen hard despite the barriers she'd tried to erect in her heart's defense. Without even realizing she was doing it, Jill ran her finger down his jawline which caused his eyes to blink open.

"Sorry," her brows furrowed. "I didn't mean to wake you."

"As long as you are laying in my arms, you can wake me anytime you'd like," he offered with a sexy smile. "Now that I'm awake, what are you going to do with me?"

"Well, It's too early to have breakfast," she grinned.

"That depends on what you're offering." Greg pulled her close, his warm skin pressing against her.

"What would you like?"

"You...anyway I can get you."

"Well right now I'm naked and my teeth need brushing and my hair is tangled."

"I'll take it!" he squeezed as he spoke. "You're the most beautiful woman I know, even with your hair tangled and smelly breath," he teased.

"Such compliments," she laughed. "You flatter me, sir."

"If I want you this badly when you claim to be at your worst, just try to imagine how much I want you when you feel at your best? Although, truly, for me, there's not much difference." His tone was serious and Jill believed every word. "I want _you_ for breakfast," he groaned, as he rolled over, pinning her underneath him. "I want you for breakfast, for lunch, for dinner, for a late night snack, and brunch on the weekends. I want you every day of the week for the rest of my life."

"You know, you are getting older," she teased, "and I'm not sure that..."

Greg silenced her with his lips claiming hers, his tongue possessing her mouth, simulating the act he was about to ardently relish. There was no more talking as their bodies communicated with one another, loving one another passionately. The sun rose, casting a brilliant golden glow on the water just feet from the hotel, but they didn't see it. They were consumed with each other as their bodies joined and in unison crested the highest peak of ecstasy only to fall into each other's arms, limp, yet satiated as never before, the profound love they shared pouring between them and filling them with a powerful connection from which neither of them would ever be free.

"I love you, Jill Delaney."

"I love you, too...forever."

*****

At seven o'clock, Annie stood in the bathroom rinsing the bottle that Gracie had just mostly emptied. This little girl could eat, and did so every two and half hours. Grateful for the formula, she and Evan had taken turns feeding the baby through the night, although truthfully, neither of them slept much as Gracie lay between them in the king size bed. Probably still in shock from the events of the day, their minds and hearts were overwhelmed.

"How?" she asked as she stepped out of the bathroom.

"How what?" Evan asked sleepily.

"How am I pregnant?"

Evan laughed. "Well, boys and girls are different. And when two people love each other..."

Annie sat beside him on the edge of the bed and slapped his arm. "I'm being serious!"

"So am I," he smiled.

"We did everything and nothing worked. For years, we tried every trick known to man. Fertility doctors, Naturopaths, hypnosis, acupuncture, eating seaweed...everything!"

"Yep. And now that you're no longer stressed about getting pregnant, you're body...I don't know...relaxed?"

"Yeah. I always loved hearing a doctor tell me to eliminate stress from my life and let nature take its course. Like I could relax when I kept failing to get pregnant!"

"We! _We_ failed together, Annie. We're in this _together_. And now _we_ succeeded. Go figure! I have no idea how your mind works sometimes, so I've _no_ clue about your body," he laughed.

They both looked down at Gracie, sound asleep, her thumb in her mouth, sleeping peacefully. Suddenly, a look of overwhelming terror flashed across Annie's face. Her breath instantly became shallow and tears started to pour down her cheeks.

"Annie! What is it? What's wrong?"

"Are they...going to...say that we...can't have Gracie?" she sobbed. "I can't have...babies and...that's why we...got her."

"No, honey, no," Evan swooped her into his arms, holding her tightly. "No. She's ours. The papers are signed. She's our daughter. Nobody can take her away."

Annie cried and cried into his chest and Evan just held her close and comforted her 'til the tears slowed.

"I can't give her back, Evan. I can't."

"No one is asking you to, and no one will. I promise you."

They sat on the bed, arms around each other, rocking slowly, each gazing at Gracie still sleeping next to them. Eventually, her face and Evan's chest sopping wet, Annie pulled out of his embrace and found the box of tissues, blowing her nose several times and drying Evan as he chuckled.

"We've had her less than twenty-four hours," she whispered, "And I can't imagine life without her. I could never give her up. I am completely and forever hopelessly in love with her. I don't know how Natalie did it."

Her words were sobering as they watched Gracie start to wiggle. Her little arms worked free of the blanket around her and she stretched, arching her little body as her eyes slowly opened. It was as though she knew exactly where her mommy and daddy were – her eyes looked straight up at them and she sighed. Another tear rolled down Annie's cheek.

"I cannot imagine how she did it," she whispered.

# 12.

WILLIAM WAS WAITING TO be seated in the restaurant. He'd spent over an hour responding to emails and checking on patients' test results through the hospital's software portal and subsequently stood behind one other couple waiting to have breakfast.

He watched them...studied them. They looked tired, but under the circumstances it didn't come as a surprise. The man held a car seat in his right hand and the baby it held was sound asleep and didn't look more than a few days old. He inwardly smiled. _No, they're not getting much sleep._

William didn't have children of his own, but he did have patients, lots and lots of patients, many of them mothers with young families. It was always tougher on him to treat mothers. Memories of his own mother often surfaced and when his patients brought their children with them to visits it regularly broke his heart, especially when he knew the prognosis was bleak.

The woman who stood before him now had a glow about her, her face radiating pure joy, even through the dark bags under her eyes. Her eyes sparkled, her lips curled into a seemingly permanent smile as she gazed at the sleeping baby safely belted into the carrier.

William allowed himself a tiny moment of wonder... _what if?_ What if he'd married? What if he'd told Erica how he felt all those years ago? But there were too many 'what ifs' and he halted the train of thought before he got carried away. He wasn't old, not by any standard. He could certainly have children if he wanted to. Did he want to? He'd never let himself ask the question. It had never been in the realm of possibility. Was it now? _Of course it wasn't!_

The hostess sincerely apologized for the wait and offered to seat both the couple in front of him and him, so they all followed her down the two steps and into the elegantly furnished restaurant. She sat the couple with the baby first...at a table against a large wooden divider that held lush green plants. She took William just a couple of tables away and seated him at a table for two and left him with a menu. He didn't look at it, however. His attention was still on the couple with the baby. The baby was moving. William could just see the corner of the blanket moving and the woman reached for it and within a few seconds was cradling the infant in her arms, rocking side to side. The man, William assumed it was her husband, watched her with eyes that were full of love and focus. As the baby quieted, the woman held it to her breast, close to her heart and sipped on the coffee that had just been poured. With the arrival of the waitress at his table, he left the young family to themselves and asked for a copy of the Wall Street Journal with his breakfast.

*****

"I'm gonna need lots of coffee," Annie laughed as the waitress poured her cup.

"She's beautiful," came the reply. "How old?"

"Four days," Annie beamed, the proud mama bear in fine form.

"Congratulations."

"Thank you," smiled Evan.

"What can I get for you this morning?"

The Wilders placed their breakfast order and as the waitress hurried away, Annie spoke softly.

"I'm going to write Natalie a letter. Do you think that would be okay?"

"Of course it would. What are you going to say?"

"Thank you. And," she paused as she fumbled for the right words. "And how much I admire her for doing what she did. I don't really know how she feels, but I think I've been given a glimpse, a tiny glimpse, and I want her to know that I am amazed by her."

"She would probably appreciate hearing that."

"Do you think Barbara would give it to her?"

"We'll see her this morning so you can ask her then."

Annie looked down at Gracie, utterly content in her arms. She had a clean diaper and a full tummy and a mommy and daddy who loved her beyond any feeling they could have imagined.

"It's different isn't it?"

"What is?" Evan asked.

"The love you have for a spouse and the love for a child."

"Yes, it is. Not less, or more, just different."

"And to think, in eight months we're going to have one more!"

Evan grinned. Not a regular grin, but a big toothy smile that showed pure happiness. "Yes," he replied. "We'll have one more!"

*****

"What would you like to do today?" Greg asked as he sat in the armchair and tied his shoes. "The world is our oyster and we shall do whatever makes you happy."

Jill threaded a brown leather belt through her jeans and buckled it as she laughed at Greg. "Whatever makes me happy, huh? I think you've already made me one very happy girl this morning."

A smile spread across his face. "I do my best," he winked.

"Why don't we explore Old Town?"

"Sound like a great idea. Some fresh chips and authentic salsa? None of that crap that comes out of a jar? You don't have to ask me twice."

They left their room and rode the elevator down to the lobby and then out to grab a taxi. They held hands in the back seat and Jill felt deliriously happy...happier than she'd ever felt she decided. The thought of moving in to Greg's apartment didn't scare her. It was quite the opposite and she was astounded at her surprising excitement. She already treated it as her home away from home, feeling comfortable and relaxed there. It really wasn't as harrowing a prospect as she suspected it would be. Plus, he lived in the lap of luxury and his apartment was positively splendid. She would enjoy living there with him.

_Maybe we could get a cat._ The idea made her chuckle.

"What's funny?"

"I had a thought," came her coy reply.

"And?"

"We could get a cat." She expected him to scoff at the idea and when he remained silent, Jill didn't know if he was horrified or contemplating the idea. "Well?" she asked.

"I think we could get a cat, if you'd like one. I admit though, I never thought of you as a cat person."

"I had one when I was a child, but I haven't had the lifestyle for any pet. It's not like you can just leave them for days on end."

"True. But you won't _always_ have this lifestyle. A pet might be a good idea."

"Well we don't have to rush to an animal shelter on the way back from the airport or anything," she said. "It was just a crazy thought."

"Not that crazy," Greg smiled, intensely affected by her desire to have a pet with him. It meant she was taking their relationship seriously...that she was committed. It made him deliriously happy and ready to move to phase two of his plan.

*****

William smiled at the couple with the baby as he walked by them on his way out of the restaurant. He'd stalled long enough. It was time to get on with it...get on with the day. It was time to put the past to rest. He would meet Lewis at the attorney's office and sort out the ugly business of his father's will. Then he would continue to try and mend his all but non-existent relationship with his brother and have dinner with Erica. Then it would be time to go home. One more day and life would go back to the way it was before he arrived in San Diego.

Somehow, that thought wasn't a pleasant one.

# 13.

MARIACHI MUSIC PLAYED IN the distance and Greg and Jill relaxed in the brick courtyard amongst the many tourists, just like themselves, who were enjoying the brilliant sky, warm weather, and yummy chips and salsa. Scooping copious amounts of the sweet and spicy tomato concoction onto a warm lightly salted chip, Greg was in food heaven.

"That appears to me to be quenching more than just a physical desire," Jill teased, as she watched him close his eyes as he tasted each ingredient as the flavors touched and mingled on his tongue.

"Mmmm. Chicago will win the pizza debate every time, but delicious salsa like this is hard to find."

"Not in southern California," she chuckled.

"True," Greg grinned as he scooped another chip.

Jill had stopped eating. She knew if she continued she would be too full to eat the enchiladas she'd ordered. Greg had no such problem. He could remain seated on the wrought iron chair and eat until the sun set and still be just fine, never wasting a morsel. She watched the almost orgasmic expression he had every time he took another bite. She was thoroughly entertained...until their food arrived, and then she concentrated on the scrumptious meal before her.

"We should do this every year," she mumbled as she chewed the first bite.

"Do what?"

"Come to San Diego on our anniversary."

"I like that idea," Greg smiled. "But what if we have more anniversaries? I mean, we could celebrate when you move in and stuff like that."

Chuckling, Jill took another bite and chewed. "Well we wouldn't celebrate that anniversary here, would we?"

Greg lifted his glass of iced tea. "A toast then. May there be many, _many_ more anniversaries to celebrate with you...in San Diego and other places, too."

With a wide smile, Jill raised her glass and joined in the toast. "To more anniversaries. I kind of like the sound of that."

"Oh, me, too."

*****

After breakfast, Annie and Evan took Gracie back up to their room and fed her, burped her, changed her diaper, and her clothes after she spit up on them, packed the diaper bag, and managed to successfully attach the car seat to the stroller, ready to meet Barbara one more time to sign the last of the adoption paperwork, allowing them to leave the state, the adoption process complete.

"I knew I married an engineer for a reason," Annie laughed as together they buckled Gracie in and maneuvered the stroller through the door and down the hall to the elevator.

"You would think that as said engineer, it would not have taken so many tries to understand the mechanics of it," Evan frowned, only making Annie laugh harder.

Making their way through the lobby, across the shiny marble floor, Annie beamed with pride as they each had a hand on the stroller, pushing their baby daughter out into the sun. In just a matter of twenty-four hours, her soul had been powerfully rejuvenated and her gratitude to not only Natalie, but the whole world had increased. Saying thank you to the bellman as he helped them exit the hotel took on a whole new depth of genuine feeling, for she truly was thankful for his kind service, even if he was being paid to do it.

As she greeted the cab driver, she asked him how he was enjoying his day, and she meant every word and was sincere in her interest. As they drove through the streets of the city the buildings appeared shinier, prettier, the trees greener, the water bluer, the people about more attractive. Everything had changed. The dark cloud that smothered her soul was gone.

As the driver removed the stroller from the trunk of the car and Evan unbuckled Gracie's car seat and snapped it into place, she pulled cash from her wallet and gave it to the kind man who'd brought them to the attorney's office.

"Would you like me to wait for you?" he offered.

"No thank you," she smiled. "It's a beautiful day and we might just walk back."

"Here's my card with my phone number in case you change your mind," he offered. With that he drove away.

They were a few minutes early so Annie suggested they grab a drink from the coffee cart and sit in the atrium. Evan readily agreed, caffeine quickly becoming one of the major food groups for the new parents. Finding an empty table, he maneuvered the stroller through the maze of chairs and sat down, swinging the stroller around so Gracie faced them. Annie arrived with two lattes and settled in beside her husband. Gracie was sleeping quietly and Evan took Annie's hand in his and brought it to his lips.

"You're an amazing mom. I knew you would be," he smiled.

"I don't think you can judge me on just twenty-four hours," she chuckled. "But I love her beyond words and I will do everything in my power to ensure she has a wonderful life."

"I don't doubt that for a second! And what about this one?" he asked as he placed his other hand over her flat stomach hidden under her jeans.

"I have no idea," she sighed. "It's so much to take in...to accept. I mean, I'd told myself over and over again that I would never get pregnant and forced myself to let that dream go, and now..."

"All of our dreams are becoming realities. It is a miracle, one I'm thrilled about."

"Oh, me, too! Don't misunderstand. I'm overjoyed at the news, but it came on a day when my brain and emotions were already on overload. This, well, I'm not sure I can really even begin to process this yet."

"You'll have to deal with it once we get home, you know, doctor's appointments and stuff."

"I can't wait to see their faces," she grinned. "They're not gonna believe it!"

"Maybe we should videotape that," Evan laughed.

*****

It was done. Her parental rights were severed. She no longer had any legal claim to her child. As she placed the pen down after signing her name on the documents, there was a sadness that blanketed her. Barbara noticed and placed her arm around her shoulders.

"This is the most unselfish thing a person can do...give their child to another. I am in awe of your courage and selflessness and I'm confident in the bright future you have ahead of you."

Natalie attempted a smile. Her parents shook hands with the attorney and ushered Natalie from the office to the elevator. Barbara watched with conflicted emotions. If ever there was a young woman that could have somehow managed to raise a child and continue with her teenage years, she would have bet on Natalie. But she also felt a profound sense of accomplishment in helping a young couple start their family. The Wilders had impressed her since day one and she was confident they would make wonderful parents.

As Natalie and her parents exited the elevator in the lobby, the crowd trying to get in separated her from them. She watched them walk on ahead towards the glass doors. Natalie maneuvered her way through the throng of people. It was nearing the noon hour and employees that worked in the building were out and about in abundance. She zig-zagged through the lobby and out of the corner of her eye she saw them...the Wilders...sitting at a table in the corner. Her feet stopped moving, frozen in place as she looked at them. They sat close, holding hands, smiling, looking at each other and then down to the baby in the stroller beside them. _Her_ baby. But it wasn't. It wasn't _her_ baby. It was _their_ baby. There was no doubt in her mind that they were a family. Evan and Annie were the parents that baby needed.

People jostled around her, blocking her view every now and then, yet Natalie continued to watch. She watched as Evan laid his hand over Annie's stomach. She watched as he kissed her forehead. She watched as Evan gently lifted their daughter from the stroller and cradled her in his arms, against his chest, close to his heart. Natalie watched as Annie leaned in and kissed the baby and then looked up at Evan and smiled. She watched it all, and the sadness that had seemingly swallowed her lifted. It was all as it should be...the way it was meant to be. Natalie turned away and walked through the lobby and out of the massive doors onto the sidewalk and into the sun. She never looked back.

*****

After meeting his brother Lewis in the lobby, the two men headed up to the seventeenth floor to the law offices. Lewis was nervous, unsure of what was about to happen, his father giving no indication of ever even having a will. William just wanted it over with. They both fidgeted as they waited in the reception area, each for different reasons.

They sat for over ten minutes before a smartly dressed woman asked them to follow her to the conference room, which they did. She offered water or coffee, to which they both accepted; William a bottle of water and Lewis some coffee. They again waited for Scott Hunter, their father's attorney, to arrive. William wondered if this was how his patients felt every time they came to his office for their appointments. He committed there and then to try and be more punctual with his patients, after all, time was something some of them didn't have a lot of. It seemed cruel to make them waste something so precious waiting for him.

Lewis accepted a refill on his coffee and William finished his bottle of water and visited the restroom. If they'd been paying an hourly rate for the visit, both men would have been livid. Finally, twenty minutes after they entered the conference room, Scott rushed in apologizing in earnest for the delay...something to do with probate court and getting a motion to the clerk's office before they left for lunch.

He sat down opposite them at the large table and opened a file and began shuffling papers. "It's all spelled out neatly," Scott began. "Your father has taken care of everything and tied up all loose ends. There's really not a lot here to do except give you each these," he handed each of the brothers a sealed envelope, "and the reading of the will of course. Should I start at the beginning?"

"There's no need, is there?" William asked Lewis.

Lewis shook his head. "Just tell us the important bits."

"Very well," Scott nodded. He perused through the page and paused. "When your mother died, ah, um, thirty-five years ago, there was a life insurance policy that your father received. He split it in half and set up funds for each of you, that go to you upon his death. I will have my staff take care of all of that. We'll get them in your names which will allow you access to them. Secondly, all possessions, including the house and the car go to Lewis."

William breathed a sigh of relief. He was so glad there would not be any discussion over that. Lewis was stunned.

"Really?" he asked. "Everything?"

Scott nodded. "You can do anything you want with them; sell, keep, give away, trash...whatever you want. It's up to you. There are no instructions other to have the titles changed into your name, which, once again, my office will handle all of that. There is one exception, however. Your father's journal, or journals as there are four of them, are to go to William. We have them here and will give them to you when you leave. The letters you have in your hands are personal notes written to you by your father about four months ago when he finalized this will. All legal documents are in order and nothing will go through the courts unless you choose to contest the will, William."

"No!" he stated emphatically. "That will not happen. I am satisfied with the will. Lewis should get everything."

"Fine," Scott replied. "I will need some information from you both before you leave. My paralegal will take care of all of that and bring you the journals." And with that he shook both their hands and was gone.

"I'm kind of stunned," Lewis said.

"It's good," William nodded. "It's as it should be. You should have everything." And he truly meant it. He didn't need the house and he didn't want it.

"So there was an insurance policy, huh?"

William shrugged. "Dad never said anything to me about it."

"No, me either. I had no idea. I wonder what this says?" he wondered as he looked at the envelope before him.

"Don't know. Guess we'll find out when we open it."

The smartly dressed woman reappeared and began the task of gathering the information needed to complete their father's final wishes. After fifteen minutes a box was brought in, given to William and their business was complete.

"I'll show you out," she said as she held the door open for them. They followed her back to reception and said goodbye. In somewhat of a daze, the brothers walked to the elevator and pushed the button.

"What are you going to do with those?" Lewis asked.

"I have no idea," William answered honestly.

The brothers parted ways with a promise to stay in touch, Lewis suggesting he come to New York for Thanksgiving, to which William happily, enthusiastically agreed. They hugged...and remained in each other's embrace for several seconds as they both silently recommitted to the other. They would work hard to ensure they didn't miss out on the relationship they both wanted.

Lewis walked to the garage that housed his car and William hailed a cab, taking his father's journals back to his hotel.

# 14.

"BEFORE WE SIGN," ANNIE stuttered, "I think in good conscience I should disclose something."

That statement had everyone looking up, wide eyed with anticipation. She definitely had their attention.

"We found out yesterday, by pure luck, I mean we had no idea, no clue at all," Annie choked, her eyes filling with tears and beginning to spill down her cheeks.

"What is it, honey?" Barbara asked, deep concern in her voice. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing is wrong," Annie sputtered. "We found out I'm pregnant. We didn't think it could possibly happen and then...now. It's nothing we expected."

"That's fabulous news!" Barbara beamed.

"Congratulations!" the attorney added.

"Why are you so sad though?" Barbara asked.

"Well, we're adopting a baby because we can't have children of our own and now I'm pregnant!"

"Be happy! You'll have two babies to love!"

"This happens more often than you'd think," the attorney chuckled. "This has no bearing on the adoption if that's what you're worried about. Just sign her and here and here."

"Really?" Annie asked.

"Really. To both," he grinned.

Evan picked up the pen first, signing his name in all three places quickly and handing the pen to Annie. She took it from him and smiled, signing her name right beside her husband's.

"And there it is," Barbara said. "Done. Grace Anne Wilder is officially and legally your child. You can leave the state of California anytime."

The emotion Annie was barely keeping under control overcome her and Evan took her in his arms as the tears flowed freely, her face buried in his chest muffling the sobs of happiness.

The attorney gathered up the documents before him and quietly exited the room. Barbara watched for a moment, bent over and smiled at Gracie, still sleeping in her stroller, and then mouthed to Evan that she was also leaving. He smiled and nodded all the while holding his wife as her tears of joy poured unrestrained.

It took several minutes for Annie to gain control. "I think that's ten years' worth of tears right there on your shirt," she stuttered between sniffles.

Laughing, Evan looked down at his shirt. "You should have used one of Gracie's burp cloths."

That seemed to lighten the mood and Annie laughed. "I think maybe my hormones are already taking control."

"They've been doing that for years," Evan chuckled. "This really isn't that much different than what I've seen before. I'm kinda used to it."

"Maybe," Annie admitted with a smile. "Let's go, shall we?"

"Ready to go home, Gracie?" Evan asked. "One more night in San Diego and then it's back home and you're gonna get the royal treatment."

"Well she is a princess," Annie grinned.

"That she is. She takes after her mommy."

*****

It sat there...just staring back at him...a letter from his father sealed in an envelope laying on the desk of his hotel room. William felt unnerved. He was perplexed by its very existence. He was also wracked with guilt. His father had to talk to him through a letter...after he was dead.

On the floor beside the desk sat the box he'd been given at the attorney's office. He'd removed the lid to find four leather journals, the first dating back to when his father attended high school in the mid 1950's. William had flipped through the pages, not stopping to read, just periodically glancing at dates. His father's life was summed up in these four books. They would be something to delve into when he returned home. For now though, the envelope in front of him was demanding his immediate attention.

With a hesitant hand, he carefully tore open the seal and removed the letter. It appeared to be two pages, handwritten. Just as the attorney had stated, it had been written four months ago, right before Christmas. The guilt was very present. It had been the week before that William had called his father to say that, once again, as usual, he would not be heading to San Diego for the holidays. He had patients that needed him and he couldn't, or wouldn't, take the time off. With a heavy heart, he began to read.

_"Dear William,_

_The time is coming soon. I can feel it in these old bones. I'm ready. I'd like to think your mother is waiting for me. I hope so. I've been too long without her. It will be wonderful to be with her again._

_We were happy, weren't we? Before she died? The house was full of laughter and smiles and the smell of cookies and bread. And then it wasn't anymore. It was all I could do to get out of bed in the morning and go to work. As I look back on that time, I realize how much of a bad father I was to you boys. I could have done better. I should have done better. But I can't change what is in the past. What's done is done. I understand why you wanted to get as far away as possible when you finished high school. I probably would have done the same thing in your shoes._

_If I never told you, I want you to know how proud I am of you. I would tell everyone that would listen that MY son was accepted to Harvard. MY son was going to medical school. MY son was a doctor. You were always such a smart young man. I knew you would make something of yourself. I knew you would use that brain your mother gave you to make a difference in the world, and you are. I know that you'd come home for Christmas if you could. You are such a good doctor that you can't leave your patients and I understand. You are a good boy."_

William closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He wasn't a good boy. He was a coward. He was a grown man that was still pissed off about something that happened when he was eighteen. He should have come home for Christmas...it was his father's last one and he missed it. He was too busy feeling sorry for himself and he missed it. _Damn!!_

Anger boiled inside him, causing his fist to clench, the letter tight in his grip. Yeah, he was a big shot doctor in New York but what did any of it mean if his life was empty. He was a shell...a shell with nothing to show for all of his success.

Opening his eyes he looked down at his hand and the crumpled paper he held in it. Quickly releasing it, he straightened the pages and forced himself to continue reading.

_"Ever since I was about fifteen, I've kept a journal. It's not something that I religiously wrote in or anything, just when the need arose I'd jot down my thoughts. Over the years I wondered what I would do with them when I got old. I want you to have them. We didn't have a lot of time together once you were grown and there are probably things in those books that I would have told you if we'd had the time. So I thought that you could get to know me a little better when you read them. I want you know how much I love you and your brother and how much you meant to me. I didn't say it very often. Rarely, in fact. But I wrote it. I wrote all about you and Lewis and your mother and I want you to have it. Maybe, one day, when you have children, they can read it to and get to know their grandpa. I'd like that._

_These books are the only real possession I have, other than the picture of your mother that has sat on my nightstand all these years. But that is coming with me so all I leave is the journals. I want you to treasure them as much as I do. They are a piece of me. They are me._

_I love you son, so very much._

_Dad"_

*****

Erica had worked at Rite-Aid Pharmacy for the last thirteen years. It was a steady job with little stress and a guaranteed paycheck every two weeks. She lived in a complex of fifty-four apartments and she'd made some good friends over the years. She lived modestly, her biggest extravagance being a weekly night out with her girlfriends on either Friday or Saturday night, a little salsa dancing and a margarita, or two, and then back to her quiet existence.

Running had become her hobby of choice. She'd run cross country in high school but had not continued for the first few years after she'd graduated. When her marriage to Lewis began crumbling, she returned to her favorite pastime as a form of therapy, and escape.

She punched out at work a little early and drove the few blocks home, thrilled with the realization that she had time to go for a run before she needed to get ready for her date with William. She quickly changed into shorts and her sports bra, tossed a t-shirt over her head and put her hair in a ponytail. Her house key was on a rubber band around her wrist and her phone was in her pocket, ear-buds securely in her ears.

Starting out slowly, Erica warmed up her muscles. It was another beautiful day, as most were, and welcomed the warmth from the sun on her skin. After a couple of hundred yards or so, her speed picked up and she ran.

Seeing William yesterday had brought up so much from the past...so much stuff she'd thought she'd left there a long time ago. As her feet pounded on the pavement her mind drifted back all those years, memories of high school and dances and the classic music of the 80's that's never been matched. She remembered William back then. He was painfully shy. She thought he was sweet, the kind of guy the girls would end up marrying, but certainly not the guy they dated in high school. Teenage girls were stupid. They wanted the bad boy, the dangerous boy, the adventure of the unknown. That's what she'd chosen. It hadn't worked out so well.

No, the Williams of high school got a bad rap. They were overlooked by hormonal girls with eyes for perceived virility not stability. If she could do it all over again, she would never have looked twice at Lewis. She would have waited for William...waited for him to notice her. He may not have been what the girls wanted back then, but the women would be all but banging down his door now.

She kept running, running 'til the memories of the summer William had come home from college vanished back into the recesses of her mind. It didn't do anybody any good to remember the crush she had on him that summer. It didn't do her any good to remember that he barely spoke to her. It didn't do her any good to remember that her heart would have been his if he'd just shown an interest, even a tiny one.

But it would be nice to catch up with him this evening. It would be nice to have dinner with a gentleman. It would be nice to imagine, even for just an hour or two, that things were different...that her life was different...that she was different.

# 15.

AS JILL AND GREG walked through downtown San Diego, hand in hand, they walked past a small clothing store with a gorgeous black dress in the window.

"Try it on," Greg encouraged as he saw Jill gaze at it, admiring it.

"Nah. When would I ever wear it?"

"Tonight! Come on," he grinned, as he dragged her into the shop.

Within minutes, she had the dress in her size hanging in the small dressing room and she was standing inside in front of the mirror. The fabric was so soft and as she pulled it over her head and it slid down her body like a second skin. Stepping out to find Greg waiting with anticipation, he offered to zip it up and then stood back to admire her.

"Wow," he mouthed. "You are stunning."

"So, it looks good then?"

"So much more than that."

Jill saw her reflection in the mirror and admitted that it did look good on her. "So we are going somewhere tonight so I can wear this?"

"We are," he winked.

The sales woman appeared with a pair of strappy black heels and a pair of exquisite silver earrings that completed the outfit.

"Perfect," Greg smiled.

Jill bit her lips, trying to hide her smile. "Mmm," she said. "I may just have to buy this."

"My treat," Greg insisted.

"I won't argue with that," Jill laughed. She slipped back into the dressing room and changed back into the clothes she wore in, fingering the intricate detail of tiny beads around the neckline of her new dress.

The new outfit was carefully wrapped in tissue paper, the shoes returned to their box and the earrings placed in a velvet box and all were placed in a store bag and handed over to Jill. She was slightly giddy with the new addition to her wardrobe. She didn't buy much in the way of clothes. Most of her time was spent in an airline uniform, and she had a whole closet full of those. She was full of anticipation at the prospect of really getting dressed up for a night out with the man she loved. It was going to be a wonderful evening. She just knew it. How could it not be?

*****

William was sitting in the hotel bar finishing his second drink. Looking at his watch, he pulled out his phone and texted Erica. His emotions were all over the place. It was like he was on a rollercoaster of hope and optimism and guilt and longing for a do-over.

His phone chimed almost instantly with Erica texting back. She would meet him in the lobby of the hotel at six. He replied and told her to wear shoes she could walk in – they were walking up to a seafood restaurant the bellboy had recommended. It was only a few blocks away and William thought the walk would do him good...help to clear his mind of the day's events and help him to appreciate the opportunity he had to spend time with Erica, as it would probably be the only chance he would have.

She replied with a smiley face and a thumbs up icon. He had time for another drink before he had to get changed, so with a nod to the bartender, his glass was refreshed. He needed courage, the kind only a stiff drink could give him.

*****

Erica couldn't wipe the huge grin off her face. She felt positively ridiculous. Here she was, a woman in her mid-forties, acting like a teenage girl at the prospect of going on a date. She'd just stepped out of the shower when William had sent his text so all she had to do was blow dry her hair, put on a smattering of make-up and get dressed, made all the more easier by his request for her to wear comfortable shoes. That eliminated the need to stand in front of her closet searching for something to wear. Flat shoes meant a knee-length dress with a light weight jacket. Easy. Done!

Drying her hair didn't take long. It was cut into a bob that came to just below her shoulders; long enough to be tied back when she ran, and short enough so it was easy to style when the need arose. In the mirror she could see the errant gray hair here and there, a sign she wasn't getting any younger. She'd often thought about covering them at the salon, but she knew once she started she'd never be able to stop. That was a commitment she was not ready to make.

Commitment. It had been difficult after her divorce...commitment of _any_ kind. Actually, she avoided it at all costs. She'd been in the running of a manager position at work, and she'd gracefully declined to offer a letter of interest. A friend had asked her if she wanted to buy a house together...a pretty little bungalow in east Chula Vista. Erica had gracefully declined, telling her friend she didn't know how long she'd be staying in San Diego. That was seven years ago. No, commitment was hard. She was too scared of failing, just like in her marriage. She was content in her small life. It filled her need for keeping everything simple and uncomplicated.

Hair dry, make-up on, dressed and ready to go, Erica all but skipped down the flight of stairs and to the parking lot. She slid into the seat of her car and slipped her sunglasses onto her nose. She was going to enjoy herself. An evening with William would satisfy the unquenched desire she'd had for a long time.

*****

Back at the Holiday Inn, Greg shaved and Jill primped. She curled her hair and lined her eyes in black eyeliner and slathered her lips in red glossy lipstick. He patted cool aftershave, Jill's favorite scent, over his cheeks and neck and dressed in a black suit with a crisp white dress shirt, open at the neck, adding his favorite cuff links to his wrist. Jill slid into her new dress and slipped her feet into the new strappy sling backs and dropped her phone, lipstick tube and handkerchief into her clutch. Greg pushed his feet into the leather loafers beside the bed and Jill hooked her new dangly earrings into her ears, a shiny bangle onto her wrist and turned to Greg with a smile.

"I do believe we are ready."

"You are stunning! Maybe we should stay in," he winked.

"Then this dress would be wasted," she replied.

"Oh, no. Definitely not a waste. I'm going to relish every second of taking it off you later."

Jill grinned. "I think I'm going to enjoy that, too."

"Let's get out of here before I change my mind and put the do not disturb sign on the door handle." He opened the door and led Jill down the hall to the elevator and pushed the down arrow. As the doors opened, two men stepped off into the hall in front of them, each ogling her with appreciative looks. Greg just smiled and led her into the elevator. As the doors closed her whispered into her ear, "They can look all they want, but everything they see is all mine."

Jill laughed.

"You think I'm joking?" he asked.

"What's gotten into you this evening? You're...you're in a mood."

"I am," he smiled. "I feel like our whole lives are ahead of us, like the world is our oyster, like nothing of consequence has happened before this very moment."

With her brows raised, Jill swung around to face him. "That sounds kind of nice, actually."

They'd reached the lobby and exited the hotel. A cab was waiting and drove them just the few blocks to the upscale restaurant that held a reservation for them. Jill was duly impressed. They were led to a table that already held a chilled bottle of champagne and a dozen long stemmed roses tied with a red satin bow.

"Oh, Greg, they're beautiful. Thank you."

"Happy Anniversary," he smiled.

"And to you, too."

The waiter poured champagne into the flutes and they toasted once again.

# 16.

WILLIAM STOOD IN THE lobby of the Grand Hyatt hotel. He walked across the intricately patterned floor to the exit. He stood, motionless as he peered through the glass and then abruptly turned and headed back the way he came.

He was early. Seven minutes. He was afraid he appeared anxious. Arriving at the bank of elevators he swung around and attempted to look casual in his relaxed stroll back to the entrance of the hotel. He stopped before reaching the doors and looked out at the circular driveway in front of the hotel. It was bustling with activity. Cabs were dropping off guests and then picking up new fares. Bellboys were loading carts with luggage and there were several smokers huddled together getting their fix. He was so transfixed on the activity that he didn't notice the red sedan pull up and a lovely woman take the card from the valet as he drove her car away.

Suddenly she was standing in front of him, startling him through the glass. She laughed when she saw him flinch at her unexpected appearance. And then he smiled and strode to the door and out into the fading sunshine.

"Hello."

"Hi," she smiled. "I'm not late am I?"

"No, not at all. I was a few minutes early down to the lobby and I was watching the smokers over there." He nodded off to the left at the three men that had captured his attention. "It's one of the things I will never understand."

"What?"

"Smoking. Do you know what it does to your organs?"

Erica smiled. "Not all of us are doctors. We don't see our insides very often...or anybody else's, for that matter."

"No, I suppose not."

"It's a beautiful evening."

"Yes, it is. Shall we walk along the water for a bit?"

"I put on my comfortable walking shoes," she grinned. "Walking would be just fine. Lovely, in fact." She would treasure every moment they had.

Under the brilliant sky made up of pink and orange hues they walked side by side down to the marina and the dark blue water.

"It's so different here than at home," he spoke almost to himself. "I'd forgotten how pretty it is here."

"Tell me about New York," Erica said. "Tell me about your life there."

With a shrug, William said, "There's not much to tell. I work and I go home to sleep. And then I do it all over again."

"Well that doesn't sound very fun at all," she frowned.

"No, I suppose it doesn't," he said, almost as if he was realizing it for the very first time.

"Why did you choose New York?"

"It's where I got into medical school and then I did my residency there. It just became home. It chose me, I guess."

Erica noted a sadness in his voice and she didn't understand it. When she thought of his life she assumed it was full of glitz and glamor and everything she envisioned Manhattan to be from TV. The picture he had just painted was far from she had anticipated.

"My life is boring," he said. "Tell me about you. What have you been doing the last twenty-five years?"

She opened her mouth to speak and then immediately closed it. What was there to tell? She went to work and came home to sleep and then did it all over again the next day.

"Well," she began, "I work at Rite-Aid. I'm an assistant manager. I open the store in the morning and then when I get home I go for a run and then..."

"And then?"

"And then I go to bed and do it again the next day." Her life sounded as dismal as his. The thought depressed her.

"Do you like it?"

"Like what?" she asked.

"Your job?"

"No. Actually, no, I don't. But it pays the rent."

William thought that sounded very monotonous. At least he loved his job. He loved helping people and he loved a puzzle and cancer regularly provided a mystery to be solved.

"You still run a lot?"

"I do. I love the way it clears my head and all I think about for those sixty minutes is my heart rate and all I hear is the blood pumping through my veins."

"I remember watching you in high school." He smiled at the memory.

"You do?" The shock in her voice was obvious.

"Yep. I would sit at the corner on my bike and watch you run with the cross country team every day after school."

That made her smile. The thought was like a warm blanket around her heart. _He used to watch me._ "Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why did you watch me run?"

His pulse quickened and he looked to his right, as far away from Erica as he could without making it look obvious, well, _too_ obvious he was uncomfortable with her question. They walked a little further in silence, Erica waiting patiently for an answer, William stalling for time. Turning down the sidewalk, they headed to the restaurant entrance and joined with the throng of people waiting for a table.

"I called and made a reservation," he smiled. "It shouldn't be long." Making his way to the hostess' stand, he spoke to her but Erica couldn't hear him over the noise.

In all the years she'd lived in San Diego, she'd never eaten here. It was beautifully situated beside the water, the marina to the south and the USS Midway just north. The smell engulfing her nose was divine and making her hungry, her stomach making growling noises.

In just a minute, William returned, reached for her hand which she readily accepted and the hostess guided them through the crowds to a table that afforded them a view of the kitchen and the chefs grilling steaks and all manner of seafood. They sat across from each other and took a moment to take in their surroundings.

William leaned towards her and said, "I've heard great things about the food here."

Erica smiled and before she could press him for an answer to her earlier question, their waitress arrived to hand them menus and take their drink order. Erica ordered water, so William followed suit.

"I'm driving," she explained.

He smiled, and silently appreciated her responsible attitude. He ordered some fried calamari to munch on while they studied the menus and the waitress disappeared.

"So?" she asked.

"Hmm?"

"You didn't answer my question. Why did you watch me?"

He couldn't escape the big brown eyes in front of him, or the tilt of her head as she searched his face, seriously contemplating the question...seeking a truthful answer. William squirmed in his chair. He was a grown man on the outside, but not so much on the inside. Fearing rejection again, he looked down at his menu. But Erica continued to wait, and the silence forced him to look up. He had to answer the question.

Clearing his throat, he placed the menu on the table in front of him and took a deep breath. _Why is this so hard? Why can't I just say what has been bottled inside me for so long?_ Their eyes locked and he thought his heart stopped _. Do I want to keep going through life never once taking a chance? Never allowing myself to acknowledge how I really feel? Never being bold?_

Erica's lips parted and William wondered if she was going to say something, but no words were spoken. She just stared at him, willing _him_ to speak.

_Stop looking back on your life and seeing only 'what ifs'! Take a chance! Just once, have some balls for once and TAKE A CHANCE!!_

With no more thinking, he just spoke from his heart. "I wanted to see you. I took every chance I could to be near you, to watch you, to wonder if you ever, _even once_ , thought about me. So after school, I would race home and grab my bike and ride down to the corner and wait. I rode my bike so it looked like I was going somewhere and not stalking you," he chuckled. "And when you were long gone, out of sight, I turned around and went home. You were all I could think about in high school. I'm surprised I passed any of my classes." He looked back down at the menu and hid his trembling hands on his lap, under the table. For a brief moment, he thought he was going to be sick.

"Oh."

He risked a glance across the table to the woman he'd loved for thirty years. She smiled.

"That is so...is so incredibly sweet," she said, yet she looked so sad.

William's heart withered at her expression. He had obviously upset her with his bold and unguarded revelation. He had disgusted her. It all but broke him.

*****

The champagne was perfect. The flowers were perfect. Her date was perfect and Jill bathed in the splendor of it all. She'd never had dreams or visions of being a princess and having a knight in shining armor for her lover. Well, maybe she did, but that was a _long_ time ago, long before the realities of love shattered them and introduced her to a reality littered with heartache.

They laughed and ate and even danced a couple of times, swaying to the smooth sounds of Ella Fitzgerald. Greg held her close, so close she could feel his heart beat pounding against her breast. She inhaled his scent...the scent that reminded her she was home when engulfed in his strong arms.

Greg was animated and showed intense glee at her moving in with him when they returned to Chicago. There was his toothy grin plastered to his face all evening and it filled her with anticipation at starting a new chapter of their lives – together.

As they ate, they picked off each other's plates, chatting away about anything and everything. Jill asked about his latest business venture, a video training series to teach others how to replicate his success. He asked about the airline gossip and they laughed uncontrollably at the crazy things that went on. She asked after his mother, a widow of several years who was living the good life in a retirement village in Boca Raton, courtesy of her devoted son. Greg inquired after Jill's sister's wedding plans and asked if the engaged couple had finally set a date.

When she couldn't eat another bite, Greg took her plate and placed it in front of him on his empty plate and continued to eat while Jill marveled at his ability to pack away food while still looking like a Greek God. She watched him chew and gazed at his strong jaw and pink lips, eager to return back to the hotel and taste them.

When the waiter cleared the table and refilled their glasses, Jill waited for the dessert menu. Not so that she could order, but so she could graciously refuse and suggest that they head back, the physical need for him growing inside her. But he didn't return and Greg suggested they dance again. The voice of Michael Bublé wafted through the restaurant and Greg stood and offered her his hand.

Their feet moved in sync as Greg sung softly into her ear, "The best is yet to come, and baby won't it be fine. You think you've seen the sun, but you ain't seen it shine."

Jill smiled. "That sounds like a promise."

"You bet it is," he grinned and kept on singing.

# 17.

"I'M SORRY IF..."

"I wish you'd..."

They both spoke at once. They both stopped simultaneously.

William gestured with his hand. "You go first."

Erica swallowed. "I wish you'd have said something. I never knew." The last three words were almost a whisper. "Excuse me for a moment. Be right back." Pushing her chair back, she left William and headed for the restroom.

Once safely in the privacy of a stall, Erica buried her face in her hands and wept. She ripped some toilet paper from the roll and blew her nose and gulped back the ensuing second wave of sobs. She felt ridiculous...her reaction to his confession absurd. Why would it cause such an emotional outburst?

"Are you okay, hun?"

Erica looked up and saw a pair of red leather boots standing in front of the stall door.

"Seriously, are you alright?" she asked again.

"Fine," she managed to choke out.

"I don't think so. You don't sound alright. Far from it. Do you want to talk about it?" the voice said.

It was a kind voice, with a twang...from the South. Erica blew her nose once more, threw the wad of paper into the toilet bowel and flushed, and unlocked the door and let it fall open. There stood a woman in a denim skirt, red boots and a tank top. She appeared to be much older than Erica, and had a genuine look of concern on her face.

"Oh, goodness," she said as she saw the mascara streaks on Erica's cheeks. "Tell me, honey. What is it?"

"A man I knew in high school just told me that he had a crush on me and I never knew. I wondered, maybe even wished he did. I don't know." When she said it out loud it sounded even more pathetic. She was mortified.

"And you're here with him tonight?"

Erica nodded.

"Oh, sweetie. That's good news, isn't it? Why are you crying?"

"I married his brother which was a huge mistake because he couldn't keep his dick in his pants and slept with everything in a skirt. So I divorced him and have been alone ever since."

"Oh."

"He wasn't the coolest kid in school. Far from it actually. But he was sweet and nice and if he'd just said something then maybe..."

"Maybe what?"

"I dunno. Maybe I wouldn't have made the biggest mistake of my life and maybe there was a chance that..."

"That you and him would have gotten married and lived happily ever after?"

"Well, maybe."

The woman laughed, almost a belly laugh. "Really? You think that high school love makes it to a happily ever after? The percentages are pretty low, let me tell you. I have five daughters that are probably around your age and only one of them married their high school boyfriend. Honey, if you're both single now and are still interested in each other, then stop looking in the past and look into the future! You can't change what's done, but you can shape your destiny. Now, quit you're blubbering and get yourself cleaned up and go back out there and grab that bull," she grinned.

"Well."

"No! No, ah, well, maybe. Either you're going to change your life or you're going to stay in the same place. The choice is yours. And if you choose to do nothing about it then the fault is yours, too." She pulled Erica into a warm hug and then quickly left, leaving Erica standing in front of the mirror looking at her red eyes and runny nose. She turned on the faucet, running cool water and splashed her face, rubbing the black smudges away, hoping to hide any evidence of crying. She blew her nose once more and reapplied some lipstick. With her back straight, she walked back to the table and slid into her chair. William looked as though he was going to be sick.

"Everything okay?" he asked.

"Yes," she smiled. "It is."

"I apologize," William said, his voice full of remorse.

"No," she stopped him. "I'm sorry for running away like that. I have a confession to make."

It was William's turn to wait for her to continue.

"I, I wanted you to ask me out. I would stand a few feet from your locker and wait to see if you'd talk to me. I'd tell myself that if you liked me, you'd talk to me if I was standing right there."

"No!" he gasped.

Erica nodded. "Yep. Pretty silly huh?"

The waitress arrived with the calamari and asked if they'd had a chance to look at the menu. With guilty expressions they looked at each other and smiled.

"How about we start with the Dungeness Crab cocktails?"

"That sounds wonderful," Erica smiled.

"And then I'll have the Surf and Turf with a baked potato. Erica?"

"The same," she smiled. "With a garden salad and ranch dressing."

"I'll do the same," William told the waitress. She nodded and moved on to her next table.

"I love calamari," he said as he dipped a piece into the cocktail sauce and popped it into his mouth.

"I don't think I've ever tried it," Erica admitted. "I don't really do exotic."

William smiled such a gentle and sweet smile. "Trust me, you'll love it."

"Okay," and she took a piece and copied him by dipping it into the sauce and then popping the whole piece into her mouth. _I can't change the past but I can...I will shape my destiny._

*****

The song ended and Greg placed his hand in the small of her back and guided Jill back to their table. There waited a plate of exquisitely decorated chocolate covered strawberries.

"I took the liberty of pre-ordering our dessert," he grinned. "I know how much you love them."

Jill giggled with pleasure. "Oh, yes I do. Thank you." She picked one up by the green leafed end and took a big bite, the sweetness of the strawberry hitting her taste buds and making her sigh in notable satisfaction.

"Um, you're gonna need to stop doing that," Greg chuckled as she took another bite, her tongue licking the chocolate from her lips in pure ecstasy. "You're kinda turning me on."

Jill giggled again. "You have one," she insisted as she picked up a strawberry from the silver platter. It was dipped in rich chocolate and decorated in white chocolate swirls. It was almost too pretty to eat. But he took a bite as she pressed it to his lips and then she brought the rest to her lips and finished it. "Maybe we could get the rest to go?"

Greg called the waiter over and asked him to box up the rest and to bring the check. "Sounds like a perfect plan," he smiled.

With their bag of sweets in hand, they walked outside into the crisp spring evening. "Cold?" Greg asked.

"Not at all," she replied.

They'd walked about half a block before a pedi-cab came by and Greg hailed him to stop. He helped Jill in and followed in behind her and then instructed the young man to take them back to the hotel the scenic way. With his arm around her, Greg pulled Jill into his side and smelled her hair then kissed her forehead. She relaxed into his arms and they silently enjoyed the ride back to the Holiday Inn.

# 18.

PERSISTING, ERICA CONTINUED TO ask William about his life in New York. She wanted to know about where he lived, the hospital, his job, what he did in his spare time. The mood was carefree and light and William felt that the weight pressing down on his shoulders had been lifted. The inflection in his voice was light hearted and animated. He told anecdotes from work, and attempted to explain the profound satisfaction he received from his work when a patient received their last round of chemo or last shot of radiation.

He confided in her the terrible sadness he'd felt at realizing he'd lost the chance to get to know his father before he died and the vow he'd made to rebuild a relationship with his brother.

"I was angry at him for a long time for the way he treated you. But I must let those feelings go. It doesn't do either of us any good," he said.

With a light chuckle, Erica agreed. "Me, too. But if I'm being honest," she admitted, "I knew what I was getting into when I married him. I didn't want to see it, but deep down I knew it would never work. But I went ahead because I didn't see any better prospects. Isn't that pathetic?"

"No." he reached over and took her hand. "Sometimes I think we tell ourselves that we don't deserve what we want. We tell ourselves we aren't good enough, so we settle for a life that is less than. We hide away, afraid to get hurt if we take a risk."

"What are you afraid of, William?"

"Me?" he asked in surprise. Erica nodded, silently encouraging him to continue. "I'm afraid of...of being bold."

"What does that mean?"

Fortunately for him, the waitress appeared to clear their plates. She asked how their food had been to which they both replied it was delicious. When she asked if they'd like dessert, Erica grinned.

"Let's live on the wild side, shall we?"

"Okay," he laughed. "Tell you what. Bring us the three desserts that are your best sellers."

"Three?" Erica was startled.

"You only live once," he winked.

"Well, alright then," the waitress replied with a grin. "Three it is!"

*****

The only light that was on was the bathroom light throwing a light glow throughout the rest of the room. Wrapped in her robe, Annie stood at the side of the bed and combed through her wet hair. Evan was sitting, propped up by four bed pillows against the headboard, reading on his tablet. Gracie lay against his leg sucking on her thumb, dressed in pink pajamas, her legs kicking every once in a while. Her dark hair contrasted against the white sheets on the bed and Annie was mesmerized by each tiny movement.

"She's been fed, burped, and I even managed to change her diaper without getting pooped on this time," Evan grinned as he put down his tablet on the night stand. "I had no idea that babies had that kind of aim."

Annie laughed. "I think it was just perfect timing. Unlike little boys, we girls don't have a way to _aim_."

"I'm looking forward to going home tomorrow."

"Me, too. Although I'm not looking forward to hauling all this stuff back to Oklahoma."

Evan snorted as he laughed, startling Gracie. He quickly lifted her to his chest and held her close, rubbing her back and calming her. With a more controlled chuckle, he looked up at his wife and said, "I can guarantee you that _you_ won't be hauling any of this stuff. You will be charged with the most precious cargo, baby Gracie here, and I will be packing everything else."

"True," Annie grinned. She crawled onto the bed and snuggled up beside Evan, and into his side, her face resting on his shoulder inches from Gracie. "I could stay like this forever. This is perfect. Just the three of us."

"Well we know that's not gonna happen. Four of us in a few months."

"Yes," she whispered with a smile. "Four."

They'd ordered room service, deciding to stay in, then Annie had taken a shower and had packed up one of the suitcases. They were returning home in the morning, going home to be a family. Evan had taken six weeks leave from work, covered under his benefit package, and Annie's parents had planned a big party in three weeks for all the family to come and meet the newest addition. Life would never be the same and for that they were grateful.

The three of them lay in bed, cocooned in each other's arms and hearts.

*****

Arm in arm, Greg and Jill walked through the lobby of the hotel, into the elevator and up to their room on the ninth floor. Once locked inside, he pulled her into his arms and crushed his lips against hers with an urgency that surprised her. He devoured her, only releasing her briefly to come up for air. She'd never seen or felt this intense need from him and she offered herself to him willingly.

Jill clung to him, her arms tightly wound around his neck, her body pressed to his. As his fire for her burned, it melted her heart. She felt the same...felt the powerful desire she had for him and cried out in anticipation of their physical joining.

"How I love you," he breathed as he pressed his forehead to hers, panting heavily, trying to gain some control. "You are my world, Jill." And he released her and dropped to his knee. "I have debated, argued with myself over whether or not you're ready...whether or not your feelings for me are as unbreakable as mine for you. I know they are. I feel it when you kiss me, when you touch me, when you look at me. So I'm going to risk it all here and beg."

Jill felt her knees weaken. Her hand slowly moved to her mouth as her eyes filled with tears which she fought back.

"I think I knew the very first time I saw you that you were my future. Don't ask me how, I just did. And the more time we spent together the more that feeling was confirmed. This last year has been wonderful...the best of my life. I've loved every minute we've spent together, but it has made me realize that I want more... _so much more_. I want it all! I want to see the world with you. I want to prove to you every day that my only goal in life is to make you smile. I want to fold the laundry together and do the dishes after a cozy night in. I want to make love to you every morning when I wake up...your face being the first thing I see. I want to grow old with you. I want you to know that I love you with all that I am. The money, the apartment, all of it means nothing if I don't have you to share it with. And I know that we can live together and already, kind of, have all of that, but I want more. I _need_ more. I want to exchange vows with you in front of our family and friends and in front of God. I want to be your husband and I want you to be my wife. This is sudden, I understand that you are in shock. I see it in your face. But Jill, will you marry me?"

*****

Three plates lay in front of them. New York Cheesecake with raspberry sauce, a brownie sundae with copious amounts of ice cream and chocolate drizzle on top, and a six-layer chocolate mousse cake that William was sure would cause blocked arteries all on its own.

"Well," Erica sighed. "You're the one who wanted three."

He smiled. "Yep. Grab a fork. Let's eat."

"I'll have to run an extra hour, or two, tomorrow," she chuckled as she dug into the cheesecake. "Divine," she sighed as she swallowed the first bite.

_Tomorrow,_ he thought. _Life goes back to normal tomorrow._

"You're thinking something," Erica noted. "I see it. What?"

"I go home tomorrow."

"Oh." There was a real disappointment in her voice. She heard it and so did William.

_BE BOLD! Don't let your life motto be 'too afraid to try.'_ "I have to be back at work. I have patients."

"Yes, of course you do."

"But..."

"Yes?"

"Maybe, I mean, just because I've gone back to New York doesn't mean that we can't, um, can't still talk. There's email and texting and maybe some time you could come and visit me and I can come back here when I take some vacation time."

"Yes," she smiled brightly. "We could do that...you could come here and I could go there."

_BE BOLD!_ He reminded himself. "Erica..."

"Yes?"

"I liked you in high school...a lot."

"So you said," Erica smiled, almost a little embarrassed but mixed with a smidgen of hope.

"I never married. I don't think I ever got over you. Now, before you say anything," he said as he held up his hands as Erica's mouth opened to speak, "I need to say that I'm not expecting you to tell me anything in return. Nor am I saying that we try to rekindle a thirty year old teenage crush. But it would be nice to get to know you again...to be friends."

Erica nodded as she tried to understand what he was saying. He appeared to struggle just getting those words out so she decided not to push it further...for now. The fact that he wanted to get to know her again buoyed her spirits and gave her something to look forward to. She would love to be his friend, and if that's all it would ever be, she was okay with that, too. A friend is always a good thing to have.

With them both experiencing emotional relief, they turned their attention to the desserts waiting to be devoured. And devour them they did.

# 19.

IN JUST A COUPLE of seconds, a thousand and one thoughts raced through Jill's mind. Greg knelt in front of her, her right hand in his, his gaze piercing her heart. He saw right through her...knew her innermost thoughts and secrets...and still loved her. He knew her insecurities and her bad habits and personality flaws...and loved her despite them. He knew her first marriage had failed miserably, as did his, yet he was willing to try again...with her...learning from their past mistakes and focusing on building a solid foundation on which to build their future. He'd never asked her to change for him and she knew in her soul he never would. While the money was a perk, it had never defined him as a man. Greg knew who he was – rich or poor – he was still the same man she loved.

If she looked back at the past year, she would know that truthfully, in her heart, she committed herself to him after their third date. They'd gone to Navy Pier and rode the Ferris wheel and taken a speed boat tour of the lake. They'd eaten at Bubba Gump's and had each recited their favorite lines from the movie and happily discovered they were the same ones. When he'd taken her home and kissed her goodbye on her doorstep, never pushing for a physical relationship until she invited him in, she realized that she'd never met a man like Greg and was his from that day on.

Here she stood a year later, prepared to move in with him and now with a surprise proposal. Was there really any question in her mind? Could she ever imagine her life with him not in it? Not sharing her life with him, the good and the bad? Instinctively she knew that if she said no their relationship would continue at its status quo. He wouldn't be angry or pout or in any way hold her refusal against her, and that's what determined her answer.

"Yes. I love you, too, Greg and I will marry you."

The breath he was holding exhaled in one long swoosh and he closed his eyes and smiled. "Those three seconds were the longest of my life," he chuckled as he rose to his feet and once again pulled her into his embrace. "Just let me kiss you once and then..." But he didn't finish his sentence as his lips pressed gently to hers, his tongue sweeping into her mouth and claiming her fully.

"Only once?" she whispered against his lips.

He smiled and retreated two steps to the chest of drawers behind him. Opening the top drawer, he grabbed the black velvet box and handed it to her.

"You have a ring?" she gasped.

"I came prepared," he slyly admitted. "Open it."

"You do it," Jill whispered as her shaking hands gave the box back to him.

With a grin, Greg took the box and lifted the lid, revealing the exquisite diamond ring inside. "Do you like it?"

"It's beautiful, stunning. It's gorgeous," she gushed.

Greg was instantly relieved with his choice. The sales lady had convinced him that any woman would love to wear the ring and he'd hoped and prayed she was right. The look on Jill's face reassured him that she had steered him in the right direction. He pulled it from the box and took her left hand in his and slid it over her knuckle and down her finger. It was a hair too big, but Jill didn't appear to care. She looked down at her hand and then up into his eyes. All he saw was love.

*****

"Shall we walk back to the hotel, or ride one of these bike cab things?" William asked as he escorted Erica from the restaurant into the cool dark night.

"Let's walk. It's not too cold and it looks like a full moon."

"I don't get to see the sky in Manhattan." It was tough for William to admit there was something about his hometown that he missed. He'd spent the last twenty years convincing himself there was nothing about the west coast that he couldn't do without. Yet, as he walked with Erica back to the hotel, he had to admit that there was something about the bay at night, the moon reflecting on the water, the city lights flickering, that triggered a sense of nostalgia.

"Yeah, but you have the city!" Erica enthused. "I would just love to walk the streets of New York in the spring! I imagine it is breathtaking."

William considered her statement. "I suppose it is. But its home so I take it for granted," he chuckled. "You should come and see it. Everyone should visit New York in the spring."

"You know I have some money in savings. I should use it to take a vacation."

"I would like it if you came and visited. You'd always have a place to stay, you know."

Erica smiled and then it happened...something unexpected and amazing. William was _bold_. He reached for her hand and held it in his as they walked the rest of the way to the Grand Hyatt in silence.

*****

Jill lay half hidden by the white sheet draped temptingly across her body, her left hand resting on her stomach, the diamond sparkling brilliantly in the light coming through the open balcony door. Greg exited the bathroom and stood at the foot of the bed gazing at her with renewed desire.

"Give me a few more minutes," she giggled. "I'm still reeling."

"Reeling?" he asked. "Interesting choice of words."

"The champagne, the proposal, the mind blowing sex, it all has my head spinning."

"In a good way, right?" he asked, weary of the answer she might give.

"Definitely in a good way," she grinned. "Come cuddle."

"Your wish is my command," he winked as he slid in beside her and pulled her into his arms. "So, big wedding? Small wedding? Elope? Where should we go on our honeymoon?"

Jill laughed. "I can't even begin to think about that now. I'm still trying to breathe normally!"

"Summer wedding? Winter? Next spring? This spring?" He was unrelenting.

" _This_ spring?" Jill propped herself up onto her elbow and looked him square in the eye. "You're joking, right?"

"You've said yes. I don't want to give you the opportunity to change your mind."

"I'm not changing my mind," she reassured. "Besides, then I'd have to give the ring back," she teased.

"Good! So seriously, give me a time frame, just so I know what we're looking at. And how long do you want to wait before we have babies?" The second the words fell from his lips he wanted them back. And as soon as he saw her face he knew it had destroyed the mood. A nuclear bomb going off would have done less damage. "I'm sorry," he begged. "That was stupid, and..."

"You want children."

Greg didn't know if it was a statement or a question. "It'd never entered my mind until I knew I wanted to share my life with you." It was the truth. Telling the truth was his only option here. "I like the idea of having babies with you."

"Is it a deal breaker?"

"No! Absolutely not! If you say no to children I will love you not a spec less. We can be blissfully happy without children and we can be blissfully happy with them. The choice is yours. And no guilt, either. Whatever makes you happy will be perfect with me, okay?"

Jill nodded, the look of shock slowly dissipating from her face. With a smile, she snuggled back into his arms and eventually they drifted off to sleep.

*****

The valet took Erica's stub and ran back to his little podium leaving William just a couple more minutes with her before she left. He was feeling pretty proud of himself. He'd told her of his high school crush and even held her hand. Not bad for a forty-five year old man. _Who am I kidding? I'm still pathetic_ , he scolded himself.

"It was been simply wonderful to catch up...to see you again after all these years," Erica smiled, her hand still encased in his. "If your offer still stands, I will take you up on it."

"Most definitely it stands. I would like nothing more. Truthfully. Just say when."

The awkward silence dragged on until her car pulled up in front of the hotel. "I'll take care of it," he told the valet as he held the door for Erica. With a nod, the young man stepped aside and stood at the curb. "I was positive this was going to be the most depressing trip and yet, it has turned out to be one of the best I've ever had. Thank you," he smiled. And then for the last time, he was bold as he leaned in and kissed her sweetly, pausing for just a split second longer than he intended as he tasted her lips. They were warm and soft and ever so inviting. _If only_ , he thought. _If only things had been different._

"Goodbye William," she said and slid into the car. He closed the door and then she was gone.

He watched the tail lights of her car disappear down the street. He'd stepped outside of his comfort zone several times during the evening, yet now that she was gone, he knew he should have been braver and he knew that it would haunt him for a very long time.

# 20.

THEIR FLIGHT TO CHICAGO, and then on to Oklahoma City, left San Diego at 10:45am. Annie was up and dressed before seven in order to be packed and ready to catch a cab to the airport no later than nine. Room service delivered oatmeal, toast and coffee at 7:30 and Evan tipped the waiter and closed the door behind him. Gracie was still sleeping and her parents were trying to keep noise at a low decibel, hoping she slept while they ate.

Evan chatted away as he munched on his toast and jelly about the myriad of things they would need to do as soon as they returned home. Annie had been insistent that they do nothing before they left their home, under the assumption it would somehow jinx them. She'd said that buying a crib was only asking for Natalie to change her mind at the last minute and would have nothing to do with baby supply shopping. Evan had argued. He'd told her she was being silly, which only made her dig her heels in further. She was adamant that they would arrive in San Diego with nothing, thereby allowing them to leave with nothing if the adoption went south. In order to maintain her emotional wellbeing, Evan had abided by her wishes.

Now, Evan realized that tomorrow they would be heading out on a buying trip that would empty their bank account, but he didn't mind. Glancing over at his daughter sleeping soundly in the middle of the bed, he knew that he would remain in poverty for the rest of his days, if necessary, in order to give her everything she needed. And in truth, he kind of liked the idea of taking his wife and daughter out and giving them their first shopping spree. The thought made him happy.

Annie ate her oatmeal with her brows furrowed, creating a deep rut in her forehead. Evan knew that was her thinking face. He imagined she was going over itineraries in her mind and reminding herself to text her parents to remind them to come to the airport and pick them up when they landed, although Evan smiled at that thought. There would be no need to remind them. They were anxious to see their new granddaughter. In fact, he was sure they'd be there early. And he'd already received emails from his family asking when they could all arrive and get their first glimpse of Gracie, the first grandchild for his parents.

"It's all going to go smoothly. Stop fretting."

Annie looked up and attempted a smile. "You know me. I won't stop worrying 'til we're back home on the ranch."

Gracie stirred.

"Time to get moving," Annie said as she started to stand.

"No, you finish breakfast. I'll change her and get a bottle."

Annie smiled. "People said because we were adopting I'd miss out on breastfeeding her...that it would be a shame...that I'd be deprived of the bonding mothers and babies get when they nurse. I'm kind of liking it," she teased.

"Yeah, you keep thinking that," Evan grinned. "The next one will be all yours."

*****

Jill had managed to extricate herself from Greg's arms and legs without waking him and snuck into the bathroom. Their flight for home left at 10:45am, and while Greg would be a first class passenger, Jill was working the leg. She'd already showered and was blow drying her hair, contemplating all that had transpired since she arrived in San Diego.

Greg's arrival had been more than a wonderful surprise. In fact, she'd felt slightly guilty about not thinking of the idea first. But then, he _was_ the romantic one. What a catch she'd made. Stretching her arm in front of her, Jill twisted her hand to see the dazzling brilliance of the solitaire diamond sparkling on her finger. It was truly magnificent.

Her mind drifted to the conversation they'd had before making love once more and falling asleep, extraordinarily satisfied...physically and emotionally. She needed to think about wedding plans. Greg had made it abundantly clear that as far as he was concerned, the sooner the better. Jill didn't think it would take long to plan, as a small private event was all she wanted. Just close friends and family. How hard could that be?

She could certainly talk to her sister and get an idea of what they were looking at, although her sister's wedding was going to be huge, with nearly five hundred guests, not at all what Jill had in mind.

And then the next thought that barreled its way into her head was one she'd been trying to avoid...perhaps even forget. Babies.

After Jill had divorced her first husband, she really threw herself into her career. She worked hard and earned promotions and seniority that allowed her to have some control over where she travelled and who she worked with. When she met Greg, even though she fell hopelessly in love with him, the idea of having children had never entered her realm of reality. It was a future she just hadn't envisioned for herself and never let herself even consider the idea of being a mom.

Yet all night she'd had dreams of laughter...of babies and children...of Greg playing horsey with a blissfully happy toddler on his back, of her being happily pregnant and his hand protectively over her bare, rounded stomach. She'd heard crying and laughing and screams of delight as visions of Christmas mornings had invaded her dreams. She'd never allowed herself the freedom to think of alternate futures, of her life without her work being her number one priority.

Greg had told her in no uncertain terms that is was her choice...that he would be happy whatever she chose. In some ways she loved him even more for it, and in others she resented the burden being placed solely in her hands. If they were to have a life together, as one unit, shouldn't the choice be made together? It was definitely something they would need to discuss more.

With her hair dried and styled and pulled back into a clip at the back of her neck, Jill pulled out her make-up bag and slathered tinted moisturizer all over her face and neck. The door opened and her naked fiancé stood in the doorway.

"You should have woken me," he grumbled as he stepped closer and pulled her into his arms.

Jill placed little kisses along his shoulder, savoring his warm skin. "I wanted to let you sleep. You worked hard last night," she grinned.

"I do not consider that work," he chuckled. "Pleasuring you is my favorite pastime. I'm considering changing careers actually and making it my full-time job."

"I have to admit I like the sound of that."

"Let's start now, shall we? Do I need to bribe you into hiring me," he whispered as he trailed feather light kisses over her shoulders down to the full mounds of flesh peeking out from the white fluffy towel wrapped tightly around her body.

"I wish," she sighed with genuine regret. "But my real job calls."

"Too bad," he breathed into her skin, sending shivers down her spine and causing little butterflies in the pit of her stomach. "I interview really well."

Jill laughed and hugged him tightly, a reassurance of her decision to say yes the night before flooded through her causing a warm and tingling physical response. "I love you."

"You'd better," he grinned.

"I'll let you have the bathroom, sir," she smiled and walked to the closet to get dressed.

*****

The downside to being an Oncologist was that there were always patients to care for and William took his job seriously. Even when he was out of the office and not on call he monitored his patient's requests and made sure he remained up to date on incoming test results, prescription refill requests, referrals and the other countless things.

As he sat at the desk in his hotel room this morning, he wondered if his conscientious effort was partly to shield him from the lack of personal life he had. Or was it because he bonded with his patients because he had no other relationships in his life? Both were unnerving and uncomfortable thoughts.

He skimmed through his email, his inbox constantly overflowing with messages. He listened to his voicemail and even called into his office and checked with his nurse to make sure there was nothing urgent he needed to attend to before he left for the airport and was unreachable for several hours. All was well. It put his mind at ease...partially.

His taxi had been scheduled with the bellman's desk the evening before, after his date with Erica. His suitcase was packed, the last thing to do was to pack up his laptop and have breakfast. With one last glance around the room to make sure he hadn't forgotten anything, William closed the hotel door behind him and walked to the elevator. He was hesitant in leaving. Not the hotel but the city. There was this tiny inkling of wonder that if he stayed, was there a chance at a life of, dare he say it, love? Quickly dismissing the thought, he rode the lift down to the lobby floor and entered the restaurant for breakfast, his luggage in tow. He was seated quickly and his cup filled with steaming coffee.

It was crazy for him to think that after one meal together there was anything more between them than there was before their date. After all, they weren't teenagers anymore. Most everything about them had changed over the course of their estrangement. If there was a chance to get to know each other again it was now that much more challenging with them being on opposite sides of the country.

He ordered an omelet and toast, his standard breakfast, and ate it while falling into a state of regret. _I could have been bolder,_ he told himself. _I should have said more_. What more he didn't know. But as he wiped his lips on the napkin from his lap, and finished the last few drops of his coffee, he was furious with himself for leaving things so unsettled with Erica. They'd made no definitive plans so any further communication was up in the air.

In the taxi ride to the airport he considered calling her, but knew she'd be at work and dismissed the idea. As he sat in Sky Airlines' luxury lounge awaiting his flight, he wondered if he should text her, but told himself to wait until he'd returned home. He wanted to look interested not desperate. So after all the thinking and over-thinking he'd done, he actually _did_ nothing. So much for his resolution to be bold.

# 21.

GREG TIPPED THE DRIVER of the hotel shuttle bus as he unloaded their bags. Jill took hers from Greg and they walked across the street and into the airport terminal. Neither of them were excited about heading home to the unseasonably cold weather the Midwest had been experiencing. Southern California was a heavy contender if they ever chose to relocate, and now it held even more sentimental value. However, Jill was excited to get home and begin their new life together. Greg had already scheduled the moving company for the following weekend and they had discussed wedding ideas during the shuttle ride. A new life waited for them in Chicago.

Before they parted, Greg going to the ticket counter and Jill to check in, they took a moment to share a sweet kiss, an lingering embrace and a smile.

"See you on the plane," she winked as she left him behind.

Greg watched her disappear into the mass of people standing in the security line, then he walked over to the first class line and stood behind a gentleman in a business suit. It took only a few seconds before he was being helped by the attentive agent at the counter and soon had his boarding pass and was on to security. He watched the people around him as they shuffled between the barriers, hoping it wasn't their turn to receive a pat down by the TSA. Greg had been subjected to his fair share of inappropriate touching by security and silently prayed it wasn't his turn to be violated again. Making his way swiftly through the VIP line he was quickly at the gate, choosing not to wait in the lounge, and looked for his beautiful fiancée, hoping she was assigned to first class for the flight home.

It appeared it was going to be a full flight. There were very few empty seats in the gate area. After scanning the rows of chairs, he found one, but it had bags on it, so he leaned against a pillar and waited.

Jill had checked in and had run in to her co-workers in the restroom, both squealing with delight and envy at the gorgeous rock now clearly visible on Jill's finger. They pleaded to hear the romantic story so Jill obliged with an abridged version, satisfying their need for the juicy details. The three of them walked down the concourse, arriving at Gate B5 with a few minutes to spare.

She saw Greg instantly, knowing him anywhere, even though his back was to her. Trying to remain professional, she introduced him to April and Becky who gave her the thumbs up when Greg looked away. With a short exchange, their time was up and the three women left Greg and vanished behind the gate door.

More travelers arrived, cramming into the gate area, and Greg patiently waited to be settled on the plane and then home in Chicago.

*****

Relief flooded Annie and Evan once they'd checked their bags. Now they just had the stroller, which they'd check at the gate, and the diaper bag. Evan had insisted they purchase three seats for the trip home, allowing them to buckle Gracie into her car seat and had splurged and opted for the extra legroom in one of the economy plus rows.

Security was a bitch, as usual, although a little worse with a baby, but surprisingly, the TSA agents were helpful after cooing over her.

"Maybe we'll get upgraded once we're on the plane," Evan laughed. "This baby thing could be a goldmine!"

Once in the gate area, they found three seats and collapsed, exhausted after the events of the morning. They weren't nearly as early as Annie had planned, everything taking longer with an infant now. It took longer to get the baby ready than it did her and they realized it would just continue to get worse the older Gracie got.

"Go to the ladies room. You've got time," Evan insisted.

So Annie took the opportunity and raced to the restrooms only to return to find a woman, a very attractive woman, flirting with her husband.

"Excuse me," Annie smiled as she slid in between the woman and Evan, claiming the empty seat beside him and leaning in to inspect Gracie in his arms.

The woman smiled and graciously excused herself.

"A goldmine, I tell you!" Evan winked. "A goldmine!"

*****

Greg settled into his seat and watched his fiancée while she worked. He couldn't be more proud of her as he witnessed her in action. She was genuinely cheerful as she greeted the passengers and anxious to make her sixteen charges happy and content. She was efficient as she mixed drinks and delivered them. She offered pillows, blankets, magazines, newspapers and snacks. She conversed and laughed with the Captain and co-pilot as they prepared the airplane for the four and a half hour flight to Chicago. And every time she could she sneaked a look over to him, a look that melted his heart and hardened his groin.

Once the economy cabin started boarding, Greg's view of Jill was almost non-existent so he pulled his tablet from his messenger bag at his feet and checked emails. The seat next to him was soon occupied by the gentleman who'd stood in front of him at the ticket counter. He was dressed in a suit and was reading the Wall Street Journal.

"Hi, I'm Greg," he said and extended his hand.

"William," the man said as he lowered the paper and turned to greet the man to his right. "Pleasure to meet you."

"And you. What's taking to you to Chicago?"

"I'm headed on to New York. That's home for me."

"And what do you do there?" Greg asked.

"I'm an Oncologist," he replied and the two men chatted away as the rest of the plane continued to board.

*****

Happy they'd splurged and purchased the extra leg room. Evan and Annie were finally settled into their row, seats 9A B and C, on the aircraft and praying that Gracie remained asleep. She was buckled in her car seat that was belted into the middle seat, a parent on either side of her. They'd taken advantage of the early family boarding and were mostly settled before the majority of the passengers swarmed the plane. Evan was by the window and Annie in the aisle, Evan insisting as she always had to go to the bathroom right after takeoff. And Annie hadn't argued. In fact if Evan hadn't made the suggestion, she would have. Her tummy was off again...nerves perhaps...anxiety...or worse. She feared morning sickness. Over the past couple of weeks she'd been nauseous on multiple occasions but each time had chalked it up to the upcoming adoption. Never in her wildest dreams had she suspected she was pregnant so morning sickness wasn't even on her radar of causes. But now it was all starting to make a little sense.

She popped a life saver into her mouth and hoped the sugary treat would keep any nausea at bay. Then she buckled her safety belt, leaned back in her seat and waited for takeoff.

*****

She'd never done anything like this in her life. In fact, as she ran through the airport, panicked that she'd miss the flight, she still couldn't believe she was doing it now. It was well beyond her comfort level. When she'd checked online at five o'clock in the morning to see what ticket prices to New York would be, she could never have imagined that just over five hours later she'd have practically emptied her bank account and be making a mad dash to the gate, fortuitous in claiming the last available seat on the flight to the east coast even though it had cost her a bundle. The irrational and spur of the moment decision to click 'BUY' was causing her intense anxiety, and some buyer's remorse. This could turn out to be a colossal waste of money...money she couldn't afford to throw away on an absurd spur of the moment impulse. Amazingly enough she managed to slip down the walk-way and board the plane just seconds before the doors were closed and the crew began preparations for departure. She quickly moved down the aisle of the crowded plane and found her seat, 8C. With a deep breath, she shoved her carry-on under the seat in front of her and leaned back. She'd made it and there was no turning back now.

*****

The hair on the back of William's neck pricked. The scent in the air was familiar...achingly familiar. Oh, how life could be cruel.

He'd been talking to Greg about some stock picks and a strange sensation poured over him, like he'd been doused in it. He could actually smell her. He subconsciously missed Erica so much that he could actually smell her perfume. It flooded his senses...drowned him. If this was how it was going to be once he returned home, he was not excited about it one bit.

"Are you alright?" Greg asked as he saw the instant change in his new friend's demeanor.

"Ah, yes, I think so."

"You've lost all the color in your face."

Jill's voice filled the cabin as she asked all passengers to stow their belongings, turn off all electronic devices, and make sure all seats were in their upright position. And then the plane jolted and they were backing away from the gate.

William looked to his right and nothing was out of the ordinary. Then, almost in slow motion, he turned in his seat and looked behind him, down the empty aisle of the plane. _Erica! Erica?_

His back straightened and he grabbed at his seat belt, trying to undo it. Greg watched him with confusion and worry.

"William? You need to stay in your seat. We're moving."

"It's her," he whispered. "She's on the plane."

Jill quickly noted something was wrong and raced to him. "Sir, I need you in your seat and your seatbelt buckled. Sir, please?"

"But Erica is back there," he pleaded.

Jill looked at Greg. He shrugged not knowing what was going on.

"Sir, we can figure this out after we are safely airborne and the Captain tells you it's safe to move about the cabin. Until then I must _insist_ you remain in your seat."

Knowing he was momentarily defeated, William sighed and nodded, re-buckling his safety belt and leaning back in the chair.

"We'll be fine," Greg mouthed. "It's okay. I can deal with this," he whispered to Jill.

Jill nodded and returned to her seat just as the plane began the rapid increase of speed at the top of the runway.

"Erica," William frowned. "I know it's her."

"Tell me about her," Greg asked, truly curious but also giving his companion something to focus on so he wouldn't attempt his escape again.

"I've loved her since I was fifteen."

"Oh," Greg exclaimed. "Really?"

"Really," William sighed. "But I was a pathetic little thing. Still am, really. I let her marry my brother which was doomed from the start and I just reconnected with her two days ago after so many years and now she's sitting right back there! Why?"

"I don't know," Greg replied. "Did she tell you she was planning a trip?"

"No! I mean she said it would be nice to come and visit me in New York but it's not like we set a date or anything and as far as I knew she had to be at Rite Aid this morning."

"Rite Aid? Why?"

"That's where she works."

"Oh."

"So why is she on the plane?"

"You're sure it's her?" Greg asked skeptically.

"I'm sure. It's her. I can smell her."

Somehow Greg understood his reasoning. He could smell Jill from across a crowded room. She had her own unique scent – Jill mixed with Givenchy – nobody else smelled like her. If William said he smelled Erica, he believed him completely.

The airplane had lifted off and was soaring through the clouds. William impatiently waited for the Fasten Seat Belt light to flick off so he could march back down the aisle and ask Erica what on earth she was doing on his flight.

# 22.

ERICA LOOKED LEFT AND then right and peered through the windows as the plane climbed through the white puffy clouds. They looked like the yummy fluff on top of a lemon meringue pie. This was her very first flight. Anywhere she'd ever gone up until this point in her life had been by car, rarely even leaving the state of California, other than a long weekend every now and then to Vegas with a couple of girlfriends. Her right hand gripped the arm rest, her knuckles white, and her teeth were gritted, her muscles tense. She leaned her head back as her ears began to plug. Moving her jaw and swallowing a couple of times should have helped but to no avail. The young woman sitting next to her noticed her agitation and offered her a piece of gum. "It helps with the ears," she explained. Erica took a piece, smiling and saying thank you, and popped it into her mouth.

Chewing somewhat frantically, her ears eventually cleared and as the aircraft leveled off the brightness of the sun filled the cabin with golden light. _What have I done?_ She was seriously questioning her sanity. Not only spending a fortune on her last-minute ticket, she'd also quit her job. Not by choice, though. When she'd called the store manager to tell him she needed some emergency leave, he'd said no. She begged him to let her go and when he'd said that the only way she wasn't coming in to work today was if she quit, well, he really left her no other option, having already purchased her plane ticket. So she quit. It had all seemed reasonable at 5am and having so much to do and organize in such a short period of time hadn't allowed her to dwell on the hasty decision until now. Was she crazy?

_Why would I ever think he meant I could visit today? TODAY!?_ But she knew why she had to go today. The more time that passed, the more her resolve to jump on a plane and fly three thousand miles would dwindle. She'd never go if she didn't go now. And _going_ was what she was doing and it scared her to death.

Now that she'd become reacquainted with William, telling herself that she was content in her quiet life would never be the truth. There would always be the 'what if' and the 'why didn't I...' and possibly even tears of regret. She had been content, of that she had convinced herself. She'd experienced a marriage and it had been a failure...she certainly didn't need to fail twice.

But William had changed it all. His confession of a teenage crush had left her with a hope that maybe, just maybe...she didn't know exactly what, but there _was_ hope! He'd made her question her happiness and question her acceptance that it was enough. It wasn't enough any longer. She desperately needed to discover if there was more for her. Was there love in her future?

With a deep breath she once again persuaded herself into believing she was doing the right thing. If there was even the smallest chance she and William could build a future together, now was the time to try. She just hoped that his flight arrived in New York before hers. He'd said he was leaving early so she assumed he was probably almost there. And that meant he would be at home when she rang his doorbell just eight hours from now. She desperately needed those hours to prepare what she was going to say when they came face to face because right now she didn't have a clue.

*****

Annie hated it when Evan was right. And once again, he'd called it. They hadn't been in the air more than three minutes when her bladder began sending urgent messages. She assumed it had something to do with cabin pressure but that was just a guess. She wriggled in her seat, Evan glancing over and giving her the I-told-you-so look. She ignored him...or at least attempted to.

Gracie was beginning to stir, a look on her face that said she was rather uncomfortable. Evan quickly unbuckled her and gently lifted her to his chest, rubbing her back and making shooshing sounds and reminding her that, "Daddy's here."

The seat belt sign turned off and Annie made a dash to the back of the plane, hoping to beat the rush. But because she had so many rows to get past, she still ended up waiting in line, leaving Evan to deal with the fussing baby.

He figured if his ears were plugged then the baby's must be also, so he pulled a pacifier from the diaper bag and tried to give it to her. He wasn't surprised when her sweet little face scrunched up and spat it out, as in the three days they'd had her, she never once accepted the thing. Her little back arched and her hands fisted and Evan knew she was seconds away from letting out a cry that said she wanted fixed whatever was wrong, and she wanted it fixed _now_! Evan tried a bottle next and thankfully she sucked in the nipple and relaxed in his arms. Crisis averted...for the moment.

It was finally Annie's turn in the miniscule bathroom and she hurried in and locked the door behind her. But as she was washing her hands a wave of intense nausea washed over her and her delicious breakfast of oatmeal came up much quicker than it had gone down.

"Great," she muttered as she splashed water on her face. It was going to be a long flight.

*****

Jill had closed the curtain between the two cabins, giving the first class passengers the privacy they'd paid for. But William was up and standing in the aisle, mentally preparing himself to talk to Erica. He shifted his weight from one foot to the other and then finally took a step.

"Sir?" Jill asked.

He swung around at the sound of her voice.

"We have a lavatory at the front of the cabin. It's reserved for our first class passengers," she gestured toward the cockpit.

"I need to go and find my...my friend," he replied.

"Oh, well, if you must," she smiled.

"I must." He shoved back the curtain and stepped into the economy cabin and she was sitting just three rows away. Her head was back against the headrest and her eyes were closed. It _was_ Erica. The passengers beside him looked up, curious as to what he was doing...waiting to see what was going to happen next. William took two steps and stopped.

_Is she asleep?_ he wondered as he noted her eyes closed. If she was, he shouldn't wake her. That would be rude and he didn't like to be rude if he could avoid it. He decided he would wait, after all, they were confined to a metal tube thirty-five thousand feet in the sky. It's not like she was going anywhere. Happy with his assessment of the situation, and awfully relieved that he now had a moment or two to contemplate this odd situation he now found himself in, he began to turn back when he heard his name.

"William?"

He froze.

"William! It _is_ you!"

Slowly, he faced her, shock readily apparent in his expression...and hers.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

"Going home."

"But you said your flight was early this morning. Why are you on this one?"

With confusion in his voice, his reply was sharper than he'd intended. "I could very well ask you the same question. I was led to believe you had to work this morning." As her face fell, he instantly regretted the tone that he'd used.

Erica's eyes dropped to her hands and for a moment he didn't think she was going to reply.

"A friend of mine invited me to New York to stay with him."

He saw something in her eyes as she risked a look up at him. A slight sparkle perhaps. A wave of jealousy rolled over him until he saw the corners of her mouth twitch.

"I hope he doesn't mind that I'm taking him up on his offer," she added. Hope filled her expression.

"Any gentleman would be a fool not to want you. I mean, to not want you to stay with him. I mean, of course he wouldn't." He was flustered so he stopped talking. And then light bulb clicked on. For a brilliant man, sometimes he wasn't very smart. "Oh! You're coming to see _me_!" His words were not much more than a whisper and Erica just smiled.

*****

Evan watched the scene in front of him unfold. It appeared he was witnessing a very tender moment, one that perhaps should have been in private rather than in front of nearly two hundred perfect strangers. Annie slid back into her seat, her face looking rather ashen.

"You okay?" he asked.

She shook her head. "Breakfast just came up," she frowned. "And I still do not feel good."

Gracie had almost finished her bottle and Evan propped her on his shoulder trying to get her to burp. It only took a few seconds for her to pull her tiny knees up into her body and squirm. There was definitely a bubble needing to be released. After a couple of minutes, with no success, Annie motioned him to give Gracie to her. She stood up and bounced and rubbed the baby's back, trying not to get in the way of the gentleman in front of her who was in deep conversation with the woman in the seat directly in front of hers.

One burp escaped, but Gracie didn't relax, so Annie kept bouncing and rubbing, rubbing and bouncing. And then it happened again. Her stomach felt as though she were on a roller coaster and it rolled violently giving Annie the signal to run. She lunged over the seat and shoved the baby into Evan's arms and took off dawn the aisle, all but shoving the other passengers out of her way.

But she only made it half way...to row twenty-one. The two flight attendants had the beverage cart locked in the middle of the aisle, blocking her path to the lavatory. One arm over her stomach and her other hand over her mouth, the flight attendant closest to her recognized the signs and flew into action, calling out to clear the aisle, releasing the brake on the cart and pushing it to the rear of the plane, causing quite a commotion. At that moment Gracie let out the scream of all screams, leaving Evan to try and relieve her of her gas.

It took a few moments before Annie was safely ensconced in the bathroom, heaving her insides out. With beads of sweat dotting her forehead she knew she'd be there for a while, hoping that Evan could deal with a tiny case of tummy bubbles.

But it wasn't anything Evan had had to deal with before. Gracie was one unhappy baby. Her cries were heartbreaking and he was beside himself, unable to calm her. The people sitting around him started to stare. The noise coming from this seven pound baby was louder than he imagined possible. A woman, probably a grandmother, across the aisle offered to try and burp her so he handed Gracie over, only to have her returned a couple of minutes later screaming just as loudly.

Jill stood at the curtain between the first class and economy cabin, watching the man struggle with the baby. She had no real experience with children, but as her passengers were content and placated, she figured it was worth a try to offer to help.

Her first class passenger was standing in the aisle...in her way. He and the woman he was talking to seemed to be completely oblivious to what was going on around them and she finally had to tap him on the arm to get him to move.

"Sir? If you'd like to return to your seat?" she asked politely.

"Oh," William replied. "I'm in your way. I apologize." He slid into the empty seat behind Erica.

"Actually sir, that's where I was going."

William looked slightly irritated. His brow furrowed and then he had an idea. He stood and leaned over the seat in front of him to the young lady sitting in the middle seat. "Are you traveling alone?" he asked.

She pulled the ear-buds from her ear. "Huh?"

"Are you travelling alone?" he repeated.

"Yeah."

"How'd you like to finish the flight in first class?" he offered.

"Huh? I can't go up there!"

"If you don't mind, I'd like to trade you seats." He looked down at Erica who looked back at him with a big smile.

"Hell, yeah! You don't have to ask me twice!"

Erica stood to let her out of the row and Jill looked at William for confirmation. "You're sure?"

William nodded. "Please?"

Jill shrugged and escorted the young woman to William's seat, 2C, all the time baby Gracie was screaming her tiny little lungs out.

"So," the young woman said. "Are drinks free in first class?"

Jill rolled her eyes and asked her what she'd like.

"A Bloody Mary, please."

"I'll need to see some I.D.," Jill smiled as pleasantly as she could.

In just a couple of minutes, passenger 2C was settled with her drink, a pillow, a blanket, and a boxed lunch and Jill headed back to Row 9 to help with the baby whose cries had only gotten louder. Her father was obviously stressed out and just as worried about the people around him who were starting to complain.

"Sorry," he repeated over and over again.

"Here," Jill said as she held out her arms. "Let me try for a bit."

Evan gratefully handed over his daughter and prayed that Gracie would calm down. Wrapped in her pink blanket, Jill held Gracie close to her and patted her back while walking up and down the aisle, eventually producing a big old burp that solved the problem, and then soothing the baby until the only noises coming from her tiny body were little gasps and sobs as she cried herself to sleep. Amazed at her accomplishment, Jill smiled at the tiny bundle in her arms and felt a great deal of satisfaction in her success.

Even though the baby was now sucking on her thumb and sound asleep, Jill continued to walk back and forth, a slight bounce in her step, as she snuggled the infant to her breast. For whatever reason, holding the child felt unexplainably right and she didn't want to give her back, very much enjoying the experience.

And then the call light came on. Seat 2C. Jill rolled her eyes again, took a deep breath and headed back to first class. As she passed Row 8 she noted her first class passenger and the woman he was with were holding hands, deep in conversation, looking at each other as though the rest of the world no longer existed. She couldn't help but smile. It appeared Sky Airlines had facilitated another love match.

"Yes?" she asked as she turned off the overhead light in Row 2, glancing at Greg whose eyes almost popped from their sockets as he saw his fiancée with a baby in her arms.

"I'd like another Bloody Mary, please," 2C said.

"Of course," Jill smiled, trying to not to show the irritation she felt. But then she looked down in her arms to the baby. She couldn't make a drink and hold the baby.

Greg noticed her dilemma. "Here," he said as he held out his arms. "I'll hold her while you take care of it."

"Really?" Jill asked.

Greg just smiled and nodded, so Jill carefully handed over the sleeping baby to him and headed to the galley for what she was sure wouldn't be the last drink 2C would order.

Opening a bottle of Bloody Mary mix and a bottle of vodka, she mixed them in a glass and pulled a celery stick from the ice tray. As she looked up into the cabin, she saw Greg and her heart melted instantly. He held the baby girl to his chest, her tiny head resting in his neck and Greg was rocking back and forth and quietly whispering to her. It looked so natural for him to cuddling a baby and in that instant her entire future changed.

She couldn't hide the smile that formed as she walked over and handed the young woman her drink. Then, her eyes drifted over to her fiancé and with all the love she felt for him, she reached out her arms and said, "Sir, may I have your baby?"

# EPILOGUE

Three weeks after returning home, the Wilders attended a baby shower that would rival a birthday party thrown for the Queen of England. Friends and family from near and far descended on the ranch and they celebrated for two straight days. Grace Anne Wilder had more presents than her parents had ever seen.

Annie's doctors were overjoyed with the news that she was pregnant, but didn't offer to refund any of their money, not that they expected them to, although they still liked to joke about it. Evan and Annie had spent many moments laughing about the thousands of dollars they'd spent on infertility treatments only to end up getting pregnant using the old-fashioned method, a method they hoped would work again....and practiced regularly.

Nathan Evan Wilder was born on Gracie's eight month birthday. Annie had wanted the baby to be a girl, as she'd already picked out her name...Natalie. But she wasn't at all upset to discover that they'd had a boy instead and the name Nathan was sort of close to Natalie. Both his parents were completely in love with him. His big sister couldn't care less about his existence.

For Christmas that year they got a puppy, a beautiful Golden Retriever they named Diego.

*****

Erica's sudden vacation to the east coast ended up being three glorious weeks of springtime in New York City, during which time she and William talked and talked and then talked some more. The feelings they'd had as teenagers were nothing in comparison to the deep love and respect that grew between them now. They went to a couple of Broadway shows and walked the streets of the city. When she returned home to San Diego, she walked into Rite Aid and picked up her final check and the few personal items she kept in her locker. She showed her co-workers her engagement ring and said goodbye, not feeling like she was walking away from anything, but rather walking _to_ something completely unexpected and wonderful. Her apartment lease was month to month so she gave her thirty days' notice and had a yard sale, getting rid of everything but a few treasures she couldn't part with. It all took a few days and then she returned to New York and she and William were married at City Hall two weeks later, a couple of doctors that William could almost call friends were their witnesses. They took a few days for their honeymoon and drove to Niagara Falls. Being bold had paid off.

Lewis spent Thanksgiving with them. The first day was awkward but by the time he left a week later the past was in the past – water under the bridge – and they were looking forward to sharing many more holidays together.

William spent hours reading his father's journals, sometimes alone in his study and sometimes reading aloud to Erica in the evening after dinner. They became his prize possession.

*****

Jill and Greg were married late that summer...the beginning of September. It was just as she wanted – small and private – just close friends and family. They honeymooned in Cancun, Mexico, and were thrilled to add one more anniversary to celebrate. For Christmas, Greg gave Jill a kitten. He was a little orange ball of fluff and they immediately named him Carrot. Jill told Greg he was going to be a daddy. He cried with joy and said it was the best present he'd ever received.

*****

Natalie graduated from high school a year early and went to Stanford University. Tucked in the bottom of her jewelry box was a letter she read whenever she had pangs of regret or sadness, the sadness usually lifting quickly after reading it and gazing at the photo with it of the Wilders with their daughter at her christening. It had been read a lot and she was grateful Annie had written it. The words reassured her that the hardest decision she'd made in her young life had been the right one.

# About the Author

An Aussie, born and bred, AJ currently resides in the USA and calls the Pacific Northwest home. She and her husband are empty nesters, their two children off living exciting lives of their own. Challenged by a friend to write a novel, she began her writing career in 2012 and after publishing her first novel, First Class to New York, she hasn't looked back.

Reading romance novels is a passion she'd had since a young girl, cutting her teeth on Jane Austen and the Bronte sisters. Her scope of genres has broadened and reads anything with a great love story. Now writing love stories has given her a far greater appreciation for all authors and her tablet is full of books from many genres she looks forward to reading.

"I love to create characters with heart and soul and are relatable to the reader, primarily women," AJ said. "A little older, a LOT wiser, and with real life experience behind them that gives the characters depth."

AJ has completed one series, First Class Novels, which has nine novels and bonus novella available only in the boxed set. On her new series, Sky Romance Novels, AJ said: "I loved writing about the Lathem boys, but Sky Romance Novels doesn't tie my hands at all. I can write about whoever and wherever I want. It's really fun!"

Harmon is also working on a stand-alone novel, He's No Saint, which will be available in the summer of 2014.
