A few weeks had passed since Spencer had finally learned the real reason behind his parents split. To Diana, all the days since seeing her husband and son had seemed like one long day, so she didn't even give her calendar a glance.

If she had, she would have noticed that it was her birthday.

As she sat on the couch writing in her journal that afternoon, a nurse tapped her on the shoulder and said she had a phone call waiting for her. She smiled and went over to the phone where her son wished her a happy birthday. After a short conversation and promising to try and visit more, Spencer hung up and she returned to her journals. Other than a birthday cupcake, she didn't have any other expectations for the day.

So, that being the case, she was surprised when she was told that she had a visitor. Her surprise doubled when she found out that it was her husband.

Although shocked, she arranged her face into a pleasant smile.

"Hello, Will." It was quiet and polite. He smiled and nodded slightly.

"Diane."

"What are you doing here?" Her voice was flat.

"I came to wish you a happy birthday." She decided to take it at face value, even though she sensed something else going on.

"Thank you."

There were a few moments of awkward silence between them.

"How have you been?" He asked, unable to stand the quiet.

"The same, more or less." She shrugged. "What about you? How's work?"

He smirked. "The same. Some things never change." She reciprocated his smile before losing her own as the quiet settled in once more. They made small talk for a few minutes, but she couldn't help the anxiety building up inside of her. Finally, Diana couldn't take it any longer.

"Why are you really here, William? I know you wouldn't have come all this way just for me." She couldn't hide the disappointment in her voice. William felt a twinge of guilt in his heart.

"How do you know?" He held his ground, and she rolled her eyes.

"I'm not in the mood for games. Why are you here? Really?" Her tone was exasperated.

He shifted uncomfortably in his seat and said the first thing that came to his mind. "I missed you." It was the truth. He watched shock cross her face.

The words were simple, but effective. Diana felt old feelings trying to penetrate the layer of concrete she'd poured over her heart. She kept her face expressionless. "The time to miss me was over twenty years ago." She said, coldly.

"I know." His tone was full of remorse. It ignited her fury more than even she anticipated.

"You left. You left your son without a father, You left me without a husband, and now you miss me?!" Her voice was thick with righteous indignation. "I needed you. I needed you to stand by me even when I wasn't myself. You made a promise to me on our wedding day that you would honor and cherish me as long as we lived, and you took that promise, threw it away, and destroyed the life we built together like it all meant nothing to you. It may have been that way for you with work and all, but our family meant everything to me." Her voice cracked at the end. William accepted her criticism with ease. She took a moment and composed herself slightly. "You left. That's all there is to it." She was surprised by the vehemence in his reply.

"No. That's not all there is to it. Leaving you both was the worst mistake I ever made. I'm so sorry." Diana looked at him, surprised. "I shouldn't have left. It took me years to figure out that I missed out on two of the best things I ever did with my life. I know it can't make up for it, but I want to start over if you will let me. I'm not the weak man I was when I left you both. I've made a change. If nothing else, I just want to know if you can forgive me."

There had been a part of her locked away deep inside that had dreamed of hearing those words. She softened slightly.

It took her back to their first meeting, reminding her of how his charms effected her back then.

It was an average day for Diana as she finished her cup of coffee and flung it into the trash. After finishing two papers for college, she decided that she'd earned a treat and went to a local book store for some new material to read. As she knelt on the ground and rooted through other possible choices besides the two she had, she brushed hands with a stranger.

"Sorry." She murmured, glancing up at him. When she got a good look at him, she stopped. He was skinny with mousy brown hair and a strong jawline. His eyes were a brown color that reminded her of chocolate with hints of caramel. He wasn't a model or anything, but he was definitely attractive to her. She blushed when she realized she'd noticed him staring. "Sorry!" She murmured again.

"The mistake was mine." His voice was smooth and deep. He offered her his hand and she took it.

"Thank you."

"No problem. I'm William. William Reid."

"I'm Diana. It's nice to meet you." He looked at her for the first time. Her hair was the lightest shade of blonde possible, her lips full and tempting. Her cheeks were the most beautiful shade of red, and her eyes were so blue and gorgeous that he was reminded of the ocean. He thought he might drown in her gaze.

"The pleasure is all mine." He glanced down at the two books in her grip. "Studying?" He guessed.

"What? These? Oh, no. Just some light reading."

The two books in her hand could have been textbooks. His demeanor gave nothing away until His eyebrows shot up in surprise. Still, his charm was right on target.

"If I may, I'd like to buy you those books." A look of surprise crossed Diana's features, and she smiled.

"I'd like that." She remarked, quietly. After the books were purchased she pulled out the receipt and wrote her name and phone number on the back of it.

Three days later, he had called to ask her on their first date.

A score of memories flashed before her eyes, some good and some bad. She was wrought with indecision until the softest whisper inside of her made her choice clear. Hesitantly, she put her hand on his.

"I forgive you."

She saw light dance in his eyes and couldn't help but smile.

"You don't know how long I've waited to hear that."

Her smile widened. "I can guess."

He paused for a moment, then suddenly spoke as the question he yearned to ask tumbled out of his mouth before he could stop it. "Could you give me another chance?"

His eyes met hers and their gazes locked in a moment of intensity so strong that it made Diana look away, blushing. There was still clearly a chemistry between them. It was electric. It made her hair stand on end.

She wanted to give in to temptation, but there was a part of her that was still keeping its guard up, afraid to be hurt again. Could she really let him back in? Could she handle what that entailed emotionally? Was he worthy of another try? She dug deep inside of herself and tried to come up with the answers she so desperately needed.

That part of her that had been caged before, the part that had never really moved on, suddenly screeched, begging to be heard. It burst out of its bindings with all the sudden strength of The Hulk. It climbed up onto her heart and smashed through the concrete layers she had so carefully lain over it like it wasn't even there. "You love him!" It shrieked. She could feel her indecision melting inside of her as the voice spoke louder and louder. She couldn't Live in a world where she was held hostage to her doubts. She didn't want to live with any regrets. And if she didn't take this chance, she might regret it for the rest of her life.

She looked into his eyes, feeling naked and vulnerable. But she moved closer and, in possibly the most brave moment of her existence, whispered "Yes."

William closed the distance between their lips, and they shared their first kiss in over twenty years.