Eddie sat there and could not believe what had just happened. After 10 years of not hearing from her, Rory decided to put in an appearance. Wow, talk about a blast from the past. He honestly did not know what had ever happened with her. He had heard several things, but with not hearing it from her, he did not know what to believe. Now sitting here he was not sure what to do. He knew he had to tell Janet that she was in town. They were married after all and had a baby on the way. He loved Janet more than he ever thought possible to love someone else. Janet had taught him that real love was worth fighting for. The last year and half had been the best Eddie could ever remember having. He loved Janet with everything he had and Rory would just have to accept that. She had had her chance twelve years ago and she had left with no word or warning what so ever.

Eddie picked up the phone and dialed the home number. Janet answered on the second ring.

She said "hey babe, what is up?"

Eddie says, "I am on my way home for lunch."

Janet says, "great, I will fix you something yummy."

Eddie says, " I am not all that hungary. There is something I need to tell you.

Janet knowing the tone of his voice, knows that it can't be all that good.

She just says to him, "alright I will be waiting when you get here."

Over the next fifteen minutes or so Janet thinks of what it could possibly be that Eddie would come home for lunch for. It must be very important for that to happen.

At that time Eddie comes in the door and goes over to where Janet is standing at the sink. He reaches his arms around her and gives her a hug and brushes his lips on her cheek. Janet just love when he does that. He then turns her around and rubs her tummy and says "how is baby Latekka doing this afternoon?" Janet tells him "that she has been very active for most of the day." Eddie smiles and says, "we must have a football player in there." Janet agrees that there is someone very active in there.

Janet enjoys him holding her for a little while longer, then brings up the subject of what he has to tell her.

Eddie gets this serious look on his face and says, "you are not going to like what I have to tell you."

He continues. " this morning, I was sitting at my desk when someone came through the front door of BFW. I looked up and standing there before me was Rory Dunlap."

Janet just stares at him for a moment, then it clicks as to who Rory is. She knows that Eddie loves her and that she has nothing to worry about, so she says," what was up with her?"

Eddie says, "I did not say much to her, I told her that I could not talk with her right now. I told her that I would met her later and we could talk about what is not going to happen."

Janet says," you can't be serious.?" Eddie says, "Honey, you know that I love you more than life itself. I just need to tell her what is happening for us and that there is not a chance in hll for us to reconnect and pick up where we left off twelve years ago."

Janet says,"alright I get that, but just remember who loves you most."

Eddie says, " I know and you remember who loves you more than that, ME, and don't ever forget it."

He then says, "well I had better go get this over with."

Janet gets up and goes over to where he is standing and reaches up and pulls his face down to her and gives him a kiss that tells him that he had better hurry and get back home. He wraps his arms around her and just holds her for a few minutes. He says, "I had better get this over with." With that, he leans over and hugs her and kisses her one last time. As he he walking out the door he turns around and says "I love you, Janet."

Janet just smiles and nods her head at his loving tone.

Eddie is thinking on his way to Sully's about what he is going to tell Rory. He does not want to hurt her, but he has moved on. He is so happy where he is at with his life right now. If Rory had come back a few years ago, he don't know what he would have done. But he does know this, he loves Janet and their baby and will do absolutely nothing to mess that up.

He walks in the door at Sully's and see Rory sitting at a back booth. He motions her over to where he is, a booth right up front where he can see who comes in and who see him with her.

Rory smiles at him and gets up to give him a hug, he backs off and just sits down.

Rory not sure what is going on says"what is wrong with you?"

Eddie cannot believe her. He says, " you come back here after ten years and expect to pick up where you left me then?" "Well I have moved on." "I am now married and we have a baby on the way. I cannot give you what you want."

Rory says, "how do you know what I want?"

Eddie says, " I know that you came back here hoping for us to get together again."

Rory looks at him in disbelief, and says, "are you kidding me?"

Eddie is surprised at her reaction and thinks that this is going to be better than he thought.

Eddie says to her " OK supoose you tell me why you are here after all these years."

Rory says, "first of all, I did love you back then. I just could not stay in love with you. Instead of telling you this I just thought it would be better for me to just leave. I now the way I left was not right, but I was wanting to get out of here. I knew that you would never leave the Ridge and I did not want to be here for ever. So, I did what I thought was best for me. I was not thinking of anyone else but myself. I did not think how hurt you would be. For that I am truly sorry. I never meant to hurt you. I guess you could say that I am selfish and only think of myself." She gets quiet for a moment and Eddie can hardly believe what he is hearing her say. Part of him is happy about it and the other part of him is pssed that she could be that self centered and not have thought about what her leaving would do to him.

Rory continues, " I am just back here to say what I should have said all the years ago. I am truly sorry if I hurt you."

Eddie says, "it took you long enough to realize that you hurt me." He continues, " I thank you for finally telling me that it was not me, but your own selfish idea that I would be better off without you. I have to tell you that you were so right there. I have a beautiful wife and a baby on the way and for that I thank you. You made me realize that, yes, the Ridge is where I wanted to be. If I had of left, I would not have met Janet and fell in love with her and I would not be going to be a daddy in a few months."

Rory says to him, "well I never expected that."

Eddie tells her "if that is all you have to say, I have someplace I need to be."

Rory says, "you think you could give me some time after all these years."

Eddie tells her, "I don't think so." With that he gets up and starts to leave, he turns around and goes back to where she is sitting and leans over and give her a hug and says "THANK YOU."

With that he walks out the door and heads home to his lovely wife. He can barely keep his excitement under wraps. He gets home and see the house is dark. He lets himself in the door and does not see Janet anywhere. He makes his way into the bedroom, and sees his beautful wife laying there sound asleep. She is just so beautiful, not only in sleep but always. She is laying there facing his side of the bed with his pillow under her cheek. Her hand is resting on her belly and she has a smile on her face. Eddie wonders how he could ever be this lucky and have what he has. Eddie decides to call it a day. He gets undressed and crawls into bed with Janet. She senses that he is there and snuggles in closer to him. He reaches out wraps his arms around her pulls her closer. He thinks to himself as he is drifting off to sleep that he will tell Janet about his conversation with Rory in the morning. As he is falling asleep, he is thinking that life can't get any better than this. He proceeds to fall asleep with the loves of his life beside him.

THE END