Bobbie, lying on her back with her feet in stirrups, strained with the effort as the intensity of the contraction hit her. Had it hurt this badly when Carly had been born? That had been so many years ago...

If Jake weren't there, coaching her, encouraging her, she knew that she simply wouldn't be able to endure it.

"I'm going to die, Jake!" she groaned.

"No, you're not. You're going to be just fine, honey," he said, tenderly wiping her forehead with a damp cloth.

"Oh God, here comes another one..." Bobbie clenched her fists as she felt another contraction coming on, this one even more powerful than the last one had been.

Jake was right there at her side. "Come on, Bobbie, just one more push...you're doing great, baby..."

Bobbie bore down with all her might and felt her child's body slide from her own.

"It's a boy!" the doctor exclaimed, as Jake caught the moist, slippery body of their son in his strong, capable hands. Quickly he cut the umbilical cord, and the newborn began to wail.

Jake covered Bobbie's face with kisses. "He's beautiful, honey," he said to her. "I love you so much, sweetheart."

"Let me see him." The infant opened his eyes, and Bobbie saw that they were Jake's. She reached out for him, longing to take him into her arms...

...and awoke suddenly, with a deep, aching sadness. Of course it hadn't been real, could never have been real. Brock's cruelty had seen to that.

The knowledge that Jake had made a baby with another woman tore at Bobbie's heart. How she wished that she could have been Diego's mother! There had been a time when she had wanted nothing more badly than to raise a child with Jake Meyer. The passing of the years had pushed those longings to the forgotten recesses of her mind, but seeing Jake again and hearing his story had brought the memories flooding back to her, and they persisted despite her desperate attempts to block them from her consciousness. She knew that it was not going to be a good day.

When she returned home from work, Bobbie found that Jake had left a message on her answering machine. He said that he would really like to see her again and left a number where he could be reached. Bobbie hastily jotted down the number and put it in a safe place.

Over the next few days, Bobbie debated over whether or not she should return his call. Seeing him again had brought back some very painful memories for her - the beatings, the hysterectomy, the trial, the paralysis, his affair with Lucy Coe and her subsequent pregnancy. On the other hand, there was the way her heart raced every time she thought of him, the memory of his strong arms around her, supporting and comforting her, and how happy his smile had always made her feel.

Finally, she decided to talk with her daughter, Carly, about the situation. The two women met at Kelly's restaurant to talk.

"I was married to him for a couple of years," Bobbie told Carly. "He was my attorney when I was accused of murdering my abusive first husband. If it hadn't been for him, I could have been sent to prison for life. After the trial ended, we stayed in touch and ended up falling in love and getting married. I wanted so badly to give him a baby, but of course I never could because of the hysterectomy. That slut Lucy Coe seduced him and got pregnant by him but had a miscarriage. Later we tried to adopt some children together, but it didn't work out. Soon after that, he went to Uruguay, and I never heard from him again."

"How did you feel after he left?" Carly asked.

"I was still hurt over the fact that he had cheated on me and then left without an explanation, but deep inside I know I really loved him and wanted him to stay. I fell in love and married again several times afterwards, but I could never get Jake completely out of my mind. I think that's the reason none of my other relationships ever worked out. Every time I was with another man, deep down inside, I wished that I was with Jake instead."

"Mom, it sounds to me as if life is offering you a second chance at happiness," Carly said. "If I were you, knowing how you've always felt about him, I would grab that chance with both hands before it's gone."

Bobbie realized that her daughter was right. "Thank you so much, Carly. I can see things so much more clearly now."

Bobbie could hardly wait until she returned home and had the chance to hear Jake's voice again, but once she picked up the phone to dial the number, she felt frozen with panic. If he answered, what in the world would she say to him?

Bobbie forced herself to dial the number and heard the ringing of the phone. With each consecutive ring, she toyed with the idea of just hanging up, each time telling herself that she would wait for just one more ring. She was about to give up and conclude that he must not be home when she heard him pick up the receiver.

"Hello?" He sounded out of breath.

"May I please speak to Jake Meyer?"

"Bobbie! How the heck are ya, girl?"

"How'd you know it was me?"

"Well, how many women do you think I know who would call me at home?"

"Well...I don't know. That's none of my business, really."

He laughed heartily. "There's no one else but you, Bobbie."

An uncomfortable silence followed.

"Well...I don't quite know what to say..." Bobbie stuttered.

"Let me make a suggestion, then." He sounded amused. "Say that you'll let me take you out to dinner Friday night. Please?"

Suddenly she was both overwhelmed with relief and dizzy with happiness. "That sounds wonderful, Jake. I'd love to have dinner with you."

"Great! It's all settled then. Pick you up at seven?"

"Sounds good to me."

"Wonderful. I'm so glad you called me back, Bobbie."

"So am I. I almost didn't."

"Why not?"

"I don't know. Just had a hard time getting up the nerve, I guess." She giggled. "Silly of me, huh?"

He laughed again. "I understand completely, Bobbie. Seven o'clock, okay? I'll be looking forward to it."

"So will I. Good-bye, Jake."

"Good-bye, Bobbie."

She felt reluctant to put the receiver down. Now that she'd heard his voice again, the urge to see him again was stronger than ever.