A/N: Where to begin? I'll start with an enormous apology to any and all returning readers. I never intended to take such a long break. My husband and son both required surgery earlier this year and that threw me for a loop. Then, trying to get back into these characters after months away posed a whole new set of challenges. Somewhere in my subconscious they just went ahead on with their lives and left me in the dust.

This story was originally outlined to be a medium length love story with a bit of angst thrown in the middle. Now it's kind of more than that. Actually, a lot more. So I'm adding this Disclaimer: This story will contain scenes where the characters do questionable things. Yell at them, not me. And there will be talk of rape, suicide, murder, cheating and some other dark subjects, so if those are possible triggers for you, this story is not for you.

New readers, welcome and thanks so much for choosing to read this fic!

Returning readers, I'm sorry for the long break. Thank you so much for choosing to give this fic a second chance!

Bella squinted her eyes against the elevator's harsh fluorescent lights to check her wavering reflection one more time. She was thankful that her friend Alice had both fashion sense and common sense. The heather-gray Jersey cotton wrap dress had traveled much better than expected. Thanks to a quick pit-stop in the airport bathroom before her cab ride here, nobody would be able to tell that she had just weathered a three-hour flight from Seattle packed between hordes of rabid football fans.

With the holidays in full swing and the playoff season just around the corner, Seattle fans were rushing to Chicago to watch them face off against the Bears this coming Sunday. The challenge and expense of amending her itinerary almost made her reconsider her decision to extend her normal 3-day weekend visit to a whole week. However, Mike hadn't been able to visit last month due to obligations with work, and she was starved for some real time together; movie nights, take out dinners on the couch, coffee before work and lazy Saturday mornings in bed like the ones they used to spend together during college.

She had tapped into her rainy-day account to prepare for the trip, wanting to make it special and memorable for both of them. Her heart took a few double beats in anticipation of Mike's reaction to her surprise. They had originally made plans for him to pick her up from O'Hare at lunch time on Thursday. Instead, she had reservations for a Tuesday night dinner at Shaw's Crab House and then, if the weather held, they could take a walk along the Navy Pier. Of course, if it was too windy they could come back here and spend the evening in bed. She would take either option. Or both.

She hadn't alerted Mike to her change of plans. She hadn't told him about many of the ideas that were percolating in her head. The truth was, the months of separation and increasingly stilted phone calls were taking their toll. Even before their engagement nine months ago she was seriously considering looking for local job prospects. Now, having experienced almost three years of jet-lagged weekends and too-short vacations, she was ready to take the leap and unite her life with his in every way that mattered. If she moved to Chicago, they could move up the wedding plans instead of waiting for Mike's boss to finally grant him the promotion and transfer to the Seattle office that he'd been dangling in front of him for the last two years. While living together in Seattle would have been ideal, being with him again was what she really wanted. They would regain their lazy Saturday mornings and every day in between.

Bella knew it would hurt to leave her friends, move further from her Dad and give up all the progress she had made at McCarty Commercial Partners. Emmett McCarty was set to inherit the four-generation real estate development firm and had taken her on as a wet-behind-the-ears college intern. Now, only three and a half years after graduation, she was a lead project manager. She knew that her rate of promotion was far faster than the norm which may have been due in large part to her friendship with Emmett and his wife, Rosalie. However, being part of a thriving family-owned company and tackling the challenges of her position had caused her to grow in ways she had never anticipated.

If she was being totally honest with herself, she knew the reason she hadn't spoken to Mike about moving to Chicago yet was because she could already anticipate his response and knew how much it would hurt. He had never been happy about her decision to stay behind in Seattle after graduation. Neither of them had wanted the strain of a long distance relationship and Mike had gone so far as to remind her that his Chicago offers were much stronger than her prospects so she probably wouldn't even have to work. Having fought so hard to lay the groundwork for a career she could be proud of, it would tear her up inside to take a step back or away. Her fear that any part of him might feel vindicated by her decision to walk away from it all would only make the pain burn deeper.

But not as much as it would hurt to lose Mike, she thought.

From freshman study partners to dating their junior year, he had always been so sweet and fun. Their relationship didn't have quite the fire and spontaneity of Alice's train of passionate love affairs, or the fierce, single-minded devotion she saw between Emmett and Rosalie, but there was warmth, comfort and trust between her and Mike. She couldn't stand spending so much time away from him.

The chime of the elevator broke through her reverie. The elevator doors opened to reveal the 17th floor foyer which included a small sitting area in front of an electric hearth. Floor-to ceiling windows on either end of the hall gave her a breathtaking view of the evening skyline and dazzling city lights. She adjusted the strap of her purse and settled her coat more comfortably over her arm before grabbing the handle of her suitcase and wheeling it across the plush sitting area. This was her first visit since Mike moved into his new apartment six weeks earlier and she was impressed. The earth-toned décor was simple and clean with charcoal sketches of local architecture lining the walls. The entire area had an easy, reassuring feel.

Bella stopped in front of #1703 and took a deep breath before raising her hand to knock. In that quiet moment between the exhalation of her last breath and her knuckles striking the wood, an unfamiliar sound made her freeze. At first, she was sure she had the wrong door, but she had mailed several care packages here and the address was clear in her mind. There it was again. . . a high, feminine laugh. Only this time it was echoed by one so familiar that her heart throbbed with a sudden, tearing pain.