Chapter One – Some Comfort

Naomi Bennett took a sip of her white wine. The breeze from the ocean was wonderful. Even though the sun went down it was still a little warm. The waves were lightly crashing at the shore. The entire ocean side was lit up with lights from the houses along the beach. But it still looked really dark. Sam walked out of the house and across the deck with another bottle of white wine. He walked up to her and refiled her wine glass.

"Olivia is stirring...you can go get some cuddle therapy if you'd like. All you have to do is walk by her room and she will wake up." Sam said filling his wine glass and placing the bottle on the coffee table next to the lounge chair. He took a sip, set the glass down and looked her in the eye. They looked at each other for a few minutes in silence. The day had been rough for both of them.

"No, just let her sleep." Naomi said braking they're connecting and looking at the ocean. As much as she wanted to hold Olivia, she knew letting her sleep was best.

"That's love passing up baby therapy!" Sam watched her body language. He knew that the day had been very hard on her. She had a patient who had Down Syndrome and got pregnant by her boyfriend who had severe learning disabilities. The mother had the legal choice on whether her daughter was going to keep the baby or abort it. Even though Naomi said that she didn't feel comfortable doing the abortion, the mother got it done somewhere else. Naomi only found out when she and Sam went to the mother's house to tell her the baby didn't have the syndrome. When the mother told them there was no baby anymore Naomi's heart sunk to her stomach. She tried hard to keep the tears that presented themselves from falling. Sam had lightly grabbed her hand to let her know it was okay.

Naomi looked back at him and smiled sweetly. She took another sip of wine. She frowned slightly remember her patient and how much she wanted to keep the baby. Even though the patient had Down syndrome and the boyfriend had a severe disability they still wanted the baby and probably would have made it work.

"What's wrong?" Sam asked putting a hand on her arm. He wanted to show her that he was there for her even though they were no longer together. He knew what was bothering her once he saw her tears starting to cloud her eyes. "You did the right thing Nae."

She looked away for a bit and then looked back at him. "Can..." She paused for a second looking deep into his eyes. She knew he was really concerned. "I need a hug." She whispered looked down at his feet.

He smiled. He knew how hard it was for her. He stretched out his arms and they embraced in a tight hug. She tightened her arms around him and laid her head on his shoulder. She lightly barred her nose into his neck. She loved the feeling of warmth and support radiating from him. His smell was so intoxicating. His touch always made her mood change.

They backed away from each other keeping eye contact. Their eyes read each other for a couple of second. Sam took a little step towards her. She smiled lightly looking at his plump lips and what they would taste like right now. He leaned in and placed his lips on hers. They lingered like that for a second before kissing. She deepened the kiss as she wrapped her arms around his neck. He lightly moved his hands up and down her back trying to relax her even more. She broke the kiss and bent her head back taking in a very long deep breath. Her heart was beating super-fast and she wanted him. He also took a deep breath. They didn't let go of each other.

He knew this was wrong, especially since his was in somewhat of a complicated relationship with Addison. Just then there was a baby cry coming through the baby monitor sitting next to the wine bottle.

"Mmm.." Naomi moaned lightly. She didn't want to let go of him. "I will go get her." She kissed him on the lips, put her wine glass down and walked into the house.

Sam gathered up the wine glasses and the bottle and took them into the kitchen. He went back out and grabbed the baby monitor. He listened as Naomi singing to Olivia came across the baby monitor. She was singing the same lullaby that she sang to Maya to help her fall back to sleep. He remembered her walking around Maya's nursery rocking her back and forth, singing her back to sleep. Sam smiled as the image came across his mind. Maya was somewhat a fussy baby. She always tried fighting sleep when there were things going on.

She kissed Olivia lightly on the head as she rocked her back and forth. She couldn't believe that she was rocking her granddaughter to sleep. Maya was getting ready to go off to Columbia University in New York. She didn't want to think about not being near her daughter and now her granddaughter. She put Olivia lightly in the crib trying not to wake her again. She looked at her one more time and smiled. What was she going to do with her time now that both her daughter and granddaughter are going to be half way around the world?

...

Addison rolled over to look at the clock. It was 2:00 am in the morning and all she wanted to do was stay asleep. She was at her mother's house. Her mother had just died at her own wedding reception. Addison didn't like her mother but it was slightly hitting her.

She got out of bed and put her rob on. She went downstairs to get a glass of water from the kitchen. There was a man standing at her counter. She stopped really quickly.

"Hello?" She asked not knowing the man standing there.

"Hey! Jake, I know your brother Archer."

"Oh hey..." She lightly smiled.

"Sorry I didn't know anyone was going to be awake. Archer wanted me to stay here. I hope that's okay with you?" Jake said grabbing some chocolates out of the candy jar on the kitchen island.

"Yeah," She grabbed her glass of water.

"I am sorry about your mother. Is there anything I can do?"

"No, I am alright." She said putting the empty glass of water in the sink and taking a long breath. "Thanks for being here." She walked back to her room. Right when her head hit the pillow she was out again. This time the dream was very hot and intense.

...

Violet turned in bed lightly making sure not to wake Pete up. She snuggled into him as close as possible. She loved the feel of his warmth. She went straight back into her dream. All of a sudden there was a loud scream and cry coming across her bedroom. She picked her head up still half asleep and wined a little. She let out a deep breath as she got out of bed.

The nursery was painted in a baby blue color with big wooden letters that spelled out Lucas. On the wall underneath the window was the crib with the rocking chair to the left. The changing table was on the other side with a very big racecar rug. The perfect room for a baby boy to grow up in.

Violet walked over to the crib and looked at her son fussing. His arms were shaking back and forth while kicking his feet. As much as she thought she didn't want kids, she was glad to have him. She thought it would take her forever to get a connection with him after the way he was delivered but it happened. After working through all the pain of having one of her patients cut her baby out and take him, she finally got this overwhelming connection to him when she came back to town. The moment she laid her eyes on him, he pulled at her heartstrings. She now couldn't imagine a life without him in it.

She picked him up, "Shhhh...Mommie is here." She rocked him back and forth. After feeling that his diaper was wet, she went over to the changing table and laid him down gently. She rubbed his belly as she was grabbing a new diaper from the shelf underneath. Undoing his sleeper and taking off his wet diaper she started singing quietly to him. She didn't want to wake up Pete. After putting on his new diaper, she grabbed a new sleeper out of the dresser. She put on his new sleeper and picked him back up. "All clean!" She laid him on her shoulder. She walked into the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of milk that she made earlier. After heating it up, she walked back into the nursery and situated herself comfortable in the rocking chair. Giving Lucas the bottle, she started humming a baby lullaby.

Lucas fell asleep after finishing half the bottle. Violet got up slowly and put him back into his crib lightly. She didn't want to wake him. She went to the kitchen and put the rest of the bottle back in the fridge. She slumped her way back into her bedroom and lightly climbed back in bed. Pete turned his head too look at her. He was still half asleep.

"How is he?"

"He's fine. Just hungry and wet. Gave him a bottle, changed him and he fell right back to sleep." She whispered as she situated herself back into bed.

Pete turned around to lie on his side facing her. "You're a great Mother!" He leaned in and kissed her lightly on the lips. She kissed him back and then snuggled into him. She fit perfectly with him. Within second she was asleep. He wrapped his arms around her and fell back to sleep.

...

Naomi walked down the stairs and saw Sam sleeping on the couch with the baby monitor on his chest. Her lullaby must have put him to sleep too. She smiled as she walked over to him and grabbed the blanket off the back of the couch. She lightly draped it over Sam and looked at him sleeping for a second. She grabbed her purse off the chair next to the couch. As she placed it on her shoulder she looked back at the man sleeping on the couch. She remembered when he would fall asleep on the couch as she was trying to get Maya to sleep. Olivia gave her back wonderful memories from when she was still married to Sam.

The memories of her and Sam cuddling on the couch with Maya lying on her chest came rolling back. She wished she were still there. Doing the same thing with their granddaughter. She walked over to Sam and kissed him lightly on his forehead. Right then he stirred awake and looked up at her.

He saw she had her purse, "You're leaving?" He pulled himself up in a sitting position.

"Going home," She lifted an eyebrow up at him. Where did he think she was going?

"Stay. Its late and Maya's at a friend house. Why go back to an empty house?"

Naomi smiled, "I shouldn't."

"Come on Nea. I have a guest bedroom."

She smiled at him. She couldn't think of any other excuse. She was tired and it saved her a ten-minute drive. "Okay. Thanks." She laid her purse back in the chair and sat down at the end of the couch away from him. She wanted to stay as far away from him as possible.

Sam looked at her and shook his head. As much as he wanted her, he wasn't going to jump her. Even though that's probably what he should do. "How about a movie?"

"Sure...haven't watched one in forever." At least it meant that they weren't going to talk.

Sam got up and put on Casablanca. He remembered that it was one of her favorite movies. She smiled wide when she saw it start. Sam came back to the couch and settled in to the one side away from her.

He patted the cushion next to him. Every time they watched this movie, Naomi always leaned against him with her head lying on his chest. She looked at him with hesitation in her eyes. He grabbed her arm and pulled her close to him. After a slight hesitation she scooted to him. She fell back into that comfortable spot they used to be frequently in when they were married. She laid her head on his chest and watched the movie. He wrapped his arm around her to let her know he was there and still loved her. More than half way through the movie they were asleep in each other's arms.

They managed to get themselves in a comfortable position on the couch to sleep. If one moved in their sleep so did the other. It was like dancing. They were so incented with each other. Still asleep Naomi stretched herself across the couch and wrapped herself around Sam like he was a pillow. Sam instinctively pulled his feet up on the couch and scooted to the edge to give her more room. He laid his arms lightly around her waist.

...

Cooper rubbed his eyes while starring at the computer. He had picked up a case that was really bothering him. He had spent hours on hours doing research. The phone on his desk rang.

"Hello?" He said sluggish into the receiver.

"Honey, it's time to come home." Charlotte said lying in bed.

"Charlotte I can't! Not yet." He said reading over an internet source on child neglect.

"Cooper, I am not asking. I am telling. Come home now." She said starting to get angry. She understood the case was important but he needed sleep and this was the only way to make him come home.

"Fine! I will be right there." He said then hung up the phone.