Los Angeles-4 Months Ago

It rained today; rain seemed to be a fitting choice as Addison Forbes Montgomery buried the love of her life. She stood in her all Black Prada dress, her matching umbrella shielding her along with 3 scared children, two standing beside her and one on her hip as the two caskets were lowered into the ground. She stood there in silence as she was greeted with condolences from her friends and colleagues, their friends and colleagues. Jake didn't have very many relatives aside from his 3 sisters so the funerals were small. She keeps forgetting that there were 2 of them that died, she keeps forgetting about Angela. Damn, life sure seemed to enjoy throwing her curveballs, didn't it? She never thought she'd be a widow, hell, she never even prepared for a divorce, not with Jake. She was sure that their love would last forever this time; unfortunately, he ended up being just another man that Addison Forbes Montgomery had loved and then lost. She's drawn out of her self-loathing state when she feels a pair of hands tugging on her dress.

Henry.

Henry is looking up at her with those eyes of his, eyes that have over the years come to remind her of Jake even though he was neither of their son biologically. He still doesn't quite understand what is happening; neither does 3-year-old Raphael. Both boys have been forever impacted by this sick, cruel thing we call life and neither is old enough to understand why.

"Mama, when's daddy coming home?" Henry is the one to ask the question this time, and each time hurts more and more. She can't quite squat down and get on his level like she wants to, not with 9-month-old Isabella in her arms gnawing at her pearl necklace. She does the best that she can and leans forward, cupping his chin with her finger and tells him,

"He isn't honey; daddy isn't coming home, ever,"

South America-3 Weeks Earlier

Jake misses Angela terribly; he still can't understand why his baby girl decided to move to South America of all places. He sighs heavily as he sits on his 12-hour flight to Brazil while scrolling through pictures on his phone. He stops on the most recent one of himself, Addison, and Henry at his pre-school graduation and smiles. It seems like just yesterday he was watching Addison proudly parade the boy around the practice. It seems like only just yesterday that he was signing the adoption papers to legally become Henry's father.

Damn, time sure does fly fast.

He smiles when he looks at how proud Addison looks in the picture; she's literally the perfect mother. His heart swells with pride as he thinks about how wonderful his wife is and thanks his lucky stars (God his mother would correct him) that he's been blessed to have this wonderful, beautiful woman in his life. He plans on it staying that way too, even though he knows that she has a deep underlying fear that things will become like a routine to them and they'll fall apart, just like they did with Derek. She's afraid that suddenly he'll realize that fatherhood isn't what he wants and he'll back out like Sam. She's afraid that her money and titles will scare him away like they did Kevin; but not without Archer's help of course.

She's even got this crazy idea that he'll suddenly become a whore and break her heart by falling in love with another, much younger woman; both Derek and Mark did that to her. He tells her she's crazy and calms her fears each time, reassuring her over and over again that he won't leave her. All he can think about is there here and now. Right now, he's on his way to Brazil to visit his daughter and two grandchildren. Don't get him started about how unhappy he is about having a grandson that's a year younger than his son.

oOoOo

"Dad, come on, it'll be fun, I promise!" Angela is trying to get him to go White water rafting with her. Jake is a rather adventurous man but, something about this just doesn't seem right.

"I don't know Ang; why don't I stay here with Raphael and Isabella? You go on and have fun with your friends," Jake suggests, glancing back at where his grandchildren are happily playing on the beach with some of Angela's friend's children.

"Dad, live a little; I'll bet you if Addison was here-"

"Oh trust me, Addison wouldn't go anywhere near a raft," Jake says with a chuckle; he's right, he knows his wife very well.

"Come on, dad, do it for me, please?" Angela is begging and he hates it when she begs; it takes him back to her being five years old again.

He sighs heavily, glances back at his grandkids who are happily playing on the beach nearby and decides,

"Why the hell not? You only live once, right?" Angela lets out a whoop of victory before she's handing Jake all of the necessary safety equipment he'll need.

Little do they know, they won't return from their trip…

oOoOo

It's summertime in Los Angeles and as usual, the practice is hosting their annual picnic in the park for their patients. Griffith Park is absolutely spectacular at Sunset with its luscious shrubbery and plush green grass. The sky has been wonderfully clear today with a cool breeze to top off what has been a perfect day. With the success of the practice over the last few years, they've made it a tradition to show their clients how much they appreciate them by hosting a fun day in the park. The practice has expanded greatly since they dissolved Oceanside Wellness and opened Seaside. Their clientele has quadrupled, revenue is flowing more than ever, doctors have been lining up to work for them, and the press surrounding the practice has been great. Charlotte loves it; press for the practice means press for the hospital.

At first, Addison was afraid of expanding the practice because she wasn't sure what kind of people she'd end up hiring, but expanding the practice has been one of the best decisions she's made. Sure, the practice isn't as cooperative as it was before, but it all worked out for the good. The new members of the practice have become part of her family as well, but it's the original crew-Sam, Naomi, Violet, Pete, Cooper, Charlotte, Amelia, Jake and Sheldon that hold her heart. It's the reason they all sit on the board of directors. She trusts them, knows that they have her best interest as well as the practice's best interest at heart.

In fact, it was Pete's idea that they start doing this, showing their patients how much they appreciate them and how much they care. They've been hosting this fun day for the last two years and each year continues to get bigger and bigger. The fun day is in full swing with lots of food, games and family entertainment. Families are gathered everywhere and the day is going perfectly. The doctors of the practice are sitting together underneath a tent chatting and preparing for their fundraiser gala that's scheduled to happen later on tonight. Everyone is occupied, either with their families or with preparations for tonight. Everyone that is except Addison; she's standing just outside of their little tent watching everything and thinking, thinking about Jake.

He's been in South America visiting Angela and the kids for two weeks now and she misses him like crazy. This is the longest they've ever been away from one another in the four and a half years they've been married. Of course, she understands that Angela is his daughter (she's hers too, has become the daughter she's always wanted in the last few years) and that he needs to spend time with her. She wishes that she and Henry could have gone with him but, the practice needed her more. She just wishes that he'd hurry home, because when he gets home, boy does she have plans for him. Plans that involve Henry not being home for a few days…

She's jarred from her thoughts when she hears her cell phone ring; she grins when Jake's name appears on the screen.

"Hey you, I was just thinking about you; how's it going? How are Angela and the kids?" Addison has walked away from the tent, not wanting her friends to hear what is sure to become a racy conversation.

"Hello? Jake, are you there?" Addison is met with silence on the other end of the phone. That's weird; Jake is usually more talkative than this.

"Hello? Jake, babe, can you hear me?" Addison frowns; maybe he pocket dialed her or one of the kids was playing on his cell phone. She's just about to hang up the phone when another voice picks up, a voice that doesn't belong to Jake.

"Hello? Is this Mrs. Jake Reilly?" Something about the voice (it's foreign with a thick accent) sends chills down her spine.

"Yes, this is she; who is this? What's going on? Where's my husband?" There's a pause; the person on the other end of the phone takes a long sigh before speaking again.

"I'm so sorry to tell you this ma'am but…your husband's been in an accident,"

Chapter 2 to follow…

I'm baack…