Part 36 - Chapter 1 - From this Day Forward

A woman anxiously tapped her foot as she waited in the lobby. She hoped she could get the tasks that she needed to handle while she was in town accomplished quickly and without any extra hassles. She hadn't been looking forward to doing them or to coming back to Bay Pointe at all, but certain things had to be done.

As she waited for someone to call her into the office, she spotted a newspaper on the seat next to her and idly picked it up, hoping a distraction would make the time spent waiting, go by more quickly.

She flipped past the front page headlines, business section, and sports section quickly and settled on the society pages where a wedding announcement caught her eye.

"Lawrence is getting married? Today? I might have to stay in town for this."

Lawrence walked slowly through the cemetery, arms crossed in front of him to shield himself from the chilled air. The forecast had called for snow and the first few flakes were just beginning to fall.

He stopped in front of a freshly dug grave and frowned at the simple, unadorned headstone. He wasn't here to mourn. The man laying in the grave before him didn't deserve his grief. If Lawrence hadn't stood in front of a different grave more than 10 years ago for the same man, he would have said he came to make sure that his uncle was really dead, but it didn't make any difference. This time he knew for certain that Silas was out of his life forever.

The last time he visited his uncle's grave, he was a young man who had lost the last traces of his old family and felt like he had nothing left in the world. Today he stood in front of the same man's grave, older and wiser with everything he could have hoped for. He had a successful career, a growing bank account, and a comfortable home that he had worked for and earned on his own. He had to learn the hard way that things in life weren't going to be handed to him and instead of a sense of entitlement, he had a sense of accomplishment for where he was today.

With his uncle dead and buried, he felt like the last trace of his old life was gone and his new life, with the woman of his dreams, who was about to become his wife, was just beginning. He turned and walked away from the grave site for the last time, feeling more relaxed than he had in several years. Life couldn't get much better than this and he was ready to live it.

Eileen sat in front of the bedroom mirror, carefully styling her hair and putting on her make up. She smiled at the results in the mirror before glancing down at the small book laying in front of her on the vanity. She'd found it, her mother's diary, in the attic along with her mother's wedding dress.

It had always bothered her that she never really knew her mother. Abigail Townsend had died when Eileen was still really young and her memories of her were faded and few. After reading a few entries of the diary, she realized just how little she had really known about her.

The thing that touched her most was the final entries written when Abigail knew that she was dying and the expression of guilt and regret she'd felt at not spending as much time with Eileen when she had the chance and at all that she would miss after she was gone. There had been so much she had taken for granted until it was too late.

After reading those entries, Eileen felt a sense of peace wash over her as if a missing piece had been snapped into place. She always felt like her mother had something left to tell her and now she wondered if the words written on those pages had been it. As a child, her mother's passing had left her feeling abandoned, but now that she was an adult it was time for her to realize that wasn't the truth. Still, she held in her heart the vow that if she and Lawrence ever had children, she would always be there for them as long as she was able.

She pushed the book aside and stood up from the vanity, happy and excited for the day ahead. She had awoken in her childhood bedroom for the last time and by tonight she would be Mrs. Lawrence Arrendale, officially and forever.

"Lucy, what are you doing?" Chloe asked as she walked into Lucy's house to find her very pregnant friend kneeling in front of a group of moving boxes.
As Lucy slowly pulled herself to standing and wiped her damp eyes, Chloe asked, "Are you alright?"

"Yes, I will be. I'm just packing a few things . . ." Lucy sighed. "It's so hard. I've lived in this house my whole life. My grandparents lived here before that. There's so many memories here, so much family history. I can't imagine this house not belonging to us anymore. It's been in my family for generations and I thought it would be for generations to come."

"I'm so sorry, Lucy. I can't believe they would make you sell it. How on earth could that judge have thought Craig was entitled to half of it?"

"I have no idea. It was that stupid lawyer. If Reese had been there or if I'd been allowed to postpone the hearing at least until I could talk with another lawyer ahead of time, I know I would have gotten a better deal."

"Isn't there anything you can do?"

"Not really. Craig did contact me afterwards and offered to set up a payment arrangement if I wanted to keep the house, but I wasn't going to do that. I'm not going to pay him to stay in my own home. Besides, the more I can separate myself from him, the better."

"Sure."

"The more I think about it, the more I think it might be for the best. Or at least I've been trying to convince myself that it might be for the best."

"How is that?"

"I'm now a single mom, soon to be of two, with no job, no savings, and I had to drop out of medical school. I can't afford this place and I can't afford to keep up appearances anymore. My kids have to come first. This place is too big anyway. I have to find something smaller, more manageable, for my kids' sake. I just hope my share of the money from selling the house is enough to keep us going until I can get back on my feet," Lucy said, a hint of doubt creeping into her voice.

"You can do it. I know you can, Lucy. It won't be easy, I'm sure, but if you need anything, anything at all, call me anytime. I'm always here for you."

"Thank you, Chloe. You don't know how much that means to me."

"I'd start by helping you pack, but we've got a wedding to go to. Eileen will be waiting for us."

Part 36 - Chapter 2 - From this Day Forward

"Hey, honey. How are you feeling?" Andrew asked his wife who was lying on the couch watching television.

Amanda slowly sat up and responded with a shrug. "Ok, I guess. I'm just very sad."

"I know. So am I," Andrew said, sympathetically. "To think that we couldn't have a baby, then to find out you were pregnant only to get this far into the pregnancy and then lose the baby is devastating. I'm taking it pretty hard myself."

"You are?" Amanda asked, sounding surprised. "I didn't think you even cared about having a baby."

"Of course, I do. Maybe it wasn't as important to me as it was to you, but that doesn't mean I didn't want to have a baby or that I didn't care. This was my child too," Andrew said with a frown as he tried to hold back his emotions. "I was looking forward to being a father and to think we'll never see our child-"

"I had no idea," Amanda said, feeling a stong pang of guilt for what she was putting her husband through. Honestly, she hadn't thought about his feelings in all of this. She hadn't been able to think of anything except how much she'd wanted a baby. She could see clearly now how her lies about being pregnant and then losing the baby had affected everyone around her, but as hard as it was watch, there was nothing she could do now to take it back. It was probably best just to go with the lies and wait for everything to blow over.

"Are you going to come to the wedding with me? If so, you'd should start getting ready," Andrew said.

"No, I think I'll stay home."

"Are you sure? Getting out of the house, being around people might do you some good."

Amanda shook her head. "I don't feel like seeing anyone right now. But don't worry, you go and have a good time. I'll be alright."

"Was that your sister?" Edward asked his wife as Alma hung up the telephone. "Are we still riding to the wedding with them?"

"No, it was Andrew. He had bad news. Amanda had a miscarriage. He's still coming to the wedding, but she's going to stay home and rest."

"A miscarriage?" Edward asked. "How far along was she?"

"About six months, I think."

"At that point in the pregnancy it wouldn't be a miscarriage, it would be a stillbirth," Edward said with a frown. "Did she deliver the baby or did her doctor just detect that the baby was no longer living?"

"I don't know. Andrew didn't go into details. He just said that Amanda came home a few days ago after going to a doctor's appointment and told him that she'd lost the baby."

"Then the doctor probably just detected that there was no heartbeat or fetal movement. Otherwise I'm sure they would have called Andrew and had him meet her at the hospital. That's a shame. I wonder if they're going to induce labor or wait for her to deliver. I'll have to check at the hospital and find out if she's scheduled to come in and see if there's anything I can do for her."

"Let's not talk about it," Alma said with a frown.

"I'm sorry, dear. I'm sure it must be hard for you to hear about someone losing their baby, especially right now when you're in the family way yourself. Try not to worry. Your last pregnancy went perfectly, so there's no reason to think this one won't too."

Alma shook her head. "I think it might be a good idea for us to hold off on announcing that we're expecting another baby. Amanda didn't take it so well when we were expecting Jeremy and she was having trouble getting pregnant. The fact that I'm pregnant again is probably the last thing she needs to hear right now."

"How is she doing?" Reese asked as the doctor examined her tiny infant.

The doctor removed the stethescope from her ears and smiled at Reese. "She's doing great. She's breathing normally and eating well. As soon as we get the release forms filled out, you should be able to take her home this afternoon."

"And she'll be okay?"

"I don't see why not. She looks perfect."

Reese breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you, doctor."

"No problem. If you need anything, before you go or after you get your little girl home, don't hesitate to ask. We're here to help anytime."

Reese thanked the doctor again before she left and then turned to the newborn resting in the hospital bassinet. As much as she didn't want to be pregnant or to have a baby, as soon as she laid eyes on her baby girl, she knew she wanted her to pull through. The sight of the fragile little being attached to monitors and tubes pulled at her heart and she knew that she had a responsibility to do everything in her power to make sure everything possible was done for her to help her survive.

Maybe if she had found honest, trustworthy and loving parents that she'd had a better feeling about, that would have included giving the little girl up for adoption, but since things with Amanda had fallen through, she was spared that tough decision. Now the only thing to do was to take her daughter home and give her the best care and life that she could.

"First I have a few things I have to do," Reese said as she reached into the bassinet and let the baby grasp her index finger. "but I'll be back later to take you home."

Part 36 - Chapter 3 - From this Day Forward

"Cassandra, Zara, can I talk to you a moment?" Veronica called out as she approached the sisters as they were walking into the vestibule of the church.

"I'm already late. Eileen's probably wondering where I am," Cassie replied quickly, eager to get away.

"I'm sure she'll understand. I'll only take a moment, I promise."

"What is it?" Zara asked.

"We didn't really get to talk at your mother's hearing, but I wanted you both to understand why I said the things I said. I don't expect you to agree with my professional opinion, but I think it's important for me to explain where I was coming from with the recommendations that I'd made."

As Serena's psychiatrist, Veronica had been called upon by the court to evaluate Serena and determine whether or not her mental state should determine her sentence for murdering her ex-husband. The judge had weighed Veronica's testimony heavily in his decision and had Serena committed to a mental institution for an undetermined amount of time.

Cassandra looked away, but Zara was more receptive, "Go ahead."

"I know neither of you wanted to see your mother committed, and I'm sure it's difficult for you to believe this now, but I truly believe it's in her best interest. She's had a traumatic life, mostly due to your father, and the doctors there can help her put her life back together."

"Don't you realize the trauma was caused by her being committed to a mental institution in the first place? And now you're sending her back there?" Cassie asked angrily.

"It won't be like it was before," Veronica promised. "You can visit her as much as you like and she may even be able to leave the premises with supervision. With any luck, she may be released in just a few years time."

"We've lost so many years with her already, even one more is too much . . . I don't want to talk about this," Cassie said before turning away. "I'm supposed to be here for Eileen. I've got to go."

Zara watched as her sister walked away, then said to Veronica. "Don't mind her. She's taking it very hard right now, but she'll come around eventually. I hate that it has to be this way, but I agree that it might be for the best in the long run."

"So this is it. How are you feeling?" Chloe asked as she, Eileen, and Lucy got ready in the bridal room of the church.

"Great. I am so happy and so excited to be getting married. I can't wait."

"You're not nervous? No pre-wedding jitters?" Lucy asked.

"Not at all," Eileen replied. "Well, I am getting a little nervous about one thing. Why isn't Cassie here yet? Maybe I should call her and make sure everything is alright."

"I'll do it for you. What's her number?" Chloe asked.

"That's alright. I can do it," Eileen insisted. "I'm getting a little restless in this room waiting for the ceremony to start. I think I'll just go outside and make sure she's not already here first."

When Eileen opened the door, she saw Lawrence outside, talking to a woman. She quickly ducked back into the dressing room and closed the door.

"What's wrong?" Lucy asked.

"Lawrence is out there."

"Get away from the door," Chloe ordered. "You can't let him see you before the ceremony. It's bad luck. He didn't see you, did he?"

"No, he was talking to a woman, I think it was his ex, Audrey," Eileen said slowly. For a moment she wondered if she should be worried that her husband was talking to the woman who he had quit dating right before he started seeing her, but she knew in her heart she had nothing to worry about. She knew that she was the one he wanted to be with all along and she was the one he was marrying in less than an hour.

"Audrey? As in Audrey Jordan? Let me see," Lucy said, hurrying towards the door.

"Audrey, what a surprise to see you. What brings you here?"

"I just came into town for a couple of days to take care of a few things and I saw your picture in the paper. You're getting married today! Congratulations! She's a lucky girl."

"Thank you, but I'm the lucky one."

"I'm sure you are too. You look great and happy. You look like you're doing well."

"I am. Everything is going great right now. How have you been?"

"Good and things seem to be getting better all the time."

"And how's Chad?"

"Fine. We're still together. He came with me actually, but he's busy taking care of some business this afternoon. He finally saved up enough money to repay what he took from R.J., so he's in town settling his debts, while I've been getting things settled with my brother's apartment since his lease is finally up. As soon as this thing with R.J. is settled, Chad and I are getting married too. We've been engaged for awhile, but wanted to have everything settled first so we could start our marriage with a clean slate."

"Congratulations to you too."

"Thank you. I am so glad that we can finally put the past behind us once and for all. I hope you and your bride are as happy as Chad and I are. I only wish the best for you both."

"Excuse me," Lucy interrupted, catching Audrey as her conversation with Lawrence was ending. "You're Audrey Jordan, aren't you? Justin's sister?"

"Yes," Audrey replied coolly. "and I know who you are. Lucy Sexton? My brother used to work for you. I heard a lot about you from him."

"I've been trying desperately to get a hold of him since he left town, but I haven't been able to find him. Do you know where he is? Could you help me get in contact with him?"

"No, I'm sorry, I can't," Audrey replied shortly. "My brother left town for a reason. He doesn't want to be contacted and for good reason. When he was 'working' for you, he was a wreck. You toyed with his emotions and he couldn't handle it. Believe me when I say he's better off away from you."

"Please, you have to help me get in touch with him," Lucy pleaded. "I have something very important to tell him that he needs to know about."

Audrey followed Lucy's gaze downwards as she laid her hands over her pregnant stomach. When she looked up she caught Lucy's eyes and the women exchanged a look of understanding, but still Audrey refused to budge. She shook her head. "If you care about him at all, you'll just leave him alone. And if you don't, then he doesn't need you in his life either," Audrey said before walking away.

Lucy called after her. "If you won't tell me where he is, at least tell him about the baby. Please."

When Audrey didn't look back, Chloe became outraged. "Can you believe her? Oh, I'm going to go after her and give her a piece of my mind," Chloe said, but before she could take a step she noticed Lucy grasp her abdomen and wince. "Are you ok?"

Lucy nodded. "I think I'm having contractions."

"We should get you to the hospital."

"No, not yet. They aren't that close together yet and I don't want to ruin Eileen's day. I can make it through the ceremony. I'm not going to miss seeing her get married."

Part 36 - Chapter 4 - From this Day Forward

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to witness the blessed union of Lawrence and Eileen and to join them as they are united in holy matrimony.

"Eileen and Lawrence come here in front of God, their family, and their friends to commit their lives to each other. This commitment is not one that should be entered into lightly, but it is a sacred bond that must be created solemnly and advisedly.

"For many couples, the road to the altar is not a straight path. Sometimes there are twists and turns, often there are curves and sometimes even a few bumps in the road. Even when a couple is blessed enough to walk an easier path, one that is more simple and direct, their time together is still a journey.

"The hardships and the joyous moments, the laughter and the pain encountered on this journey serve to forge the bond between them and when both partners are devoted to one another and committed to preserving this bond, this journey will ultimately bring them closer together.

"In some respects this occasion marks an ending, the end of Lawrence and Eileen's journey as single individuals, but more importantly it is a new beginning, a new journey they will take together as husband and wife.

"As is life, the journey that Lawrence and Eileen take together will not always be easy. No doubt there will be difficult times, struggles, moments of heartache and doubt, but through their faith in God and in each other, through their devotion to support and, most of all, love one another, together they will pull through. And when times are good, when life brings them moments of happiness and joy, those moments will be all the better because they have a partner in life to share them with.

"Today Eileen and Lawrence stand before us, two souls devoted to each other, ready and devoted to creating one union, one family, one home, and one life together.

"Now Lawrence and Eileen will now recite the vows they have chosen."

"I, Lawrence, take you, Eileen, to be my wife, my constant friend, my faithful partner and my one and only love from this day forward. I offer you my solemn vow to be your faithful partner in sickness and in health, in good times and in bad, and in joy as well as in sorrow. I promise to love you unconditionally, to honor and respect you, to laugh with you and cry with you, and to cherish you for as long as we both shall live."

"I, Eileen, take you, Lawrence, to be my husband, my partner in life, and my one true love. I will cherish our union and love you more each day than I did the last. I will trust you and respect you, laugh with you and cry with you. I will love you faithfully through good times and bad, regardless of the obstacles we may face together. I give you my hand, my heart, and my love, from this day forward for as long as we both shall live."

"By the power vested in me, I know pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."

As the couple shared a kiss, the guests at the wedding clapped.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I am pleased to introduce for the first time, Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Arrendale."

The recessional music began to play and with hands joined, Lawrence and Eileen walked away from the altar to greet and thank their guests. They stopped first at the front row, where Eileen gave her father a tearful hug.

Instead of following the rest of the wedding party, Lucy pulled Chloe aside. "I think we should be going to the hospital now."

"Sure. Don't worry. I'll go get the car and I'll be with you all the way."

"What's going on?" Veronica asked as she, Arthur, and Eileen started to take notice of what was happening with Lucy and Chloe.

"Oh, I'm just going into labor," Lucy replied and then winced as another contraction gripped her. "Chloe's taking me to the hospital."

"Arthur and I will be happy to watch Stuart for you."

"I appreciate it," Lucy said. "Take my house keys in case you need to pick up his things and the nanny's number is in the desk."

"Do you need me to do anything? Just let me tell Lawrence what's going on and I'll go with you."

"You can't do that. It's your wedding day," Lucy insisted. "You're the bride, everyone is expecting you at the reception. Go and have a good time. Enjoy your day. Chloe is here for me. She'll make sure I'm taken care of."

Eileen gave Lucy a big hug. "Good luck. If you need me don't hesitate to call and have Chloe get in touch with me as soon as there's news."

"I will. And congratulations, Eileen. I'm so happy for you. I know you and Lawrence are going to be so happy together."

"We already are," Eileen smiled. "And congratulations to you too, Lucy. I can't wait to meet the baby."

Part 36 - Chapter 5 - From this Day Forward

"Hey everyone, for those of you who don't know me, I'm James Spencer and I'm honored to be here tonight to help celebrate the marriage of Lawrence and Eileen. The happy couple has asked me to sing a special song just for them, to celebrate the happy occasion and to celebrate their love. And they also asked the father of the bride and his lovely wife to join them on the dance floor and share in their first dance. This one is for the beautiful bride and the lucky groom."

Tonight, when all the stars are shining bright

I look into your eyes and see the one

I've been searching for all my life

You are my dream come true

You are the special one I've been waiting for

You are my one and only

You are the only one I adore

Tonight, you've made me the happiest of my life

I thank God when I look into your eyes

That you are the one by my side

You've made all my dreams come true

You've filled my heart's desire

You've made my life complete

These heights can't get much higher

Tonight

Oh, tonight

My life begins with you tonight

"Thanks, everyone," James called out as the song ended. "Let's hear it for the happy couple."

"You'll have to excuse me," Vanessa said as she wiped her eyes and turned away from the dance floor to look at Logan. "I am total sap when it comes to weddings. They get to me every time."

"Don't worry about it. It's nice that you're a romantic at heart."

"Thank you. Are you having a good time? I know you don't really know anyone here. I hope it's not too boring for you."

"Not at all. I'm enjoying myself and I've been enjoying spending this time with you."

"How sweet. I'm enjoying being with you too. Thank you for coming with me." As the next song started and James invited everyone out to dance, Vanessa asked Logan, "Would you like to dance?"

"In a minute," Logan said. "There's something I want to tell you first."

"What is it? If you're going to tell me you aren't a good dancer, don't worry, I don't mind."

"No, it's not that," he replied with a smile. "I hope I don't come on too strong by saying this, but I think you're a really special lady. We don't know each other very well yet, but for the last few months I haven't been able to get you out of my mind and I really do want to get to know you better. Unfortunately, like I said, I'm going to be away for awhile, for some special training for my work. I just found out they want me to leave next week and I might be gone for awhile. I honestly don't know for how long, but it might be months. When I come back, if you're still available and willing, I'd very much like to see you again. I guess what I'm trying to say is, I'm hoping you would wait for me."

Vanessa smiled. "I'd definitely like to see you again and don't worry, hon, I'm not going anywhere."

"Except to the dance floor, right? I'd like to take you up on your offer."

Reese walked cautiously into the busy room, searching through the crowd of guests. This wedding was a huge event in this small community and she knew the people she was looking for would most likely be in this room. She ran into one of them almost as soon as she walked into the room.

"Andrew, hi, how are you?" she asked timidly, trying to break the ice while she tried to figure out how to approach the topic she wanted to discuss.

"Not bad. Were you at the wedding, Reese? I didn't notice you there."

"No, I didn't make it. I'm just dropping in for a second. I wanted to talk to you about Amanda . . . she came to me a few months ago and had me do some paperwork for an adoption," she started cautiously. "I never got to meet with you about it. I'm sorry it fell through."

"Adoption? What are you talking about?"

"So you didn't know that she was planning to adopt a baby," Reese said, not at all surprised.

"No. Are you sure? How long ago was this? Amanda and I had talked about the possibility of adopting a long time ago, before she got pregnant, but we never got as far as filling out paperwork or finalizing anything."

"She told you she was pregnant? I'm not sure how to tell you this, Andrew, but nothing is adding up. About 4 months ago, Amanda came to me about adopting a baby . . . from a client of mine who was pregnant and didn't want to be. Amanda had me make arrangements and draw up the paperwork for her to adopt that baby. The last time I saw her, a couple of weeks ago, I told her that the baby was born prematurely and she acted really strange about it. When I asked her why she looked pregnant, when she hadn't before, she said she was wearing a pregnancy belly, just to see what it was like. . . Are you absolutely sure she was pregnant?"

Andrew's mind was spinning as he tried to take in everything Reese had said and pondered her final question. Now that she mentioned it, he had noticed some unusual things with Amanda and her pregnancy that he had simply dismissed. Now they were all coming back to him.

Andrew looked up just in time to see Amanda walk into the room. For a moment her expression looked concerned as she saw Reese and Andrew talking together, but she quickly covered her nervousness with a forced smile.

"Hi, honey. I decided to take your advice and come to the party after all. You're probably right, getting out and being around people will probably be good for me."

"We were just talking about you," Andrew said coldly. "Did you hire Reese to help you adopt a baby without telling me?"

"We talked about it," she answered evasively.

"Sounds like you did more than just talk about it from what Reese says," Andrew retorted. "It sounds like it was a done deal and you never said a word about it to me. And why did you tell Reese you were wearing fake padding to make you look like you were pregnant? Tell me what's really going on here. I want to know the truth, Amanda. You lied to someone, who was it? Me or Reese?"

Reese had stepped back when Amanda entered the room, but hovered nearby to hear what was being said. She felt she needed to speak up now. "I still have the adoption papers I prepared at my office. I'll can get them if you need proof."

"Ok, it's true," Amanda confessed. "I wanted for us to adopt a baby and had Reese draw up the papers. I was going to talk to you about it and discuss whether or not we should do it, but then . . . I found out I was pregnant and . . ."

Amanda paused, trying to choose her words carefully. She had to come up with a plausible explanation, one that would match with what Reese knew and with what Andrew thought. She looked back and forth between the two of them, her mind racing as they looked at her skeptically. She could tell neither of them totally believed what she was saying and she was running out of lies.

"And what? You kept pursuing the adoption and didn't tell me? This isn't making any sense . . . unless, what Reese says is true . . . you weren't really pregnant, but told me you were? Is that why you really kept pushing me away, so I wouldn't find out?"

"I-I'm sorry," Amanda sputtered. She looked at Andrew, her eyes pleading for him to accept and forgive her, but she could see his bewilderment was slowly turning into anger. Afraid to hear what he might say next, she quickly turned and ran from the room, sobbing.

"Amanda!" Andrew called out sharply, but she didn't turn back.

The commotion had caught the attention of the other party guests and everyone nearby turned to see what was going on. Reese, who had slinked back towards the corner as Andrew confronted his wife, caught the eyes of the other person she had been hoping to find here tonight. She wasn't exactly pleased to see that Blaine was at the reception with Cassandra and she could tell that Cassandra was even less happy to see her, but she still made her way over to the pair.

"Hi, Blaine. I was hoping you'd be here. Can we talk for a minute . . . privately?"

"Yeah, I guess so," Blaine said, before turning towards a nervous looking Cassandra and touching her arm reassuringly. "Do you mind? It will only be a minute, I promise."

Cassie just nodded and gave Reese a pointed look before walking to the other side of the room.

"Where have you been, Reese?" Blaine asked. "I've tried to get a hold of you a million times, but you've never returned any of my calls."

"I know. I'm sorry. I've been going through some things and I needed my space."

"I guess so. Is everything alright?"

"Yeah, it's fine and I'm fine."

"I was kind of worried about you when I never heard from you and didn't see you around. I'd hoped we could still be friends. If you ever need anyone to talk to, to help with anything, you can still call on me, even though we aren't together anymore."

"I know. Thank you," Reese said. Feeling eyes on her, she turned and saw Cassie stealing glances their way, obviously wondering what they were talking about, but trying to act casual. "So are you and Cassandra together now? Are you dating?"

"Yeah, we just started seeing each other."

"Do you think it will become serious?"

"I hope so, but then whenever I start dating someone, I'm hoping it will become something serious," he replied. "Look, I know I didn't want to break up when you did. I wanted to stay together and work it out when you didn't. But I've accepted that it didn't work out between us and I've moved on, so if you wanted to talk to me about getting back together, I'm sorry, but it's too late."

"No, I don't want to get back together," Reese said. "I still think breaking up was the right thing to do."

"Oh," Blaine said, embarrassed. "I must sound like I'm full of myself. It's just that you started asking about me and Cassie, so I thought . . ."

"It's understandable. Don't worry about it. I actually just came here to tell you something important," Reese began. She hesitated, suddenly having second thoughts about what she'd really come here to say. She knew it wasn't going to be easy to tell Blaine that he had a daughter from a pregnancy that she hadn't told him about, but she knew it would be the right thing to do for him and especially for the baby. After seeing Blaine with Cassandra, however, she was starting to have doubts. She didn't trust Cassandra and didn't want her in her daughter's life, but she knew she didn't have a right to tell Blaine who not to date, especially after telling him she didn't want to be with him.

"What is it?" Blaine asked.

"I'm moving. I've decided to transfer to another firm and move out of Bay Pointe. I just wanted to say goodbye."

After saying goodbye to Reese and wishing her well, Blaine walked across the room to join Cassandra.

"So, what did Reese want?" Cassie asked timidly.

"Just to talk," Blaine answered casually. "and say goodbye. She's moving."

"Really?" Cassie asked, her tone and demeanor perked up as she felt instantly relieved. "I was afraid she was asking you to take her back."

"No, not at all," Blaine shook his head. "And you don't have anything to be afraid of. It's over between me and Reese."

"Are you sure? Because you seemed pretty upset that you weren't able to get a hold of her after she broke up with you."

"I was, at first. But I promise you, I'm over her and I've moved on," Blaine said. "Besides, once I'm with someone, I'm with them all the way. It's like there's no one else in the world."

"Are you saying you're with me?" Cassie asked hopefully.

"If you want me to be," he hinted.

"More than anything."

As Blaine leaned forward to kiss her, Cassandra she felt the flutter of butterflies in her stomach. When their lips touched for the first time she melted, feeling a moment of pure bliss. This was all she had ever wanted and she meant every word when she'd said she wanted to be with him more than anything.

Her moment of euphoria was broken and she pulled back as she remembered her mother's words about getting pregnant as soon as possible. She wondered why she would say something like that to her and if she should follow her mother's advice. She wanted to do everything right when it came to a relationship with Blaine. She didn't want to mess this up. And she wasn't going to mess it up by worrying about that now. She put it out of her mind for the moment and let herself enjoy this first kiss.

Part 36 - Chapter 6 - From this Day Forward

"Oh, Lucy, she's so adorable," Chloe cooed as she held Lucy's newborn baby girl in her arms, while Lucy rested. "What's her name?"

"Maura," Lucy replied. "Maura Justine Stuart."

"Not Sexton?"

"No, of course not. She's not Craig's daughter. I'm sure he doesn't want her to have his last name and I don't either. In fact, I'm changing my last name back to Stuart too. I'm changing a lot of things," Lucy said thoughtfully. "I'm really going to try to simplify my life. I'm going to stop worrying about appearances and what people think and just focus on my kids and what's best for them. I'm going to find a smaller house to make a nice home for us and I'm going to go back and finish medical school, so I can support my family by myself."

"That's a good idea, but I don't want you to think you have to do it all on your own," Chloe said. "You know Eileen and I will always be happy to babysit and if you need a place to stay until you get a place of your own, you and the kids are more than welcome to stay with me. I feel like I'm starting over too and it would be nice to feel like I have someone to start over with."

"That is so kind of you, Chloe," Lucy said, teary eyed. "I don't know what to say."

"It's nothing. We've been friends for so long, it's like we're family."

"I'm lucky to have a friend like you. Thank you for being here with me. I really dreaded going through this alone, but you don't have to stay. You should get back to the party."

"Are you sure? I don't mind staying."

"No, you should go. I'm going to try to get some rest anyway and I don't want you to miss your chance to flirt with James."

Chloe laughed. "Well, when you put it that way . . .I'll go and tell everyone the news. If you need me or need anything at all, call me, ok?"

"That's it," the nurse said as Reese finished signing the release papers. "You can take your little girl home now. Congratulations."

"Thank you, Reese said quietly as she took her baby out of the nursery. Reese felt a little nervous just holding and carrying her. She seemed so tiny and so fragile. The realization that she was going to have to take care of her all on her own was a daunting thought. "But," she reasoned with herself, "other people do it all the time and so can I."

"Let's go home," she said to her little girl as she headed towards the hospital entrance. "We have a lot of things to do."

"Andrew," Amanda said timidly. She cautiously approached her husband from behind while he was sitting at the bar. "I can explain."

"Explain what?" he asked in a slurred voice as he wobbily spun around to face her. "Do you think you can really have an explanation for lying to me, your own husband about being pregnant?"

"You're right, there is no explanation," she admitted. "but that day at Alma and Ed's, I didn't set out to say I was pregnant. I was going to tell you that I'd found a baby to adopt, but then I started thinking about all the things I'd miss out on by not carrying the baby myself and it made me so sad that before I could even think, it just came out and I said I was pregnant."

"Just came out? How does something like that just come out?"

"I don't know how, but it did. That's how it happened. I wish I could take it back now, but once I said it, I felt like I was in so deep that I couldn't take it back. And I didn't want to take it back. I wanted it to be real. I wanted it so bad."

"Did you ever, even once, think of anyone else? Did you think about me? That was supposed to be my baby too. It was supposed to be a part of me and you. When you told me you lost the baby, it hurt me too. Did you even think of that or did you just not care at all about what it would do to me?"

"Of course I care. I wasn't thinking straight. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. You have to forgive me."

"I don't think I can. I don't think I can even look at you again. You disgust me. Get away from me. Get out of my life. I don't care if I never see you again."

"Don't say that. You don't mean that," Amanda pleaded, but Andrew turned his back and refused to look at her.

When Amanda turned away, she saw her sisters looking in her direction. By their shocked expressions she knew they'd overheard the entire conversation. She approached them, desperate to find someone to take her side.

"Please, you'll listen to me, won't you? You'll let me explain?"

"We've already heard your explanation," Alma said coolly. "Amanda, how could you do that? What on earth were you thinking?"

"I don't know. I really don't know," Amanda sobbed. "Everything just got out of control so fast. And now Andrew won't even look at me . . .But you're my sister, Alma, you have to help me."

"I don't know what to say," Alma replied slowly. "I think you do need help, but more than I can give you."

"Can I stay with you if Andrew won't forgive me, at least until I get things sorted out?"

"I don't know," Alma hesitated. "This is your mess. You made it and you're going to have to deal with it. Besides, given what's been going on, I'm not sure I would want you around my children. I just don't know, Amanda."

"Children?" Amanda repeated in disbelief. "Are you telling me you're pregnant again? I can't believe this! How can my life be so unfair. I can't take it!" Amanda exclaimed and stormed out of the room for the second time that night.

"Do you think she's going to be alright?" Vanessa asked with concern.

Alma just shook her head. "Who knows. I can't believe this. I don't even know about her anymore."

Amanda paused on the veranda outside of the country club, letting the door slam shut behind her. She let out a deep huff and closed her eyes tightly for a moment as she tried to control her anger and fight back her tears. Everything had blown up in her face and when she was really honest with herself she had to admit that she deserved it. She hadn't meant for things to go this far or get so out of control, but she had no one to blame for it, but herself.

She hated that everything had turned out this way. Andrew, Alma, and everyone else probably hated her right now and maybe for good reason. But they couldn't hate her forever, she tried to convince herself. Alma was her sister, she had to forgive her and Andrew was her husband and she knew he couldn't hate her forever either. It was going to be rough for awhile, but it had to blow over eventually, she reasoned. Didn't it?

"Chloe, you're back?" Eileen said happily as she saw her friend approaching. "Do you have news?"

"Yes, Lucy had the baby. She had a baby girl and her name is Maura."

"Aw, I can't wait to go see her. How's Lucy doing?"

"Fine. They're both doing great. It's a tough situation for Lucy, but she's actually holding it together really well. I think she's got a good attitude towards life and I let her know she'll always have us if she ever needs any help or support."

"Absolutely," Eileen agreed. "This is so exciting though. A new baby for Lucy, a new husband for me, and both in the same day. This is definitely a memorable day."

"Um hmm," Chloe voiced her agreement, but she was only half paying attention. While Eileen was talking she had caught James' eye as he was walking away from the dj booth and towards her. "Speaking of that new husband of yours, you shouldn't waste any more time talking to me, go find him and enjoy your wedding party together."

Eileen smiled slyly. She knew Chloe was making up an excuse to get her out of the way and she knew why, but she didn't mind. "You know, I think that sounds like a great idea. I hope you enjoy the party too."

"Hey, you're here after all," James said as he approached Chloe. "I didn't see you in the crowd."

"We're you looking for me?"

"Kind of."

"I had to take off for a little while, but luckily I made it back."

"Just in time too. I was told there's time for one more song before the bride and groom head out and the party's over. You want to dance?"

"I'd love to."

"So, it looks like the party's winding down," Lawrence said to his new bride. "What did you think of the reception? Was it and the wedding everything you wanted it to be?"

"Everything I dreamed of and more," Eileen said with a bright smile as she wrapped her arms around Lawrence's waist.

"I'm glad. You have given me everything I've ever dreamed of and I want to make sure you're as happy as you've made me."

"I am, totally and completely happy."

"Then are you ready to get out of here and finally start our life together?"

"Absolutely. We've waited long enough to make it official, let's not wait any longer."

As the song playing over the stereo ended, Lawrence whispered something to James who then broke away from Chloe and took the mic.

"Everyone, thanks for coming tonight, but as they say, 'all good things must come to an end.' That's going to be our last song for the evening. If everyone would head towards the front door, let's say good night to our hosts, the bride and groom, and wish them well as they head off into the sunset."

The remaining party guests lined the lobby of the country club, clapping and tossing rose petals as Lawrence and Eileen passed through on their way out the front door. As the newlyweds carefully made their way down the front steps towards the street where their car was waiting, everyone followed them outside and gathered on the veranda.

Eileen and Lawrence paused at the bottom of the steps and turned around, looking back and the friends, family, and co-workers who were there to send them off.

Eileen's heart swelled with warmth seeing all of the people that she cared for and she hoped that everyone looking down at them, from the long devoted couples, like her parents, to those just starting out together, to the unattached friends, would be as happy as she was at this moment.

Some of them had been through so much together and she hoped that they would still remain close enough to experience all the joys and even the struggles that were sure to come in the future. At the moment the future looked so bright and hopeful, she couldn't hope for anything more than for it to always be like this.

When she squeezed Lawrence's hand and turned to smile at him, she could tell by the glimmer in his eyes that he felt the same happiness she did.

They had both come along way from when they'd first met and were looking forward to many happy years ahead of them building their new home together in Arrendale Heights.