Shooting Stars

Sequel to Moonlit Wishes

Author's Note: For everyone who read Moonlit Wishes, Shooting Stars is the sequel to that story. Shooting Stars is the story of EJ and Sami as they begin their lives together as a newlywed couple along with how they deal with being parents to their children and of course their extended families. I hope you all will enjoy the continued journey EJ and Sami are taking together. Thank you all for the tremendous love and support you gave me in Moonlit Wishes and I hope you will enjoy what happens after the I do's are spoken and they begin their married life with one another.

Here we go…

Shooting Stars
Part I

I entered into the house and her smile is simply lovely and even though I know we have pledged vows of love to one another earlier in the day, I am still amazed I am the recipient of such actions from Samantha. This time last year neither one of us would have ever guessed that we'd be here living together, let alone being married to one another.

It hits me, this beautiful creature is my wife and I'm astounded by her because this woman is amazing, her presence lights up a room like none other I have ever seen and believe me I have seen plenty. Too much in fact given my lifestyle up to this past year and I wonder if I can be the man Samantha truly deserves to have for a husband.

It's not like neither of us have been married before, we both have to others and even to ourselves, but our first marriage to each other wasn't a real marriage. It was something that I had orchestrated along with my father's help in which I had finally convinced Samantha the Brady/DiMera feud could be resolved if we were married. Of course I had ulterior motives for the union, I had wanted Samantha to be my wife and I had foolishly thought once we were married somehow she would come to love me like I loved her.

That of course didn't happen, it has taken me years to realize you can't force someone to love you, either they do or they don't. Plus my take on love back then was tremendously different than it is today. Then I wanted what I wanted because I believed it would make me happy, I didn't put Samantha's wants or needs first, I didn't have that selfless love of where you would put another's persons well being above your own even if their choices didn't include you.

I thought I had been so smart, calculating to make things go my way, which hadn't happened at all. She hadn't loved me and my machinations had made her resent me for the intrusions I had put in her life at each and every turn. But every once in a while there had been a glimmer of hope that Samantha had feelings for me, when I was sure the tide was changing in my favor and yet as quickly as the tide comes in and ultimately leaves, that was how things were with us.

In our case it had usually been one step forward, ten or more back. We never were a conventional couple by any means and I don't believe we ever will be given our history and our volatile personalities. Just when I think I have things completely under control that is when everything usually goes south for me.

Maybe that is why I'm feeling more than a bit of trepidation at the moment. I mean tonight is our wedding night, we're all alone in what has become our home and yet for some strange reason I'm stalling on making that first move toward her, my beautiful wife. I've drained the last of the champagne I had in my glass and have settled in front of the fireplace looking at the burning embers and lost in my own thoughts instead of sharing them with her.

She has come into the room and settled in beside me on the floor, both of us still in our wedding finery, she in her dress which had made her look like a vision of loveliness all day, while the only thing I have loosened is my bow tie which hangs around the collar of my shirt. Apparently she has drunk all of her champagne too and placed her glass to the side of where she has sat down.

The firelight is casting shadows in the darkened room around us and I feel her move in a little closer to me and I open my arms to her, silently beckoning her to me, even though I can't find the words to tell her how much this day has meant to me. Maybe I can show her instead or at least I hope I can. I want this night to be perfect, Samantha deserves for it to be because for all of her denying it over the years to me I know she is a romantic deep down in her heart too like I am, we just haven't had many opportunities to let that side of ourselves come to the surface.

Hopefully all of that will change for us now. I want to reveal my true heart to her, the woman whom I have known from the first time I saw her that somehow she would be the one to change my life utterly and she has on so many different levels.

Yes, Samantha Gene Brady has seen a gamut of things from me, some good, some bad and some plain out horrible, and yet she is here with me now. For once she isn't running away from me. She's right here with me, her head resting on my shoulder, her body relaxing against mine.

Now I have to make sure I won't run from her instead, these feelings I have for her have built with each situation we have found ourselves in with one another over the years and this is one situation I feel like I am in over my head because quite frankly I'm scared I'll muck this up somehow. I always have before when I was this close to finding true happiness.

I send a silent prayer up asking for me to please don't let me mess this up. I want to do things right this time around with Samantha, I really do more than anything I have ever wanted before.

I want so much and I want her and tonight for the first time she'll be mine, no games, nothing coming around to blow up in my face over something she doesn't know I have done and have her leave me all alone again. She has come willingly to me and now I need to let her in, completely in, to show her the man I am and want to be for her.

I can do this, I know I can and I will start now.

Tonight...