~~~~~~

Four Years Later

"Okay, now, you know what to do," Hayden whispered carefully handing her the present.

The little girl nodded, a head of brown curls bobbing with her gesture.

The little girl bounded into the room and jumped on the bed. "Hi mommy!" she said happily, settling down onto the bed as Kristen was turning over.

"Hey Lilly, sweetie, what are you doing up so early?" Kristen asked sleepily, rubbing her eyes.

Hayden stood quietly in the doorway, surveying the scene.

"We have a pwesent for you!" Lilly almost shouted with excitement.

Kristen sat up and grinned at her daughter's enthusiasm. "Ooh!! This is for me?" she took the box and gently shook it.

"It's for the....annivewsawy," Lilly said, carefully trying to pronounce the word that she and Hayden had practiced. Lilly hadn't yet gotten her "r" pronounciations but she was determined.

Hayden stifled a laugh and beamed with the look of a proud father. Lilly was now a precocious four year old who had a wit and intelligence that nearly shocked Hayden and Kristen.

Kristen sensed him in the doorway and turned to look at him.

"Good morning," he said softly with a smile.

She grinned at him, "Good morning."

Kristen began unwrapping the box and pulling out the tissue paper.

"Ohh," Kristen said, opening the jewelry case to discover a gold locket. She opened the locket to find a family photo of Hayden, herself and Lilly.

"This is gorgeous!" Kristen cried.

Lilly beamed, "she likes it!!" she shrieked to her father who walked in to the room.

"Yeah she does!" Hayden grinned.

He sat down on the bed beside where Kristen was laying and Lilly settled onto his lap.

"Happy Three Year Anniversary sweetheart," he smiled at her.

"Happy Anniversary," she replied with a smile.

"Happy Annivewsawy!" Lilly called out again causing the both of them to laugh.

Hayden hadn't had to be away from home much at all. He'd really found his niche in producing. He was able to do the majority of work with Forest Park from home, mostly via conference calls and online meetings.

He'd still done a few projects here and there but when he wasn't shooting in Toronto, he had brought his family with him on location.

Lilly was fascinated and absolutely loved the whole process of filmmaking, even to be only four years old. It was a giant exciting field trip for her and she loved every minute of proudly walking around huge film sets, holding her daddy's hand as he introduced her.

Hayden had managed to prove to Krisetn that things would work out and the two had married when Lilly was a year old.

Maybe in some ways, Hayden had had to make sacrifices in his career....but when he looked at the rewards he had in Kristen and in little Lilly, it never even made a difference to him for a single second. He was where he wanted to be. Always.