I know, I know! It took forever. But on a positive note, I did finish it in under a year! Almost 200,000 words and over 400 hundred reviews, you guys made writing this worthwhile!

Special thanks to KrabbyPatty, Cohenwannabe, Panzie and SexyEm who I bounced ideas off of from time to time.

Megan, Jen, Moviesareourbusiness, Tiffany, bluetoffee, PrettyinPink9787, perla25 - Thanks for the reviews

4everKandy -I wasn't going to write the scene with Kandy telling the boys, but you talked me into it.

NewCastle81 - 5 stars? Wow!

KrabbyPatty - Thanks for the long review. I had the classroom idea in mind for awhile and I was hoping everyone would see it like you did - a movie! I think we share a brain because you guessed the parallel I was going for!

Stripscrabble - Glad you liked the classroom bit. Speechless is good, right?

SexyEm - Thanks for noticing truly how lonely Sandy and Kirsten were without each other. I wasn't sure if I pulled that off well. You're review cracked me up that you were as excited as Sandy that she was sitting in his lecture. Thanks for the quote and all the wonderful compliments!

Robbie - I feel like you are the only one that is going to miss the fiction. As much as I hate angst, I really enjoy writing it.

Slinn01 - I'm a fan of the grand gesture too. Thanks for the quote!!

Jennyloveskandy - Glad I changed your mind about the happy ending! Thanks for the quote. As for the pregnancy and alcohol thing...I truly believe this happens a lot where women drink when they don't know they're pregnant. I'm not saying it's right, but it does happen.

Panzie - Thank you so much for all the compliments. It means so much coming from you. I'm glad you liked the writing and the execution. Sometimes I think I have a great idea and then have no idea how to put it into play. Glad you enjoyed it!

Cohenwannabe - Glad you liked Seth opening up to them. It was something I was really insecure about.

Kikinjuju - Glad to know that I'm not the only one that happens to. I start reading and then have to wait and continue later on in the day. That drives me nuts! Glad you were happy with the ending.

Chicaanglaise - A Cheshire cat? That cracked me up! Glad you liked the flashbacks!

ColeKG - You are not the only one who was on Kirsten's side for this entire fic. I was hoping people would feel like that. I didn't want everyone to hate her. I wanted the reader to accept the fact that she made a mistake. Glad you experienced all those emotions.

ILoveKandy - I feel honored that you left a review for me since you never have done it before. Not sure if I am going to have Sandy question the paternity. I don't want them to regress when they have come so far. Having him question it would mean that he thought she was still capable of that type of behavior, ya know? I'm rambling now! Glad this chapter made you smile and you definitely gave me some ideas to write a Berkeley fic.

Hop on the ride one more time...

It had been six years. Six happy and wonderful years had gone by in a flash. Kirsten thought so anyway. Six years ago her life was so discombobulated and there was no telling what her future held. Taking a chance and playing a hand of fate landed her back in Berkeley with the one and only person she truly wanted. That was six years ago.

Now she lies in her bed and knows that couldn't be further from the truth. Now there wasn't only one person she truly wanted, but two. The second being her beautiful daughter that filled the emptiness in her and Sandy's life. Sophie Rose was a true blessing and having the opportunity to watch Sandy help raise their daughter was a gift from God.

Their house was filled with laughter again and it was something they truly missed that first semester that the boys were away from them.

Kirsten didn't want to tell the boys of her pregnancy until she was through her first trimester. She knew that she was now in her forties and the chances of a miscarriage were likely. Sandy wanted to tell them immediately, but respected Kirsten's wishes, not wanting to upset her. He was just so happy that she changed her entire life around to be with him. He didn't want her to ever regret that decision.

Her first trimester would be over around Thanksgiving and she figured she would be able to tell the boys in person. Seth would be coming home for the holiday and Summer would be joining him. Although they were having some problems, the Cohens were Summer's family and Seth knew she didn't want to spend the holiday in Seattle. They would work through it.

With Ryan already in Berkeley, their family would all be in tact. Kirsten knew that both the boys were adjusting to the fact that Kirsten moved to Berkeley and what that meant for all of them. Deep down, the boys were thrilled, but they were tentative to believe it was for real. The past year had been such a rollercoaster ride that no one wanted to take anything for granted.

Now Kirsten was going to drop another bombshell on them.

Thanksgiving approached and Kirsten was losing her nerve. She was so thankful this year to have Sandy at her side. He found her in the kitchen that morning wondering what had her so deep in thought.

"Hey." He said lightly, not wanting to startle her.

She spun around to face him. "Are the boys up?"

He made his way over and without hesitation, circled her waist with his arms. He smiled, loving his that she was a part of his life. "You look beautiful."

She smiled back. "I look bloated."

He leaned in and kissed her deeply, reluctant to let go. Their tongues dueled briefly before she closed her mouth slowly and pulled back. "I'll take that as a no."

He looked puzzled and she continued. "The boys are still sleeping."

"They are, as well as Summer." He let go of her waist and she turned back to the counter to continue working on her meal. He kept his voice low as he spoke. "Is it okay that Summer slept upstairs with Seth?"

She looked at him like he was crazy. "He's away at school with her. I'm sure it's not the first time they shared a bed, Sandy." She said knowingly.

"You're probably right."

"Are you ready for tonight?" She asked.

"Are you?"

"Not in the least."

"We'll get through it together, I promise."

"I am so grateful that we are standing here together."

"Me too." He whispered back.

Later that evening, they were all gathered around the table, finishing their Thanksgiving meal. Kirsten knew it was time, but Sandy took the reigns. "So, your mother and I have some news that we wanted to share with you in person."

Seth looked over at Ryan and rolled his eyes. Ever since his parents reunited, they always felt the need to do everything together. He didn't want to even think of what some of those things were.

"I saw that." Kirsten said, jolting Seth out of his miserable thoughts. She smiled, loving how comfortable everyone was now that things were back to normal. For the next minute or so at least, she couldn't help thinking.

"In person? Is everything okay?" Ryan found it weird that they said nothing to him, and he was at the house at least a few times a week. What was so important that they had to wait for Seth to come home?

"Well that depends on how you take this piece of information." Sandy said with a goofy grin on his face.

Summer finally spoke up, when she saw Sandy's smile. "So it's not bad news?"

"We don't think so." Kristen replied.

"Just tell us already!" Seth was like his father. He always grew impatient.

Kirsten reached for Sandy's hand underneath the table, craving the encouragement she needed. "You both are going to have a new sibling soon."

Ryan was speechless.

Seth was dumbfounded.

Summer couldn't help but smile.

"So, you decided to grant your guardianship to another brooding teenager? You really should have asked Ryan first since..."

Seth started rambling, not even opening his mind to the possibility of a baby entering all their lives.

Ryan knew they weren't talking about another teenager. His mind immediately drifted to the baby arena. He knew the idea of Kirsten getting pregnant was not out of the realm of possibility. He knew they had a healthy sex life.

Seth was still rambling on when Ryan decided to put out that fire. He kept his eyes fixated on Sandy and Kirsten, trying to read them and figure out if he was right. "I don't think they are talking about a teenager." He said skeptically.

"Ryan's right." Kirsten spoke softly, clearly embarrassed about the situation. It's not like she wanted to explain to her eighteen year old sons that she loved having sex with her husband. Plus, she hated to use contraceptive devices. Not a very good message to deliver to her sons.

"What do you mean?" Seth said, more confusion setting in.

"I think you are going to have a baby sibling." Summer said.

"What?" Seth said louder than he intended.

"Am I right?" Summer could only hope.

Ryan stood in complete silence, afraid to make a move.

Sandy's grin grew, letting them know he was thrilled. "Kirsten's pregnant. We are having a baby."

"What? How? When?" Seth rattled off.

"Wow." Ryan couldn't say much else. "That's so soon."

"When are you due?" Summer wanted all the details. Well maybe not all of them, but some specifics would be nice.

"I'm due at the end of May. I'm going for an ultra sound next week, so I will have a more accurate date."

Sandy spoke up again. "Seth, are you okay?"

"I just...I'm wondering..." He was at a lost for words. Then he stopped when the timeline seemed off. "That can't be right."

"I assure you, everything about this is right." Sandy said softly, looking at Kirsten happier than he had been in a long time. He focused his attention back to Seth, wanting to answer his questions. "I think you are digesting the what, the how I was hoping not to have to explain and the when..."

"You mean you are due at the end of June?" Seth was always quick to find the answers.

Kirsten was afraid of this conversation. "No, the end of May."

"Then that would mean that you two..." Realization dawned on Seth, Ryan and Summer all at the same time.

"We know what it means." Sandy said, hoping Seth would just drop it.

"Well are you going to explain yourselves?"

"Are you forgetting that we are the parents?" Sandy said sternly.

"Well considering you are always lecturing us on safe sex, I think you could at least explain."

Kirsten finally jumped in. She put a reassuring hand on Sandy's arm. "Sandy, it's okay. He's right." She turned her attention to Seth. "Your father and I have been seeing each other secretly for awhile now, but we weren't sure what was going to happen so we kept it to ourselves."

"That's all we are offering." Sandy held Kirsten's hand in his own.

"Well, I think it's great. Seeing the two of you squirm and actually being uncomfortable with your inappropriate behavior is a nice change."

Kirsten smiled and looked at Ryan hoping he would feel the same way. "Congratulations. Finally, I get to be the big brother."

Summer gave them a warm smile, but Seth was the one that couldn't let things just be. "So Dad, do we need to have the talk so you don't find yourself in this predicament again?"

Over the past six years, some things changed and some were still the same. Sandy was still teaching at Berkeley and working part time at the local PD's office. Kirsten didn't want him to take a second job, but Sandy had this thing about providing for his family.

Sandy had kept his word about not touching Kirsten's trust fund money, deciding for her to figure out what she wanted to do with it. That combined with the profit they made from their house in Newport and the sale of The Newport Group landed them a very hefty savings account.

Sophie was two when Kirsten decided what she wanted to do with the money. She hated seeing Sandy work two jobs when it was completely unnecessary. She was afraid to broach the subject with Sandy because she didn't want him to think for a split second that she was unhappy or her life was unfulfilled. That could be further from the truth. Living with Sandy and Sophie was a dream come true, but she hated being a housewife and always felt like she could be doing more.

"What's going on?" He asked one evening when he found her on the porch swing deep in thought.

"You think you know me so well." She teased.

He leaned down and kissed her lips softly and took a seat on the swing next to her. They sat in a comfortable silence before Sandy broke it. "Sophie asleep?" He asked.

"Yeah." She took a deeper look into his eyes. "You should get some sleep too. You look exhausted."

"Nice try, but I want you to tell me what is going on up there." He kissed her temple, lingering longer than he should have.

She smiled, loving how he knew her. "I don't know how much longer I can stay home everyday. I think I want to go back to work."

"Really?" He was surprised. He had no idea that she wasn't completely happy staying home with Sophie.

"I just...I can't explain it." She struggled with what to say. "I just need to feel more productive. It's not that I'm not enjoying my time at home with Sophie. You know I am, but sometimes I want to surround myself with adults." She paused, reflecting her own words. "Does that make me a bad mother?"

He put his arm around her shoulders. "No. Kirsten, don't ever think that." He pulled her close so she was leaning on him now. "What did you have in mind?"

"Well, I was thinking about taking some of our money..."

"It's your money." He interrupted.

She looked up at him, surprised after all these years, he still felt that way. "Anyway, I was thinking about opening up an art gallery. Give it a year or two to get it up and running and then just work part time." She bit her lip, fearing Sandy's response.

He was surprised at first, but knew this was a buried dream of Kirsten's for years. "I think that's a great idea."

"You do?"

"Yes, I think anything you touch will succeed, but this is something that will have your heart and soul."

Sandy eventually quit working at the PD's office to help Kirsten take care of Sophie and her business that was doing very well.

Ryan graduated Berkeley with honors and got a job at a top-developing firm in San Francisco. Kirsten knew the CEO and made some calls, but Ryan had no idea she had anything to do with it. She knew he would have made it into a firm eventually, but she didn't want to see him struggle. He struggled enough in his life. He was doing very well there and had been promoted twice in the matter of two years with no help from Kirsten.

Seth and Summer got through their issues, but it took a two year separation for them to find each other once again. Summer took a job at G.E.O.R.G.E. and traveled the United States sticking up for what she believed in. Seth graduated from RISD and re-created his graphic novel, which was extremely successful. He was still living on the east coast, but was soon going to propose to Summer and hopefully she would agree to move to Berkeley.

Kirsten rolled over in bed and saw Sandy staring at her. "I hate when you do that." She spoke softly.

"I can't help it."

"Why are you up?" She asked, pulling the sheet over her chest. That was a habit she got into since Sophie always came to visit them in the morning.

"It's a big day for two of our kids. I couldn't sleep."

"Do you think they are going to be okay?"

"Well, I think Sophie will be okay. She is a very outgoing kid. She will make friends fast." It was Sophie's first day of school and although they have been through this before, Sandy and Kirsten were still nervous for their daughter.

"And Seth?" She asked, hoping for the same reassuring answer.

"He'll be fine, but I'm sure he is freaking out in a very Seth sort of way."

"I'm so nervous for him." Seth phoned them a few nights ago and told them that he was going to propose to Summer tonight. He sounded so nervous, but Kirsten helped him plan an elaborate way to propose helping to build his confidence.

"They love each other. They'll be okay. I'm sure we will get a phone call tonight." He suddenly rolled on top and rested a little bit of his weight on her. "Do you know what I think?"

She felt him underneath her. "I have an idea." She leaned up and kissed him quickly.

"We have a few minutes for Sophie gets up. Let's enjoy the quiet while we can." He leaned down and kissed her, begging for entrance. He wanted her to know what he craved. She granted it and grinded her hips against his. She missed having these lazy mornings with her husband.

Suddenly the door burst open. "Mommy, Daddy, get up! It's my first day of school. We have to go! I don't want to be late." As quickly as she entered was as quickly as she fled.

Sandy's lips moved to her chest as he groaned at the interruption. "Ugh, we really need to lock our door."

She pushed Sandy off of her and started to make her way out of bed. "Come on Romeo, we have to get ready. We really have no time for this." She said waving her hands at the bed.

He propped himself up on one elbow. "When are we going to have time for this?"

She sat back down on the bed and leaned toward him. "Tonight, we can celebrate gaining another daughter." She pecked his lips and smiled at the idea of being a mother to Summer. She couldn't wait.

Sophie's first day at school was a success and although Kirsten was relieved, she was still waiting for that phone call from Seth. The night had passed and she figured that maybe they had better things to do like celebrate. She remembered when she and Sandy got engaged, they didn't get out of bed for over twenty four hours. She didn't want to think of her son like that.

As time passed, the more impatient Kirsten grew. She decided to call Seth and find out what happened, but he didn't answer his phone or pick up his cell. She knew there was one other person she could contact.

His voicemail picked up so she decided to leave a message. "Hey Ryan. Sandy and I were wondering if you wanted to come by the house for dinner tonight. Invite Jillian too. Call me back." She could always get Ryan to spill the beans.

Jillian was a girl that Ryan had been dating for the past year. She had been over the house a few times now and Sophie absolutely adored her. Sandy and Kirsten loved her for many reasons, but the main one being that she challenged Ryan. She challenged him intellectually and more importantly, emotionally. Ryan became much more verbal and affectionate with others around him since Jillian came into his life.

When Sandy arrived home, he asked Kirsten about Ryan's phone call he received. "Ryan asked if there was anything he could bring for dinner?" When he entered the dining room, Ryan's phone call was not that strange. He looked that the table set for five and started with his next question. "Did I forget that we were having dinner with him tonight?"

Kirsten smiled at his innocence. "No. I decided this morning to call him. He's bringing Jillian so Sophie is cleaning her room for her arrival."

"So we have a few minutes?" Sandy asked.

Kirsten gave him a knowingly look. She knew what a comment like that from him meant and there was no point in starting something they couldn't finish. "I'd like to think you have more than few minutes in you." She joked about his stamina.

He moved toward her and spun her around to face him. He kissed her, trying to push his tongue in her mouth, which she would not allow. "I can make adjustments to accommodate any certain window of time."

He leaned in and tried again for a deep kiss. She granted it and as their tongues meshed togther, he leaned his groin into her lower half. "I want you so bad right now. Let's go upstairs?" He knew it was a long shot, but had to ask anyway.

She could feel the bulge in his pants and wanted him too. She knew they could be quick and started entertaining thoughts of quickly going to their bedroom. The doorbell ringing and Sophie's shriek pulled her out of her thoughts. She pulled back to stare into his ocean blue eyes that were just begging for her attention. "They're here." She whispered. "We can definitely continue this later." She wiggled out of his embrace but stayed close to his body. She suddenly garbbed his cock though this pants, smiling devilishly. "You better go to the bathroom and calm down." She laughed out loud at him.

"You better let go." He said, roughly pushing her hands off of him.

Once Sandy returned from the bathroom and Jillian played until Sophie was content, they all sat down for dinner.

"This is delicious." Jillian spoke. "I am starting to think Ryan made up all those stories about you not being able to cook."

"Sadly, they're true." Kirsten smiled warmly, wishing this girl would be in their lives forever. Thinking about that, Kirsten's mind shifted and decided now was as good enough time as any. "Have you spoken to Seth?" She directed it to Ryan.

"No." Ryan answered. "But I knew you were going to ask me that tonight." He joked.

Kirsten feigned shock. "What?"

"As much as I want to know what happened last night, it must be killing you guys."

"He'll inform us if there is anything to inform." Sandy spoke rationally.

"Is this about Summer's ring?" Jillian asked innocently.

All their heads turned in her direction. How could she know something that none of them did? Ryan broke the shocking silence. "You've got all our attention. What about Summer's ring?"

"It's gorgeous. Seth did a really good job of picking it out. A two carat, princess cut in a platinum setting."

Kirsten spoke first. "Wait! You saw the ring?" Obviously she did, since she described the exact ring she and Seth went shopping for.

"Yeah, this morning. Summer sent me a picture."

"Well, I guess my son didn't completely freak out." Sandy smiled proudly.

"I wonder how come he didn't call me." Ryan said more to himself than anyone else.

"Does this mean Summer is my sister now?" Sophie asked.

"Something's not right." Kirsten was always the skeptical one.

With numerous phone calls to Seth's cell, Kirsten knew that something was wrong. She couldn't put her finger on it, but decided not to badger him. She figured he needed some breathing room, but had no idea why. According to Jillian, Summer had the ring and was excited about marrying Seth. What could have happened?

A few days later, Kirsten suggested that she and Sandy go on a real date. Ryan agreed to baby-sit, which worked out great. Everyone's mind was on Seth, but this would help all of them forget, for at least one night anyway.

Sandy was on campus while Kirsten was at the gallery all day. Once Sandy finished his last class, he went back to his office to gather his belongings and head home. He was looking forward to spending some alone time with Kirsten. It was good for them to get out every once in awhile.

As he entered his office, someone sitting in one of his chairs startled him. "Seth?" Sandy asked, shocked by his presence.

Seth barely looked up at his father when he spoke. "Hey Dad."

Sandy went over to embrace his son. "Come on, get up and give your old man a hug."

Seth obliged, but with his slumped shoulders and crooked posture, Sandy knew Kirsten was right. Something was definitely wrong. "You know, we have been trying to get in touch with you all week. Needless to say, your mother is worried sick." Sandy took a seat behind his desk and faced Seth.

"I know. I'm sorry. Things have just been..." He struggled with what to say.

"Well you came all the way across the country. You mind as well talk about it." Sandy encouraged, hoping Seth wouldn't bottle up all his emotions.

Seth finally looked up at his father, tears threatening to spill. "I never really understood what you went through with Mom. I never comprehended how badly you must have been hurt, but here I am and unfortunately I finally get it." The words just flowed from Seth's mouth.

Sandy didn't know what to say. He never wanted his son to feel the pain he felt when Kirsten betrayed him, but he knew from they way he was speaking that something terrible had happened between him and Summer. "Seth, what happened? Ryan was over the house with Jillian and she said Summer had the ring. This should be a time for celebrations, not reflections on the past." Sandy had no idea that his son had already gone through such a horrible thing, but he was engaged now and he needed to focus on the future.

"It might be the past for her, but this is all new to me." He said bitterly, almost angry with his father for not feeling sorry for him.

"Well you still proposed and she accepted. What am I not getting?" Sandy needed him to explain.

"Yes, I proposed. I've wanted to make Summer my wife since I was ten years old. Nothing could ever stop me from feeling that way. Then before she accepted, she dropped this bombshell on me. It turns out that while she was on the road with G.E.O.R.G.E., she had been sleeping with one of the other representatives. She said she didn't want to start a life with me unless I knew."

Sandy was speechless. Although he knew exactly how this felt, he also knew that no words in the world were going to make him feel any better at this moment. He could see the hurt, anger and shock all over Seth's face. "I never wanted you to feel this type of pain. It's truly the worst thing to go through." Sandy didn't want to push him, but knew Seth didn't travel all this way to keep quiet. "Tell me what happened after she told you."

Seth sighed, knowing he had to talk about it. He knew his father could empathize. "I was so excited, you know? I never imagined that such an important moment in our lives would turn out so disastrous." He looked back up at his father, hoping he was going to have some magic solution to forget that this ever happened. "Never in my life have I felt so betrayed and that is quite an accomplishment since I pretty much grew up with zero friends."

"Seth..." Sandy started. He just wanted to make Seth understand that this type of thing is something that will take time to heal.

"There I am down on one knee, shocked beyond belief and all I want her to do is say yes. So after she told me, I just repeated the question. I still want to marry her. Nothing is going to change that feeling. I love her, but now all I keep asking myself is if she loves me."

Sandy wanted to comfort his son, but knew the only person that was going to be able to do that was Summer. "I can sit here and tell you that it is all going to work out, but that would be a complete lie."

"I know."

"There was a phase where I really didn't think your mother and I were going to get through what she did. It wasn't about forgiving. I knew I could forgive her because I knew she was truly sorry. That wasn't something that came right away either. It took months of her proving how sorry she was, but the forgetting part and the reassuring of her love was what stood in our way."

"What am I supposed to do?" Seth asked defeated.

"No one is going to have that answer, but you. Only you can determine what is to happen. As much as I hate to say it, this isn't even about Summer anymore. This is about you and what you believe." Sandy knew this next question would determine a lot, even if Seth wasn't aware of it. "Do you believe she is truly sorry that it happened?"

"I don't know." He said sadly. "She told me so I guess that is supposed to count for something."

Sandy smiled. "You know, that was your mother's argument. She told me the truth instead of me finding out from somewhere else. I got to tell you, at the time, it didn't make me feel any better."

"Yeah." Seth agreed. "And now?"

Sandy thought about what to say before realizing that he should just speak the truth. "The fact that your mother and I made it through such a difficult time was a miracle. It really was. You are my son and I want to protect you. Understand that as I speak this next part."

Seth nodded, waiting for Sandy to continue.

"You cannot marry Summer until you are sure that you could live with what she did. Don't rush into this because there is so much to digest here. I don't want to see you get burned again. I think that is what I was so worried about with your mother. I didn't want her to pull the wool over my eyes again. I didn't want her to hurt me the same way again. You have to be that sure about that with Summer if you plan to marry her. You have to be sure that she is truly sorry and that she would never ever do this to you again. Because if there is an inkling of a doubt about that, your marriage will be a complete failure."

"I don't think I could ever be sure about that."

"Well then, there is your answer." Sandy said sadly.

"I mean, how could I ever be so certain of something?"

"It takes time and you will have to swallow your pride in great measures. But if you love her enough, you will give her a chance to prove herself to you. It's not going to be easy, but over time you will be able to tell if she is truly sorry and truly want to build a life with you."

"I never thought it a million years you felt like this at one time."

"I probably felt a lot worse considering we were married for almost twenty years and it happened over a long period of time."

Seth felt terrible for his father at that moment. The office phone ringing pulled him out of his thoughts, but when Sandy made now move to answer it, he spoke up. "You can get it."

"It's okay." Sandy wanted to make sure nothing was more important that him right now.

"Dad, It's okay. I'm the one that interrupted you day."

Sandy looked at the display on the phone and saw it was Kirsten calling. He didn't want to hide anything from Seth. "It's your mother."

"Don't tell her I'm here." Seth pleaded. He definitely didn't want to have this conversation with her. With this entire thing happening, he found himself angry at Kirsten all over again. It was like she and Summer were on the same team now.

Sandy gave him a look, but understood why he made such a request. "Hey."

"I'm surprised you are still there. Ryan is here so I was hoping you were on your way home." Kirsten said over the phone.

"Actually..." He looked over at Seth and saw the desperation in his eyes. "I'm going to have to cancel tonight."

"What? Why? Is everything okay?" Kirsten knew something had to be going on if Sandy was canceling their date.

"Yeah. I'm probably going to be home late so eat without me."

"Sandy, you're acting really weird." She knew Sandy too well and decided for a different approach. "Can you not talk right now?" Maybe he was with someone.

"Exactly." He cryptically responded.

"Okay. You're sure you're okay?"

"Yes, everything is fine. I'll see you tonight. I'll call if I am going to be really late."

Once he hung up, Seth spoke. "Thanks. I really didn't want to deal with Mom right now."

Sandy got up and started putting on his coat. "Come on, let's get some dinner and some beers. It looks like you could use both."

Once they were seated the waitress came over to take their drink order. "Two drafts and two shots of Tequila." Seth ordered for the both of them.

Sandy gave him a look. "You know if it's going to be one of those nights, you are going to have to face your mother because she is going to have to be our ride home."

"I really don't care at this point."

Sandy was worried, but knew Seth needed to release some steam. They ate dinner and were doing some serious drinking at the table. The place wasn't crowded so they weren't in rush to get up and move to the bar. It was probably a good thing since neither of them would have been too solid on their feet.

They spoke about Seth's situation, but Sandy knew eventually he was going to ask about his own personal experience sooner or later.

"I just want Summer to feel as hurt as I do. You know?" He asked, picking up his beer as the liquid swished over the sides.

"Unfortunately, that doesn't work." Sandy stated from his own knowledge.

"Come on. It's got to make you feel better. I certainly can't feel worse. Revenge is completely underrated."

"I'm telling you, it's a waste of time." Sandy said knowing he was drunk, since he was even entertaining having such a personal conversation with his son. "I was so mad at your mother, I thought that was my best option. Sadly I was wrong."

"You mean Nicole?"

"I never thought you would have remembered her name, but yes. That is exactly what I mean."

"Oh please, that had to make you feel better. She had to make you feel like you worth something."

Sandy never thought Seth would feel worthless. Kirsten never made him feel like that. She may have made him feel insecure about a million things at the time, but never worthless. He realized his situation was different because he had Seth and Ryan at the time and they filled the hole that Kirsten left right in the center of his heart.

"Seth, please don't feel that way. You are anything but worthless. If you want to get through this, you have to be strong. You have to give yourself some credit. You are a wonderful person that did nothing wrong."

"Then why did this happen? How could she does this to me?" He said raising his voice a bit. The bar was loud so nobody heard them, but Sandy could sense the tension he was feeling.

"There is no rhyme or reason to any of it. It seems simple. If she loved you, then this would never have happened. Unfortunately love is not simple. There are a million other things that factor in. There's a simple solution though."

Seth picked up another shot glass and motioned for his father to do the same. Once Sandy picked his up, he clanked his glass to Sandy's. "Well, I hope you are going to tell me what that is."

They downed their fourth shot of the evening and Sandy was feeling beyond drunk. He wasn't a seasoned drinking twenty-something like Seth. He hardly every drank this much. "If you love her, you will work on forgiving her. If she loves you, she will kill herself proving that to you. If you don't try and she doesn't begin proving herself, you definitely shouldn't entertain ideas of marriage."

"How am I suppose to work on forgiving her and how will I know if she is doing her job in proving herself? It's not like I ever learned this sort of thing before. How did you know that staying with mom was the right thing to do?"

Sandy thought long and hard of how to answer. He took his time sipping his beer that he certainly did not need at the moment. He knew Seth didn't want to hear that it just felt right. He wanted concrete proof, not something intangible. "You are going to be sorry you asked."

"Don't worry. I'm wasted right now and I am going to try and pretend that you're not speaking about my mother."

"Okay. Well for one thing she never let a day go by where she didn't acknowledge what she did. She never tried to ignore the situation. She never lied about anything after that, no matter how much she knew it might hurt me. She told me that coming clean to me was the hardest thing she ever did and I believe that. It couldn't have been easy."

Seth was intently listening as Sandy continued.

"Believe it or not, she accepted my relationship with Nicole even though I knew it killed her. I liked that it hurt her feelings, but she did nothing to retaliate when I knew she could have with Carter. She wanted us to survive so badly that she watched me try to move on and form another relationship and actually supported it. She hated it, but accepted it for my sake. She knew what I needed and she granted me all the space and time I needed."

"Wow. I never knew that."

"Yeah, well as hard as it was for me, it was hard for your mother too."

"I never really thought about it from her perspective."

Sandy grabbed another shot glass off the table, handing it to Seth. "You're going to need this for the next part." Seth took it and Sandy picked up one for himself and they downed another. "We slept with each other the night of your launch party. Do you remember that? It wasn't too long after she told me the truth. I couldn't help myself. I just missed her so much that I didn't care. After that, she had no expectations of me. She just let me be and we behaved like that for an entire year. Through all the fighting, we still wanted to be with one another. She never pushed for more, never asked for more. She just sat by and waited patiently. It wasn't easy for her."

Sandy looked at his watch and noticed it was much later than he expected. "We need to call your mother for a ride. I can't drive."

"Okay."

Sandy made a call and thankfully Ryan was still there. Kirsten seemed a little annoyed that Sandy blew her off to get drunk with some friends. Sandy knew she would understand once she saw that Seth was with him.

Sandy picked up his beer and continued where he left off. "All I can say is make sure she is sorry and make sure she really loves you because if there is any doubt in your mind now, you will carry that with you for the rest of your life."

"Do you think I should call off the engagement?"

"Do you still want to marry her?"

Seth thought long and hard before he answered, weighing everything together. "Yes. I love her too much."

"Then I would wait before you start making plans. Stay engaged and make sure this is it for you."

"Should I ask her about it? Do you think I should find out the details?"

Sandy chuckled, feeling the effects of the alcohol. "I remember asking your mom to detail every bit and piece of her affair with Jimmy. I hated listening to it and it hurt to hear her speak the way she did, but I think it helped. I think what I was imagining was a lot worse. Of course, I am speaking about this years later and with a lot of alcohol in my system."

Seth laughed. "Thanks Dad. I know it's probably not easy for you to talk about this." Seth looked at his watched and as the numbers blurred in front of his eyes, he didn't think he was this drunk. "Mom is going to kill us."

"I'm afraid so."

Kirsten pulled up to the bar Sandy said he was at, which was located right by the campus. When she saw him swagger out of the bar with his jacket thrown over his shoulder and a toothy grin her worry was quickly replaced by anger. How could he just blow her off? He opened the passenger side door and immediately noticed the pissed off look she threw in his direction.

"Don't be mad." He slurred. "I've got a very good excuse."

"You better." She said, starting to put the car in drive.

"Wait. We have to wait for someone. He's in the bathroom."

"Not only are you drunk, but now you have me chauffeuring around your colleagues."

Sandy waved his hand in the air. "No, this person is my excuse." He noticed her confused look and wanted to make her feel better. "You look gorgeous." He said smiling. He started to lean in, wanting to taste her lips.

"Sandy, I'm in sweats."

"You look gorgeous in anything and nothing. Are we going to have some alone time when we get home?"

She knew what he was asking. "Well, we would have if you didn't break our date. Now you are shit out of luck." She said, playing hard to get.

"You are going to eat those words." He said close to her lips.

She couldn't resist although he deserved to be punished. She met his lips and Sandy immediately turned it into a deep, rushed, passionate kiss. Just then the back door to the Rover opened up and Kirsten pulled back. She couldn't believe who she saw getting in the back seat.

"Hey Mom." Seth said in a singsong voice, which immediately told Kirsten that he was drunk too. "You two are really nauseating."

Kirsten passed a shocking look at Sandy and he finally spoke. "I told you, you were going to eat your words!"

She looked back at Seth. "What are you doing here? Are you okay?" When Seth started giggling uncontrollably, she continued. "I'll take that as a yes. Why are the two of you smashed right now?"

Seth suddenly stopped laughing, remembering why he was here in the first place. Summer. Sandy could sense his uncomfortable ness and spoke for him. "It's a long story Kirsten."

The ride home was filled with silence. Kirsten was dying to know what brought Seth to Berkeley, to find Sandy, and exactly what led them to drink so much. She could tell Seth didn't want to talk about it, but she would corner Sandy later.

"I'm going up to bed. Thanks again, Dad. I'll see you two in the morning." Seth said once they were home safe.

Ryan was sleeping on the couch and Sophie was tucked away in bed. "Ryan." Kirsten whispered. When Ryan stirred, Kirsten spoke softly. "Why don't you stay here tonight? Go upstairs and get some solid sleep. Okay?" Ryan just nodded and wordlessly made his way upstairs as well.

She turned back to Sandy and she saw him leaning against the foyer table. She made her way over to him and had a plan in mind. " You realize I have a million thoughts swirling in my mind." She said, hoping Sandy would just spill the beans. Her curiosity was going to kill her. She wrapped her arms around his middle and leaned in close to him.

"Do you of those thoughts include you and me naked?" His grin was contagious and she started to smile at his kooky behavior.

"Maybe, but that is not what I was talking about. What happened? Why is Seth here?"

Sandy's facial expression changed and he suddenly grew serious. He pulled away from Kirsten, knowing what he was going to disclose would hurt her feelings. "It's complicated and a part of me really doesn't want to tell you because it's going to bring back a lot of painful memories."

"Well, too bad you have to tell me then. Those are the rules when things concern our son." She said in a no nonsense tone.

Sandy took a deep breath, really feeling the affects of the alcohol in his system. "Is this going to affect what is going to happen later because I really want to get you upstairs right now."

"Sandy!" She scolded.

"Okay. Seth proposed to Summer and she told him that she cheated on him. He didn't know what to do and still gave her the ring. He came to me because I have had experience with this type of thing." He wasn't even looking at her now, knowing she didn't want to bring up the past and her biggest mistake. "He didn't know what to do. That is why he didn't return our calls. He is feeling humiliated and insecure and he needed someone to talk to it about."

She felt terrible. She knew her son was probably crushed and wished he could have turned to her. She knew that would never happen since she made the same mistakes. She knew it was something Sandy probably didn't want to think about either and suddenly felt bad for him as well. "So you guys decided to drink the problem away?" She asked, knowing that alcohol was not the solution.

He smiled. "No. We actually spoke about it before we got drunk. Then we grabbed some dinner and decided it was easier to talk about it if we were drunk."

She laughed at his reasoning. "Was it easier?"

"Surprisingly, yes. I hadn't thought about what happened in so long and he was firing all sorts of questions at me." He looked at her sympathetically, knowing she felt bad. "The alcohol definitely helped."

She made her way back over to him, feeling the need to reassure him. "Sandy, I love you. I know we hardly ever talk about what I did, but that doesn't mean that I don't think about it everyday."

"I know." He said, staring at his feet.

She took her hands and placed them on his face, forcing eye contact. "I'm haunted with what I did to you and how I hurt you. I will always be sorry for what I did, but I am so grateful that we are here now." She leaned in and kissed him hard.

Sandy pulled back and kept his eyes focused on her. "I know." He said, determined to let her know he believed her every word. "This is all so new for Seth. There is so much to digest. It took us years to get here."

"And where is here?" She said teasing him a bit.

He thought about how to answer her. "That you and I are not perfect, but we are perfect for each other."

"Good answer." She said, leaning in and kissing him again. "I love you and plan on proving that to you for the rest of my life."

He pushed her onto the couch as their kisses became more intense. "Prove it to me now." He said in between kisses.

"Here?" She was referring to the fact that they were in the middle of the living room and all three of their children were sleeping upstairs.

"Otherwise I won't be convinced." He said with puppy dog eyes.

"You are so adorable when you're drunk."

They eventually made their way upstairs and cleaned up any evidence that they had sex in a communal area of the house. Kirsten was sober enough to remember such things. She also woke up early the next morning, knowing Sandy was going to be nursing hangover.

As she walked down the steps, she felt the soreness between her legs. It only served as a reminder of the night they had. Sandy always had a lot of stamina when he was drunk. It wasn't often they had sex more than once in an evening, let alone three times. Kirsten wanted to give him as much as he could take. She didn't want him to ever doubt her feelings for him.

When she made her way into the kitchen, she saw Seth seated at the table with his head in his hands. She knew he must have been feeling hung-over as well. She wordlessly placed two Advil and a glass of water on the table in front of him. "If you look this bad, your father is going to feel like shit." She tried to make a joke.

"It seemed like such a good idea at the time." Seth answered back.

"Alcohol never makes your problems completely go away. They disappear for awhile, but they always come back to haunt you with a headache in the morning." She wanted to talk to him about Summer, but didn't know if she was in any position to do so. "Are you okay?"

"I guess Dad told you?" He asked.

"Not the details, but the some of the facts. I want to make sure you are okay, but I know I am the last person you probably want to talk to right now."

"That's not necessarily true." He spoke as he picked up the water and downed the Advil. "I don't think I ever truly understood what you and Dad had to overcome."

"Seth, it took a long time."

He ignored her, not needing a pep talk right now. "I always felt so sorry for Dad, but last night he explained to me how the whole thing affected you too. I guess I just never thought about that part of it."

Kirsten stood quiet, not wanting to interrupt her son.

"I don't know what I am supposed to do now." He looked to her for some magically solution.

"There's no rule book for this kind of thing, Seth. Every relationship is different. Every situation is different."

"I just don't know how she could do this, just like I never understood how you could have done that to Dad." He said sadly.

"I'm not going to make any excuses Seth. I'm finally at a place right now where your father knows how I feel about him and how I feel about what I did. If you want to get to this place with Summer, you have to stop dwelling on what she did and figure out how to fix it. It's not going to be easy and it is going to take a long time, but if it is meant to be then it will happen. That's all I can say."

"Thanks Mom."

The following year was filled with a range of emotions for Seth. He knew that he needed time to figure out what was going to happen and Summer actually understood that. As Sandy and Kirsten watched Seth go through such a traumatic period in his life, they revisited their own range of emotions. It was like they were living in the past through Seth's life.

Seth knew that Summer was sorry and that he needed to move past all of this to be happy. With Summer's reassurance and the support from Sandy and Kirsten, Seth decided to move forward with the wedding.

It wasn't until about a month before the ceremony where negative thoughts circled through Seth's head. Sometimes he just couldn't help it. They were leaving the next day for their bachelor/bachelorette parties and Seth was nervous that Summer would somehow misbehave. The girls, including Kirsten, were going to Arizona for a few days to spa and replenish. The guys were heading to Vegas for so much more debauchery.

"You better watch our son." Kirsten started with the list of things Sandy was to do at Seth's bachelor party. "I don't want him doing anything he is going to regret."

"Yeah? Well you better keep an eye on Summer and make sure that Seth's choice to marry her was not a mistake."

"We're going to a spa. You are going to Vegas. There's a big difference!"

"You have a point." Sandy said as he put the last of his things in his suitcase. "He'll be fine." Sandy reassured her.

She moved closer to him, wanting to gain his full attention. "You better behave too. I don't want you to team up with our son and plot revenge against Summer and I." She said.

He laughed at where her mind always drifted. "I promise to behave." He thought of what he could say to fire her up. "So are we going to set any ground rules here?"

She looked up at him shocked. "Ground rules?"

"You know, what I am allowed and not allowed to do?" He pushed on.

"I didn't know you had any urge to do anything." She was trying to gather her thoughts. "I guess touching is okay to you, but you can't touch anyone. Is that fair?"

Sandy started cracking up. He pulled her close, easing her fears. "I'm just kidding, but you are so cute." He kissed her openly and pushed her back onto their bed.

She could feel his growth beneath her, knowing where this was headed. She wanted to tease him back. She broke the kiss and started to push him off her. "Come on, let's go." She immediately saw the disappointment in his eyes. "We don't need Sophie catching us like this again. She is seven now and I am starting to think she knows what we are doing. That wrestling excuse is only going to get us so far."

He stared at her as she climbed off the bed. He couldn't believe she was going to leave him high and dry. "I can't believe you are going to send me to Vegas with a full tank here." He said staring at his erection.

Her eyes followed his and immediately knew what he meant. She climbed back over. "I had to get you back for your earlier comment."

"You're playing with fire, you know?" He teased.

Although going to separate places, both Sandy and Kirsten had the same agenda in mind. Kirsten knew what it was like to be truly sorry for her actions and wanted to make sure Summer was as well. She loved Summer, but Seth was her son and she didn't want to see him get hurt again. She hoped she and Summer would be able to get some one on one time.

Sandy knew what it felt like to be betrayed and knew Seth battled with this for a while as well. He wanted to make sure that he has completely forgiven Summer. He wanted to make sure he was going into this marriage with a clear head. He knew it would take a lot of alcohol, but he hoped to find an opportunity for Seth to open up.

It was the second day at the spa when Kirsten found her opportunity with Summer. They just finished their massages and were lying by the pool, taking in the sun.

"So, any gitters?" Kirsten asked.

Summer looked over, wondering what Kirsten was getting at. "Nope. Not really. I thought I would be more nervous, but I'm not. I really can't wait to marry Seth."

"That good to know." Kirsten replied, not knowing how to phrase this next part. "I know what happened between you and Seth last year."

"I figured you did." Summer said. "I just thought you would have brought it up sooner."

She smiled at her honesty. "I didn't know how."

"I'm sorry." She didn't know what else to say. She apologized to Seth a million times, but never thought how this would affect Kirsten or Sandy.

"Summer, I'm in no position to judge you. You and I both know that. It's just that Seth is my son and I really want him to be happy. I don't want him to spend his entire life worrying about the kind of wife you are going to be."

"You know, I've learned two things from this whole thing. One, no matter how many times I apologize to him, it still isn't going to take away what I did. I thought it would, but I now realize the amount of hurt I caused cannot be rectified by words."

"Well that's a start."

"The second thing is that through this whole thing I know that I really love Seth. I really, really want to be his wife and I'm just lucky he is giving me the chance. I will spend the rest of my life reassuring him of that if it means we can move on. I know it is going to take time, but one day he will hopefully understand the level of my sorrow."

As Kirsten listened to Summer, she felt as if Summer was actually talking about her. She knew that it took time, but she and Sandy were finally at that point. Over time, he didn't look at her with a hint of skepticism or worry. He looked at her with just pure love in his eyes. She could only hope that they would make it because she knew how rare it was. "I just want to make sure you are going to commit yourself to this marriage, no matter how hard it gets."

Sandy's approach with Seth was completely different than Kirsten's. Their trip to Vegas was definitely a little more than he admittedly could handle. Seth, Ryan and two of Seth's college buddies were completely out of control. They were going out at midnight, strolling in at eight in the morning from places Kirsten would kill him if she ever found out they were in, sleeping all day and drinking and smoking more pot than he ever imagined was possible. By the third day, Sandy was exhausted.

His phone woke him up from his evening nap. When he looked at the clock, he groaned. How could he go out again? He knew that was why his phone was ringing.

"Sandy, we're leaving in forty five minutes."

"Ryan, I think I am officially waving the white flag. I don't think my body can take it."

"Sandy, it's the last night. How many times are we going to get to do this?"

"I'm hoping only once more when you get married."

"Tonight is something you are not going to want to miss."

"Yeah, that is what you said the past two nights." Sandy said skeptically.

"Yes, but tonight we are going somewhere different." Ryan said hoping Sandy wouldn't wimp out.

Sandy got his drift immediately and knew Ryan was planning on going to a strip club. He overheard them excitedly talking about it the night before. Not that he wanted to be put in this type of situation, but his mind wandered elsewhere. "I'll meet you in the lobby."

"I'll be at the poker tables."

"I should have known."

Once they were sipping cocktails in the limo, Sandy eased into the whole thing. "I can't believe you guys want to go to a place like this."

Since it was Ryan's idea, he spoke first. "It's tradition Sandy. We have to make sure Seth sees it all before he ties the knot."

"Whoa. I didn't say anything about seeing it all. I can't believe you agreed to come." Seth said back to Sandy.

"For your information, I went to this same gentleman's club for my own bachelor party."

Seth jumped on this. "First of all, who calls them gentleman's clubs anymore? And second, I really hope the same dancers are no longer employed."

Once inside, Sandy once again felt his age. These women looked so young and all he kept thinking was that he wanted his Kirsten. It had been a long time since he had been away from her for this many days.

All the guys took a seat in the corner and started downing tequila shots. He didn't know what type of arrangement Ryan made but the shots kept appearing and so did the women. Ryan had his hands full with the amount of lap dances and made sure Seth was busy as well. Sandy shrugged the few away that came his way, but the guys were insistent on letting him enjoy one or two.

He kept his hands placed firmly on the arms of the chair he was sitting in, granting Kirsten her wish. No touching.

Sandy kept his eyes focused on Seth, wondering what his plans were for tonight. He knew that since he was the bachelor, tons of offers were coming his way. Ryan made sure of that too. Sandy knew in the back of his mind that if Seth made a move, he certainly wasn't ready to marry Summer. He knew revenge was tempting, but he also knew from experience, it wasn't going to make him feel any better. He would just have to wait and see how this whole thing plays out.

As the boys went to the bar, he stayed seated and pulled out his cell phone. He dialed a number that was forbidden, a pact made by the guys. "Hey sexy." He said in a deep voice.

"You broke the pact." She answered smiling. She was in bed, reading a book and enjoying the relaxing time she had. She knew Sandy wasn't doing any relaxing, judging by the noise in the background. "Where are you?"

"I'm at a club with the boys." It wasn't a total lie. "I've been thinking about you and how you are going to get it when I get home."

"Oh, you must be drunk." She replied.

"Maybe a little." He felt someone's hands on his shoulders, and making their way down his arms. He tried to turn around, but his face was met with a big pair of breasts.

"Would your baby blues like a dance?" A stripper whispered close enough to the phone so Kirsten could hear.

Sandy gently pushed the woman away and mouthed a 'no thank you', trying to focus his attention back on Kirsten.

"A club huh?" He heard her say.

"It's nothing. I'm drunk and wanted to talk to you. Plus, I'm having a tough time keeping my eyes on Seth."

"Okay." She said, wanting to end their conversation. She didn't want to hear anymore. "I'm going to go, but remember what I said. Keep your hands to yourself."

"My hands are waiting to do unimaginable things to you." He didn't hear her respond. "I love you. I'll always love you."

"Me too. See you tomorrow."

Once Seth came back and took a seat next to Sandy, he couldn't help but make fun of his father. "I can't believe you called mom. You are so whipped."

"You better hope to be half as whipped as me. It's a great life, Seth."

Just then a dancer walked over to Seth and straddled his lap. Seth looked uncomfortable and Sandy held an amused expression. "I heard you are the handsome bachelor."

"That is I." Seth responded.

"How about we go somewhere a little more private? The clock is ticking until you are tied down and cannot entertain such offers." She flirted.

Just like his father, he gently pushed her away. "That is very kind of you and as tempting as that is, I'm going to have to pass."

The girl got up and moved on to her next victim. Sandy knew this was his opportunity. "You know, I don't want to act a certain way just because I'm here."

Seth picked up his drink. "What do you mean?"

"I'm not condoning this, but if you have any urges to get revenge, you should do it now before it's too late." Sandy didn't want to see his son do anything stupid, but he had to dangle the bait to see if he would take it.

Seth followed Sandy's eye over to the girl that was sitting on his lap moments before. He knew what he meant. "I thought you said revenge wouldn't taste so sweet."

"That for me to know and you to find out."

"I don't need to find out." He answered almost immediately.

Sandy was relieved. He knew Seth as ready to be a husband. "Good."

"I know how badly it hurt to be betrayed and I would never, ever want to hurt Summer like that. She is my world and I would do anything to protect her."

Sandy knew right then and there that he and Kirsten raised Seth to be a good man. He hated that he wasn't more like Seth when it came to his situation. He was never more proud of Seth.

The next evening Sandy flew home, knowing Kirsten was already there. She was supposed to pick up Sophie from her friend's house and spend some quality time with her. It was later than he anticipated getting home, hating that Sophie would probably already be in bed.

He entered their bedroom and saw the most important women in his life snuggled together. He walked over to the edge of the bed watching them in silence, taking in the image. He leaned down and lightly kissed Kirsten's forehead. Her eyes fluttered open and she smiled sweetly at his presence.

"Hey."

"Hey." He whispered back. His eyes drifted back to Sophie.

"She wanted to see you so I told her she could wait in here until you got home."

Sandy just nodded and slowly picked Sophie up off the bed. She was barely awake when she spoke. "Daddy."

"Hi baby. I'm home now so you can go to bed. I'll take you."

He started walking out of the room, when Kirsten heard Sophie start firing off a few questions. First about his vacation, then about Seth and Ryan and finally about what they were going to have for breakfast in the morning. Kirsten just laughed, knowing she wasn't fully awake.

When Sandy returned to their room, he stripped himself down to his boxers and crawled into bed next to Kirsten. "God, I missed you." He said into her neck as he left a few butterfly kisses.

"Yeah? How were the strippers?" She had to tease him and giggled to herself when she felt him tense up.

"Quite tame actually."

"No touching?" She asked.

"No touching." He promised. "Besides I spent the entire evening making sure Seth didn't do anything stupid."

"He didn't, did he?" She asked, pulling away from Sandy a bit so she could look into his eyes.

"Not at all. He actually surprised me. I thought he was..." He thought about how much he could tell Kirsten without her completely freaking out. "We did good with him. We raised a good man."

"Well, he takes after his father." She said leaning in a kissing him softly.

They lay there in silence, both their minds occupied with similar thoughts. Seth really loved Summer, probably as much as Sandy loved Kirsten. She was glad her son behaved since she now knew how Summer felt. She was glad that they were going to make it.

Her mind drifted to what she did and for probably the billionth time in her life, she hated herself for the mistakes she made. She looked back at Sandy, seeing he was in deep thought. "I'm so sorry, Sandy. I hate that I hurt you and ..."

He put his index finger over her lips to stop her from going any further. "I know." He thought about all the apologies she had given him over the years. "I know. You don't have to keep apologizing for my sake. I know you are sorry. You have proved that to me a million times over. I truly believe that with all my heart now."

"I'm never going to forgive myself. I always am going to remember the hurt and pain I caused in your life. I don't think it will ever go away."

He didn't say anything, knowing no words were going to change those feelings.

"You amaze me everyday." She continued. "It takes a real man to do what you did. I know that it wasn't easy for you and that's what makes you my miracle. You in my life is a miracle I wake up to everyday."

He looked down at her and the tears in his eyes threatened to spill over. "Kirsten, I don't want you to look at me like that. Our miracle is right inside that other room, sleeping soundly right now. We made that miracle because both of us fought hard to make it a reality."

"Thank you for giving me a chance to be here now."

"Thank you for fighting so hard."

"God Sandy, I love you so much."

"I love you too."

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I know this ride has been extremely long and I love each and every one of you who stuck through all the angst and drama. Please leave a review because they do mean the world to me.