Disclaimer: I do not own these characters.
Danny held Michelle close, as they snuggled together on the deck. It was an absolutely beautiful afternoon, and after their picnic, they decided to enjoy the sunshine a bit longer by relaxing on the lounge chair together. This vacation was just what they needed.
It had been a year since that day in the prayer chapel, on the one year anniversary of their baby�s death, when they�d promised to go on with their lives, and never take anything for granted. Looking back over the past year, Danny and Michelle knew that they had kept that promise. Danny had become a force to be reckoned with at Lewis Oil, a corporate negotiator of heroic proportions. Josh and Billy had put him in charge of all international activities, and Lewis Oil was in better shape than it had ever been. Michelle had finished college and graduated with honors. She�d decided to take a year off before enrolling in medical school, for a number of reasons. It had been two years since that awful day at Cedar�s hospital, when she and Danny lost their baby, and in order to heal, she�d kept herself busy with school, and Danny had kept himself busy with work. Both of them needed the focus that their professional ambitions afforded them. But now, they wanted to take some time for themselves.
Danny had settled into his job and was comfortable enough to take some time off for a vacation. When he broached the subject with Michelle, their was no question where they would go. They didn�t even have to discuss it. Danny booked them on a flight to Reno, and made arrangements for them to have the same condo at Lake Tahoe that they�d shared two years earlier.
They held each other for a long time, on the deck of their condo, enjoying the warm sunshine and the breathtaking view. In their silence, they knew that their love had come full circle. They had returned to the place where their love first began to blossom and grow, the place that began the most joyous and most painful journey of their lives. They were here, in the same place that they discovered the wonder of their love and its results, and even though the memories brought back sorrow, they also brought back happiness.
"Has it been strange for you, Michelle?" Danny asked. "Being here again, I mean."
"Not really," she answered. "It�s been nostalgic, but not strange."
"I feel that way too," he said. "I thought it might be difficult, but it hasn�t been."
"It�s like we were meant to be here, in this place, at this particular time," Michelle replied.
"What does that mean?" Danny questioned, and he pulled her close to him.
"Well, the last time we were here, we made a baby and found out I was pregnant," she said with a smile. "And this time, well, the same thing just might happen."
Danny nearly fell off the lounge chair at Michelle�s words. "What?" he said with more excitement than she�d ever heard in his voice.
"Don�t act so surprised," Michelle said slyly. "It�s not like we haven�t been trying."
"I know you�ve been off the pill for a couple of months, but it just never occurred to me that it would happen here. To tell you the truth, I�ve been so happy, just being with you, that I actually forgot."
Michelle loved this side of Danny. He was like a little boy who�d just been handed an enormous present to open.
"We said when I stopped taking the pill that we weren�t going to do anything different. Remember? We said we weren�t going to have sex just for the purpose of getting pregnant. We said that we�d just go about our normal life, and make love like always, whenever the spirit moved us, and whenever God saw fit to bless us with a baby, that would be fine."
"I remember," Danny said. "And I guess I really took it to heart."
"I�m glad," Michelle said. "I really didn�t want conceiving a baby to turn into a high stress operation."
Danny could contain himself no longer. "Do you really think you�re pregnant?" he asked.
"I think it�s a distinct possibility," Michelle said. "Let�s go find out."
Unbeknownst to Danny, Michelle had packed a home pregnancy kit in her luggage, for just this occasion. Before they left on vacation, she had a strong feeling that the time would be right, so she threw one in her suitcase, just in case. She hadn�t thought about it again until their eighteen day vacation was almost over, and she realized that her period had not made an appearance. That�s why she lured Danny out for a picnic today. She wanted to set up the scenario perfectly.
They waited impatiently as the three minutes ticked by, so slow that they both thought they�d reach retirement age before they were able to read the results. Finally, three minutes had passed, and Michelle told Danny to go first.
"No, you go ahead Michelle. I went first last time," he protested.
"Danny, you look first," she replied. "I want you to tell me what it says."
Danny leaped to the bathroom door, like a kid going fishing, and looked in. Just like last time, he stood silent for a few seconds, making Michelle wonder what the test stick said. And again, just like last time, he turned around with a wide grin on his face, and said, "There�s a plus sign! We�re going to have a baby."
Nine months later, in a Labor/Delivery room at Cedars Hospital, Dr. Sedwick urged Michelle on.
"Come on Michelle," she said with purpose. "You can do it!"
"You�re doing great Michelle," Danny said as he brushed her hair away from her sweaty face.
"Just one more push, one more big, powerful push, Michelle," Dr. Sedwick said.
Michelle held her breath, and Danny helped her sit up. She pushed with all her might and all her strength, and felt a new life slip into the world.
"It�s a girl!" Dr. Sedwick exclaimed, as she laid their daughter on Michelle�s belly.
She and Danny cried tears of joy as they closely examined their new little wonder. They were completely enamored from the very first glance at their daughter. There lives had been changed forever by this wonderful, amazing miracle.
A couple of hours later, when Michelle was rested and feeling better, Danny walked up to the nursery and asked the nurse if he could take the baby to see Michelle. The nurse quickly agreed, and rolled the little bassinet out into the hallway. Danny slowly rolled his new daughter down the hall to Michelle�s room.
Michelle sat up in her bed when she saw Danny enter with the baby. He carefully placed their daughter in Michelle�s arms, and helped Michelle out of bed and into a wheel chair.
"Are you sure you�re up to this?" Danny asked.
"I�m sure," Michelle said. "That little nap really helped, and besides, you�re going to push me."
"Don�t get too comfy in that chair," Danny said coyly. "Dr. Sedwick said that tomorrow morning you need to do some walking."
Michelle smiled, as Danny pushed the wheel chair down the hall, and into the prayer chapel.
When they reached the front of the chapel, Danny knelt beside Michelle and the baby, and silently, they both thanked God for the miracle of their new daughter. Not three years ago, they�d been in this hospital, grieving the loss of their first baby, and now they were here, welcoming a new life into their family. The tragedies that had befallen them had only made them stronger, and even though they knew that hard times would come around again, the power and wonder of their love would keep them together. The baby in Michelle�s arms was all the proof they needed.
"Corey, we want you to meet someone," Michelle said, as tears fell from both her eyes and Danny�s.
"This is your baby sister, Chloe Grace Santos."
THE END