Disclaimer: I don�t own these characters.
Danny and Michelle took the elevator up to the third floor of Cedars Hospital - the floor that housed the maternity wing. Hand in hand, they stepped off the elevator and made their way to the end of the hallway, where the prayer chapel was.
When they reached the chapel, the stopped for a moment, looking at the plaque on the door. It read, "The Corey Bauer Santos Memorial Chapel� in loving honor and memory". Danny slipped his arm around Michelle�s waist, and she looked up at him with a smile and tearful eyes, as if to tell him that she was alright.
As they entered the chapel, Michelle noticed a man sitting on the front pew. The service was not scheduled to begin for another forty-five minutes. She and Danny had arrived early to gather their thoughts, so she had no idea who would be in the chapel before them.
Michelle squeezed Danny�s hand and whispered, "Who is that?"
Danny smiled sweetly and said, "Why don�t you go see?"
Just then, the man in the front of the chapel heard them, and stood up to face the back of the chapel. Michelle nearly fainted when she saw her father, Ed.
Ed quickly made his way to where Michelle and Danny were standing and embraced his daughter. There were no words at first, just tears and the joy of being together once again.
"Daddy," Michelle cried. "I can�t believe you�re here."
"Michelle, I wanted to come so badly when you lost the baby, but you told me not to," Ed said. "You told me that you and Danny needed to deal with it together, just the two of you, and I respected that. But when Danny called to tell me about the memorial service, well, I justcouldn�t miss this."
Michelle looked at Danny with disbelief. "You called my dad?" she asked.
"I knew how much it would mean to you for him to be here," Danny answered. "And I thought a nice surprise would be good for you today."
She leaned up and kissed her husband�s cheek and whispered, "Thank you so much, Danny. I love you."
Ray came in not long after, and Danny introduced his brother to his father-in-law. As the three men sat on the front pew, getting a bit better acquainted, Michelle saw someone standing in the hallway outside the chapel. She quickly excused herself to find out who it was.
To her surprise, it was Drew. She hadn�t spoken to Drew in a very long time. Things between them had been strained, but Michelle was in a frame of mind to let the past be the past. She approached Drew and touched her shoulder.
Drew whirled around and said, "Michelle, I didn�t want to intrude."
"You�re not intruding, Drew," Michelle replied.
"I know we�re not on the best of terms, but I was so sorry about your baby. I just thought I�d come here and pay my respects. I thought if I came early enough I might not run into you, but I see you came early too."
Michelle was touched by Drew�s obvious sincerity. "Drew, you�re welcome to stay for the service," Michelle said.
"That�s so gracious of you, Michelle, but I don�t know if I�d feel right, considering everything."
"It�s up to you, Drew, but you�re more than welcome to."
"Thanks," Drew said as her voice broke. Michelle could tell that something was wrong.
"What is it Drew?" she asked.
"Nothing," Drew answered.
"I can always tell when something�s up with you," Michelle said. "So, out with it."
Drew knew it was no use hiding it, and Michelle had to find out some time. She might as well tell her herself before she heard it from someone else.
"I broke up with Jesse yesterday," Drew said. "He moved out last night."
Michelle was clearly shocked. Drew had loved Jesse for a long time, and they had seemed so happy together.
"What happened?" Michelle asked. "Did he do something? Cheat on you?"
"No, no, nothing like that," Drew said. "Jesse really didn�t do anything."
"What then?"
"It just wasn�t meant to be," Drew replied. "I mean, there comes a point in your relationship where you have to stop and ask yourself if it�s going to be forever, of if it isn�t. And it just wasn�t with Jesse."
"It�s hard for me to believe that, Drew," Michelle said.
"Yeah, it is for me too," Drew answered. "I love Jesse so much, and I waited so long for him to love me back, so I just assumed that it would be the real thing, you know. The kind of love that would be forever. But it just wasn�t. As much as I wanted it to be, it just wasn�t. I can�t explain it."
"I understand," Michelle said. And she did understand. She�d felt exactly the same way about Jesse herself.
"Doesn�t mean that I don�t love him, though," Drew said. "Because I do love him, and ending things with him tore my heart out. But I had to do it. If I waited any longer, I�d never have been able to do it."
"If you�re sure that Jesse wasn�t the one for you, then you did the right thing," Michelle said. "Even though it hurt like hell."
"What are we talking about me for?" Drew said, suddenly snapping out of her teary mood. "Today is your baby�s memorial, and I don�t want to be dragging you down with my problems."
"You�re not dragging me down," Michelle said. "And, again, you�re welcome to stay, if you want to."
"Maybe I will," Drew replied. "But I�ll just sit in the back."
Michelle smiled at her friend and nodded, and quickly made her way back to the front of the chapel with Danny. He was in a forgiving mood as well, and didn�t object in the least to Drew�s presence, especially after Michelle informed him of Drew�s broken heart.
It was almost time for things to get started, and family members quickly filed into the small prayer chapel. Rick and Abby took seats next to Ed on the second pew, behind Danny, Michelle, and Ray. Bill and Pilar sat on the third pew, and Meta joined them. Phillip and Harley came in, as well, and sat near the back, in front of Drew.
Just before Ray stood to begin the service, Danny and Michelle told him they had something to show him. They walked over to a special prayer bench, near the altar, and pointed to a small gold plaque on the side of it.
Ray knelt down to read the plaque. "The Grandmothers� Pew� In loving memory of Maureen Bauer and Renee� Santos".
Tears formed in Ray�s eyes as he realized that Danny was not only remembering his baby today, but also their mother. "Danny, this is such a beautiful gesture. I wish you could�ve known our mother."
Danny hugged his brother and said, "So do I, Ray. So do I."
With everyone present and seated, Ray began speaking.
"We have come together today, in this holy place, to remember Corey Bauer Santos. Corey�s life was very brief, but it was a life nonetheless, and one that should be remembered with love. Somehow, in some way, all of us in this room have been touched by this life- the joy of this life, and the sorrow of this loss. But, as Danny and Michelle have learned over the last few months, remembering Corey as a person and as a part of their family, brings healing for the pain and emptiness."
Danny held Michelle�s hand tightly throughout the service, and when Ray was finished speaking, Danny and Michelle stood up to face their family and friends.
"First of all, we want to thank you for coming here today, to help us acknowledge our loss, and remember our child in such a poignant and appropriate way. Each and every one of you means so much to us." Danny began. He was maintaining his composure extremely well, under the circumstances, so he continued. "Michelle and I have grieved tremendously for our baby, but we want to share with you that not only are we sad because Corey isn�t with us, but we also celebrate the time that we shared with him. We celebrate the life that was Corey�s, and we remember him with joy."
Ed invited everyone to lunch at Company, his treat, and the crowd slowly filed out of the chapel and down the hall. Danny and Michelle stayed behind for a moment, to say their last, private goodbyes, and as they left the chapel a few minutes later, they felt renewed and refreshed, knowing that the rest of their life together could now begin.