Prologue

Medical Building near Nashville, Tennessee; January 4, 1991

Robbie Ray Stewart paced back and forth in front of a brown door. The halls were hospital white and everything around him had a sterile feel to it. He ran his fingers threw his lush mullet and inhaled deeply. He looked up at the ceiling hoping it held the answers he was looking for. 'God, please…I don't know if we're doing the right thing here, but please, please take care of my wife. I will never forgive myself if something happens to her.'

With his silent prayer finished, he dropped his eyes back to the door, then slowly reached forward and twisted the handle. When he opened the door, he saw one of the three things in this world that gave his life meaning…his beautiful wife Susan.

Robbie put a sweet smile on his face as he walked to the right side of her bed. "Hey there darlin. How are you feeling?"

Susan looked at Robbie with sad eyes. And carefully reached out her right hand to take his, making sure not to jar the IV in her wrist too much. She asked the one question that Robbie did not have an answer to. "Are we doing the right thing sweetheart?" she asked with eyes begging for reassurance.

Robbie sighed as he took a seat on the bed next to his wife. He shook his head and then looked at the bed sheets as he tried to avoid looking in his wife's eyes. "I don't honestly know the answer to that darlin. I hope we are. I have been over it a hundred times and I just don't see any other way out of this situation."

Robbie finally looked up to see a sight that he vowed on the day they wed that he would do everything in his power to keep from happening; Susan crying. He leaned forward and kissed tears off both of her cheeks. "Please don't do this darlin. We know the risks, but how can we worry about what might happen in the future when Jackson's well-being is very much the present?"

Susan took a deep breath and desperately tried to calm herself. She had been trying to maintain her composure and not show Robbie how much this was affecting her state of mind. "I know we have to take care of Jackson…but I had always hoped…" Susan left the statement hanging in the air.

Robbie brought his hand up to her face and gently rubbed his thumb over her cheek. "Oh darlin, I know you want more kids. And you know I'm okay with that. But we have to face the reality of right now. What I make right now singing is barely keeping food on the table. When we accepted your uncle's farm after he passed away, we had no idea what we were getting ourselves into. Even if I gave up trying to make it as a singer, we still couldn't make enough just running the farm to make ends meet, especially with the taxes and everything…" his voice trailed off as his head turned to look at the opening the door.

A nurse walked in and was slightly surprised to see that Susan had a visitor. "I'm sorry, but its time." She looked at the faces of the young couple in front of her and felt her heart constrict in her chest. Clearly these people were not involved with the program for the possible good it could do, but for the fast cash it would put into their pockets. And neither one of them seemed very happy with the idea.

As she took a step into the room she noticed Brooke's grip tighten on Robbie's hand and figured that another minute or two wouldn't hurt anything. "Oh, I just remembered that I have to get her chart. I'll be back in a minute or two." She said turning around and disappearing back out the door.

Robbie smiled gently as he figured the nurse was giving them a few more minutes to themselves. Robbie turned back to his wife and spoke from his heart. "Now you listen to me Susan Stewart. You can do this. A quick little surgery, they insert that thing-a-ma-gig and then you are sleeping with your boys by tomorrow night." Robbie leaned down to give his wife a gentle but re-affirming kiss. "You are my light darlin." he said stroking her cheek. "And that baby boy at my mother's is my pride." he slide his hand down to rest over her heart, "And someday, I just know that there's gonna be a little girl that's gonna be my hope."

Tears glistened in Susan's eyes as she desperately tried not to let them fall, but her husband's loving sentiment was making it a losing battle. As the tears stared running down her face, she leaned forward to grab Robbie's mullet and crash their mouths together in a heated kiss. After a few seconds, Susan pulled back and stared into her husband's eyes. "I don't know what I did in this life to deserve someone as loving as you, but I thank god everyday for my blessings."

Robbie Ray chuckled. "That's only because God didn't know what else he could give an angel." He leaned forward and placed his forehead against hers and brought their intertwined hands up to hold against his chest. "I love you darlin. Don't ever doubt that. And I think what you are doing for our family is incredible."

And that moment, the door opened once more. The nurse smiled as she walked in the room. "Okay, now it really is time to go." She walked over and started disconnecting Susan from all the monitoring devices in her room.

Robbie slowly got up from the bed and released his grip on his wife. "I'll be waiting for you." he vowed.

Susan smiled as the nurse prepared to wheel her bed towards surgery. "I know you will. I love you." she said as she was slowly wheeled out of the room.

Robbie stared at the door as his wife was taken to surgery. "I love you too." he said to the now empty room.

Medical Building in Los Angeles, California; January 7, 1991

Heather Truscott stared out the window of her room wondering if her husband was going to show up before she was taken to surgery.

Without warning, the door flew open. Suddenly, in the doorway stood her husband John Truscott, panting heavily.

He rushed over the bed and grabbed her hand. "F-ing traffic. I'm so sorry. I was trying my damnedest to get here as fast as I could." he apologized as she gently stroked his wife's hand.

Heather looked up and smiled. "Its all right. Not like there's anything to be nervous about, right?" she questioned with some uncertainty.

John smiled gently and leaned down to kiss her forehead. "No. Not a thing to worry about. You know that when this is over we will finally be able to afford that house on the beach we've been dreaming about."

Heather smiled lovingly. "I know. I can't wait." she said but then looked down at her bed. "Do you think after this is all over we can still have children?" she asked quietly.

John grabbed her hand and brought it up to softly kiss her knuckles. "Oh honey, I promise as soon as we get our living arrangements settled, try and make me keep my hands off of you." he answered with a huge grin and a wink.

Heather softly chuckled but then tensed up. "But what if…"

John put a finger to her lips to silence her. "No more worries. We take care of now and worry about tomorrow…tomorrow."

Heather took a deep breath and then nodded her head. "I love you."

John nodded his head. "Oh I know you do, but not nearly as much as I love you." As they finished their sentiments to each other, the door opened and two nurses entered the room.

"Alright Heather, it's time." said the smaller of the two. As they prepared to take her to surgery.

John stepped away from the bed and allowed the nurses room to work. "I'll be here." he promised as he watched his wife being ushered out of the room.