SequelTo: For the Love of Grace

Title: Saving Grace Author: Ellen Rating: PG Genre: AU Category: Drama Pairing: Vecchio/St. Laurent This is a sequel to For the Love of Grace. Ray Vecchio has a daughter who brings him a new life. Ray is in his bedroom getting dressed for the important event this morning. He dresses in khaki pants and a white golf shirt, since he didn't pack a suit to come to the beach. He stares at his reflection in the mirror, then leaves to check on the ladies. He waits by the stairs, but hears nothing from above, so he climbs up to see what is taking them so long. He almost collides with Louise in the hallway. His eyes take in her appearance, as he notices how stunning she is in the pale green sundress. Distracted, she goes around Ray to her bedroom as his continues to follow her with his eyes, taking in the shortness of the dress and her tanned legs. "I'm running behind. Will you check on Grace?" She yells over her shoulder, bringing him out of his trance. Ray knocks on the door of Grace's room, and walks in when he hears her grunt. Grace is wearing a yellow and white striped sundress and a yellow ribbon in her hair. She is sitting on the floor attempting to buckle her sandal by herself. "You look nice, Gracie." He bends down and helps her with her sandals, then lifts her up and twirls her around the room, as the girl giggles in his arms. He sets her back down on the floor before they both get too dizzy. "I like this dress. Mommy says we are doing something special today." "Yes, we are." He watches as Louise comes in to the room. She catches Ray's attention and he moves closer to her. Softly she asks, "Should we tell her now?" He responds with a whisper, "We need to tell her before we leave." "Grace, come here sweetie. Ray and I have something to tell you." Louise sits on the edge of the bed. Grace moves slowly in front of her mother. Ray comes over to sit next to Louise. Grace looks back and forth between her mother and Ray. "Did I do something bad?" She becomes scared. "No, oh no, Grace." Louise hugs her quickly. "We just have some news for you." "Oh. Okay." A bit confused, she waits for her mother to continue. Ray nudges Louise, who throws him a warning glance, then smiles lovingly at her daughter. "Grace, remember we went to Charleston yesterday? When Ray and I had to fill out some papers? We are going back to the same place, but this time we are meeting a judge. She is going to..... We are..... Well, we are going to get married." The little girl thinks about what her mother just told her. She moves over in front of Ray and takes his face in her hands, piercing his eyes with her own. "Are you going to be my daddy again?" Ray hesitates before answering. Any fears he has about this wedding are diminished with her question. He feels the tears threatening to stream from his eyes. "Yes, I will be your daddy. Forever." He chokes out the last word, and then pulls Grace in to a hug. Louise quickly wipes her own eyes and gets up from the bed. "We need to go. Grace, go to the bathroom before we leave." Ray releases her. "Okay, mommy." She moves to let Ray stand up. "I'll go get the van ready. Meet you two ladies downstairs." He strides out of the room as quick as he can, and Grace grabs her mother's hand. "I'm glad he's going to be my daddy again." "He's always been your daddy, Grace. But now it will be legal." "Does that mean forever?" Her question pulls at Louise's heart, because she wants the answer to be true. "Yes. It means forever." She fixes the bow in Grace's hair, and pushes her towards the bathroom. "Good. He smells good, mommy." She explains as she leaves her mother alone in the room. "Yes he does." Louise replies to no one but herself, a shy smile touching her lips. Louise and Ray have an appointment with a judge at ten thirty this morning. They filed the written applications twenty-four hours ago, and with no blood tests required, they are ready to be married. They arrive five minutes before and are sitting in chairs in the waiting area. The Judge comes out of her chambers and walks over to them, her black robe billowing behind her. "You must be the couple I am marrying this morning. I am Judge Kali Sandison. But most people around here call me Judge Kali." Ray and Louise stand to greet the woman coming towards them, feeling an instant liking to the judge. Ray offers his hand with politeness as he introduces himself. "Ray Vecchio. And this is Louise St. Laurent." They all shake hands. Grace watches with wonder standing next to her mother. "Who might this be? What a pretty dress you have on." Judge Kali bends down to Grace's level and shakes her hand. "I'm Grace. My mommy and daddy are going to get married." She is very proud of this fact, glancing up at both Ray and Louise. The Judge stands and chuckles. "Then we should begin soon. Tell me, Ms. St. Laurent. Would you like to be married in my chambers or in an empty courtroom?" She turns to her clerk who is seated at a desk. "Abbey? Is courtroom two still open?" "Yes, Judge, open all morning." Abbey smiles at the group in front of her. "Well then let's do it there." The judge looks at Louise, who nods without thinking. Judge Kali just chuckles. "Are we ready?" She looks at the couple. They seem to be a bit nervous, but they follow her as she grabs Grace's hand to lead the way to the courtroom. Abbey stops Ray before he leaves the area. "Mr. Vecchio, the package you had delivered here is in the fridge. I'll get it and meet you in the courtroom. "Thanks. I'll wait for you." Yesterday he had ordered a nosegay of white roses to be delivered to the courthouse this morning. Feeling guilty that Louise is to be married in a courthouse to a man who doesn't love her, he thought it might make it seem more special. He hopes she doesn't think of it as romantic; because that is not the spirit in which he is doing it. Abbey brings out the nosegay, with a smaller version for Grace. He takes them both and follows her to the courtroom. Louise looks at him when he enters, a look of relief passing over her face. He presents her with the bouquet. Louise is dazed by his thoughtfulness. Clutching the flowers in her hand, she brings them up to smell the aroma. Before she can thank him, he turns to give Grace the smaller bouquet. The little girl, a blissful look on her face, is delighted to have a bouquet like her mother's. Grace's voice fills the courtroom with joy as she exclaims, "It's like we both are getting married, mommy." "Mr.Vecchio, you are a charmer." The Judge approves with a beaming smile. "Just a little something to make this a special event." Ray explains, and looks over to his bride. Louise is speechless. Earlier, when she noticed Ray was not with her, she imagined him scared and running. But in he walks bringing flowers. The man is just full of surprises. She gives him a sweet smile. The Judge springs to action after a moment of prolonged silence. "Abbey, you and Grace stand off to the side of Mr. Vecchio and Ms. St.Laurent." She positions Ray and Louise in front of her and waits for them to look at her and signal they are ready. They both fidget a bit, and then look up at her. Judge Kali begins. "We are gathered together on this day, to unite this man and woman............." Grace adoringly watches the ceremony, listening to the words her mother and Ray speak. When the Judge asks for a ring, Grace watches her mother's face make a frown, until Ray removes the ring he has on his pinkie. Grace loves the ring, a gold ring with a V on it for Vecchio. Her mother smiles as Ray places it on her finger. Grace looks up and sees Abbey crying and blowing her nose. Giggling, she looks back at her mother. The Judge is saying something to them. "I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride." Ray pulls Louise gently to him and leans in to give her quick kiss to end the ceremony. As his lips touch hers, he recognizes her taste even after five long years. A taste that brings back memories of before she left, a taste he has tried to forget. He deepens the kiss, as his body betrays him. This is not what he thought it would be like. As Louise responds to the deepening kiss, he moves to wrap his arm around her. The giggling of their daughter brings them to releasing each other. His eyes questioning hers, all he sees is her unshed tears she is trying so hard to keep in. He mumbles, "I'm sorry....." After the ceremony Louise and Ray both thank Judge Kali and her assistant Abbey. Then the new Vecchio family leaves to tour Charleston before having a celebratory lunch. Grace enjoys the horse drawn carriage ride around the city, while Louise and Ray pretend to be interested while wondering what the other is thinking. The kiss at the end of the ceremony is on their minds, and making an awkward silence between them. Lunch is much the same, with the little girl providing the much needed conversation. The ride back to the beach house is eerily quiet, with Grace sleeping in the back and the couple in front lost in their own thoughts. The next two days are predictably the same, entertaining Grace and enjoying the last few days of the relaxing vacation. Ray and Louise share a few words, but both keep Grace around to help in the ease of conversation. Grace is oblivious to any tension between her parents, being happy that they are a family. Their last day at the beach house arrives, and the mood of the three is a somber one. Louise schedules the morning for a last visit to the beach and fun in the sun. Building sandcastles and combing for more shells fills their morning. After lunch, when Grace is napping from her morning of fun, Louise and Ray begin to pack up for their trip home. A knock on the front door stops Louise from her packing, and she goes to answer. A deliveryman stands before her with a huge basket. Signing for the delivery, she closes the door and carries the basket to the table. Finding a card, she opens it up to read: Congratulations on your marriage. May your family be blessed for years to come. Signed, Judge Kali Ray comes up behind her and reads over her shoulder. "What's that?" He asks, startling her. "A gift basket from the judge." She answers, distracted with his nearness. "That was nice of her." He still stands behind her. "Extremely." She removes the cellophane wrap and looks over the contents. Two very nice bottles of wine, a selection of cheeses and crackers, three crystal wine glasses, a small bottle of sparkling juice, and a bag of chocolate covered strawberries. "She even sent something for Grace to drink. Judge Kali is a one of a kind person." Ray agrees, and takes the bottles of wine to chill in the fridge. Louise arranges the other things in the basket and leaves them on the table. Grace will be excited to have her own special wineglass. Happily, she returns to her packing. They decide to grill some steaks for dinner, and eat out on the deck. Clouds are moving in, and the breeze is nice and cool. Grace is thrilled to drink out of a crystal wineglass, and they toast to their last night. After dinner, Louise escorts Grace upstairs for a bath while Ray continues to sit out on the deck. He finishes the first bottle of wine while watching the sun set. The kitchen is clean, Grace is finally in bed, and Louise is ready to sit and relax. She looks for Ray inside, but then notices he is still sitting outside on the deck. Going out to join him, she finds him opening the second bottle of wine. "Haven't you had enough?" "Nagging doesn't suit you. Besides, I don't want it to go to waste. Want some more?" He glares at her, and notices she is not smiling. "No thanks." She sits in a chair and breathes in the fresh air. Alone with him out here, she is tempted to go back in the house. But she is tired of avoiding him. This past week, they only talked to each other if Grace was with them. Forcing herself to make conversation, she faces him. "We need to leave around ten in the morning. I have everything packed. Are you ready?" Ray snorts, and takes a drink from his glass. "I'm ready." He pauses, looking over at her finally. "Listen about tomorrow, we don't need to spread the word of our marriage around to everyone. Just the family and we should find the right time to tell them." Louise understands too well what he is talking about. She knows he is having second thoughts about marrying her. Not wanting to get into an argument on their last night at the beach, she agrees. "Fine. We can tell your mother when we get settled in. Is that agreeable?" She uses the same tone she uses to placate Grace. She realizes a normal conversation is not going to happen. He nods, then turns away from her back to his own thoughts. Louise sits with him for a few minutes more, until the unbearable silence makes her retreat inside. Ray notices her absence, but drowns his self pity in another glass of wine. Remembering the last load of laundry in the dryer, Louise makes it down to the basement to retrieve the clothes. Checking all around the area for any of their belongings, she turns off the light and returns to the main floor of the beach house. She folds the laundry sitting on the couch, glancing out at Ray on the deck. He still sits in the same chair he was in thirty minutes ago. Annoyed at his actions, she finishes her task, deposits his clothes on his bed and goes up the stairs to her own room. Ray locks the door to the deck after coming in from outside. He closes the curtains, and finds himself in the dark, the only light from upstairs where he hears Louise moving around. He makes it to the kitchen and washes out his glass. He throws the empty wine bottle in the trash, knowing he should not have drunk as much as he did. Not normally a big drinker, he will feel the repercussions in the morning. He hears Louise coming down the stairs and goes to meet her. "Grace in bed?" He asks, surprising Louise in the hallway. "Oh. God. Don't do that, Ray. You scared me to death." She catches her breath long enough to berate him. "Sorry. Had to catch you before you escape from me." Ignoring that, she tries to move around him to go in to the kitchen. He moves to block her way. "Don't walk away from me. I'm talking to you." "I just want a glass of water. And you're in my way." She again tries to move around him, but he pushes her back. He notices she is in her nightgown, a billowing cloud of white cloth that falls gently over her curves. He gazes up and down, and a sneering look forms on his face. "Ray, move out of my way." She is suddenly afraid. "No." And he blocks her against the wall, his arms on either side of her, trapping her. She finally looks him in the eye. "You're drunk." She states, hoping he would realize it and let her go. "No, I'm not drunk. If I were drunk, with no inhibitions whatsoever, I would drag you around the corner in to my bedroom and make sweet love to you all night long. But since I'm not drunk, I'll just kiss you." Louise responds with a gasp as he leans in, trapping her even more, and captures her lips roughly. He forces her mouth open and swipes his tongue inside, tasting of her warmth. He releases her mouth for a second, just long enough to whisper something. "You taste of heaven." Then he kisses her again, dragging his arms down from her side to embrace her with tenderness. By now, his kiss is softer, passion overtaking greed, and her response is immediate. She lets her body dictate over her mind, and sends her own tongue seeking the sweet taste of him, the wine intoxicating them both. They relish in the heat of the kiss, and become daring with the increasing length of the joining. Ray's hand finds the nightgown and pulls it up to let him have access to touch her skin. He moves his hand over her stomach and up to find her firm breast. The moan she gives him as he takes her in his hand sends shivers down his spine. Releasing her mouth for a split second, with visions of removing her nightgown all together, he looks at her face only to be pulled back to reality by a cry from upstairs. "Mommy! Mommy, I need you." Grace's cry is not frantic, but still it is one of need. Louise and Ray both back away from each other, their passion suppressed instantly. "I need to go up." Louise stammers. "I know." Ray whispers back. He moves aside to let her pass. She is halfway up the stairs when she hears him say, "Goodnight, Mrs. Vecchio." Ray is lying on his stomach on his bed, trying not to move his head that is exploding with pain, when he feels tiny pokes on his shoulder. Ignoring the feeling, he desperately tries to fall asleep. But the tiny pokes, this time a bit more persistent, are starting to annoy him. Lifting his head up just a bit, the pain making him moan, he opens one eye to see Grace standing near his bed. "Mommy says you need to wake up. You were snoring real bad." She tells him happily. "Go away, Grace. I need to sleep." He grumbles, dropping his head back to the bed. Giving up, the little girl goes to get her mother. This time the tapping is much harder, and very persistent. "I said, go away Grace. I need to sleep." "Grace is not in here. And you better get up now. We need to leave for the airport in a little over an hour." He opens both eyes, and gingerly turns over to his back. The room is spinning, so he closes his eyes, but he still manages to talk to Louise. "What time is it?" His mouth is dry; his words come out rough. "It is 9:15. We should leave by 10:30. Go and shower. That should clear your head." She can tell he is in pain. But pain he deserves after drinking all of that wine last night. Last night. Her thoughts go to the kiss they shared. A kiss she doesn't want to forget. Looking over at him, seeing him on the bed, she is tempted to crawl in with him. His behavior last night gives her hope to their marriage. Ray sits up finally, lets the room quit spinning, and then makes his way to the bathroom. "I'll be ready. Louise...." He stops at the door, turns to look at her. "Last night......I'm sorry." Not knowing what else to say to her, he tries the simplest thing. But to Louise, it is the wrong thing to say. "Sorry? Sorry about what? Sorry you were interrupted? I don't think so. I think you're sorry that you started something you couldn't finish." Glancing behind her to see if Grace was near, she glares at the man standing across the room. "You kissed me Ray. I liked it. I'm not sorry. You need to ask yourself why you are." Leaving him in a huff, she slams his door closed. Ray continues to stand in the same place. "Shit. Rubbing his head, his headache becoming stronger, he heads in to the bathroom. The flight from Charleston to Atlanta is a quick one, but Ray is eager for it to be over. Between two crying babies, an obnoxious man in front of him, and a couple making out behind him, he finds he is on the flight from hell. And to make matters worse, Grace, who is between him and Louise, keeps kicking him in the leg over and over. Twice now, he has removed her shoe from his pants, but she continues her movements. Grace is oblivious to the fact that she is kicking him, as she is overjoyed to be on the plane. "Grace, stop kicking me." His temper finally explodes, and he yells at his daughter. Her innocent eyes look up at him, and her bottom lip protrudes in a pout. Ray makes the mistake of looking over at Louise, who is angrily glaring at him. Before she can tear in to him, the captain announces their descent to the Atlanta airport. Leading his family out of the plane into the terminal to find their next departure gate, Ray is greeted with a cold look from his wife and a scared look from his daughter. When they find their gate, Ray plops down in to a chair, dejected and weary. Louise stares at him for a second, then declares, "Grace and I are going for food. Is there anything you want?" Her voice is unfeeling. "Nothing. Thanks." Knowing he can't leave things like this, he grabs Grace's hand. "Grace. I'm sorry I yelled at you on the plane. I'm not feeling well at the moment, and well, I'm sorry sweetheart." He meets her gaze, and she smiles lovingly up at her father. "That's okay, daddy. Do you hurt?" Her acceptance of his apology is quick, and he smiles softly. "My head hurts. But I'll be okay soon." Grace moves closer to him, takes his head gently in her small hands, and gives him a kiss on his forehead. "There, now you'll feel better." She pats his cheek, and then feels her mother's hand on her arm. "Let's go, Grace. Your daddy will be just fine." Louise throws Ray a dirty look, and then drags Grace from his side. Ray closes his eyes for a moment, until he feels the presence of someone standing in front of him. Opening his eyes, he finds a bottle of 7UP thrust at him from Louise, with Grace offering crackers and cheese. With no word from Louise, Grace explains that the food and drink will make him feel better. Taking them, he attempts to eat the snack, following a swig of drink with two aspirin again thrust upon him from his wife. Boarding the next plane to Chicago, Louise has Grace sit by the window, taking the middle seat next to Ray. A little more cramped this way; their arms fight for the armrest. Giving up, Ray decides he is better off just ignoring her. He closes his eyes to sleep even before they take off. Startled from his sleep later, he wakes to find Louise staring at him. "What? What did I do now?" "You were snoring. But not loudly." She continues to stare. "I need something from the overhead bin." "Great." He gets up grudgingly, and opens the bin. "What do you want?" "I need my planner book and my red folder." He finds the articles and shoves them at her. Sitting back down in his seat, he notices Grace is sleeping peacefully against the window, a pillow tucked under her head. "She's sleeping." He states out loud. "You're very observant." Louise retorts back. "Get off my case." Ray's voice increases. Giving him another dirty look, Louise turns away to ignore him further. She opens her folder and pulls out a tablet where she is writing notes. Ray watches, looking over her arm, knowing he is distracting her. Louise tries to focus on her work, but his interest in what she is doing is unnerving. On a whim, she decides to do something. She writes him a question on her tablet. You yelled at Grace. You had no right to do that. Why would you purposely upset her like that? Louise passes the tablet over to Ray. He reads what she has written. Seeing the pen on her tray, he grabs it and writes his own message. I didn't mean to upset her. She was kicking me. What's your problem today? Woke up on the wrong side of the bed? Or maybe because you woke up alone? Tearing the tablet from his hands, she reads his words. Making little noises in her throat, she yanks the pen from him. I woke up alone because I chose to. I wouldn't sleep with you if you begged. And if you think that is where we were heading last night, you need to rethink your romantic moves. A drunken slob is not very seductive. She smirks at him, passing the tablet and pen to waiting hands. He reads her answer, and then gives her a look of disbelief. He quickly writes back. You wanted me, baby. You wanted me bad. If it weren't for Grace, we both would have ended up in my bed. But now you don't have to worry about that. I wouldn't kiss you again if you begged me. He pushed the tablet in to her hands, dropping the pen on top of it, smirking at her. She reads, her mouth opens to say something, but glancing at Grace, she smartly closes it. Catching the pen before it rolls off the tray, she writes back. You arrogant bastard. I only kissed you back because you had me trapped. Want you? Never again. Need you? In your dreams. Oh wait, you are not ready to commit to me. You are still searching for yourself. Not sure how far she should continue this, Louise stops there. Maybe this argument on paper will lead Ray to admitting his fear. She decides to be a bit friendlier, and passes the tablet and pen nicely to him. Suspicious in her movements, he looks down to read her words. Her words surprise him. And he tries not to let her see just how her words hurt him. Bending down to hide his emotions, he writes back. Commitments work both ways. If you are looking for love, you are looking in the wrong place. Ray gently hands her the tablet and pen, puts his tray up, and stands up. He looks down at her, a sad expression on his face. Then he walks down the aisle of the plane to the bathroom. Commitments work both ways? What the hell does he mean by that? Louise asks herself this as she stands by the baggage claim area waiting for their luggage. She probably went too far with their little argument on the plane, since Ray hasn't spoken to her from that moment. She sighs as she remembers what happened just minutes ago. As they walked off the plane and made their way to the baggage claim area, Grace complained loudly about the long walk. Ray stopped and shoved his carry on bag into Louise's hands, then swiftly scooped Grace in his arms and proceeded on his way. Louise followed in pursuit, fumbling with the extra bag, trying to keep up with Ray's brisk pace. She grabs the last of their bags from the carousel, and looks around for Ray and Grace, who went out looking for their ride. She sees Ray walk back into the building with Fraser right behind. The two men approach her as she arranges the bags for easy access. "Ms. St. Laurent. Welcome back." Fraser shakes her hand and then grabs a large bag. "Call her Louise. She won't mind." Ray comments, as he picks up two more bags and takes them out to the waiting car. "Please, yes call me Louise." She gives Ray a frown as he passes by. Fraser notices the tension between them and he makes an attempt to lighten the situation. "Thank you. And you can call me Ben. Grace is in the car with Francesca, but we need her car seat to get her settled in." Louise points to the seat by the last bag. "It's right there." Fraser grabs it, and waits patiently while Louise picks up the last small bag and leads then out of the airport. As he follows her to the car, he has to wonder what happened between Ray and Louise. He is not able to pull aside his friend to ask, so he patiently waits as the car is loaded, questions forming in his mind. With Grace situated between Fraser and Francesca in the back seat, Louise sits up front with Ray, who is lovingly caressing his car interior and making sure everything is in order. Hiding her small smile, she turns to watch the scenery as they begin their drive home. She half listens to the conversation in the back seat, as Grace describes her fun at the beach. Ray is listening too, because he interrupts with a question for Francesca. "Frannie. Are we dropping you off at home before I take Louise and Grace to their house?" "No, Ray. Ma has dinner planned. Maria and Tony and the kids are there. She is expecting us soon." At hearing this, Grace squeals with glee. Louise throws a disparaging glance to Ray, who sees her, but chooses to ignore her look. Turning away from him once more, she presses her face against the coolness of the window glass. She realizes her vision of having a quiet night relaxing is not going to happen. Ma and Maria are on the front porch when the car pulls in to the driveway. After passing out hugs and kisses to travelers, the group makes its way into the house for Ma's famous lasagna. Grace runs ahead to find her cousins, her curls bouncing up and down. Louise lags behind the group, the last one inside. The dining room is full of people surrounding the table, the noise loud and chaotic. Grace is sitting next to her grandmother telling of her time spent on the beach. Francesca and Fraser are sitting side by side, chatting with each other in a familiar way. Maria is fussing with two of her children to stop fighting and get back to eating their meal, while Tony is helping himself to more lasagna. Ray, who is sitting next to Louise, is eating and watching the family atmosphere. He occasionally smiles and offers his view on Grace's antics. Louise, pushing the food around on her plate, has lost her appetite. She listens to Grace tell of building sandcastles with her daddy and finding shells and sand money. Rosa finds her granddaughter happy and well rested, and looks joyfully down the table to her parents. "So, tell me Grace, what did your mommy and daddy do at the beach? Did they have fun too? They look like you tired them out." Grace giggles and then proceeds with her tales. "They had fun, grandma. They played in the sand and in the ocean." "Did you go and drive around the island? Or go out to eat anywhere?" Rosa asks, hoping that Raimundo and Louise were able to relax after having their child hurt. "We went for lots of drives. At first I was scared, but daddy drives real good. And when I had my bad dreams, they took care of me. But we did go to a special place. Mommy what is that place called again?" Louise is staring at her plate; she does not hear Grace's question. Ray intervenes, addressing Louise coarsely. "Louise, your daughter is asking you a question." "What? Oh, I'm sorry Grace. What did you want?" "Mommy, what is the name of the place we went to see the judge?" Without thinking, Louise answers. "Charleston." "Oh yeah, Charleston. We met Judge Kali there at the courthouse. She is a real nice lady. " "A courthouse? Why did you go to a courthouse, Grace?" Ma's voice is filled with alarm. "Because that's where mommy and daddy got married." She answers like it is a common occurrence. The loud conversation ceases, and all eyes stare down to Ray and Louise. Then chaos erupts, Italian and English words flung across the table, and Louise looks around the room for an easy escape. Ray is shouting back and finally manages to get everyone's attention. "Wait, hold up. Let me talk. Everyone just calm down a minute. It's not what you think. Louise and I are not really....." He feels a sharp pain in his leg as Louise's shoe hits his shin. She grabs his arm and pulls his head closer to her. Whispering in to his ear, she tells him, "Don't you dare tell them our marriage is not a true marriage. Your mother deserves more than that. If we can fool Grace, we can certainly fool her." He feels the grip of her hand on his arm, and sees the determination in her eyes. Agreeing with her with a sharp nod, he sits back in his chair. He finds he still has Louise clinging to his arm, and pats her hand as he announces, "Yes, Louise and I were married last Tuesday. We wanted to surprise you with the news after dinner. I guess Grace just wanted to be the one to tell you." Everyone gets up to offer congratulations and hug the couple. Rosa is crying, still jabbering in Italian, her hug with Louise loving and emotional. "Ah, cara, welcome to the family. Its about time Raimundo did his duty by you." She cups Louise's chin in her hand, and kisses both of her cheeks. She then moves to embrace her son, but bops his head with her open hand first. "Next time you tell me these things first. Don't keep news like that from me, Raimundo. I can't take surprises like I used to." "Yes, Ma. I promise." He kisses his mother, not once, but twice on each cheek. The conversation continues as the meal is finished. Grace tells everyone about the ceremony, and describes the flowers her daddy gave her to hold. Ma praises her son with more Italian words, making him blush. He turns to look at his bride sitting next to him. Ray finally notices that Louise looks tired, and none too happy despite the celebratory atmosphere. When the conversation lulls, he tells his family, "I think we should go soon. We're tired after a day of traveling. And Grace should get to bed soon." Ma Vecchio stands up at the end of the table rejecting his idea immediately. "What? What do you mean, go? You should stay here and let me take care of you. Make you all a big breakfast tomorrow morning. No, you stay here." She pauses for a moment, and then gives out some orders. "Benton, you and Tony go out and get the bags from the car. Put Grace's in Francesca's old room, and the rest in Raimundo's. Francesca, you and Maria do the dishes. Grace, you come with me and we will see if I have the ingredients for breakfast tomorrow morning." After Ma speaks, the men move quickly to do the task. She takes Grace's hand and leads her out of the room, chatting away as they head to the kitchen. Maria and Francesca are all ready beginning to clean off the table, and the rest of the kids have moved in to the den for a show on TV. Ray and Louise are left to themselves, and they instinctively move away from each other. Ray speaks first. "I know you're tired and really want to go to your house. But we need to do this. Ma is very insistent. I can't hurt her feelings." His manner is pleading, hoping she will be agreeable. "I can handle this, Ray. I respect your mother. But tomorrow, I want to go to my own home." Louise can barely be heard. Her voice is controlled, her manner defensive. "We can do that." He walks out of the dining room and leaves her standing by herself. Ray goes outside to help with the luggage. Tony grabs the smallest bag and rushes inside, leaving the largest bags for Benny and Ray. Before going inside, Benny stops and blocks Ray's way. "I suppose you want an explanation? Of why I married St. Laurent?" "I didn't say anything, Ray." "No, you're just blocking my way, standing there with a quizzical look on your face." "You two do not act like a newly married couple. In fact, you are downright rude to her." "If you weren't my friend, I'd belt you for that." His answer is half-teasing and half-serious. "It's just an observation, Ray. And none of my business. I am happy for you and Ms. St. Laurent. Or should I say, Mrs. Vecchio." He steps out of Ray's way, moving over to the side. "Ah, Benny, I'm sorry. I'm tired and a little punchy. So is she. It's been a long day." "Understood." "The whole marriage thing is complicated. I can't explain. Just be happy for Grace." With that, Ray turns and heads to the house carrying two bags, knowing his friend would follow behind. Louise tries to help in the kitchen but is gracefully pushed out of the room to go up to her room to relax. As Tony comes down the stairs, Ray and Ben are carrying their load up. She trails behind, letting them reach the second floor way ahead of her. She watches Ben take in Grace's bag, and then retreat back down the stairs. Entering in to Ray's bedroom, she finds him by his dresser, emptying his pockets. Feeling like an intruder, she turns to flee the room. He grabs her arm before she can escape. "Don't go. You look tired. Lie down and rest." His concern for her is not overlooked. Perplexed, she loosens from his grasp and steps away. Louise scans the room and sighs. The bed is the prominent piece of furniture, but the decorations are very tasteful. Ray also looks around his room, knowing what she is thinking. "I'll sleep on the chair tonight." He whispers to her in case someone is in the hall She looks at him finally, facing him with her eyes on his. "And every night after that? We need to figure out the rules of this marriage, Ray. What we both expect from our agreement." She whispers too, only her voice is shaky and she tries very hard to hold her emotions in. "Agreed. I promise we can talk later. I need to do a few things downstairs, then I'll send Grace up, and you can get her ready for bed. How does that sound?" A smart man, he sees the signs of her emotional state. So before he says anything wrong, he is making a break and letting her have some time alone. He leaves the room in hurry. Thirty minutes pass, and Grace finds her mother sitting on the bed. The little girl bounces in to the bed and gives her mother a well-needed hug. "I love you, mommy. Daddy says you needed a hug." Louise kisses her little girls nose, and replies, "I do, Gracie. Thank you." Not letting her go she snuggles in close, relishing in the feel and smell of her daughter. Grace continues to chatter on. "Aunt Maria and Uncle Tony and my cousins had to leave, but Aunt Maria says I can come over and play tomorrow. Can I Mommy? Please?" Her pleas make her mother smile. "We will have to see, sweetie. Let's go and get ready for bed." The two cross the hall to Francesca's old bedroom. "Okay, mommy. Aunt Frannie and Uncle Benny are going to leave soon to. They were holding hands, mommy." "Really?" Louise's asks as she helps Grace find a nightgown from her bag. "That's interesting." She wonders what Ray will think of that bit of information. Helping Grace put on her nightgown; she grabs the little bathroom bag and pushes her daughter in the direction of the bathroom to brush her teeth. "Aunt Frannie loves Uncle Benny. I heard her say it." Grace manages to keep up her chatter while brushing her teeth. "Let's just keep that a secret between us right now, Gracie." Louise whispers to her little girl when she hears someone in the hall. Finishing in the bathroom, Grace skips back to her new bedroom and jumps up on the big bed. Grace settles in to the big bed with ease, the toll of the long day of traveling hitting her all at once. Only one reading of Goodnight Moon, and she is drifting off to a pleasant dream. Louise pulls the covers over her shoulders and bends down to kiss her daughter on the head. She leaves the small lamp on beside the bed and partly closes the door. Crossing back over to Ray's bedroom, she walks in to find him sitting on the bed removing his shoes. "She asleep all ready?" He asks, not looking up from what he is doing. "Yes. It's been a long day." She finds her luggage and opens it for her own nightclothes. Finding some, she walks back out of the room to the bathroom down the hall. Returning after a few minutes, she finds Ray absent from the room. Taking advantage of this, she crawls in to bed and hopes to be asleep when he finally comes back. Declaring they need to talk earlier, she is chickening out as her energy is depleting. The coolness of the sheets and softness of the bed calms her. But the awareness of being in his bed, and the lingering aroma of him emanating from the pillow, keeps her from falling to sleep. Ray slips in to the room quietly, finds the lamp still on, but Louise under the covers and pretending to sleep. He carries a pillow and a blanket he retrieves from the linen closet, hoping to God his Ma would not see him. He drops the bundle on the armchair on the far side of the bed. Stripping off his clothing, but leaving his boxers and T-shirt on, he arranges himself on the chair, covering his body with the blanket. The pillow behind his back, he tries to get comfortable. Grunting and moaning loudly as he moves in different positions, he finally gives up. Staring at her back as she lies in his comfortable bed, Ray decides not to let her off so easy. "I thought you wanted to talk," he comments in his most adversarial way. Louise ignores his remark. "You aren't asleep. I can tell." He is looking for a fight. Louise turns over to lie on her back. Holding back several biting responses she wants to make, what she ends up asking him surprises her. "Do you? Do you really want to talk?" Her _expression is one Ray can't read. "We can do that. If you're not too tired." He replies sarcastically. "Oh, I'm tired, but I think the need to talk outweighs the need for sleep. Okay, Mr.Vecchio. Let's talk." "You lead. It was your idea to get married, Mrs. Vecchio. Tell me your boundaries and I'll tell you mine." Louise is lying propped up by her pillow, covered by a sheet and light blanket. The bedside lamp is throwing a soft glow between her and Ray, who is covered partly by a blanket as he sits in the armchair by the bed. Both of them are aware of the close proximity of the others in the house, so they keep their voices down to a loud whisper. Louise begins the conversation hoping Ray will open up and talk to her, not just at her. "My first and foremost priority in this marriage is Grace. All I ask is you love her and be her father. She needs her father." "I agree with you there. And you know I love Grace." Ray answers in a very contrary manner. "If this marriage is going to work, then we need to present a loving atmosphere." "I think we have done that this week." His statement is too quick. "Ray, you haven't spoken to me all day. You pass by me like I am not there. Children pick up on things like that. Your mother will pick up on that right away." Louise begins to talk loudly, but she catches herself and lowers her voice. "Fine. Granted, I was a little pissed with you after our flight to Chicago. I'll just have to be more aware of how I treat you in front of others." "But that's just it, Ray. If you have to force yourself to be nice to me, this isn't going to work. We agreed to marry for Grace, but if we are both miserable, then she is going to feel the repercussions." "Are you saying you're miserable being married to me? It hasn't even been a week." Ray is quick with his retort, only his voice carries loudly. "Keep it down or you'll wake Grace. And I'm not saying that at all. I just want us to be honest with each other." "You know, we were just fine before we left for Florida. Our relationship." He replies while lowering his voice. "Were we? Look at Grace now. She's happy; she hasn't had a nightmare since we got married. She loves being a part of a family, having cousins. She loves her new name." Ray knows she is right. He can't deny the happiness he sees in his daughter. It all comes down to that. Making Grace happy is the most important thing in his life. "And that's why we need to make this work," Ray admits to Louise somewhat reluctantly. Glancing anywhere except at her, he suddenly feels uncomfortable. He is not ready to concede to all of her demands tonight. "I'm glad you agree with that. Now, about the living arrangements." "We'll live here, of course." He replies with impudence. "Wait a minute. Don't I get a say in this decision? I have a house. A house I love." She answers with indignity. The argument grows loud again. Louise puts her finger to her lips to shush him once more. Ray ignores her, but tries to lower his voice. "I live here. I want my family to live here. Ma needs a family around her." "I don't want to get rid of my house. Not yet. I have too many memories of my mother in that house." "I'm not asking you to give up your house, Louise. Keep it. Use it as a sanctuary; rent it out, I don't care. But I do feel we need to live here. Grace likes it here. Ma will want us to live here." Seeing his point, but not wanting him to boast, she admits to giving it more thought. "Well, we don't have to decide this minute. I agree we need to be a part of this house too. I see the relationship between Ma and Grace. They both need that bond." "Amazing. Something we actually agree on." He replies with a sneer, as he moves around in the chair trying to find a comfortable position. "Don't be so sarcastic. And keep your voice down. We aren't through. If we stay here, then the sleeping arrangements need to be fixed." "What do you mean?" "I mean that your mother is not stupid, Ray. She'll notice the blanket and the pillow on the chair." She's right, he thinks. But the alternative is not to his liking. "I'm not sleeping with you." "Married people sleep with each other. We are capable of sleeping in a bed without .....contact. Just stay on your side and I'll stay on mine." It sounds simple enough, Louise thinks to herself. "You think you can sleep like that?" He is hesitant about this. Getting too close to her, letting her get close to him......he again tries to move around in the uncomfortable chair. "We can try, Ray. Besides, your back is not going to let you sleep in that chair much longer." Admitting she is right is not in his nature, so he silently gets up and moves over to the bed, pulling the covers down to enable him access to his side of the bed. Crawling in bed with her, he keeps to the edge, lying on his back, feeling the comfort immediately. "My back thanks you." The closest thing she is going to hear from him that he agrees with her. "A compromise. That's what this marriage is about, Ray." "This doesn't mean anything, Louise. Don't make this out to me having any kind feelings for you. I'm not ready for that." Louise sighs out loud. Inwardly, she wonders if she can get him to reveal his fear. "Oh? And that kiss the other night? What was that? Those weren't feelings?" Her whisper is filled with accusation. "I was under the influence of the wine." Even he realizes the excuse is flimsy. "That's not what you said that night." She presses him on. "I don't remember what I said that night." He does, but he is not ready to admit it. "Fine. I guess this conversation is over. Roll over and go to sleep, Ray. Build back your barriers once more. Just when I think we are making a break through, you close your self off to me." "I knew crawling in to this bed with you was a mistake," he mutters under his breath. But she hears him. "That's because you're afraid. Afraid of what will happen if you let down all of your barriers. Afraid to let your emotions take over. You are afraid to love, Ray Vecchio. And it is going to make you in to a bitter man someday." "I love. I love Grace with all my heart." He states with conviction. "Yes, you let her in. Without hesitation. That's what hurts the most." Surprised at her own words, she turns away, looking at the closed door again. This is not working out like she wants. She is revealing way too much to him. Something clicks in Ray's head and he figures out what she just said. He sits up in the bed and looks right at her. "You're jealous. Oh my God, you're jealous of your own daughter." He continues to stare at her, watching her intensely. Louise turns back to him, facing his accusation. She decides to go all the way and tell him exactly what she feels. "To be honest, I guess I am. I love you, Ray. I always have. I see you open up to Grace and I want that. I want the same adoration you give her." "I can't love you, Louise. I've told you that from the beginning." Ray answers automatically, closing her off. He flops back on the bed and stares at the ceiling. Louise shoots back, not letting him retreat. "Can't or won't, Ray? Which is it? I think you are to afraid to admit what you really want." Silence ensues for the next few minutes. They both are breathing hard from the heated whispers they have been trading. Louise turns over on her side, facing him, reaching for him with her arm. "Don't turn away from me. I want to understand. Okay, so you don't love me. Maybe if you can explain why, I'll better understand and live with it. I'm willing to compromise here, Ray. I want this marriage to work, for Grace, for us." Ray slaps her arm away. "I.....It hurts to remember. I don't know if I can explain it. It's not just one thing." "I'm listening. I want to hear it, Ray." He continues to lie on his back. His breathing is slowing as he tries to calm himself down. He closes his eyes in preparation. "I've loved three women in my life, really loved them. And all three left me. Do you know how that makes me feel?" She can hear the desperation in his voice. "Lonely? Scared? Unloved? I don't know, tell me how you feel. Let me help you." She can feel the anger and the hurt that surge through his body. And then his whole body tenses, and Louise is sure he is going to shut down, roll over, and pretend this isn't happening. But he starts to talk in a very low voice and she strains to hear him. "Angie and I were young, in love, and happy, at least I thought we were. Until we tried to have a family. Then everything went to hell. Nothing happened, we blamed each other, and there went my first marriage. I don't blame her. It was something we both did to each other." Louise doesn't comment, but lets him continue talking. He needs to talk and let it out. "Irene left me in a different way. Getting shot by her brother and bleeding in my arms. She left a hole in my heart. One I though was filled with you. I don't know if I loved you five years ago, but I could have. You left me, too. Pregnant with my baby, but that's another part of this story I don't feel like hashing out right now. When I came back from Vegas, my undercover job ends with a bang and I find a beautiful woman interested in me. Everyone else in my group of family and friends has moved on, but there was Stella Kowalski paying attention to me. When we left for Florida, we had such plans. We got married right away, found the bowling alley in the same week. I thought our life was perfect, what more could we want. The subject of children never came up, even though it was always in the back of my mind." He pauses, his voice becoming thick and his mouth very dry. "Stella found out she was pregnant about a year after we were married. I was ecstatic, she was devastated. She was just about to go to work for the DA down in Miami when it happened. I told her I would take care of the baby---I've always wanted to be a father. That wasn't what she wanted though." Louise instantly feels shivers up and down her body. She watches his face, and sees his eyes fill with tears. Dreading what he is going to say next, her heart breaks for him. "One night I came home to find a note saying she was staying at a friends for the weekend. A girlfriend I never heard of. I frantically waited all weekend for her to call. She finally showed up late Sunday night, pale and weak." Seeing he was struggling to keep himself together, Louise resolves to help him out with what he has to say. "She didn't go to a friends, did she?" "No." He swallows hard. "She was at a clinic, having an abortion. She didn't ask me my opinion; she didn't tell me what she was doing. She just decided to do it all on her own." A few tears roll down his face without him knowing. "Oh God, Ray." Louise wants very much to reach out and hold him, but she stops herself from even touching him. Instead, she urges him to finish his thoughts. "What did you do? What did you say to her?" He doesn't answer right away. Struggling to get his emotions in check, he takes deep breaths. Failing to come under control, he chokes out the last part. "I left her the very next day. Walked out and never said a word. I let my lawyer take care of the rest." He finally turns towards Louise. His eyes gleam with more tears, his face shallow and pale. Louise reaches out and wipes his wet cheek with the back of her hand. "I'm so sorry, Ray. I don't know what else to say." "Don't say anything. Just be patient with me. Just understand that Grace is the most important thing in my life right now. She gives purpose to my life." "She gives purpose to both our lives, Ray." "Then it is our duty to make this marriage work." Louise wakes up startled, with an odd feeling that someone is staring at her. She opens her eyes to see green eyes staring back. Ray is watching her as he lies on his side of the bed. "Good morning." He offers a shy smile. "Morning." She is just about to ask why he is staring at her, when they both hear a soft knock at the bedroom door. "Mommy? Are you in here?" Grace opens the door and pokes her head inside. "Grace? What's wrong sweetie?" Louise's voice is filled with concern. "Nothing, mommy." Grace walks closer to the bed. "How come you and daddy are in the same bed?" "When mommies and daddies are married, they sleep in the same bed." Louise answers first, hoping Ray will keep his mouth shut. "Ok." Satisfied with her answer, she begins to crawl up on to the bed, climbing in between the two. "Can I snuggle with you both then?" "Sure, Gracie." Ray finally responds, and hugs Grace as she buries herself under the covers and giggles. "I like this." Grace declares to her parents, who share a glance and a smile. "Like what?" Ray asks, as he is slathered with kisses and hugs from his little girl. Before Grace moves over to give her mommy the same number of kisses and hugs, she tells Ray, "Being in the same bed with you and mommy. It's like being a family." "We are a family, Grace." Louise tells her as she gives Grace a big kiss back. "Can we do this every morning?" Her eyes big with innocent wonder, she looks for acceptance from both her parents. "You can count on it, Gracie." Ray responds first, surprising Louise. Before Louise can reply, a bellowing voice from down the hall startles her. Rosa Vecchio is calling for her granddaughter. "Grace, I need you down in the kitchen to help make pancakes. Tell your mommy and daddy breakfast will be ready in twenty minutes." Grace bounces up from between her parents. "I gotta go. Grandma needs me to stir the batter." She is off the bed and out the door in a rush. Ray and Louise both miss the warmth of her that was connecting them. Ray is the first to break the silence. "This is the reason we should live here. Look at how happy she is." Ray sits up, and turns to look at his wife. "How can you deny her the sense of family in this house?" His insolent tone puts Louise on the defensive. "You're pressuring me, Ray. Don't do that. I won't discount the advantages of living here. But I think we should give equal consideration to my house. Don't make me decide this minute." She also sits up in bed, grabbing for her robe from the end of the bed. He could further the argument, or he could just let it simmer. With a smug expression on his face, he gets out of the bed. "Are you coming down for breakfast?" He asks, sneering at her as he pulls on his own robe. "I wouldn't miss it for the world." She heads to the bathroom, wondering why he has to make an issue out of everything. Just when she thinks they have made great strides in their relationship, he abruptly changes back into his old arrogant self. They both meet up at the stairs and head down together. Not saying a word, they come upon a scene as they stop at the door to the kitchen. Ma Vecchio is standing in front of the stove making pancakes. Next to her, standing on a step stool, wearing an apron too large for her small body, is Grace. The two are laughing and sharing a wonderful moment while Ma helps Grace pour the batter on to the hot griddle. "That one is for daddy. He likes pancakes." The large pancake shape is the only one to fit on the griddle. Ma smiles as she watches the proud little girl staring at the bubbling batter. "Ahh. Raimundo will love that one, cara." She takes the bowl from the girl and sets it aside as she hugs Grace. "You are doing a great job, Grace. Your mommy and daddy are going to love their breakfast." "Can I make breakfast with you every morning, Grandma? This is fun. I love you, Grandma Rosa." "I love you to, Grace. You can cook with me everyday. This is your home now." Ma gives her a big hug. Ray is about to walk into the kitchen, but is pulled back rather hard by Louise. She leads him further in to the hallway and places herself right in front of him. "Okay. You win. We can live here. How can I compete with that? Grace needs to be in this house with your mother." She whispers, not really talking to Ray, but more to herself. "This isn't a contest, Louise." "I know it isn't. I want to do the best thing for Grace. And living here as a family, with your mother teaching her things I can't, is the best decision." "I thought you said you didn't want to be rushed in to a decision?" "That was when you were rushing me." She sees his frown. "I thought this is what you wanted?" "It is. I agree it is the best decision. I just think we both need to make it." "We just did." She pulls him back to the kitchen door. "Now, let's go eat pancakes." His mind trying to focus on what just happened, Ray dutifully follows her in to the kitchen. Having eaten two huge pancakes with blueberry syrup, both Ray and Louise are ready to sit back and enjoy the smile on their daughter's face. "Delicious, sweetheart. You and grandma make the best pancakes." Ray reaches over and ruffles her curls on the top of her head. "I made them just for you and mommy," she answers proudly. "They were the best, Gracie." Louise shares a smile with her mother-in-law as Ma comes to clear the dishes from the table. Ma stops for a moment, with something on her mind. "Raimundo. Last night I was thinking that we need to have a party to announce your wedding to Louise." Both Louise and Ray sit up in their chairs with that announcement. "Ma, I don't think...." Ray tries to interject. "Raimundo? You want to deny me the pleasure of sharing this great news with the family?" Her voice sounds hurt. She turns back to the dishes in the sink. Ray is caught with that question. He looks to Louise for help. She looks just as thrilled with the prospect of a party. He tries another tactic. "Ma, we just got home from vacation. We need to move their stuff over to the house. We don't have time for a party." "Nonsense. We need to celebrate." Ma is determined. Ray again looks at Louise, who is in deep thought. He prods her to give her opinion. "Louise, don't you have anything to say about this?" "Ray, your mother is absolutely right. We do need a celebration." Louise replies, her _expression lively. Ray just stares at her, not believing what she says. "But I think a birthday party would be more appropriate for a celebration. Ma, would you help me give Grace a birthday party instead? We can invite family, and Grace could have her first ever birthday party." Grace's face enlightens with the news. "Oh, please say yes, grandma. I turn five soon. I want a party." Ma comes over to the table to stand next to Louise, drying her hands on a towel. "Of course I will help you. What a wonderful idea. I didn't realize Grace's birthday is soon." "We have a couple of week still, but I was hoping you would help me organize a party." Ray watches in disbelief as the two women and the little girl begin to make plans before his very eyes. Louise spins around to catch his eye, and winks at him with glee. Ray chuckles to himself, amazed at how Louise is able to turn a wedding celebration in to a birthday party for Grace, making his Ma even more pleased. In the early afternoon, Louise and Ray drive over to the St. Laurent house to do a few things. While Louise packs more clothing for her and Grace, Ray walks through the house to make sure things are in order. A neighbor has placed mail on the kitchen table, but he leaves that for Louise to go through. He heads outside to look around, grabbing her car keys from the counter. He unlocks her car doors and opens the trunk. They will fill up both vehicles with clothing and essentials, and then come back during the week for more. He looks around the yard noticing the garden is well cared for. If Louise decides to sell, the house should go pretty quick. After loading bags and boxes in both vehicles, the two are ready to head to the Vecchio home. Louise is reluctant to leave, walking around once more to see if there is anything else she or Grace might need. "You know, you can come over here anytime to pick up what you left." Ray comes up behind her to tell her. "I know. This is hard, Ray. This house has a lot of memories." "You don't have to sell it. Find a renter. Someone who will let you come over and visit." Despite his bit of sarcasm, she knows he is trying to help. "I like that idea. I'll call a realtor on Monday." Louise grabs her purse and heads out the door. Ray follows, locking the door behind him. When they enter into the Vecchio home, loud voices are heard from the kitchen area. Louise drops her armful of clothing, and makes a move to the direction of the kitchen. "You don't want to get involved in that. Frannie is on one of her rampages again. You'll learn real fast living here that there are some things you just don't want to know." Ray offers his expert advice. "She sounds upset, Ray. Don't you want to help your sister?" "No. Why should I? She never helps me." He puts down the box he was holding. "You're impossible. Fine. I'll go help. You go find Grace. She should take a nap." She leaves him standing among the stuff they carried in. Louise enters the kitchen to find Frannie and Ma in a heated discussion. "What's wrong? Frannie, are you okay?" "Louise, you and Raimundo are back. Good. Grace is outside playing in the back yard." Ma is in the middle of dinner preparations. "Francesca is having landlord problems." Ma explains to Louise, but Francesca breaks in. "Landlord problems? Ma, he is raising the rent double than what it is. I call that more than just a problem. I have a week to come up with more rent, or I get kicked out." "So you find a new place to live. How hard can that be?" Ma talks and peels potatoes at the same time. Frannie is snapping beans, so Louise grabs a handful and sits down next to her to help. Louise listens to more of the discussion, as an idea formulates in her head. She waits for a lull in the conversation to jump in with her thought. "I may have a solution for you. If you're interested." Both Ma and Frannie look to her with curiosity. Ray is listening in the hallway. He usually stays away from Frannie's problems, but he wants to find out why Louise is interested. Shaking his head, he now knows why. About to butt in to the women's conversation and tell his wife that renting her house to his sister is a bad idea, he is distracted when Grace comes in the front door covered in dirt, her shirt torn, and big tears begging to fall. He comes to her side immediately. "Grace, what happened? Are you hurt? Let me get your mommy." "No, don't tell mommy. I'm okay. I just....." Her voice changes to a sob, and Ray picks her up in his arms. He carries her outside to the porch swing, and examines her for cuts or bruises. "You look okay, just a few scratches. Care to tell me what happened? And why don't you want your mommy to know?" Her sobs still and she is able to talk. "I was playing in the back when I saw a kitty run in to the yard. I wanted to pet her, but she ran to the bushes." "Is that how you got scratched?" "No, the kitty scratched me when I caught her down the street. I just wanted to hug her." Ray picks out dry leaves from her hair, and looks at the tear in her shirt. Dirt on her face is mixing with her tears. "What color was the kitty?" "It was a white kitty with a bell on her neck. I just wanted to say hi." "Grace, that's Mrs. Gambini's cat. And not a nice one either. Her house is down the street. I don't like you going that far down the street." "I didn't mean to." Her little voice is low and sad. "We need to clean you up. I'll take you upstairs to wash up, but then you need to tell your mommy and your grandma what you did." Her tears start up again. "They'll get mad. I didn't stay in the yard. And I touched a strange kitty." "And I think you climbed through a few bushes you shouldn't have." Ray brings out his handkerchief and wipes her face. "I'm sorry, daddy. I won't do it again." Her bottom lip protrudes in to a pout. Her look of innocence and sadness tears at his heart. He thinks for a moment before speaking. "Tell you what. Let's go change your clothes and wash your face. Then you take a nap without any argument, and I'll tell your mommy and grandma what happened. " Her face, smudged with dirt and tears, brightens with a killer smile. "I love you, daddy. I promise to take a good nap." Ray stops in his tracks as he scoops his daughter in his arms. He looks deeply in her green eyes, choking a bit, and softly says, "I love you to, Grace. Very much. Now let's go get you clean." Ray Vecchio is having a great morning. He enters his building after coming back from a meeting with a client. He walks to the elevators to go up to his office, but changes his mind and pushes the button for the fourth floor. Sharing his news with his wife seems like the perfect end to a perfect day. Since coming home from the beach two weeks ago, Ray has adjusted well to his new family living in his house. In fact, having Louise and Grace there has made his life richer. Grace constantly surprises him with her antics and unconditional love. And Louise, surprisingly, is being pleasant and friendly most of the time. He reaches her floor and walks out heading to her office. He finds the outer office empty, so he makes his way to her private office. He runs in to her secretary Melissa in the hallway. "Oh, Mr. Vecchio. You startled me." She has a baggie of ice in her hands, and she looks upset. "Melissa. What's wrong?" He senses something, and watches her eyes move to Louise's door. "It's Louise. She's .......I don't know if she wants you to know yet." "Melissa, where's Louise? Is she hurt?" Ray demands from the young woman. "She's in her office. She needs the ice bag. I told her to call you. She refused. I really think she needs to see a doctor." Melissa replies as she moves out of his way, lifting the baggie for him to take. Scared, he grabs the bag of ice and rushes to Louise's office. Louise is sitting with her back to the door. "What took you so long, Melissa? My eye is swelling shut." She turns to see Ray holding the bag of ice. "My God. What happened to you? Who did this to you?" He crosses the room to be at her side. "Oh, God Ray. I didn't want you to see this yet." She tries to hide her bruised face as she gets up from her chair. He forces her to look at him. He examines the mark on her face, and then gently applies the ice bag. Louise winces in pain as she takes over the holding of the bag. "I'll ask again, and you damn well better answer this time. Who did this to you?" Anger emerges in Ray's voice. "It's nothing. I got between my client and her husband. I'm fine, really." "This is not fine, Louise. You need to see a doctor." He lifts the ice off just a bit to inspect her cheek closer. "Why didn't you call me?" He asks, with a softer tone and hurt in his voice. "I just wanted to come back to the office and take care of it here. Ray, it really is nothing. Mr. Potter came after his wife in court, and I tried to stop him. He decided to put his fist in my face." "I told you taking cases like that would be detrimental to your practice. It's too dangerous." "These women need me, Ray. I want to help them." She removes the bag of ice from her face, holding it in her hand as she faces him down. "And get yourself killed in the process?" He glares at her and she instinctively moves away. "And where is Mr. Potter now?" he asks, his anger apparent. "In custody. He's not your concern. He can't hurt anyone now." She pauses, watching him pace in front of her desk. "I had Mrs. Potter taken to the shelter she is staying at." "He is my concern. Look what he did to you. He could come back for more." "I don't want to argue about this now, Ray. I just want this headache to go away, and to bring the swelling down. You can leave. I am capable of taking care of myself." "Bullshit. I'm not leaving. Look at you; you're shaking like a leaf." Concern taking over his anger, he moves up closer to her. Louise feels her legs shaking, and a sob emerges from deep inside. Looking up at her husband's worried face, she pleads to him, "Hold me. Please." Her brown eyes beckoning his comfort. He gently pulls her to him, embracing her with his arms to try and stop her shaking. She leans in and puts the uninjured side of her face on his shoulder, comforted instantly by his warmth and the smell of his cologne. Her grasp increases as she pulls him tighter to her body, feeling his caress on her back. Yielding to the immense emotions she had managed to keep under control, she lets out a wail. "That's right, let it out. You're entitled." "I'm not going to cry." She responds, her words muffled by his shirt. "Shhh. Crying is human, Louise. It's okay to lose control." "I can't Ray. I don't need to cry. I need something else. I need....." To feel loved is what she wants to say. But she knows he doesn't want to hear that. Their relationship is still growing slowly, and Ray is reluctant to give in to all of his emotions. "Tell me what you need. I want to help." He releases her and pulls back to look at her. Her glistening eyes capture his, and they stare at each other for what seems like forever. Louise moves her face closer to his, and drops her eyes to stare at his mouth. He is surprised with an overwhelming urge to kiss her. She looks back in to his eyes, pleading for something as she whispers softly to him, "I need you, Ray. I need you to kiss me. Will you kiss me if I ask?" He gently moves his hand to cup her chin and leans down to kiss her forehead. Then he slowly moves to kiss the perfect rosy cheek, his mouth wet and sweet on her soft skin. With a very delicate touch, he brushes the softest kiss on her bruised cheek, making her shiver in his arms. Once again, his green eyes lock with her brown, as if silently asking for permission to continue. He closes his own eyes as his lips capture hers, soothing her pain with something he wonders might be love. His touch is soft and sweet. Louise relishes in the solace that he is offering. Her heart beats out of control as he once again embraces her, pulling both of their bodies flush together as the kiss begins to spark of passion more than comfort. The phone rings, making them jump back from each other with momentary shock. As she reaches to answer the phone, Louise tries to pull herself together. She talks quietly to the person, and then hangs up the phone. Ray moves from the desk, putting a distance between them. He watches as she writes something down on paper. Then her eyes move up to lock with his. But as she tries to read the __expression on his face, the room spins and she becomes dizzy. Ray is by her side in a flash, holding her up with a strong grip. "You need to see a doctor. Don't be so stubborn." "I'm fine. I just need to go home and rest." His grip on her arm increases. "Then let's go. I'll drive you home. I'll get Benny to come with me later to get your car." "That sounds fine. We need to get Grace." She answers automatically, her energy and stamina slowly fading. "I think I'll take you down to the Riv first. Then I'll get her and prepare her for your appearance." "Oh" She looks up at him with her bruised face. "I didn't think of that. Yes, that's a good idea. Thanks." "Come on. Get your stuff." She grabs things off of her desk and shoves them in her briefcase. Before she can sling the strap over her shoulder, Ray takes it from her in one hand, and leads her out of the office with his other as they say a quick goodbye to Melissa. Louise, her eyes closed, is trying to not relive the whole scene that played out in the courtroom today. When John Potter came after her client, she did the first thing that came to her. She got in between the two. And now she is paying for that with her own injury. She has seen Susan Potter in much worse shape, so protecting her client was foremost on her mind. Reaching up to feel her bruised and swollen cheek, she silently promises to see Mr. Potter charged and sent away for a long time. A small voice interrupts her thoughts, and she opens her eyes to her sweet daughter's face. "Grace." The car door is opened and Grace crawls inside to hug her mother gently. "Mommy. Your face has a big booboo." Grace is timid, her eyes big with concern. "Yes I do. But I'm okay, sweetie. It's just a bruise." "Daddy told me a mean man was trying to hurt his wife and you protected her." "That's what happened." She holds on to Grace as tight as she can, breathing in her essence of innocence and love. Ray finally speaks after letting mother and child comfort each other. "Hey Gracie, let's get in your car seat so we can take mommy home. She needs to rest. You can take care of her at home, okay?" "Okay, daddy. I'll make her some tea with grandma's help." "I'd like that, Grace." Grace crawls in the back and Ray buckles her in. The drive home is a quiet one, all three Vecchios with thoughts of their own. Louise is on the bed covered with a quilt Grace brought her earlier. Smiling, she remembers the tender care that Grace is bestowing on her this afternoon. The tea, the blanket, the picture she drew that is now on the nightstand. Ray wanders in to check on her, hovering over her. Rosa is down making homemade minestrone soup, her family cure-all. From the tantalizing aroma drifting upstairs, the soup will be a welcome remedy. She falls asleep in the comfort of her new home. Ray walks in to the dark room later in the evening. He sees Louise sleeping peacefully, but his need to wake her brings him closer to the bed. He sits carefully next to her and gently shakes her. "Louise. Wake up." His voice is soft and quiet. "Hmm." Her reply is short. "Louise. Come on. Wake up. I need to tell you something." "What? Ray? What's wrong?" She tries to sit up, but he pushes her back. "No, don't get up. I just need for you to listen." Confused, she answers, "Okay. I'm awake. Go ahead." "I just got a call. I need to leave for New York tonight. A break in a case Jim and I are working on. I need to leave right away." "You need to leave right now?" Totally awake now, the immediacy of what he is telling her alarms her. "Yes. Jim is on his way to pick me up. The plane leaves soon. I'll be back on Friday." She does sit up now, pushing his arms away. "That's the night before Grace's party." "I know. I'll be back in time. I've talked to her about this already." "Don't disappoint her, Ray. I know you when it comes to following a lead on a case. You charge ahead without looking back. You get carried away and forget your other duties." "Don't tell me how to do my job, Louise. And I will be home on time." His tone is defensive. "I'm counting on you. Don't disappoint me either." Her tone is bossy and demanding. He smartly stops before making a snide remark. Instead, he changes the subject. "Friday night. I'll see you then. Stay home, and be careful." "I'm not in any danger anymore." "You don't know that. Potter can get out on bail. Just be cautious." "Fine. I will." A brief pause before she says, "You be careful too. This case, what is it about?" "I can't say. Not right now. And I'm always careful." He leans over and places a chaste kiss on her forehead. "I'll be back in two days. I'll call you tomorrow." ~~~"Fallen Embers"~~~ Friday evening Rosa, Louise, Grace and Ben are about to sit down for dinner when the phone rings. With the adults busy carrying the food to the table, Grace offers to answer the phone. "Vecchio residence. This is Grace. May I help you?" Proud to answer, she is very polite. She listens to the caller as her face erupts in a big smile. "Daddy. Hi. We are almost ready to eat. Guess what? I get my cast off next week. Mommy says she'll get me a chocolate shake for being brave when they cut it off. What? Okay, I'll listen." Her happy _expression turns to a frown as she hears what the caller is saying. Louise and Ben share a glance. Grace is nodding her head and smiling. "Okay, daddy. I'll see you tomorrow. Love you. Here's mommy." She hands the phone to her mother and then sits down at the table, her happy mood back once again. Louise takes the phone, but does not talk yet. She heads straight to the back door, telling Rosa on the way out, "Go ahead and start without me. I'll take the call out here." She walks out to the back yard, and when she reaches a safe distance from the house, only then does she talk to the caller. "Louise? Are you there? What's going on? I can hear you." Ray's harried voice can be heard from the receiver. "What do you want, Ray? We are sitting down for dinner." In no mood for excuses, Louise answers with discord. "I called to talk. I needed to tell Grace something." His defensive air does not help matters. "And what might that be?" She asks with a flippant tone. "You sound upset. Everything okay at home?" "You're stalling, Vecchio. Just spit it out." "I'm, uh, not coming home tonight." "I gathered that by what you told Grace." "She seems to understand. What's your problem?" "Because I knew you would do this, Ray." "I didn't do it on purpose. Were not finished here." "And what do I tell her in the morning when you call again." "I will be back in the morning. This case is almost over. We're waiting for the last element. I'll be home in plenty of time before the party. I promised Grace. Besides, I have an appointment to pick up her gift in the morning." "The case. Well yes, I see where your priorities are now. Fine. We'll see you in the morning." "Listen, things are going to go down here in just a few minutes. I took the time out to call you. The least you can do is be civil about it." "You may have placated Grace, but I am not that easily swayed, Ray." "I have to go. We can talk more about this tomorrow." A voice is heard in the background urging Ray to come on. "Bye, Louise." Before she can say goodbye, the connection is gone. Wanting to scream, she settles for a few deep breaths of the cool air before going in to the family meal. She walks back into the house and the conversation stops. Looking over at the table, she shakes her head slowly. "I've lost my appetite. I'm going to go lie down for a bit. Go ahead and finish without me." Not letting them ask questions, she rushes out of the room. As she passes the den, she sees that Grace has left the television on again. She walks over to turn it off when a special news report comes on. Watching the newscaster before her, Louise is mesmerized by what she sees. A suspected kidnapping of a politician's daughter that has been in the local news has just ended, but now is revealed that the young sixteen year old girl was meeting her much older lover in an upscale New York hotel. The girl's father had a private detective following her, who informed the New York police of the situation. Louise catches a glimpse of a familiar man in the background behind the politician as he speaks to the press. She turns the television off and heads upstairs. After getting an excited Grace in to bed, a rather difficult feat to do on the eve of her birthday, Louise finally makes it back to the bedroom to finish wrapping Grace's gifts. She takes a bite of the sandwich that Rosa brought her earlier along with a mug of herbal tea. Luckily, Rosa knew to leave her alone with her thoughts for now, and she went off to bed. Ben is staying in the spare room, a safety precaution Ray set up before he left. Louise was not surprised when Ben brought her car back and stated he was staying until Ray got home. In fact, having him in the house did make her feel safer. Mr. Potter is still in jail, but that can change quickly. Tidying up the room, she comes upon a box of her things that needs sorted. In this box she finds the object she was looking for earlier, Grace's baby book. She pulls it out and places it on the bed. Also in the box are some of her cd's, and she flips through them quickly. Finding a favorite, she tosses it on the bed next to the baby book. After placing the box on the floor out of the way, she gets ready for bed. Returning from the bathroom, she turns on the lamp by the bed. Looking around Ray's bedroom, she sees the cd player over on top of his dresser. She grabs the cd out of the case and puts it on. The music of Enya fills the room, so she turns down the volume a bit. Grabbing the remote for the cd player, she crawls in to bed, pillows plumped behind her back, to do the ritual she has done for the last four years. The night before Grace's birthday, she pulls out her baby book and reflects on the passing of the years and the growth of her darling little girl. Turning to the back of the book, she looks at her four year old pages first, and then makes her way backwards to the front of the book. As the music plays, Louise remembers the past, the exhilaration of having a baby, the loneliness and scared nights of single parenting, the first word, the first step, the sad moments and the happy times. And now she has Ray to share all of this, but he isn't there. Just as she is about to feel sorry for herself again, the phone rings. "Hello." She instinctively knows who it is. "Louise. It's me." "Ray." "You're still angry, aren't you?" "Maybe. Though I saw you on the news. Why didn't you tell me that was the case you were on?" "I couldn't. You know that. Anyway, everything is fine now. The creep is behind bars and the daughter is back where she belongs." "So come home now." "I tried. No available flights. I have the earliest flight out in the morning." "You sound tired, Ray. You need sleep." "Yea. I'll go to bed after I hang up. I just wanted to smooth things over with you." "Ray, I'm......" "Don't. Don't say anything. Just be glad I'm coming home. That's all I want right now." "I am. Very much." A silent pause. She can hear him breathing. "Louise?" "Yes?" "I miss you." "I miss you, too Ray. Now go to bed. See you in the morning." "Night." She hangs up the phone with a small smile on her lips. He gives her three little words. Not the three she longs to hear, but three she will take right now. She closes the baby book and places it on the headboard above Ray's side of the bed. He can look at the book tomorrow night, and they can share in their own ritual of placing new memories in Grace's book. Louise slides down to the middle of the bed, snuggling under the covers, and turns the cd back on. The song playing catches her attention, and after hearing it play, she presses a button to replay it one more time. Listening to the words to the song, she remembers back to a time when she and Ray had their first date. She has listened to this cd many times, but never has she felt so touched with the words until now. Maybe because she just talked to Ray, maybe because of the baby book, but here she is remembering that one night. A night that seemed destined for them both. Like the song says, "once as my heart remembers, all the stars were fallen embers, once, when night seemed forever, I was with you." Yes there was something mystical about that night, the night they first made love, the night they made Grace. Louise is looking in the mirror at her reflection, smiling a killer smile. Her dress, her best black dress, looks great in all the right places. The doorbell rings, and she takes one final look. Satisfied that he will not know what hit him, she goes to answer the door. Ray Vecchio is standing in the door looking dashing in his tuxedo, holding one red rose. His smile is only outshined by his gleaming green eyes as they dance over the body of his date for the evening. Grabbing her brocade wrap, and her little black purse, Louise closes the door on their way out. The restaurant is one of the most expensive in town, Bellisima's, and Louise is quite impressed. She lets Ray do all of the ordering, the wine, the appetizer, and the entre. They both enjoy a great meal with pleasant conversation. The wine flows freely, and both partake to ease any prior second thoughts of their date. Finished with the wonderful meal, they wait for the valet to bring the car. Ray leans in close to her and whispers softly, "So, what do you have in mind for dessert?" Louise, feeling slightly giddy, replies, "Anything your heart desires, detective." "Then I have something in mind. It's a little strange, but I think you'll like it. Do you trust me?" "Surprisingly, at this moment, I do." He helps her in to his car, and then drives to the other side of town. Checking earlier with Fraser's plans, he pulls the Riv in front of an apartment building. "Ray, this area is dangerous." "We'll be fine. Trust me." He takes her hand and leads her in to the grimy building. Being careful no to touch anything, she follows him up the stairs. When they reach the apartment, she finally asks him, "Who lives here? And what are we doing here?" "You said you trusted me. Just a bit longer. This is Fraser's apartment." He opens the door and leads her in. In the middle of the room stands a sweat lodge. The front covering is open, and the rocks in the metal bucket are waiting to be warmed. "Wait right here. I need to warm these in the oven." He carries the bucket to the small kitchen and places it in the oven, turning the temperature up high. Returning to his date, he sees her looking around the sparse room. "The mountie lives like this? Why?" "Because he wants to. He's Canadian. It suits him." He replies, as if that explains everything. "So, what is this thing in the middle of his apartment?" She points to the tent-like thing before her. "A sweat lodge. Kind of like a sauna. A spiritual sauna. For purification. It assists one in looking for direction." "Are we looking for direction? Do we sit and wait for a vision of some kind?" Intrigued, she bends down to look inside. "Yes. But first things first. We need to be undressed." That catches Louise's attention. "Ah. So that's the catch. You just want me naked. Vecchio, you never cease to amaze me." "Ah, come on Louise. I'll make it worth your while. Promise." Louise is hesitant at first, but tipsy enough to be talked in to undressing in front of him in a cold room and wrapping herself up in a towel. By the time they both are undressed, their clothing flung over a chair, the oven timer dings and the rocks are hot. Ray, using the oven mitts he finds on the counter, carries the bucket of hot rocks and places them inside the open sweat lodge. Then pulling Louise down to the floor, he helps her inside, sitting across from her. They sit Indian-style, the hot rocks between them. Ray drops the flap door, and the space becomes dark. The heat from the rocks makes them both begin to sweat and feel dizzy. "Well, I have to hand it to you, Ray. You really know how to show a girl a good time. Different, but good." "That's me. An original." He pours a dipper of water over the hot rocks. "And just wait until you try this......" A hiss of steam emerges. The steam fills the small space in no time. Both pairs of eyes lock on to each other as the steam almost obscures them. As the steam swirls, images form and the space fills with numerous stars that fill the night. "Oh Ray......" Louise exclaims, as tingles of excitement take over her body. They both experience a vision of sensual perfection, one where they see themselves in each other's arms, kissing, hugging, and sharing a bond like soul mates. They are standing in a vast open area filled with stars that fall like embers from a fire. One minute they are standing, the next they are laying on a soft bed drenched with moonlight. Their mutual vision continues as the couple pleasures each other sharing more than they know and making a spiritual connection. As the night sky turns to morning, a new day dawns with dreams worth keeping. When the steam starts to dissipate in the small space of the sweat lodge, Louise opens her eyes to find herself in Ray's lap, her arms tightly wrapped around his neck, his lips doing amazing things to her neck. Pulling away gently, she watches as he opens his eyes to see her in front of him. "Wow. That was something else." His face is close to hers, his voice soft and sensual. "It was amazing. Our hearts were singing. But what exactly happened?" He looks down to see they are both still wearing their towels. "We didn't really do anything, I don't think. Our dreams were weaving, dreaming the same thing at the same time." "But, it felt so real, not like a dream. I came....." Embarrassed, she turns her head. He reaches a hand to cup her chin and makes her look at him. "It was wonderful. But I didn't ..... and I need...." He leans down, still cupping her chin, and kisses her with a tender passion. The air in the sweat lodge suddenly becomes cool. Then he gently pushes her off his lap. Touched by his kiss, she watches as he crawls out of the sweat lodge. Following him, she stands next to him waiting for him to speak. "We should go. Fraser will be home soon. I'll take you home." Grabbing his clothes he pulls them on, watching her as he dresses. "I, uh, think we should continue our date, detective. I know I would like to discuss this spiritual purification a little more. I think my house might be the closest to this neighborhood." Smiling, Ray finishes getting dressed. Then he watches as Louise grabs her dress and drops her towel. She steps in to the dress and turns for Ray to zip her up. Then she quietly hands him her bra, panties and silk stockings that he politely places in the pocket of his tux. Giving him a seductive smile, she slips on her strappy shoes and grabs her wrap. "Ready to go?" Swallowing hard, he just nods. They make it to her house in minutes, and quickly find themselves in the bedroom. Clothing is thrown off with haste, and the couple embrace and fall to the bed. The moonlight shines in from the window, bathing the bed with a soft glow. Ray moves above Louise, gazing at her as she lies under him. He notices a luminescence around her similar to one he saw in the sweat lodge. "God, Louise. You look so serene, so graceful...." Then he dips his head to kiss her tenderly. As the kiss turns to more of a passionate one, they .......... "Mommy. Mommy? MOMMY!!" Louise is thrust out of her dream, her blanket twisted in arms, the cd remote still in her hand. Turning to the direction of the noise that startled her, she finds Grace standing next to her bed. "Grace? What...what's wrong?" As she sits up to check on her daughter, she inadvertently pushes a button on the remote and the song fallen embers begins to play. "I need a drink of water. And to go potty." A short pause. "That's a pretty song." Fallen Embers by Enya Once, as my heart remembers, all the stars were fallen embers. Once, when night seemed forever I was with you. Once, in the care of morning in the air was all belonging, Once, when the day was dawning I was with you. How far we are from morning, how far are we and the stars shining through the darkness, falling in the air. Once, as the night was leaving into us our dreams were weaving. Once, all dreams were worth keeping I was with you. Once, when our hearts were singing, I was with you. ----- Louise Vecchio is looking out the back door, watching for any sign of her husband. The birthday party for their daughter is ready to begin, but he is not home. His family is waiting, relatives from all over the city have arrived to meet his new wife and daughter, but he is absent from the scene. Fuming inside, Louise glances once more before turning back to help with placing food on the tables. She notices Rosa staring at her, and smiles despite the anger swelling inside. As she takes the basket of bread from her mother in law, she hears her say, "Raimundo will be here. You know he would not miss this day." "Then where is he? He should have been home hours ago." Her voice catches, and she tries to compose herself. "His plane must be late. Don't worry. He'll be here." Rosa pats her shoulder, comforting her. Louise does not share the faith Rosa has in her son, but she smiles for a moment to show her respect. Inwardly, she is screaming at Ray for doing this to their daughter. Grace comes skipping in the kitchen, her face glowing with happiness and excitement of her birthday. She looks at her mother standing by her grandmother and instinctively knows the problem. "Don't worry, mommy. Daddy's coming. He promised." Her trust in her father is as solid as her grandmother's. "Oh Grace. I hope so." She brushes a curl from Grace's face, and gives her the basket of bread. "Take this and put it on the table for me. Then go and find your cousins and tell them it is time to eat." "Yes mommy." She skips out of the kitchen, leaving Louise frowning once more. As Rosa takes the pasta out to the dining table, Louise hears the rattle of the screen door on the back porch. Rushing to see, she finds Ray coming in the door. He places a box on the floor of the porch by a shopping bag, then moves in to through the kitchen door narrowly missing running in to his wife. "Where the hell have you been?" She hisses at him with a low voice. "Hello to you too, Louise." His answer is smug. He looks tired, worn out. "Hello? That's all you can say to me?" She moves in on him, getting in to his face. "I know I'm late.....I was......" He tries to explain, but she interrupts. "I expected you this morning. Your mother is worried sick, Ray. And Grace keeps asking for you." His concern on his face makes her feel guilty for her little lie, but she continues. "I needed your help for this party, Ray. She's your daughter too. I would have liked your input, and your help with the decorations. I've been working hard all day to make this perfect for Grace." "I'm here now. Tell me what I can do to help." He offers, but she is not listening. "And your relatives. They started arriving hours ago. They want to know where you are. What was I supposed to tell them? You should have been here, Ray." "I get your point, Louise." His voice is low, not wanting to make a scene. "So, where have you been? You have yet to answer that question." "The plane was fogged in. We were delayed in taking off." He only offers a bit of information. He wants to bypass this argument and find Grace. This is her day, and nothing can put a damper on it. "And your phone? Was it broken?" Her nagging persists. "Actually, I forgot my charger, and my phone is dead. Look, it's been a long day. I want to see Grace. Get off my back. I made it in time for the party." "Fine." Louise turns and walks out of the room. She is still fuming. Ray shakes his head, knowing he will hear more about this from her later. Following her, he goes to find his daughter and wish her a happy birthday. Grace is ecstatic that her daddy is here for her party. The family meal commences as Ray joins the table and greets his relatives. Sitting next to Grace, he beams with pride as she excitedly tells him of her birthday plans. The games will be played after the meal, and then cake and ice cream will be served, followed by opening of presents. Grace leans over suddenly and whispers in to Ray's ear. Smiling at her, he nods and whispers back that her present is hidden and that she will get it soon. The meal ends with everyone stuffed from Rosa Vecchio's famous spaghetti. The adults head out to the back yard to watch the children play the party games. Ray goes out to help Louise, despite her giving him the cold shoulder. Francesca comes out to the back yard to shake out the tablecloths, and finds Ben watching the events. His face has a slight confused look. "Ben, what's wrong?" Francesca's voice sounds worried. "I'm not sure." He still watches the two figures and frowns. "Something's wrong. I can tell." "Watch Ray and Louise for a minute. Don't say anything, just watch them." She does what he asks, and notices something right off. Her brother and his wife are directing the kids in a game of musical chairs, which puts them in close proximity of each other. But they go out of their way to avoid any kind of touching. Francesca chuckles, and then turns to Ben. "They must have had a big argument when Ray arrived. I think Louise wants to hit him over the head with one of the chairs. She should, you know. He deserves it. Making her do all of this party stuff by herself, and worrying where he was this morning." "I don't know Francesca. I see something else. Yes, they are ignoring each other. But if you observe them closely, you`ll see they don't take their eyes off each other." Francesca looks once more, and follows her brother's eyes. He follows Louise's every move, and smiles slightly when she laughs over an antic from one of the children. "I see what you mean. So, what's going on? If he's not mad, then what's the problem? Why don't they just kiss and make up?" Another voice joins in their conversation. "I think that is the problem right there. They want to make up, but both are too stubborn. I think they need some time alone to discuss their feelings." Rosa Vecchio states, her eyes smiling at the thought. "But they're married, Ma. They have time alone." "Do they, Francesca? Have they been alone since coming back from Florida?" Ben catches on, and nodding his head in agreement. "I think your mother is right. They have been so occupied with Grace and getting her healed, they have yet to take time for themselves." "Oh. I see. They both need sex." Francesca states frankly. "Francesca!" Both Ben and Rosa respond. "What? That's what they need. A night by themselves." "Well, yes I agree. But sex is not exactly what I was thinking of. Time alone to talk, time alone to be with each other." Rosa tries to explain her view. "Sex, Ma. That's what they need." Francesca replies adamantly. Ben, blushing, but silently agreeing with Francesca, turns to look at his friend Ray, who is standing alone watching his wife and daughter as they begin a new party game. "So, what can we do to help?" Maria asks, listening in on the conversation from the doorway. "We get them alone somehow. Tonight. But I'll need cooperation from all of you. After the relatives leave, we will begin." The four conspirators on the back porch make their plans before the time to cut the cake. With the end of the games, the children rush inside for cake and ice cream. Ray attempts to make peace with Louise as they follow the loud and rambunctious herd of children. "What can I do to help?" He turns on the charm and smiles big as he walks behind her into the kitchen. Louise stares at him, then hands him the camera from the counter. "Take pictures of her blowing out the candles. Are you capable of that task?" Realizing she is being bitchy, she relents a bit. "I'm sorry. Just take some pictures of Grace, please." He grabs the camera from her hands, bows slightly and replies, "Whatever you want." The children are sitting in the chairs surrounding the table with Grace at the head. The parents are standing behind, and as Rosa carries in the cake, the five candles blazing bright, the singing begins. Grace's face is beaming, her eyes glittering in the candlelight. Looking at the pink and white frosted cake her grandmother baked for her, she smiles big. "Blow out the candles, Grace." Her mother instructs as her daddy aims the camera to get a perfect picture. "I have to make a wish first." Grace declares, and she closes her eyes and thinks hard. She knows just what she wants to wish for; a devilish grin appears as she opens her eyes. She leans down and blows the candles right out, and the crowd applauds. Delighted, she claps herself. The cake and ice cream is served, and Ray walks around the table taking more pictures. After the ritual of eating cake, the presents are unwrapped with even more peals of laughter and glee. Grace gets a baby doll from her grandmother, a dress up kit from her Aunt Frannie, a set of Dr Seuss books from Uncle Benny, and Barbie and her sports car from her Aunt Maria, Uncle Tony and the cousins. Louise gives Grace some new clothes, and a pair of black boots with fur lining she has been wanting. Ray waits until the last gift is opened before getting his gift. He goes to get the white box with holes in the top from the back porch. He places it in front of Grace, and moves back to watch her __expression. Squeals of delight follows as she opens the box and lifts out a tiny blur of black fluff. Tiny mewing noises are heard from the small ball of fluff. "A kitty. Daddy, you gave me a kitty!" She is in awe, holding the kitten with gentle hands. Ray is beaming with pride, his gift a big hit with Grace. He dares to look over at Louise, and finds her frowning, her eyes shooting daggers at him. "Mommy, look, a kitty." Holding the kitten up with two hands, she shows her mother. "What's the kitty's name, daddy?" "What ever you want it to be, Grace. She's your kitten." He answers, smiling smugly in the direction of his wife. "Well, she is black, but look she has two white feet. It looks like she is wearing mittens. Oh. Mittens. That is what I'll call her." Proud of the name, she gives Mittens a small kiss on her soft fur. "Mittens the kitten. That's a great name, isn't it Louise." He looks straight at Louise. "Mittens is perfect, Grace. Why don't you take her out to the back porch and let everyone see her. Just be careful. I need to talk to your daddy for a minute." "I'll take her, Louise." Ben offers, wanting to get out of the firing lane. Francesca and Maria get up to follow. "Benny, there's a bag of stuff on the porch for the kitten. A pet carrier, food. All sorts of stuff." "We'll take care of it, Ray." Ben leads the crowd of children out to the porch, with the rest of the group following. The room clears out quickly, and Ray and Louise are left alone. "A kitten, Ray? You got her a kitten?" She can barely contain her temper. "It's a good gift. Look how excited she is." He moves away from her, not wanting to be in close contact. "She's five years old, Ray. What were you thinking?" "I was thinking she would love a kitten. What's your problem, Louise? You are making a scene here." Silence fills the room for a short break. They both wait for the other to speak. Finally, Louise takes the initiative. "Is this why you were late today?" "One of the reasons. I told you we were fogged in. But then I did have to pick up the kitten. Bambi helped me in finding just the right one. She found a place on the other side of town. It took Jim and me longer than we expected to find it. " The air becomes still. Louise stops and stares at him. "Bambi. You had your secretary help you. You don't bother to ask me about getting her a kitten, but you have your secretary find the place for you." Her anger is replaced by hurt, but she tries to hide it. "I called her form New York to help me find the perfect one. Why? What's the problem?" "The problem is that you see no problem. And that is so like you, Ray." Before Ray can even reply, his mother comes in to announce that majority of the family are on their way out the door to leave. Rosa gives both Ray and Louise a warning glance, and turns to say her good-byes. Ray and Louise follow her obediently. Louise and Ray say goodbye to the visiting relatives, making promises of more visits, and wishing them well. Standing next to each other, they are all smiles, but as the last family leaves, they move apart quickly. Louise leaves to go and help Rosa in the kitchen, and Ray goes outside to check on Grace and the kitten. The tension in the house is undeniable, and the rest of the group moves to put their plan in motion. Maria finds Louise in the kitchen and asks for permission to take Grace and kitten home with her for a sleepover with the kids. Looking out the window to the porch, Louise sees the children hovered around the kitten. The excitement and loud squeals make her want to say yes immediately. "You realize they will not want to go to sleep anytime soon." She remarks, looking at her sister in law. Maria smiles and answers, "I have movies for them to watch. I've been planning this for a week, and keep forgetting to ask if Grace could come after her party. The kids really want her there. Now with the kitten, they will have added entertainment. And you will have a quiet evening to recover from the party." "A quiet evening? We'll have to see about that." Her mouth forms a smirk. "Sure, take Grace. I'm sure she will be happy about going. You're a brave woman, Maria." "I'll go and get her some clothes. Thanks, Louise." Both Maria and Louise leave the room as Rosa, who was listening in on the conversation, smiles to herself. A few minutes later, Tony, Maria, and the kids are in their car waving at Rosa standing next to the driveway. Ray kisses Grace through the open back window, ruffling the fur of the kitten with his hand. "You be good for Aunt Maria, Grace. And let Mittens get some sleep." He moves up to talk to his sister. "Thanks for inviting her and the kitten. You sure you want to do this? Have a sleepover tonight?" "It's perfect, Ray. They can watch movies in the den, and play with the kitten. Don't worry. Let Louise have some quiet time. She deserves it after today." "Thanks." He's not so sure about the quiet evening. "We'll call later, and let Grace say goodnight. Now go in and help clean up." Maria waves one last time. Ray waves goodbye and turns to see his Ma getting into Frannie's car. "Where you going, Ma?" "Benton and I are going to help Francesca unpack some more of her boxes, and to move some furniture for her. Benton is going to help with that." "But why do you have to do that now?" His voice whines a tiny bit. Francesca answers for her Ma. "I need them tonight. Louise is going to have some of the carpet replaced at the house this week, and the furniture needs moved and well.......now is a good time." Ray stares at the three people in the small car. His ma and sister stare back, their expressions unchanging. Ben ducks his head and looks the other way. Ray becomes suspicious. "I think I need to come and help with the furniture." He tries to appeal to his mother, but she knows him too well. "Raimundo. Go inside now." She waves to him as the car begins to pull out of the drive. "I'll call you later to check on Louise. You need to make her some tea, make her rest." He walks towards the house as slow as he can knowing Louise is waiting to jump all over him. With Ray outside telling Grace goodbye, Louise begins to tear down the party streamers in the dining room. She pulls in frustration, silently cursing Ray for everything that has happened today. Luckily, Grace is oblivious to any of the tension between her and Ray. Louise waits for him to come and help, so she can give him another piece of her mind. Ray enters the room with caution, watching as she pulls another streamer and wads it to a ball. He grabs the garbage bag on the floor next to him and makes his way to her side. "Here, give me the trash." He startles her with his voice, and she moves back with a start. "I didn't hear you come in. Grace get off okay?" She didn't want him to see how unnerved she was with him standing so close. She can't understand how she can be so mad at him one minute, then hear his voice, and immediately feel a rush of warm emotion for him. "Yes. She's very excited. I can't believe Maria wanted to do this. The kids are all on a sugar high." "It was nice of her to ask Grace." Louise hands more trash to Ray. "Yes. It was." The pleasant small talk is bothering both of them. Ray can't take it any more. He finally explodes. "Okay. Enough chitchat. Let's get this over with. Go ahead and get your yelling over with." "Yelling? You think all I'm going to do to you is yell? I could strangle you." She moves closer to him with a dangerous look in her eye. Ray steps back, not really sure that she wouldn't strangle him. "Just tell me what I did wrong. That's all I want to know." He feels defeated to begin with. "Our lack of communication is what is wrong, Ray. You don't bother to tell me what is in your head. You just go ahead and do what you want to do. I deserve to be let in on decisions that affect all of us." "You're talking about the kitten, aren't you? You're mad because I didn't ask permission to buy her a kitten." "Yes. That's exactly right. Would it have killed you to ask me about that first? Or ask my opinion instead of your secretary?" "Ah. So that's it. You're jealous of Bambi, too." He is delighted with this information. "Don't be ridiculous." She blushes and turns away from him. "No. You are. I can tell. I also know this argument is not about kittens, or me coming home late. No, it's entirely about something else." This gets her attention. Louise returns a look at him, and freezes when he moves closer to her, reaching out to touch her. "This thing between us, it's about you and me, but it's more than a lack of communication." Feeling suddenly cocky, he continues on. "This whole bickering between us is all caused by one simple thing." "Oh, you think so. And what would that be, Ray?" "A lack of sex." He smiles big. "Sex? You stand there and tell me we are arguing because of a lack of sex?" "Yes I do." His voice softens, and his hand delicately touches her cheek. "See, I did some thinking last night lying in my motel room all by myself. Some hard thinking about us. And I decided that I have been a damn fool. " "You are a damn fool, Ray. I don't just want sex from you. I want more." Ignoring her, he continues. "All last night, I couldn't get you out of my mind. I know I missed Grace, but missing you the way that I did surprised me." Louise is hearing what he is trying to reveal, but she still has misgivings. She is not hearing everything she wants to hear from him. "Ray, not everything that has happened between us can be explained by our lack of sex. You've treated me with disrespect today, by not calling me, by not discussing things with me prior to the party. You can't honestly think that all will be fine by telling me you want to have sex." Ray drops the garbage bag and reaches for Louise and as he pulls her into his arms. He whispers in her ear, "Shut up, Louise" before he captures her mouth with his, and gives her a kiss that shows her just what it is that he wants. Louise, dropping the last streamer she has in her hand, wraps her arms around her husband, and kisses him back. They break apart for a moment, to both catch their breath, then dive in for a more passionate kiss, this one involving the sharing of tongues and probing of each other's mouth. With hearts pounding, and the room spinning for them both, they hold on to each other as passion takes over. "I want you. I really want you, Louise." Ray manages to say as he pulls his mouth from hers. "Okay. Yes. I want....." She doesn't get to finish, as his mouth takes hers once more. Then suddenly, he stops. He pulls back from her and lets go of the embrace. Then he gently takes both of her hands in his and seductively says, "Follow me." He walks backwards, pulling her along through the dining room. Craning his head around to see where he is going, he continues to lead her to his destination. They reach the stairs, and he still faces her, his hands holding hers. "I want you to come with me upstairs." Not letting her look anywhere but in his eyes, he leads her up the stairs slowly. When they reach the first landing, he stops and leans down to kiss her ever so gently. A kiss followed by a movement of his hands to her blouse. Louise, mesmerized by his actions, still holds on to his arms as he attempts to try and unbutton her blouse. They slowly continue climbing the stairs, as each button comes undone. The next landing, Ray removes her blouse and gazes at her standing there in her slacks and cream colored bra. He bends to kiss each swell of her breasts, then back up to her mouth to kiss her parting lips. "Oh Ray. You have me......" She kisses him back, offering her tongue once more. "I have you what?" He asks with a sinful look. "At a disadvantage." And she pulls his pullover shirt out of his slacks, then proceeds to pull it completely off with a minimal disturbance of their kissing. Embracing him now, she feels his hot skin against her own, and a moan escapes her mouth. Ray looks back behind him and sees how close they are to the second floor. Finishing the last few stairs, they reach the floor and move closer to the bedroom. He stops them once more right before they get to the door, kisses her quickly, and then scoops her into his arms in one swift move. "We do this right, Mrs. Vecchio. We cross the threshold of our new life together. As man and wife." And he carries her in to their bedroom and over to their bed, and gently lays her down on the top of the coverlet. Before joining her on the bed, he swiftly removes his clothing. Then he climbs up next to her and takes her in his arms. Releasing the catch on her bra, he removes that and flings it across the room. Then pushing her back on the bed, he goes for the button and zipper of her slacks, making quick time in their removal. One last piece of clothing, her cream colored panties; he takes his time removing, pulling them slowly down her legs and watching her __expression as he removes them completely. Gazing over her nakedness, he is amazed at how calm they both are. Again, he takes her in his arms, pressing their bodies together in a perfect fit. Hands begin to move in a slow sensual discovery, then more frantic as passion and hormones click in with fervor. Kisses prevail again, as hands go searching for need and want. She finds him hard and ready, he finds her hot and wet. As he moves to position over her, he looks deeply into her eyes, wanting to say what has been in his heart for so long, but only know finding the courage to say, "I love you." He tells her clearly, wanting her to understand what it means for him to say the words. Louise hears him, her eyes filling with stinging tears. And as he enters her, filling her deeply, she whispers in his ear, "I love you, too." He kisses her roughly now, as need takes over romance. He begins a tempo, moving faster and deeper inside her, touching her soul. Taking his hand and finding where they both meet as one, he finds her special place that takes her over the edge. His mouth on hers muffles her scream, and he feels his own release close in coming. Feeling her tongue once more invade his mouth, he climaxes with power, jerking without control until all is spent. Panting and sweating, they stay entwined, basking in their love for each other. Ray comments first, his voice raspy and thick. "That went way too fast. We may have to do that again, Mrs. Vecchio." "I agree wholeheartedly, Mr. Vecchio." "Condoms." "What?" Ray asks as he takes his mouth from her neck. Louise is sprawled on top of him, doing things with her mouth on his chin and neck. She pushes up and looks at him with a pained __expression. "Condoms. We didn't use any kind of birth control before." "Ah. Well, it just so happens I have some in the top drawer of the dresser. Let me up, and I'll get them." "No way. You stay right there." And she hops up from the bed and quickly goes to the dresser. Ray watches in admiration, gazing at her body as she digs in his top drawer. Feeling his eyes on her, Louise takes her time in looking for the condoms. She finds the unopened box of ribbed Lucky 13's right away and smiles. Trust Ray to buy the ribbed condoms. Turning, she seductively walks back to the bed carrying the box. The bedroom is darkening as the sunset erupts outside, and she is bathed in a shadow that makes her movements even more erotic. Ray just stares at her sexiness, and is thrilled with her initiative. Opening the box, she takes out a foil package and places it on the bed next to him. Impatient now, Ray grabs her and pulls her back to his side on the bed. "Come back here by me. It's cold without you." "I have an idea of how to get warmer." She snuggles in close to his body and tilts her head for a wet kiss. "Oh yeah. I think I want to get hot, though." Kissing her back, he caresses her curves, brushing his hand over her breast. "I like hot. You make me hot, Ray." She moans in to his mouth as his hands continue to explore. Louise lets Ray run his hands over her for a few moments longer, and then she takes control of the situation. Rolling on top of him, she pins him down to the bed. She sits up then, straddling him with her legs. Amused, he watches to see what she will do next. She bends to kiss him, giving him her tongue with a vengeance. She breaks free and whispers into his ear. "Grab the headboard." He is momentarily shocked, and then he does as she asked. Grabbing the headboard above him with both his hands, he grins at her and says, "Oh, yea. I like it when you're bossy." She grins back then kisses him one more time. Sitting up, she gives his right nipple a slight squeeze. "Don't let go of the headboard. This is my show now." She orders him in a sultry voice. She leans down and licks the nipple she just squeezed, making him squirm under her. Moving her tongue down his chest, she heads to the prize she seeks. Taking his throbbing penis in her hands, she gives it a few licks, playing with it, as Ray's moans become more vocal. She lets go of the penis for a second and grabs the foil package on the bed beside her. Ripping it open with her teeth, she removes the condom and prepares to place it over his penis. Using her hands at first, she then moves her head down and finishes placing the ribbed condom on him with her teeth and lips. The slow process is driving Ray mad with passion, and twice he has almost lost his hold on the headboard. Louise stops her movements and looks at him from her position. Ray comes close to exploding when he sees her look up from what she is doing, but closes his eyes in order to keep himself in control. Finishing with the condom, Louise sits back up and straddles Ray. Positioning her body over him, she slowly lowers herself on to him, taking him deep inside her and making them both moan loudly. She places her hands on his chest and gently starts to move up and down. "Ray. Look at me." She demands, and he opens his eyes to find hers transfixed on him. Her movements become a bit faster, and she rides him hard, making the sweat bead on his skin. At one point, she leans down to kiss him hard, biting his lower lip. Taking his hands from the headboard, he moves to embrace her, but she stops him. "I said, don't let go." And she helps him take grab of the headboard once again. "Hold on tight." "You're being bossy again." He replies breathily. She pushes on his chest again, and continues going up and down on him. As she begins to feel the tightening inside, she increases her speed and screams his name as she explodes with her climax. Her taut grasp on him makes him closer to coming, but it is her screaming his name that takes him over the edge. Moaning and grunting loudly himself, he jerks under her with his own climax. Louise collapses on top of him, and he releases his grip on the headboard to hold her close. Exhausted with their second bout of making love, they fall asleep in each other's arms. It is much later when they wake up, and find themselves in total darkness. Ray catches the time on the clock, and reads 8:15. They have been sleeping for a couple of hours. He feels Louise stir next to him, and before he can talk to her, the phone rings. Grabbing the receiver, he answers. "Vecchio." "Raimundo." "Ma." He immediately sits up on the bed. "What's wrong." "Nothing is wrong. Are you and Louise okay? Are you letting her rest?" "She is resting as we speak." He looks over to his wife and sees her smiling. "Good. I have decided to sleep over here at Francesca's tonight in her spare room. We have more to do, and I just don't want to leave yet. Can you and Louise get by without me?" "I think we can survive. Thanks for calling, Ma. Goodnight." "Goodnight, Raimundo. Give Louise a kiss for me." He hangs up the phone and stands up to turn on the lamp on the table. The light fills the room, and he notices the used condom on the sheet where he was sleeping. Grabbing a Kleenex, he wads it up and throws it away. Feeling Louise's eyes on him, he turns to notice the amused look on her face. "What?" "Not a thing. What did your mother want?" "She's staying the night at Frannie's. Apparently, they are not finished with what they are doing." "You realize they cleared this house so we would be forced to face each other." "And it worked." He leans down and kisses her. "I'm hungry. You hungry?" "I could eat. But I want a shower first." She gets up from the bed and walks to the dresser talking to him as she goes. "Why don't you make us some sandwiches, and I'll shower. I'll meet you back here in a few minutes." Watching her with a gleam in his eye as she leaves the room naked, he looks for his robe before going downstairs. After putting on the robe, he turns to the bed to straighten the covers a bit, and knocks down a large album that was on the edge of the bookcase on the headboard. The album opens up to pictures of Grace as a baby. Realizing it is her baby book; he sits on the edge of the bed and looks through it. Smiling at the wonderful pictures of his daughter, he moves through the pages of her life. A pang of sadness overcomes him for missing these times; he suddenly closes the book and moves to put it back on the shelf. A piece of paper falls to the floor and he bends to pick it up. It is a letter to Grace written by Louise. He sits back down on the bed and to read it. Dearest Grace, As I sit here next to you in the hospital room, it amazes me that I could be the mother of such a perfect child. You sleep peacefully, just hours old, and my heart melts with love that I thought I would never feel. I want to write my thoughts down now, before I forget, but especially for your father, who deserves to know all about you. With circumstances that keep me from telling your father about you, I want you to know that he would love you if he knew of your existence. He would beam with pride, and pronounce you the most beautiful daughter in the world. I think you would have him wrapped around your finger in no time, and a special bond would form between you two. I hope and pray that someday this will happen, but for now I will keep this album for him. For when we do meet your father again, he can look over these pages and experience your life. One that he started, and one that hopefully in time, he can live in as well. So dream on, my baby, my saving Grace. For as you have given me a reason to live, and a piece of him to keep with me forever, then I can give you the love you deserve and the knowledge that you were made by two people who cared for each other. Love always, Your Mother With the letter in his hand, he does not move for several minutes. He reads it a second time, and the tears burn his eyes. He hears Louise walk in to the room, and he turns to look at her with wet eyes. "I thought you were hungry. Didn't you go and make us something to eat?" She is wearing her robe and combing out her wet hair. She walks up to the bed next to him. "I got distracted." She notices the photo album on the bed beside him. "Oh, you found Grace's baby book. I wanted to show you that and look at it with you." She sees his tears. "Oh Ray. It's supposed to make you happy." "I found this." He shows her the letter in his hands. Louise recognizes it instantly. Her heart flips inside her chest and she embraces Ray as a fear fills her. "You weren't supposed to read that. That's for Grace when she is older." "I'm glad I read it. It's beautiful. Thank you. Thank you for Grace." He kisses her, his wet cheek touching hers. "I wanted her to know she was made out of love, out of caring. That she wasn't just an accident or a mistake. I wanted you there with me. I needed you there. I guess that's why I wrote the letter. To be closer to you." She tries to explain, hoping he understands. "I love you." He tells her, the love showing on his face. "I know you do. I can see it. And I love you." She takes his face in her hands and kisses him back. After a few minutes of silence, he takes the letter and places it back in the album, then places the album on the shelf. "We can look at it page by page later." "I'd like that, Ray." "Now, let's go down and find something to eat." And they go out of the room hand in hand. After a snack of thick meat and cheese sandwiches, the couple makes their way back up to their bedroom. Spooning under the covers, they fall asleep for a few hours until their need for intimacy wakes them again in the early hours. This time their lovemaking is slow and methodical, with both Ray and Louise taking their time to explore each other's bodies. Satisfied and spent, they fall back asleep until late morning, when Ray awakens to voices in the foyer downstairs. Fraser, Rosa and Grace walk in to the Vecchio house chatting and laughing at the antics of the kitten trying to escape from Grace's hands. "Grace, take Mittens out to the porch and put her in her bed. I bet you and your cousins tired the poor thing out." "I will Grandma, but after I show mommy and daddy her trick." She heads up the stairs in front of her grandmother. Ben, who is carrying in the kitten supplies, places them on the bench by the stairs, where he notices a piece of clothing hanging from the stairwell. Recognizing it as the blouse that Louise had on yesterday, he blushes and speaks up. "Ah. Ma. I think maybe we should stay downstairs for a bit." He lifts the blouse for her to see, and she also blushes, but around a small smile. "Grace. Come down here, sweetheart. Uncle Benny needs your help first. Then you can see your mommy and daddy." Obeying her grandmother, she jumps down the stairs and follows her Uncle Benny to the back porch, after he tosses the blouse to Rosa behind his back. Rosa catches it and proceeds back up the stairs. When she reaches the second floor, she finds another shirt, this time Raimundo's, back behind the hall table. Delighted that her plan worked so well, she moved closer to her son's door and knocks lightly. Hearing muted voices, she chuckles quietly and speaks through the door. "Benton is keeping Grace occupied downstairs. I'm not sure how long he can keep her there. I suggest you both get prepared." "Thanks, Ma," she hears from the other side. Smiling, she carries the forgotten clothing to the hamper in the bathroom. Downstairs on the back porch, Grace and her Uncle Benny are getting Mittens accustomed to her new surroundings. Mittens takes to the warm and padded bed, and curls up for a morning nap. "Uncle Benny?" Grace looks at him with a serious look on her face. "Yes, Grace?" "How long does it take for your birthday wish to come true?" "It depends on the wish, I suspect. Why?" "I was just wondering. I wished a really good wish. I want it now." "It might take some time, Grace." "If I told you what the wish was, would it work faster?" "I think you are supposed to keep it a secret, Grace." He watches her face become sad. "But I gotta tell. I just gotta. Or it won't ever happen." Her whines remind him of Ray, and he smiles softly with that thought. "I guess if you tell me, then maybe I could help." Thinking this would calm her down, he offers to listen. "Okay, I'll whisper just in case. But then you could tell me how long it will take." His curiosity taking over now, he leans down for her to whisper her birthday wish. When she is done, he is grinning and delighted to hear her wish. "Oh Grace, that is a most wonderful wish. But it could take a long time. You will just have to wait and see if it comes true." "Okay, Uncle Benny. I just hope I don't have to wait forever." She walks away from him and goes back in to the house. Speaking softly to no one in particular, remembering what he found hanging from the stairs, he replies, "I hope you get your wish soon, Grace." Monday morning back at work, Louise is trying to catch up with paperwork after the Thanksgiving holidays. She looks at the date on her calendar and is shocked to see that it is December. Time has flown by these past two months since Grace's birthday. Christmas is sneaking up on them fast. She snarls a bit as her stomach decides to churn, and she looks in her bottom desk drawer for something to take. The enormous amount of food at the Vecchio Thanksgiving celebration has Louise still refusing to look at food. This morning at breakfast, she barely made it out of the house before Rosa could thrust pancakes in her direction. The thought of food makes her even more nauseous, and she leans her head back in her chair and closes her eyes, hoping to calm her insides down. Melissa sticks her head in the door and startles Louise from her quiet calm. "You don't look so good." Concern is etched on her face. "I'm just a bit queasy." Louise looks up at her secretary and friend. "Are you up to see a client? Mrs. Potter just came in. She's....in bad shape." "Oh God. Send her back. And see if we have a soft drink or something to settle my stomach." Louise gets up and walks to the door to wait for Susan Potter hoping the best, but fearing the worst. The woman walks timidly in to the office, trying to shield her injuries from her lawyer. "Susan! What happened? " Louise greets the woman and gently escorts her to the couch. Sitting next to her she waits patiently for Susan Potter to tell her the story. "John. He came over this morning. Just came over and ignored the restraining order." "You let him in?" Louise asks incredulously. "No, of course not. Jenny did. She saw her daddy out on the porch, and let him in. I tried to get him to leave, but he wouldn't." Melissa brings in a tray of soft drinks and crackers placing it on the table by the couch, and then leaves quickly. Louise offers a drink to the upset woman, and takes a glass for herself. The churning in her stomach is increasing as Susan continues her story. "After Jenny left for school on the bus, he just turned to me and started hitting. Yelling and screaming this is my fault and if we were back together we would be a family. There wasn't anything else I could do but let him finish." She finally looks at Louise with tears streaming down her bruised face. Louise gently pulls Susan in to her arms and lets her cry, mindful of the hidden bruises under the clothing. "As soon as he left, I headed here." "You did the right thing. I'll have Melissa call the authorities about him violating the restraining order. I think you and Jenny should go to the shelter again." "I don't know. She's at school now." She pauses, and then says, "Can we pick her up on the way?" "Let me make a few calls, find out which shelter has openings, and then we will go and get Jenny. You sit back here and rest a minute. I'll get you a wet cloth for your face." Louise leaves the room to confer with her secretary and to make the calls. The Angel Shelter has openings and the school is on the way, so the logistics are set. She has Melissa cancel her other meeting this morning, and goes to tell Susan the news. After stopping to get some clothing and other necessities at the Potter house, Louise drives to the school where they pick up Jenny with the discretion and help from the school office. Jenny becomes extremely upset upon seeing her mother hurt, and is quick to come and follow her out to the car. The drive to the shelter is solemnly quiet as mother and daughter hold each other in the back seat. Driving through the fenced area around the house, Louise does not notice the gray sedan pull in behind her as she parks in the drive. She gets out and opens the car door for Susan and Jenny, when she is flung backwards with a strong pull. She looks up from her position to see John Potter trying to grab Jenny. Susan is screaming and pulling the girl out the other side of the car as Potter climbs in after them. Louise jumps up and grabs Potter by his clothing, frantically pulling on him to get him out of the back of the car. "Susan! Take Jenny and get inside!" She orders as she holds on to the raging man. The mother and daughter make it up the stairs to the house, as workers come rushing out to help. A distant siren is heard, and Louise watches as Susan and Jenny are taken safe inside. She lets go of the man and tries to move away. Before help arrives at her side, Potter turns around and focuses his anger towards Louise. Lashing out, he backhands her, knocking her to the ground. She bangs her head hard on the pavement. He is able to kick her twice in the ribs, before two men grab him, pull him away, and flatten him on the ground Dazed and in pain, Louise tries to sit up, but fails. A worker comes to her aid. Sirens blare as police and emergency vehicles arrive. The last thing Louise remembers is seeing a police officer stand above her bearing the familiar 27th precinct number on the uniform. Ray Vecchio is sitting in a diner with his partner Jim Vickers after a morning of surveillance work for a client. His cell phone rings in mid bite, and he answers with a mouth full. "Vecchio." He listens to the voice at the other end, his __expression turning from normal to shock in seconds. He signs off on the phone and tells Jim, "Gotta go. Louise is hurt. We need to go to County General now." He is up and throwing money down on the diner table in a flash. Jim follows quickly, worried for his boss. Louise is in a cordoned cubicle in the emergency room, a nurse taking her vital statistics once again. Her head is throbbing sharply, and it hurts when she breathes. The doctor comes in finally to update her after having various tests and x-rays. He walks over to her and smiles gently. "Mrs. Vecchio. You are a lucky woman. Nothing broken just bruised. Your head has a nice bump. I was going to give you a stronger pain killer, but I found out something with the results of your tests." He pauses to let the information sink in and for her to look at him. "What? Is everything okay?" Panicking, Louise stares at the man. "Well, it appears that you are pregnant. Have you been noticing any symptoms lately?" Louise continues to stare. "Pregnant? I'm pregnant?" Her voice is shaky. "Yes. You told the nurse your last period was a couple months ago." Louise vaguely recalls the last time she had her period was between coming home from the beach and before Grace's birthday. And on Grace's birthday was when she and Ray started having sex. That was the first part of October. She counts back the weeks and decides the timing is about right. "Yes. Pregnant. Oh my God....." The pain in her head is throbbing and making it difficult to think. "Are you okay, Mrs. Vecchio?" "Yes, just a bit of shock. I'll be fine." Pulling herself together, she faces the doctor again. "You're lucky your injuries are not severe, or I would be admitting you right now. Go home and take some acetaminophen. Rest is what you need more than anything." "And the baby?" She whispers the question. "Everything seems to be fine. You should make an appointment with an obstetrician and get a complete check up as soon as possible." "I will. Thank you doctor." She pauses, and then asks, "When can I leave?" "I'll release you now. Do you have a ride home? You shouldn't drive." "I had the nurse call my secretary. She should be here soon." Melissa walks in to the room at that moment, and quickly comes to Louise's side as the doctor walks away to finish his paperwork. "Louise! Oh my gosh. Are you okay?" "I will be as soon as I get out of here. The doctor just released me." "You should have called Ray. He's going to be livid when he finds out." "He'll get over it. He'd just over react and be in the way." "He`s going to find out anyway. And he's going to be pissed." She studies her boss. "Come on, I'll take you home." "Grace? What about Grace?" Louise asks in a panic. "I got a hold of Frannie. She'll pick her up from school." Melissa reassures her, and pats her arm. "You didn't tell her where I was did you?" "No. I just told her you were caught up in work. She's going to take Grace home with her and call you later." "Good, that will be good." Louise is sitting up on the bed when the nurse brings in her release forms. Melissa helps her off the bed and they start to leave. A loud angry demanding voice in the hallway stops their progress. "Look, I want someone to tell me where I can find my wife. She was brought in here by ambulance this afternoon. Louise Vecchio. I want to see her now." "Oh God! It's Ray." Louise stiffens in fear as she hears her husband coming toward her. Ray races into the emergency room cubicle half out of his mind. He stops short when he see Louise, bruised and in pain. Anger swiftly beats out concern, and he continues in his demanding voice. "What happened to you? Why didn't you call me?" He implores as he moves in to the room. "I'm fine, Ray. And I didn't call you because I knew you would over react." "Look at you. Who did this to you?" He yells at her as he fights for control. Louise ignores his question. "How did you find out where I was?" She looks over accusingly at her secretary who quickly shakes her head no. "It was the 27th that took the call. I still have a few friends over there. Someone had the decency to call me, since my wife wouldn't." Ray explains as he gives her a look of distress. She hears the hurt in his voice then. She looks over to Melissa, who is trying to escape from the room. Seeing Jim standing behind Ray, Louise reluctantly speaks out. "Jim, would you please take Melissa back to the office so she can get her car and go home? Since Ray is here, he can take me home." "I'd be more than happy to. Anything else you need me for, boss?" Jim asks Ray before leaving. Ray stands staring at Louise, but replies to Jim's question. "Nope. I'll call you later about our plans for tomorrow." The two leave quickly, and Louise moves over to the chair next to the bed. Her legs are still shaky and she needs to sit. "I'm going to ask again, Louise. Who did this to you?" His anger is apparent. "Didn't your friend at the 27th tell you?" She fires back. "No. All I got was to come here to the emergency room." He takes her chin in his hand and looks over her facial injuries. "Your face is bruised, you have a bump on the back of your head, and I suspect you have a bruise on your side. God, Louise." "I had a run in with a client's husband in front of the Angel Shelter this afternoon." "Ah. Is this the same client's husband as before?" "Yes." She answers quietly. "What? You just let him beat on you?" He asks sarcastically. "Mr. Potter was trying to pull his daughter out of my car. I grabbed him and held on to him so Susan could get her and Jenny inside." "You grabbed him. And no one came out to help?" "They did. But after he knocked me to the ground." She saw his face as he listened to her explanation. "Ray, you would have done the same thing to save the child." "Where is Grace while you are off fighting for your clients?" His voice is getting louder again, and the nurses outside the room are staring. "Ray! Keep your voice down. Grace is fine. Frannie is picking her up and taking her home. I have everything covered." "Except you didn't call me. This is twice you have failed to call me first. Why is that Louise?" He leans over her in the chair, trying to make her look at him. "Because I know how you will react, or over react. You get just like you are now. And you won't listen to what I have to say." She finally gives in and looks up at him. She sees pain and fear in his eyes. "That's because you're not telling me what I want to hear." He moves away from her in frustration. Before Louise can reply to his remark, a big burly nurse barges in to the room. "You two have got to leave. You are disturbing the patients." She looks at Ray and gives him an irritated look. "Take her home. She's been through a lot today, and here you are yelling at her. Have some compassion and take the poor dear home." She pushes him to Louise, and he proceeds to help her from the chair. "I'm going, I'm going. Don't push." He gently takes Louise's arm and leads her out of the emergency room ignoring the looks from the nurses at the desk and the people in the waiting room. Louise smiles inwardly, loving the fact that the nurse took control of Ray so easily. But the smile fades quickly, as she is lead to the car by her husband. She knows the argument is not over, and the word pregnant is still flashing in her mind. As Ray buckles her in the front seat of the car, she decides not to tell him that little bit of news until she comes to terms with it herself. As he pulls out of the hospital parking lot, Ray takes a deep breath and begins harping on the whole incident again. "It's obvious, Louise, that you need to find a better clientele or get some protection from these abusive husbands." "I don't need protection Ray. I can take care of myself." "Look at your face and tell me that again. Where's your common sense, Louise? Don't you know that having clients like this will get you hurt? And you expect me and Grace to sit back and watch? No, you need to do something about this." "Do what Ray? Stop doing my job?" She can't believe what he is asking. "If that's what it takes." "I won't do that. You can't make me do that." Her temper is now rising. "I love my job. I'm helping women who need me." "Let them find someone else." "You're being selfish Ray." "So. What's wrong with that? Grace and I need you too." He can't believe she doesn't understand. The tension in the car is thick. Ray looks over at his wife and sees her fuming. He hopes to make her mad enough to break down and admit she needs to take better cases. Then he notices the tears. "What are you crying for?" Louise doesn't answer, but quickly wipes her eyes. She looks out the car window and wishes to be somewhere else. "You know I'm right. You know you should be more selective in picking cases." The tears of anger and frustration fill her eyes again, and she tries to speak, but can't find the words that would hurt the most. Ray doesn't have that problem. He makes a decision that hurting her right now might be the only way to get her to understand the importance of what he is trying to say. "You're weak, Louise. Being a mother has taken some of the hard ass attitude from you. You can't even handle a heated discussion with me. Those tears say it all. You're too soft to do this kind of work. Let someone else do it and find a safe cushy case instead." They pull in to the driveway of the house and before Ray can turn off the ignition, Louise has her seatbelt undone and tries to open the car door. Pain from her side stops her movements. She hates that she has to stay here and let him help her. Humiliated and hurt, pain filling her head, she sits still. "Just wait a minute, and let me help." Ray gets out and walks around to her side of the car. He opens the door and offers his hand. She takes it for leverage and pulls herself out. Standing in front of Ray, she looks him in the eye. "Go to hell, Ray." Despite the pain in her side, she slaps him hard on the cheek, and then walks alone to the house. Ray rubs his face to make the sting go away. He watches as his Ma opens the door for her. He slams the car door hard and walks up to the house feeling only slightly ashamed of what he just did. Rosa helps Louise upstairs to her bedroom. Louise explains the bruises and cuts, and Rosa listens to the pain in her voice. She wants to ask more questions, but she remains silent and lets Louise set the pace. Louise takes off her work clothes and finds her robe, and gently climbs into bed. "Are you hungry, cara? I can bring you up a plate." Rosa is concerned at the pale color of Louise's face. "I couldn't eat anything right now. Maybe later." The thought of food makes her stomach begin to churn again. "I'll send Raimundo up with some tea. That will make you feel better." "I don't want to see him." She is adamant in her reply. "Louise? What happened? I saw you slap him." Her voice is soft and soothing. "He said ....hurtful things....oh, it doesn't matter. I don't want him up here right now. I just want to sleep." "Sleep is good. I think that is what you need. I'll check on you later. You need to eat and keep up your strength." "Thank you, Rosa." She mumbles as she closes her eyes to the pain and the anguish of the afternoon. Rosa comes down the stairs to find her son waiting on the first step. "How is she?" His concern shows on his face. "In pain. She is sleeping now. Raimundo?" She tries to catch her son's eye. "Not now, Ma. I'm going to Frannie's and pick up Grace. We'll be back later." "She's hurt, Raimundo. And not just on the outside." He finally looks at his mother. "I know, Ma." With a sad face he turns to leave. Grace comes bounding in to the house to check on her mother. Ray explained her injuries, and the little girl is anxious to see her and comfort her. She finds her mother in bed drinking a cup of tea. "Mommy. Are you okay? Daddy says that bad man hurt you again." "I'm fine, Gracie. It's so good to see you. Come here and give me a hug." Grace gently crawls up on the bed and hugs her mommy, kissing her softly on the cheek. "Did you have fun at Aunt Frannie's?" "Yes. We made cookies for Uncle Benny. He ate lots of them." "And how many did you eat?" "Just two. I brought you some. Grandma has them." Ray comes to the door, but does not enter. "Grace, time for dinner." He looks at Louise with no __expression at all. "Do you want to eat? I can bring you something." "No. I'm fine." She answers him in short words. "Fine." His reply is tinged with anger. Grace watches with wonder, a frown on her face. "Come on Grace. Leave mommy alone to rest." Ray beckons from the door, and Grace comes reluctantly. Louise drifts in and out of sleep during the evening. Grace comes in to tell her goodnight after her bath that her daddy must have given her. She hears Ray read Grace a bedtime story and smiles as she falls asleep again. When she wakes up, the room is dark and the house is quiet. She sits up and turns on the lamp. Slowly she walks to the bathroom; glad she doesn't run in to Ray or even Rosa. Her head is throbbing again and she takes two Tylenol with a glass of water. As she stands looking in the bathroom mirror, her hand moves down low on her stomach. Rubbing softly, she whispers to herself. "Hi baby. Someday soon, I'll tell your stubborn daddy about you, I promise." Leaving the bathroom, she looks around the door to make sure the coast is clear before making her way back to the bedroom. As soon as she is in bed and settled, Ray comes barging in. He stomps around the room and slams the drawers of the dresser. He sheepishly looks at her, but she is under the covers and has her eyes closed. He grabs his robe and heads back out to the hall down to the bathroom. Louise quietly gets up from the bed and walks over to close the door. She turns the lock, and the click is loud and final. She waits by the door patiently for his return. Minutes later, he comes back to find the bedroom door closed. He turns the knob and finds it locked. He knocks once. "Louise. The door is locked. Let me in." "No." Her voice is calm. "Louise! I mean it. Let me in. This isn't funny." His voice rises. "No. You're right. It isn't funny." He knocks two more times. "Damn it, Louise. Open this door." "Are you going to apologize for everything you said to me?" "Me apologize? No way. You're the one who owes me an apology." "Then I guess you find somewhere else to sleep." "You can't do this. This is my bedroom. My house." He's appalled at her actions. "It's done. Good night, Ray." She moves away from the door and goes back to the bed. She flicks the lamp off, pulls the covers up, and stares at the ceiling. She can hear him breathing hard outside the door. She wipes the few tears that escape from her eyes, and then she rolls over to try and sleep. Ray is waiting for the sound of the release of the lock to his bedroom door. He spent a restless night sleeping on the lumpy mattress in the guestroom going over the whole argument he had with Louise. Still hurt from her not calling him from the emergency room, Ray rubs his face with his hands and tries to wake up. He feels conflicted with his emotions, anger with her for getting into the situation in the first place, but worry for her injuries. But the worry is overshadowed by the displeasure he feels for being kicked out of his own bedroom. He hears the lock being turned, and he moves quickly out of the guestroom to his own room. He passes Louise in the hall as she heads to the bathroom, and they pause long enough to give each other an icy glare. After Ray has showered, he comes back to the bedroom and finds Louise sitting on the bed helping Grace get dressed. He overhears their conversation as Louise tries to explain to the little girl. "The man who hurt me is in jail, Grace. He can't hurt me or his wife anymore." "But why did he do it, mommy?" "I don't know, sweetheart. Sometimes people just get so mad they get a little crazy and do things that hurt the ones they love." Grace is silent and looks over to her daddy who is staring at them both. He gives Grace a small smile, then turns to finish what he is doing. "Grace, go down and eat breakfast now before school. Grandma will help you this morning." "Okay, mommy." Grace hops off the bed and leaves the room quietly. Staying on the bed, Louise closes her eyes and hopes the wave of nausea she has will pass. She feels Ray's stare and opens her eyes to see him cross the room towards her. She takes a deep breath and prepares for the onslaught. He stops in front of her, pulls her roughly off the bed, and raises his hand to lift her chin, checking out her bruise. Abruptly, he drops his hand. "I'm not in the mood to talk to you right now. I'm too mad to talk. But I will say three things before I walk out of the room." He pauses and lets her squirm in front of him. "You're staying home today." He makes it sound like an order. Hearing no argument from her, he continues. "I'll take Grace to school. Then I'm going to the 27th and get a report on this Potter guy. Louise has a comment about that, but decides to keep quiet. Ray pauses again. He moves in closer, touching his body to hers, but continues to look her in the eye. "And the last thing. Don't ever lock me out of the bedroom again." Louise shivers with the coldness of his voice. In a flash, he turns and walks out of the room. She falls back on the bed, the sadness and pain mixing with her churning stomach. An hour later, after Ray and Grace leave, the house is eerily quiet as Louise ventures down to the kitchen. She finds a note from Rosa who is off to the grocery store. As she waits for the water in the teapot to heat, Louise finds some crackers to nibble on to help with the nausea. On her agenda this morning is to find a doctor and make an appointment. She wants to have all of the facts of the pregnancy before she tells Ray. She is not sure how he will handle the news of a baby, so getting him in a happier mood is essential. Sipping her tea and sitting down at the kitchen table, Louise decides that making peace does not have to come right away. She is not ready to apologize just yet. She wants to let Ray think about the words he said to her and how much they hurt. If he doesn't apologize soon, then she will concede and make the first move. By the end of the week she should know more about the baby, and then making up can be celebrated with that news. During the next few days Ray and Louise give each other the silent treatment. They both use Grace as a go between for any conversation they need to have with each other. At first Grace thinks of it as a game, but even she becomes weary of the lack of communication between the two. At night, both Ray and Louise lie on the bed, not touching and facing away from the other. Ray notices her bruises are fading slowly, and he sees her still protect her sore ribs. He yearns to touch her but he stubbornly pulls his hand away. As he waits for sleep to hopefully take away his cares and concerns; he listens to her soft breathing. He misses seeing the silent tears that slide down her cheek. The days of silence between Ray and Louise have turned the week in to a long one for Rosa Vecchio. She is tired of being in the middle of the two adults who are not speaking to each other and who are acting like spoiled children. She sees what the argument and silence is doing to Grace. And Christmas is next week. This argument needs to be fixed, and soon. She hopes to come up with a plan of making them understand what they are doing to the child. Shaking her head and talking to herself in Italian, she goes about her business making Friday night's dinner. Louise is working late tonight and Raimundo didn't say when he would be home. Francesca is picking up Grace from school and taking her back home until dinnertime. Rosa hopes and prays the weekend will bring the family back together. Grace is at her Aunt Frannie's house, a house she loves to visit since it used to be her house. She is sitting at the table coloring a picture while her aunt talks to her Uncle Benny. She is very glad that Aunt Frannie picked her up from school today because her mommy and daddy are sad and she is tired of them being sad. "Aunt Frannie?" "Yes, sweetie?" "Why are mommy and daddy sad?" Francesca comes over and puts her arms around her niece. "Your mommy and daddy had a little argument. They'll make up soon, don't you worry." "But it's Christmas almost. I want them to be happy." And the small girl bursts in to tears, and turns in to her aunt's arms, sobbing her heart out. "Oh Gracie, sweetie. It's okay. Everything will be okay." Uncle Benny walks over to Grace's other side and bends down to her level. "Grace, your daddy and mommy love you. They just need time to sort out a few things and then everything will be back to normal." "But what if Santa doesn't come cause they are fighting." Ben and Francesca share a quick chuckle and a smile over Grace's head. "Santa will come, don't you worry. Did you write him a letter?" Ben asks her excitedly. Grace shakes her head no, a sad frown prominent on her face. "Well then, you should do that right away. Francesca, we need paper and a pen." Uncle Benny pulls over the chair next to Grace and sits down beside her. Francesca finds a pad of paper and a pen. Grace sits up straight, wipes her nose and eyes on her sleeve, and looks up with sweetness and hope at her waiting Uncle Benny. Francesca squeezes Ben's shoulder with love. "You two have fun. I'm going to call Ma and see when you need to be home Grace." She leaves the two to work on the letter. "Ready?" Ben asks her, pen in hand to take down her letter. "I'll tell you what I want to say, you write it down. But I can sign it. I can write my name." "That will be perfect, Grace." "Dear Santa. We should start with that." Grace watches with keenness as he writes every word down. "I like that. Go on." Fraser suppresses a chuckle as the girl dictates her letter with seriousness. "I have been a very good girl this year. I hope you can find me. My mommy and I moved from California to Chicago in the summer. First we lived with my Grandma, but she died. Now I live with my other grandma. I have a daddy now, and he and mommy got married and we all live together in a big house." She stops for a second and asks, "Are you getting all of this Uncle Benny?" "Yes, ma'am. Every word. Santa will be well informed of your family." "Good. Cause what I want for Christmas has to do with family." "And what is that, Grace?" Ben looks down at the little girl sitting next to him. She has her chin resting in her hands, a scrunched look on her face. "Well, you know my birthday wish? I want to see if Santa can give me that since it hasn't come yet. And then I want Santa to make my mommy and daddy happy. Can you write that down, Uncle Benny?" "I most certainly will, Grace." He leans over and gives her a kiss on the top of the head. "You are a very special little girl, Grace Vecchio." Ben finishes the letter and reads it back to Grace. She takes the pen from him and signs her name with love and determination, taking her time to get the letters perfect. "This is all you want from Santa? No toys or dolls or anything like that?" Grace struggles a bit, then whispers to him. "I just want mommy and daddy to be happy. But if Santa wants to know one more thing, I would really like a bike." Ben turns away from her quick to keep his growing grin from her. He sees Francesca at the door, her own smile making her eyes sparkle. She comes in and crosses over to them. "I see you two are done. Can I see the letter?" Ben hands it to her and she reads it and hands it back. "It's wonderful, Grace. How about I keep it and mail it for you tomorrow. I have an envelope in the other room." "You promise to mail it tomorrow? Santa needs it fast." A look of worry washes over her. "I promise. Now go and find your coat and backpack. Grandma wants you home in fifteen minutes." "Okay." Grace turns to Ben and gives him a big hug and kiss. "Thank you, Uncle Benny." "You are very welcome, Grace." She skips out of the room to get her stuff. "I'm going to kill my brother. Making her cry like that." Francesca places the letter on the counter. "Francesca, this is Ray and Louise's business, not ours." "Oh yea? And what about Grace? Can't you see what it is doing to her?" "Yes. But what can we do?" "I'm going to show this letter to Ma. She'll know what to do. I should show it to Ray." Grace comes back in to the kitchen. "Show what to Ray?" "Nothing, sweetie. You ready to go?" "Yes. Was mommy home from work yet?" "Grandma didn't say. Let's go and we can find out in just a few minutes." The Vecchio women are sitting in the kitchen eating dinner, a quiet affair with the three of them watching for the man of the house to come home. "Did he call Rosa? It's not like Ray to not call." Louise asks, concern heard in her voice. "No, cara. I am worried as well." She notices Grace frown. "Maybe he is busy and can't call." "Well, I think I will try his cell phone. Excuse me, I'll be right back." Louise goes to the hall to call Ray, only to get his voice mail. She leaves a short message and walks back to the kitchen. "He doesn't answer." The dinner continues in silence. Grace is tucked away in bed despite having begged and pleaded with her mother to stay up until Ray is home. Being a Friday night, Louise usually lets her do just that, but not knowing when Ray will be coming home, or if he will, she is finally successful in getting Grace to go to bed. Feeling tired herself; she grabs her book and climbs on her own bed, willing the phone to ring. When it does, she is shocked for a moment, and then jumps to answer it. "Hello? Ray, is that you?" "Hi. Yea, it's me. I'm sorry I didn't call earlier. This is the first chance I've had." The noise in the background is distracting, and Louise is having a hard time hearing him. "Ray? Are you there? I can't hear you." "Louise, I'm at the airport. Sorry, it's crowded." He's yelling in to the phone, trying to be heard. "What are you doing at the airport?" She asks, yelling back so he can hear. "Trying to get back." "Back from where? Where are you, Ray?" "I'm in Boston." A pause then she hears, "Hey buddy, quit your pushing." "Ray? Ray? When did you go to Boston?" "Today. This morning. I left a message on your cell phone. Didn't you get it?" Her cell phone. Damn, she didn't check that. Her purse is on the chair by the door and she digs for her phone. Plugging in the code, she finds she does have a waiting message. "Louise, are you there? Can you hear me? My flight just got cancelled. I'm stuck here. Louise?" "I hear you." She is deflated, a sadness overcoming her. He hears this in her voice, too. "What's wrong? Grace okay?" He is instantly worried. "Yes. We're fine. It's just....." She wants to apologize; she wants to make things right. "What?" He tries to move from the crowd and the noise. He finds a vacant nook where he huddles in. "Louise. Can you hear me better now? What's wrong?" "You know what's wrong. This whole week has been wrong." "I know." "Do you realize this is the longest conversation we've had this week? And you aren't even here." Ray is silent again. "Ray, we need to talk. This has gone on way too long." "We'll talk when I get home." He sounds sad and distant. "When will that be?" "Tomorrow sometime. I'll let you know." "I have something to tell you, Ray." Sounding desperate, she tries to keep him talking. "Save it for when I'm home. Look, I've got to go and find a place to stay the night. I'll try and call later." "Okay. Ray?" "What? I'm losing you...." "I love you......" She tries to tell him, but the connection is cut off. She hangs up the phone and lies back down on the bed. Louise senses her bedroom door creaking open, and awakens to find Grace rush in. The little girl moves to the bed and suddenly frowns. Louise watches as she runs back out of the room and down the hall. Curious, Louise sits up and reaches for her robe. By the time she gets to the door, she hears yelling coming from downstairs. "Daddy? Daddy? Where are you?" Grace shrieks as she runs through the house. "Grace, stop yelling. He's upstairs in bed." Rosa's voice is calm and reassuring. As Louise proceeds down the stairs, she hears Grace yell at her grandmother. "No, he's not upstairs. I want him! Where is he?" The three meet in the foyer of the house, Grace frantic and visually upset, Rosa clearly confused, and Louise standing there watching them both. "Rosa, what's this about?" "I'm not sure. She came in the kitchen looking for Raimundo, and then got upset. She won't stop long enough to tell me why." Louise puts her hand on Grace's shoulder, trying to calm the girl. "Grace, what's wrong, honey?" "Where's daddy? Where is he?" Grace is upset, but even more, she is mad. "He's not here. He didn't come home last night." Rosa gives Louise a worried glance, but Louise nods quickly back. "He had to fly to Boston, and his flight was cancelled because of the weather." Rosa calms with that news, but Grace does not. "Liar! That's not why." She screams accusingly. Both women are shocked at the little girl. "Grace! That's not nice." Louise reprimands her. "No! You made him go away. It's all your fault!" Grace flails her arms and manages to hit her mother, not hard, but enough to startle Louise. "Grace! Stop this right now." She grabs the girl's hands. "Your daddy is in Boston. He called me last night." "You made him go away! You are mad at him, and you made him go away." Grace is visibly upset, tears streaming and sobs mixed with her words. "That's not true, Grace." Louise tries to keep a grip on Grace, but the girl squirms out of the embrace. "I hate you! You are messing everything up. Christmas is all messed up now." Grace's face is filled with pain and sadness, tears rolling down her red splotched cheeks. "Grace!" Thrown off course with her daughter's mean words, Louise is at a loss to calming Grace. But she tries anyway. "Come here and let's go talk about this. You're upset and we need to calm you down." "Go away! Leave me alone. I don't want you right now. I want my daddy!" Grace cries madly, as she flees the two adults and runs up the stairs. "Grace....." Louise makes a move to go after the girl, but sways a bit and starts to fall. "Louise, cara. Oh my, here let me help." Rosa grabs Louise and wraps her arm around her. She steadies Louise, and then walks her to the kitchen slowly, taking Louise straight to a chair. "Sit here. Let me get a cool cloth." Louise closes her eyes to keep the room from spinning and to quell her rising nausea. She opens them when Rosa places a cool wet cloth on her forehead. "I need to go to Grace." Louise pleads. "You need to rest. You don't look well. Grace will be fine for the moment. I am worried about you right now." "I'm fine. I'm just dizzy." Rosa mutters a few words in Italian and shakes her head at her daughter in law. Louise tries to change the subject. "Where did she get this idea, Rosa? That I would send Ray away." "She's been in this house all week. She understands more than you think. You and Raimundo need to remember that the next time you argue." "I need to talk to her." Louise tries to get up, but Rosa makes her sit. "Not yet. Has your stomach settled yet?" "No." Louise looks at her mother in law. "How did you know?" "I know more than you think as well, mia cara. I can tell these things. You are pregnant, right?" "Yes." And Louise hangs her head low, sadness overwhelming her. "I need to tell Ray." "Yes, you do. Raimundo must know. And soon." "I want to tell him. I do. But the time is not right. I want a perfect setting to tell him this news. " "What do you mean? Just tell him. Raimundo will be so happy." "I guess I want to make up for not telling him about Grace. I want this time to be perfect for him. Does that make sense, Rosa?" "Yes, you love Raimundo very much. But you must tell him soon, Louise, or I fear he might not understand why it took you so long." "I will. As soon as we get this misunderstanding between us fixed, I'll tell him. Now I need to go and try to talk some sense to a five year old." "I'll come up with you. Maybe we both can explain things." The rest of the day is spent with both women trying to appease Grace and to get her to come out of her room. Rosa is able to persuade Grace to eat a sandwich for lunch, but Grace refuses to talk to anybody but her daddy. Ray calls late in the afternoon to inform them he will be home that evening if all goes well with the weather. Louise fails to mention to him what is going on in the house, deciding to wait and explain when he gets home. Both Louise and Rosa go up to tell the news to Grace, who just ignores them and goes back to sitting on her bed and playing with her kitten. "Leave her be. She will understand when Raimundo gets home. Maybe he can make her tell us what is wrong. She is very stubborn." Rosa pats Louise gently on her arm. "Come. I'll make us some more tea." "She's stubborn like her father. But I don't understand what she said about messing up Christmas." Rosa stops walking and looks at Louise. "I have something to show you." She pulls a folded piece of paper from her pocket of her blouse. "I didn't want to upset you more than you are today. I've been waiting for the right time to give it to you, and I think now is that time." She hands the paper to Louise. "Francesca gave it to me. She wasn't sure what to do with it. I think it will make you understand." Louise opens the paper and looks at the top of the page. "It's a letter to Santa. From Grace. When did she write this?" "Yesterday. Ben helped her. I think you need to read it, and then show it to Raimundo." The two walk down the stairs, Louise glancing curiously at the letter but waiting to read it when she can sit down. The kitchen is warm and cozy with the aroma of fresh baking bread in the oven and minestrone soup on the stove. Rosa moves over to fill the teapot and Louise sits and begins to read the letter. Dear Santa, I have been a very good girl this year. I hope you can find me. My mommy and I moved from California to Chicago in the summer. First we lived with my Grandma, but she died. Now I live with my other Grandma. I have a daddy now, and he and mommy got married and we all live together in a big house. I have my own room and a kitten named Mittens. I don't want any toys or anything like that, Santa. All I want you to do is to make my mommy and daddy happy again. They are both sad and don't talk much. My mommy cries and my daddy slams doors. They think I don't know, but I do. Please bring them something that would make them happy again. I don't know if you heard, but I asked for something with my birthday wish when I blew out my candles. I think that would make my mommy and daddy happy. So it's not just my wish anymore, but a Christmas present for my mommy and daddy. Please Santa, please. I know this will work. I love you, Santa. I promise to be good for the rest of my life if you bring my mommy and daddy a baby. A baby boy for them to love. And so my mommy won't cry anymore when she thinks I don't see. Thank you, Santa. Love, Grace Ann Vecchio If you think you have enough room in your sleigh, you could bring me a bike. I would give my brother a ride on it every day. Louise places the letter on the table and wipes her eyes. She looks up to find Rosa staring at her. "I cried too, reading the letter. It explains her actions today. She thinks Raimundo is gone and that Christmas is ruined." "Oh, Rosa." And she bursts into tears as Rosa embraces her. ++++ Louise is sitting in the recliner in the den, watching the television, but not paying close attention. Grace is finally asleep in her bed, crying herself to exhaustion, waiting for her daddy to return. Rosa is in the kitchen doing some holiday baking, trying to keep her mind busy waiting for Raimundo to get home. Snowflakes are silently falling from the sky, and Louise watches through the window hoping to see the car lights of her husband's return. The news reporter commented that things were very slow at the airport, and Ray has not called. The last thing Louise remembers before falling asleep is the snow falling gently against the window pane. Ray makes his way in to the Vecchio kitchen coming from the back porch where he knocked the snow from his coat. He removes the coat and hangs it on the hook by the door. "Ma. What are you doing up? It's late for you to be baking." "Raimundo! We were worried about you. I'm glad you're home." She hugs her son with exuberance, and holds him close. "What's wrong, Ma?" He can feel a tension in the air. "It's been a long day. You need to talk to Louise." "I know. We need to talk. Where is she?" "In the den. Raimundo. You need to fix this disagreement. She needs you. Grace has upset her today." "What do you mean?" Concern is in his voice. "Grace has had a difficult day. I'll let Louise tell you about it. Go to her, Raimundo. Fix things and make them right." "I will, Ma." He kisses his mother's cheek and heads to the den. He finds the den dark, with his wife bathed in the light from the fireplace playing gently on her face. He watches her for the longest time, conflicting emotions fighting in his mind. After a week of not talking to each other, he isn't sure how he will be received tonight. Ray has a strong urge to kiss all of her worries away and protect her forever from being hurt again. Instead, he leans down and touches the back of his hand to her cheek, caressing it softly. "Louise." He whispers. "Louise, honey. Wake up." He kneels down by the recliner to be at her level. Louise murmurs in her sleep. "Come on. Wake up. I'm home." He sees that she holds a piece of paper in her lap and pries it from her fingers. Lifting it up to catch the light from the hallway, he begins to read the letter. Louise opens her eyes to see her husband kneeling by her side, tears in his eyes. "Ray?" She sits up, and then notices the letter in his hands. "Oh, Ray." "When.....When did she write this? Did you help her? Ma?" He has a hard time focusing on anything but the letter. "No. She wrote it at Francesca's yesterday. Ben helped her." Louise takes the letter from him and folds it in half. "Oh god. We .....what should we do?" He asks, hoping she has an answer. "You don't know what else went on. She looked for you in the house this morning. And when she couldn't find you, she accused me of sending you away." "She what?" he exclaims, not believing what he is hearing. "She called me a liar, and threw a big tantrum this morning. Your mother and I have battled with her all day long." "That doesn't sound like Grace. You must have done something to upset her." "She wants you home. She told me I messed up Christmas, and that she hates me." Ray takes all this in listening to Louise describe Grace's tantrum. Then he stands up, takes the folded letter from her hands and reread its. "She thinks we need a baby. And that will make us happy." His voice doesn't sound happy at the thought. Louise hears the uncertainty in his voice, and her stomach does a flip. She opens her mouth to tell him about the baby when he interrupts. "I'm not ready for a baby. I'm not used to the one kid I have yet. She needs someone to set her straight." He looks at Louise. "Ray." She is devastated with his statement. She touches her stomach slightly and tries to keep control of her emotions. "Oh, come on, Louise. You know this week has been hell. We need to work on us before we even think of having another kid. Right?" "I....." She starts to say something, and then just shuts her mouth. "About this week. I'll concede that I was a jerk calling you weak. I apologize for that. But I had a right to be mad when you didn't call me from the hospital. I'm your husband; you should have called me first." "I know. I should have. I'm sorry." She says quietly. "I'm not finished. You know better to be more selective in choosing clients. Granted, you want to help these women, and I respect that, but you need to hire some security for your office. Show some responsibility in protecting yourself." "I agree with you. But ....." She starts, but he continues to interrupt. "And another thing, never, ever lock me out of the bedroom. You have a problem with me, tell me to my face. None of this silent treatment stuff. It affects not just us, but our daughter too. We're seeing that in her actions now." "And you think this is my fault? That I'm the one making her upset?" "I wasn't here. I wasn't the one she said she hated." "No. You weren't here, were you?" She mumbles, but he hears her anyway. "What's that supposed to mean?" "Look, Ray, I'm not in the mood to start another fight. I'm ready to end the last one. We need to show a united front for Grace." "I'll talk to her tomorrow. Take her shopping or something. I'll fix everything." "Like you fixed us right now?" "I'm working on it." He gives her a smug smile. "Come here and we can kiss and make up." He moves in closer and wraps his arms around her. "You honestly think this makes everything fine?" She squirms a bit in his arms. "It's a start. Give me a kiss." He leans in to kiss her lips, and she reluctantly kisses him back. "See, I feel better all ready." Having heard enough, Louise pushes Ray out of her way and walks out of the room. "Where are you going? We need to finish making up." "I'm finished now. I'm tired, Ray. I'm going to bed." Ray follows her to the stairs. "Okay. We can do that. Let me tell Ma goodnight." He pauses before he leaves. "We're fine now, right?" "Sure, Ray. Everything is fine." Her remark reeks of sarcasm, but Ray is oblivious as he heads to the kitchen. "Ray's Redemption" Ray and Ma Ray walks in to the kitchen the next morning to find his mother up and busy as usual. "Morning, Ma." "Raimundo." Her usual cheery greeting is lacking, and Ray notices this at once. Not wanting to start an argument this early, he chooses to ignore her until after his breakfast. Ma Vecchio has her own agenda. "Where is Louise this morning?" "She's still in bed. I don't think she's feeling well." "Did you make up with your wife, Raimundo?" Her question is filled with an underlying suspicion. "I sure did. Why do you ask?" He grabs the paper and tries to hide behind it. "Because I hear things upstairs. I see things you obviously don't." She brings him a cup of coffee and a plate of eggs and bacon. Dropping it down in front of him, she grunts something in Italian, and then moves away. "Ma, everything is fine between me and Louise. We made up last night. I'm going to talk to Grace today. All will be back to normal soon." "Hmm. Just like a man. You think everything is fine because you say you're sorry." She brings her own cup of coffee over to the table and sits across from her son. "Raimundo. You hear, but you do not listen. You look, but you do not see." "What the hell is that supposed to mean?" He asks in a loud voice, and then watches as his mother reaches over across the table to slap the side of his head. "Don't swear in this house. And keep your voice down so you don't wake everybody up." "Ma!" "You deserve more than that, Raimundo. Think about what I said." "You're saying I don't pay attention to her. I pay attention to her plenty." But in his heart he knows he can do better. Ma just stares at him from across the table, sipping from her coffee cup as she watches the conflicting emotions invade his mind. "What?" He stares back, and then glances away, fearful of his mother's eyes. "Okay, so I should pay attention more. She's not innocent in all of this, you know." "When was the last time you told her you loved her?" "Ma! Please. That's personal. Besides, she's not one for romance and affection in front of others." More Italian words spout from Ma Vecchio's mouth, words Ray has rarely heard from his mother's mouth. "Have you not learned anything from your previous marriages? Louise has been through quite a bit in the past few weeks. Feeling loved might be just what she needs." "I tried that last night. She just turned away from me and went to sleep." He answers in a smug tone. "I'm not talking about sex, Raimundo." "Ma!" Embarrassed, he retreats once again behind his paper. "Love is important to all. This is Louise's first Christmas here, her first without her mother, her first with you. Have you thought about any of this?" "Oh." Finding the only word to come out of his mouth, Ray drops the paper as he hangs his head. "And Grace. Do you realize what this tension is doing to Grace? All she wants for Christmas is for her parents to be happy. She sees everything that goes on in this house. She needs you, Raimundo. She needs verification from you and Louise that all is right with her family. Go back and reread her letter to Santa. Open your eyes, Raimundo. Open them and see what you need to do." Ray still sits with his head hung low, listening finally to what his Ma is telling him. He finally looks over to his Ma and sees her smile softly at him. He reaches over his hand to cover hers. "My eyes are open, Ma. Sometimes, I just don't know what I'm supposed to be doing." "It's Christmas, Raimundo. A time for love. A time for family. A time for thanking the good lord for what you have. Keep that in mind. Then maybe you can understand." Ma gets up from her chair and walks over to place a kiss on the top of his head. "You're a good son, now go and be a good father and husband." Ray and Grace Ray walks in to his daughter's room and finds her all wrapped up in her sheet with her feet hanging out. Smiling, he goes to sit next to her and tries to untangle her. She wakes with his movements, and squeals with delight when she sees him. "Daddy! You're home." Her arms reach out and pull him in for a hug. "Of course I'm home." He holds her close, then pulls back to look at her. "I was worried you had left me. And mommy." The last was said in a whisper, as Grace's smile turns to a sad frown. "Now, why would I do that? I love you and your mommy." "I just thought, since you and mommy weren't talking......." She left the rest for him to figure out. "You thought wrong, Grace. Yes, your mommy and I had an argument. That happens to adults. I love your mommy. I would never leave." Grace silently thinks about this, and then throws her arms around him again. "I love you, daddy." "I love you, too." He kisses the top of her head and stands up from the bed. "Now, I heard you were a little monster for your mom and your grandma yesterday." Grace blushes slightly and nods her head. "I didn't mean to be. I'm sorry." "I'm not the one who needs to hear that. Tell you what. If you go and apologize to both your mommy and your grandma, make your bed and get your self dressed, then after breakfast, you and I will go shopping for Christmas presents." Looking up at her father, the little girl's eyes sparkle. "Can we see Santa? I really need to talk to him." Ray remembers the letter she wrote, and his curiosity is peaked. "Sure. We can do that." Grace hops out of bed in search of her mommy and grandma, while Ray heads to his bedroom to get ready. Ray and Louise Ray is doing his last minute primping before checking to see if Grace is ready. Louise walks in their bedroom before he can leave. "Hi. Good morning." She says, a bit uncomfortably. "Good morning. Did Grace find you?" "Yes. She apologized, gave me hugs and kisses, and promised to be good forever." Chuckling over this, Louise walks over to make the bed. Ray follows and automatically begins to help her. "She tell you I'm taking her shopping?" "Yes she did. You're going to hate it. The stores will be crowded a week before Christmas." "I need to do my shopping. Besides, it will give Grace and me a chance to talk more. She wants to see Santa again." "Do you think that's wise? Her letter....." She stops and glances at Ray. "Her letter is heart wrenching, Ray. What more does she need to talk to Santa about?" "I don't know. I'll find out." He crosses over to his wife then, moving in close and taking her in his arms. "I am sorry, Louise....about everything. Christmas time should be about family." He takes his hand and gently caresses her face as he speaks. "I need to remember that." "Okay." Feeling suddenly dizzy, Louise steps back from him and sits on the bed. "Hey! You all right?" Concerned, he stoops before her. "I'm fine. Really. Just a bit dizzy." "You should take it easy today. You need anything at the store?" His voice is laden with worry. "I have things to do here, but I'll take it easy." "Your bruises have faded nicely, I see." Using a soft touch with his finger, he traces over the slightly visible purple mark under her eye. Not wanting to talk about the attack with him, and enrage him again, she just nods and hopes he moves on. "Why are you dizzy? You aren't coming down with something are you? You look pale." She should just tell him and get it over with, Louise thinks. But she doesn't. "Go, take Grace out for a day with her father. You two have a wonderful time. We can talk more when you get home." "I'd like that." Ray leans in close and gives her a soft kiss. "I love you." He whispers softly, giving her another kiss. Ray and Grace The mall is crowded and the parking lot full, but Ray and Grace forge on with their mission to find gifts and spend the day together. Holding hands, they make their way through the rushing crowd, looking at the decorations and having fun. They follow the stream of parents and children down to the long line for Santa. "You sure you want to do this? Grandma said you saw him all ready." "I did. And Uncle Benny helped me write to him." "Then why do you need to see him again?" He asks again looking at the long line. "Because." She answers, flipping her curls in response and getting in to line. Ray watches with amusement, noting she is quite like her mother in many ways. They wait in line for forty-five minutes before it is Grace's turn to sit on Santa's lap. She walks slowly up to him and climbs up. Looking very serious, she gets Santa to look at her. "My. You have a determined look on your face, child." "Do you remember me, Santa?" "Let me think." He sits back a little and takes a good long look. "Yes. You were here a couple of weeks ago. Did you forget to tell me something?" "No. I need to change something. Did you get my letter?" "Hmmm. Refresh my memory, child. I get lots of letters this time of year." "I sent it last week. My Uncle Benny helped me write it." Ray stands close to overhear the conversation. He tries to lean in closer so he can hear what Santa says. "Ah. Yes, now I remember." Santa nods as he talks to the girl. Grace continues her voice low. "See, I thought my daddy and mommy were making up, and they look like they are happier, but I think they are pretending because it is Christmas. They don't act all lovey and mushy like they did earlier. So I was thinking, you know where I added the bike to the bottom of my letter? Well, you can just leave that off and concentrate on making them both all happy and loving each other by bringing my baby brother. I can wait a little longer for a bike." She stops talking and looks back at Ray, who quickly turns and looks away. Satisfied that he didn't hear she leans in to Santa. "I know a baby brother will make them happy. I just know it." Santa looks down at the sweet child with the strawberry blonde curls, and feels his heart melt as he looks into her green eyes. "I'll try my best, sweetheart. You know a baby takes awhile." "I know that, Santa. But if they knew a baby was coming, don't you think they would be so happy and smile all the time, and love each other?" Santa is speechless. He dares to take a peak at the father standing to his left, and sees the man staring at him. The man has the same eyes as the cherub in his lap, but the father's eyes are blurry with tears. Santa nods at the man then looks down at the girl. "Grace. You go now and have a wonderful Christmas. Let Santa surprise you with his gifts. You need to let your mommy and daddy know your feelings. Tell them how much you love them and need them. Then I think you will have the best Christmas ever." "Thank you, Santa." She hugs the bearded man and then hops off his lap. The elf helping Grace gives Ray a dirty look as she takes Grace's hand to go and view the pictures they took while she was on Santa's lap. Ray walks past Santa, and then stops before him, challenging him. "You promised her things that are not possible." He tries very hard to control his temper in front of the children and other parents. Santa accepts the challenge and speaks. "All things are possible, Mr. Vecchio. Open your heart. Let Grace open it for you. You'll be blessed many times if you just let things happen." Another elf is pulling on Ray's sleeve to move him along, so he is not able to reply to Santa's words. Upset with Santa, and not wanting to make a big scene, he pays for the picture and takes Grace's hand. Leading her to a bench away from Santa, he sits and pulls her to his lap. "Grace, tell me what you and Santa were discussing." "I can't, daddy. It's a secret." "I won't tell anyone. I just need to know what he told you." "He just said to tell you how much I love you and mommy." Ray was able to hear most of what went on between Grace and Santa, so he is surprised that she isn't revealing everything to him. Her innocent look at him is slowly breaking his heart. He knows there is still something going on in her little head that is making her doubt him and Louise. "Grace, I married your mommy because I love her and I love you." "I know that, daddy." "And I explained to you that adults have arguments, but then we make up and everything is fine." "Yes, daddy." "But I still think there is something bothering you. Something big that scares you when you see me and your mommy argue or talk loud to each other. Please tell me what that is. I can't fix it if I don't know what it is." He is pleading. He is sitting in a shopping mall, pleading with his five-year-old daughter to tell him her fears of his relationship with her mother. Grace looks up in to his eyes, hers brimming with big fat tears, and he sees she wants to tell him. He whispers to her, "Please, Grace, just tell me." "This is our first Christmas ever." Her voice is filled with sadness, her tears falling softly down her face. "The first Christmas where I have a daddy and a mommy. And it's all wrong." Ray swallows hard before speaking. "What do you mean wrong? How should it be, honey?" "Happy. Fun. We should do fun things together. Laugh and sing and be happy. But you work late, mommy got hurt and you yelled. Then you don't talk to each other. That made me sad. And daddy, then you left, without telling me goodbye. I thought you went back to Florida where you lived before. Mommy cried, and was sick in the bathroom. I heard her. She gets sick a lot and cries late at night when you are working. And then you left." "Oh god." He pauses before speaking again. "Grace, I'm so sorry." He pulls his little girl close to him, hugging her and holding her. "I didn't know. I didn't know that you saw all of this. You should have talked to me or your mommy." "I didn't know what to say. I'm sorry, too, daddy." "No, you have nothing to be sorry for. It's me, Grace. I'm a fool. I'm just not used to having a family like this. I need better instructions, I guess." "I can help you, daddy. Tell you how a daddy should be." "I'd like that, Gracie." He wipes his eyes with his handkerchief, and then cleans Grace's face. Then he kisses her cute little nose. "Well, I feel like doing some shopping for your mommy. Something special that will remind her about me when she looks at it." "I know just the thing, daddy." And Grace steers her daddy to the nearest jewelry store. Ray and Louise Ray walks in to the bedroom to find Louise reading in bed. "Hi. Sorry we took so long. The mall was crazy and time just got away from us." "It's okay, Ray. I figured you both would be back late. Where's Grace?" "She fell asleep in the car on the way home. I got her undressed as best as I could, and put her to bed. I guess I tired her out too much." "She loved every minute of it, I'm sure. Did you eat?" "Twice. Pizza both times." This made them both chuckle and the atmosphere relaxes even more in the room. "We got all of our shopping done." "Tell me what she told Santa! After that letter, I am afraid to ask." Ray comes to sit on the bed next to Louise. "She told him to forget about the bike and just concentrate on baby brother. The man in the suit gave me the strangest look. I didn't know what to say to her about that. I think we need to talk to her together and tell her there is no baby coming." Louise faces him, her fear apparent on her face. She knows she can't keep her news from him any longer. "Ray....." she tries to explain. "She is going to be so disappointed. But she needs to understand that a baby isn't something that is needed just yet. I mean, we've never discussed having other kids. I don't know, Louise. What are we going to tell her?" He finally looks at his wife and notices how quiet she is. "Louise? Are you okay?" "No. I'm not, Ray. Why are you so against having another child? What's wrong with wanting a baby? Grace seems to think we should have a baby." "What are you saying here, Louise? That you want another baby? We just got married a few months ago. I'm just getting used to you and Grace." "Used to us? What, are we like furniture? If you don't like us, you get rid of us?" "No, no. You're taking this all wrong. I'm just saying we should take things slowly and work on our immediate family before adding more." "Well, it's too late for that, Vecchio. Way too late." "What do you mean, too late? Too late for what?" "I'm pregnant, Ray. What do you think of that?" "You're pregnant?" His voice goes up a notch. "Really pregnant?" "Yes." She replies stoically. As the emotions flow over him, he stares at her sitting on his bed. Their bed. And he feels a warmth come over him, causing him to smile. "A baby. My baby." "Yes." She dares to show a smile. "Please be happy." "I'm getting there. Right now I'm in shock. How long have you known?" "Since the, uh, altercation with Mr. Potter. The ER doctor told me." Ray moves in closer to her and takes her hand in his. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?" he asks softly. "Lots of reasons. I don't really know. I guess I was scared. I wanted to find the perfect moment to tell you." He brings her hand to his mouth and kisses her hand gently. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry for the way I've been acting." She takes his hand and brings it to her own mouth, kissing it and holding it. "Shh. Don't. Let's move on. From this moment, let's just move ahead in our lives." "We need to tell Grace." "Yes. But not until Christmas day. Santa can bring her the news." "Santa is one hell of a guy." "I think so." Ray leans in and meets Louise half way, and as he kisses her sweetly, his hand moves down to her slightly swelling belly to feel the life growing beneath his hand. The week before Christmas is speeding by fast for the adults, but Grace thinks the time is not fast enough. She takes the red pen from the drawer in the kitchen and marks off another day on the calendar on the wall near the back door. "Five more days, Grandma." Rosa Vecchio is in the middle of baking her Christmas goodies and nods and smiles at the child. She sees the excitement in her eyes, and knows this Christmas will be a good one for all. "Hand me the measuring cup, Grace." She asks the little girl as she whisks her concoction in the big blue bowl. "Five days seems like a long time for you, cara, but for me, the time is getting short. I have much more baking to do, plus wrap gifts for your cousins." "I can help, grandma." Her eager enthusiasm makes the older woman chuckle. "I might let you do that, Grace." The little girl is quiet for a short time, which makes Rosa stop and check to see what she is doing. "Is something troubling you, Grace?" "No. Well. Daddy said he wouldn't be home for dinner tonight. Is he going on a trip again?" She asks with a shaky voice. "No, sweetheart. He has just a bit more Christmas shopping to do. I promise he will be home later. And you can call him before bed if he isn't home yet." "Okay." This brightens her attitude. "Can I lick the bowl when you are done, grandma?" "Of course you can. It's the best part." Louise comes home earlier than expected to find the house smelling wonderful of Rosa's baking. She finds her daughter and mother-in-law in the kitchen enjoying a few cookies they baked. "It looks like I made it home just in time. Any cookies left for me?" "Hi mommy. Grandma and I are baking." "I see. Everything smells great." She comes to sit at the table with the pair. Rosa is up and pouring Louise a glass of milk before she can ask, while Grace sets before her a plate of scrumptious cookies. "Oh yes, just what I needed. This is heaven, Rosa." She speaks with a mouth of cookie and closes her eyes as the cookie melts in her mouth. "Mommy, are you done at work all ready?" "I sure am, sweetie. Now maybe I can get some wrapping done tonight while your daddy is away." "He is coming home, right? Grandma says he is. And if he isn't home before I go to bed, I can call him." Louise and Rosa exchange looks, and Louise turns back to Grace. "Of course you can call him. I know he wants to say goodnight to you." "Okay. Can I go watch TV now?" "For a little bit." Louise watches as Grace skips out of the kitchen. "She's still worried that Ray is going to leave, isn't she?" Louise says with a frown. "Yes, I am afraid so. Just give her time and she will discover that he is not going anywhere." "But I worry when he has to go out of town next. What do we do then?" Rosa reaches over to pat her hand. "Let's not worry about that now. We'll worry about that when the time comes. Have some more cookies. And more milk." "I'll take more milk, but if I eat more cookies, I'll start outgrowing my clothes faster than I should, Rosa." "My grandson needs nourishment." Rosa whispers to her. "Ssh. Don't let Grace hear you." Louise smiles. "Besides, what makes you think this is a boy?" "Because that is what Grace wished for." Rosa replies simply. "She is going to be thrilled on Christmas day." "That she will, cara. As will the rest of the family. You make my Raimundo happy." "Speaking of Ray, I wonder if he was able to get a hold of Ben? The last I talked with him he was looking all over for him." "Raimundo called about an hour ago. He was going to Francesca's to start putting the gift together. He was going to keep trying to get a hold of Benton for help." "Good. I think he is going to need it." The two women share a laugh as they reach for another cookie. +++++++++ Ray lets himself into the door of Francesca's house as he calls out her name. "Frannie! Frannie, are you here?" He drags the big carton in along with him and leans it against the couch. "Frannie?" He roams around the house looking for his sister. "What? Ray, what are you doing here?" Francesca comes out of a bedroom wearing a robe and looking slightly disheveled. Ray gives her a quizzical look. "Just get out of bed, Frannie? It's late afternoon." "What's it to you? And what are you doing here, in my home, big brother?" She sounds very indignant. "I came to put Grace's bike together. I left a message on your machine. Maybe if you bothered to listen to it, you'd know why I am here." He walks in to the kitchen, clearly looking for something in the drawers. Francesca follows, clearly upset about him coming over. "What are you looking for?" "Keys. Louise said the keys to the shed are in a drawer. I need some tools from the shed to put the bike together." Francesca pulls open a drawer on the opposite side of the kitchen and produces the set of keys. She thrusts the keys in to his hands. "Here. Now get out." "Can't do that. I'm putting the thing together here so you can hide it until Christmas Eve. This was all Louise's idea. Didn't she tell you?" Vaguely remembering Louise's phone call earlier this week, Francesca concedes. "Okay, okay. Go out to the shed and get what you need. Let me go and get dressed and I'll help." "I tried to get a hold of Fraser, but he must be out doing Mountie stuff. I hope he calls me, I sure could use his help. I found a pink and purple bike at Finelli's Bike shop, but the only one he had was in a box. And he charges forty bucks to assemble it. So I decided that Fraser and I could put it together in no time." Francesca just stares as he paces around the room telling her this. She hides her face as he talks about Fraser, hoping he doesn't see her slight blush when he mentions his name. "I'll just go get what I need in the shed." And he walks out the door. Francesca hurries to her bedroom to find Ben dressed and waiting by the door. "Is he gone?" Ben shyly asks in a whispered voice. "Just outside to the shed. You should have enough time to get out the front door." She says this as the back door swings open. "Shit! Hide, hide!" Francesca frantically flails her arms and tries to push Ben back in to the bedroom. Ray is coming down the hall towards them. "Frannie, I need a flashlight, the light bulb is burned out in the..." He stares at his sister and Fraser standing in the hallway. "....shed." "I'll get you one." She attempts to leave the area. "No, don't move." He faces Fraser. "Benny. Good afternoon." "Good afternoon, Ray." "You came out of my sister's bedroom, Benny." Ray snidely states. "Yes, I did, Ray." Ben replies honestly and without wavering. "I see." Ray looks back and forth from his sister to his friend, and tries to keep a grin from emerging on his face. "Look, big brother. Ben and I are in love and you just have to accept it." Frannie states, sticking up for the both of them. "Ray, I know this looks bad, but, you see, well...." "Oh just drop it. I get the picture here." He takes a deep breath. "I can handle this. If you two want to do the horizontal mamba during the afternoon hours, that's fine with me. Just don't flaunt it in my face." "I was hoping you'd understand. Thanks, Ray. Marriage agrees with you, big brother." "Please! Now go and get me a flashlight." He says to her as she gives him a peck on his cheek. He turns to Ben. "And you, I need your expertise in putting together a bike for my daughter. Care to help?" "It would be my pleasure, Ray." Ben says as his own grin covers his face. He shares his smile with Francesca when she comes back with the flashlight. "Okay, let me get the tools. And you two, quit giving each other the look and give me some help here." When Ray gets back from the shed, the two men spend a few minutes looking over the ridiculous instructions then impart on putting the bike together on their own. After an hour, Francesca feeds them a dinner of sandwiches and watches from a safe distance as they both brag over their continued success in making the pieces fit. Ben stops and takes a moment to stare at his friend. "You're really okay with Francesca and I being a couple, Ray?" "I said I was." "You're sure? I remember a time when this would have bothered you." "That was years ago. If you and my sister make each other happy, then that's fine with me." "Good. Thank you, Ray." A silence fills the air. "Now, if I'm ever over here again, say early in the morning or basically anytime during the day and find you coming out of my sister's bedroom again, I might take issue with that. With a shotgun and a priest. If you catch my drift." "Understood." Ben answers with a slight cough. "Now, hand me the training wheels so we can finish this and I can get home." Ray's cell phone rings as they finish with the training wheels. "Vecchio." "Hi, daddy." The small voice brings an instant smile to his face. "Gracie. Hi, sweetheart." "When are you coming home? I miss you." "I miss you too. I should be home in an hour." "Mommy says I have to go to bed. Can you come home now?" "I don't know, Grace. I still have a few things to do." Trying not to eavesdrop, Ben begins to pick up the replace the tools in the box, and make sure they have all the pieces on the bike. "I'll try to leave as soon as I can. Let me talk to mommy." "Okay, daddy. I love you. Good night." "Good night, Gracie." He waits for her to pass the phone to Louise. "Hi. Finished with your project?" Louise asks him. "Almost. Hey, she seems worried. What's wrong?" "You're not here. She's afraid you might not come home again." "Oh." Ray looks over to Benny. "I'll be right there. Let her stay up a bit longer. I'll be home in ten minutes." He ends the phone call abruptly and turns to Benny. "I need to go home. Grace seems to think whenever I am away, that I might not come home." "Go then, Ray. I'll finish up here. We have everything done except the pink and purple streamers." "You don't mind? Thanks, Benny. I appreciate it." "Go home, Ray. Your family needs you. I'll put the bike in the back room when I'm all done." Ray has his coat on and keys in hand and goes to find Francesca in the kitchen. "Frannie, I need to go now. Grace needs me home." "Sure. She needs to have her daddy tuck her in bed." "Thanks, sis. I'll be by after mass on Christmas Eve for the bike, if that's okay with you." "That'll be fine. I'll look for a big bow to go on the bike." He gives her a quick hug. "That'd be nice." He turns to leave. "Ray, thank for understanding about Ben and me. We've been wanting to tell you for a while now." "I guess I knew it would happen some day. You two are perfect for each other." She leans up and plants a kiss on his cheek. "Now go and get home to your family." "I'm going. I'm going." He heads to the front door issuing one last order. "Fraser leaves for home by midnight or else!" "Ray!" Note: My apologies to Mr. Clement C. Moore for changing his poem "Twas the Night Before Christmas. I had hoped to get this posted over the holidays, but you know how that goes. This part is a bit sappy, but Grace at Christmas just calls for sappy. Again, I thank Jim and Kali for their advice and friendship. And Janice, thanks again to you for posting the pic challenge back in March. I blame you for my obsession with Grace. [g] It's the night before Christmas at the Vecchio house Not a creature is stirring, not even the mouse The stockings are hung by the chimney with care, In hopes that Santa soon would be there. Grace is nestled all snug in her sweet little bed With visions of her kitty dancing in her head; Louise in her nightgown turns to give Ray a tap, To settle them down for a long winter's nap. When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter, Ray springs from the bed to see what's the matter. He jumps to the window, he moves in a flash, Tears open the shutters in a mad frantic dash The moon, on the breast of the new fallen snow, Gives the luster of midday to objects below. When what to Ray's wondering eyes should appear, But a miniature sleigh and eight tiny reindeer. With a little old driver so lively and quick, Ray focuses his eyes on the one and only St. Nick. The reindeer soar fast and quick like a game, And Santa whistles and shouts and calls them by name-- Now, Dasher, Now Dancer, Now Prancer and Vixen, On Comet, On Cupid, On Donder and Blitzen. To the top of the porch to the top of the wall, Now dash away, dash away, dash away all. The dry leaves on the ground circle and fly, And meet with falling snow coming down from the sky. So up to the housetop the reindeer will go, Santa takes the sleigh full of toys for Grace, you know. And then in a twinkling, Ray hears on the roof, The prancing and pawing of each little hoof. As Ray heads down the stairs not making a sound Down the chimney Santa comes with a bound. He is dressed all in fur from his head to his foot, And his clothes are all covered with ashes and soot. A bundle of toys he has on his back, And he looks like a peddler opening his pack. His eyes how they twinkled, his dimples are merry, His cheeks are rosy and his nose red like a cherry. His small little mouth is turned up like a bow, And the beard on his chin is as white as the snow. He puts gifts under the tree, arranging them in place. Gifts for Ray and Louise, and Rosa and Grace. Santa sees the bike for Grace covered with a big red bow, And hides his smile so that Ray will not know, Then he ties a blue bundle on to the front of the bike, And knows that it is something that Grace will like. Santa turns to find cookies that Grace has left out, And he eats them with a flourish, then turns about. With a wink of Santa's eye and a twist of his head, He reassures Ray that he has nothing to dread. He speaks not a word, and goes back to his work, And fills the Vecchio's stockings, then turns with a jerk. And he lays his finger next to his nose, And gives Ray a nod, before up the chimney he arose. He springs to his sleigh, and to his team he gives a whistle, And away they all fly like the down of a thistle. But Ray hears him exclaim as he drives out of sight, Merry Christmas to Grace, and to all a good night. Ray wakes up with a start, the dream bright and clear in his head. He jumps up from the bed, finding the floor cold as ice, but he hurries to the window. He opens the shutters to find a flurry of snowflakes falling from the sky. He turns to the bed to see Louise twitch a bit as the light fills the room. He moves to her side and jostles her gently. "Louise, honey, wake up. Come and look out the window with me." "Go back to sleep, Ray. It's too early." "Come see outside." He gently pulls her out of bed and drags her over to the window. Reluctantly, she follows, only to find a sight to behold. "Oh, Ray. It's beautiful." The snow is coming down faster, big fat snowflakes drifting down in a white cascade. Ray puts his arm around Louise and pulls her close. "Our first Christmas together is a white Christmas." Ray whispers in her ear. "Are you cold?" "Not with you holding me. It's so peaceful and serene." They stand before the window and watch the snow. "I had the strangest dream last night." Ray breaks the silence with a low voice. "Oh? What about?" "The night before Christmas. Like the poem. It was so weird. I was the one in the story and it's like Santa knew me." Louise just looks at him. "You do realize why you dreamed that, don't you?" "Because I read Grace and her cousins the poem last night at Maria's. Yea, I get that. But it seemed so real." "And did Santa talk to you?" Louise asks with amusement. "Go ahead and laugh. And no, Santa did not talk. He did nod in my direction, though." They hear little footsteps coming towards their room, and they both smile at each other. The door opens slightly, and Grace sticks her head in. "Mommy. Can I come in? I hear you talking." "Grace. Come in. Merry Christmas, sweetheart." The little girl bursts through the door with excitement, squealing with delight as she jumps in to her daddy's arms. "Merry Christmas. Can we go down stairs now?" "In just a minute. We need to wake grandma and then we can go down all at once." Momentarily discouraged, she smiles again and says, "I'll go wake grandma. You get ready." Chuckling, Ray and Louise watch their daughter race out of the room. "She's excited." He grabs for his robe and locates his slippers. "I'll go down and turn on the lights on the tree. Try and keep her up here until I say come down." Louise has her own robe on, and is stepping in to her slippers. "I'll try. Don't take too long." Louise meets Grace and Rosa by the stairs in a few minutes. They hug and share Christmas morning greetings. Grace is hopping up and down in anticipation next to them. Rosa, all bundled up in her robe, watches her granddaughter with delight. Ray's voice is heard from downstairs. "Okay, you can come down now." Grace rushes down the stairs before Louise can catch her. "Grace, be careful." "I will, mommy." She replies as she continues down. The lights on the tree are twinkling, and Ray opens the curtains so they can view the snow falling. "Morning, Ma." He gives his mother a kiss on the cheek. "Merry Christmas, Raimundo. We have a beautiful white Christmas." "That we do, Ma." Grace is staring at the wondrous scene in the den. The tree is twinkling, and the presents are overflowing. She spies the bicycle near the couch, but stays in place. Louise notices her hesitation. "Grace, what's wrong?" "Nothing, mommy. I'm just waiting." "For what, Gracie?" Ray asks, coming over to stand next to her. "I see Santa has been here. And he brought you a bike." She looks up in to Ray's confused __expression, and gives him a big smile. "I see it daddy. And I love it. But look what's on the handle bars." Grace does move now, and she walks quickly to the bike. She points to a blue bundle tied to the front handle bar, and she then looks back at Ray. "See? It's baby booties." Ray strides over to see the blue bundle and reaches his hand out to touch it, making sure it is really there. He unties the ribbons, and the bundle falls in to his other hand. A note it attached and he removes it from the baby blue cap and booties, which he hands over to Louise. "What's this? It was tied to the bike?" She asks Ray, as he opens the envelope to see the note. "Yes. Ma must have done this. Unless it was you." He whispers, so Grace won't hear. Grace is still beside him, fingering the tiny cap and booties that are in her mother's hands. "No. I've never seen these before. It must be your mother." She whispers back. They both turn to see if Rosa will claim the bundle, but she is nowhere in sight. "Santa brought me what I wished for." Grace declares, and she takes the blue bundle from her mother. "This is for my baby brother." "Read the card, Ray. Maybe it will explain." Ray opens the card to find a note from Santa. Grace, Merry Christmas to you and your family. Believe! Believe in the Christmas Spirit, and wonders will come to you. Believe in love and goodness, and you shall have your heart's desire. Believe in each other, and you are blessed forever. Love, Santa "It's from Santa. He sent us a baby." Grace looks back and forth from Ray to Louise. "Grace." Ray begins, but is interrupted by Louise. "Yes, Santa is bringing us a baby." She throws Ray a cautionary look. "But you know, babies don't come right away." "Oh I know. Mrs. Smith at school took along time to have her baby. It grew in her tummy, and then comes out when it is ready. That's going to happen to you, right mommy?" "Yes, it is. And our baby should come in the summer." "Yea! A baby brother. Just what I wanted." Rosa is waiting in the hallway, letting them have a private moment before walking back in. "What's going on? Is everything okay?" She smells of coffee and cinnamon, coming from the kitchen. "We're having a baby, grandma. A baby boy in the summer." "A baby? Oh, what a wonderful Christmas gift." Her eyes sparkle as she talks. Ray and Louise share a look, and both decide that Ma is the one responsible for the baby cap and booties found on the bike. "See, grandma, Santa even sent a little hat and booties." She shows her the blue bundle. Rosa takes it form the girl and grins at her. "They are wonderful, just right for a baby brother." Grace smiles even bigger, and takes back the bundle. Ray suddenly feels left out as his wife, daughter and mother all start talking at once about the new baby coming. Clearing his throat, he gets their attention. "Let's open the gifts. Does that sound okay to you, Grace?" "Oh yes, daddy. Let's start." But she keeps a hold of the little blue cap and the two tiny booties. The next hour is spent opening gifts and lots of laughter and love in the Vecchio house. Grace loves all of her presents, but keeps her little blue bundle in her lap the entire time they spend opening gifts. The adults enjoy watching Grace experience this Christmas morning, Ray especially. He takes numerous pictures with his new camera Louise gives him. He snaps a picture of his Ma opening her new cookware. He then spies Louise fingering the delicate diamond necklace that he and Grace picked out for her. He takes her picture, noticing her shiny eyes as she looks up at him. A warmth of love fills him immediately, and he smiles back at her. A small voice breaks him out of his trance. "Daddy? How can I ride my new bike if it's snowing?" Ray detects a sad note in her question. "Well, Grace, I think I can think of something." He winks at his Ma. "I remember when I got a bike and it snowed outside for Christmas. Ma let me ride my bike down in the basement. How does that sound?" Her smile returns and she jumps up and down with glee. "Goody! Can we do it now? Can we?" Louise laughs, and then gently tells her, "After breakfast, Grace. And you have to wear a coat down in the basement, it will be cold." "Okay." She runs over to her grandma, who is still sitting on the couch. "Can we eat breakfast now, grandma?" Rosa chuckles at the child's exuberance. "I think we can mange that. Come out and help me, cara." The two go hand in had out to the kitchen, leaving Ray and Louise alone standing next to the tree. "Merry Christmas, Louise." He pulls her in to his arms and kisses her. "Merry Christmas, Ray. This is nice." She snuggles in to his embrace. "We are standing under the mistletoe." She looks up and sees the mistletoe hung on the light fixture. "You don't need mistletoe to kiss me." She teases him, and kisses him back. "What do I need for going upstairs and making love with you?" "Today? That would require someone keeping our daughter occupied for a while." She gives him wink. "Well, we might just have to find that someone later this afternoon." "We might at that. I think I might need a nap later." "I think I might need to help you." Grace comes skipping in to the room to find her mommy and daddy kissing under the mistletoe. She giggles, and they break apart. They both notice she is still carrying the cap and booties. "Do you really think your mother put those on the bike?" Louise asks in her low voice. "What other explanation do we have?" Ray replies softly, but he remembers a part of his dream he had last night. There was a moment in the dream where Santa looks at him, then at the bike. "What?" Louise notices his stance. "I don't know. Santa, in my dream...." "Your `Twas the night before Christmas dream?" She is teasing him again. "Yeah, he had a blue bundle in his hand at one point in the dream." She just stares at him, a sly smile on her face. He smiles back, then takes her hand and leads her to the kitchen for their Christmas breakfast. The rest of the day is a wonderful family celebration. Maria and Tony and the kids brave the weather conditions and make it over to the house for more opening of presents and more eating of Italian food. Francesca comes with Ben at around the same time, and the house is filled with Christmas cheer. The family is overjoyed with Grace's news of a baby brother coming in the summer. Ray and Louise watch as Grace shows her cousins the tiny blue bundle she found on her bike. They all decide that Santa is the very best, and then they head downstairs to the basement with Ray to test out the new bike. After watching Grace try out her new wheels, Louise proclaims she needs to take a nap. Ben and Francesca have come down to watch the kids, so Ray escapes to check on his wife. As the light fades and the day turns to night, Ray makes sweet love to his wife. Afterwards, when he is holding her in his arms as she falls asleep, he looks out the window to the still falling snow now glistening from the street lamp outside. He reflects on his life this past year, and silently says a prayer thanking God for sending him his family and making his life have meaning. He kisses Louise on the top of her head and before falling asleep himself, he tenderly says to her, "I love you. You and Grace and the new baby are my whole life. Nothing can come between us. We are a family forever." ++++++++++++ Across town, a lone figure standing in a dark apartment is staring out the window at the same falling snow. The figure slowly wipes a tear that has escaped from her eye. She turns around to the small wooden table in the sparsely furnished room. Her Christmas dinner, a frozen dinner she heated in the oven, sits untouched. She sits on the wooden stool and picks up her gun, resuming her task of cleaning it to her precise specifications. Loneliness aside, preparation and persistence will pay off eventually in the near future. The End

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