Second Anniversary: The Cotton Anniversary (18th July 2010)

Sam is woken by the sound of a power drill coming from somewhere downstairs, although at that point in time it is hard to pinpoint its origin. Through foggy eyes he looks over to Donna's side of the bed, only to discover she isn't there. Suddenly it becomes clear to him.

'That woman, I'm going to wring her neck if she continues like this!'

Grabbing his dressing gown off the chair where he'd flung it the night before, a bit too occupied by his beautiful wife to notice, he quickly but quietly down the stairs into the kitchen, where his wife is yet again trying to fix the shutter which keeps loosening from the window, making it a safety hazard for the quests, let alone their grand baby.

'Donna! What the hell do you think you are doing, its six o'clock in the morning? We have a five month old granddaughter asleep up stairs and may I remind you she was up half the night screaming. Sophie needs her rest, I dread to think how tired she is.'

'That's exactly why I'm doing it. I came down to make myself a drink because I couldn't sleep and I knew I wouldn't be able to go back to sleep so I thought I would be proactive and start doing something useful.'

'So you thought you would blow peoples ears off instead? What do you think you are, the female equivalent of Bob the Builder?'

When he sees Donna's quizzical look, he starts laughing. He is winding his wife up. Although she loved being married she still considered herself fiercely independent and would assert that independence whenever she could. Even if that meant waking everyone up at six am in order to fix a window shutter.

'Anyway I told you I would do it that is what husbands are for you know! I said when I got married that you needed someone to boss around the villa, our villa. I just wish that after a year you would let me help you a bit more.'

Donna eventually stops and switches the power drill off and an instant silence descends.

'It still feels weird to think we have been married a year and look at how much has changed. The rooms are actually full, we have a grand baby, Skye is gone out of Sophie's life forever hopefully, Rosie and Bill are getting married, Tanya is on husband number four, I am stepmother to three amazing young men and I am the happiest I have ever been with the most incredible husband I could ever hope for.'

During her speech Donna moves towards Sam and comes to a stop so close to her husband that their noses and lips are almost touching. However Sam can see a worried expression in wife's eyes and Donna's eyes become suddenly bright with unshed tears. Sam takes her face in his hands and lifts it up.

'But...'

'But I worry that if I don't do carry on doing these small things, I will end up taking advantage of you and eventually you will get bored of me and want to leave me.'

'Honey is that what you really think even after a year?'

'Like I just said, I can't believe you still want me looking like I do now.'

'What do you mean? All I see in front of me is the young woman I fell in love with the first time I saw her all those years ago.'

'That's sweet darling but we both know we are aging past the point of recognition. Next thing we know we will be fossils in a museum for other people to look at.'

When Donna has finished speaking she and Sam smile and laugh, which soon becomes a fit of uncontrollable giggles. They give each other a quick snog. Suddenly a piercing cry breaks their revelry, Sam and Donna come apart almost instantly.

'Oh there she goes, our human alarm clock. That's if we weren't awake already. At least she went from eleven till seven last night. That's an improvement I suppose.'

'I suppose but we don't know how many times Sophie was up in the night breastfeeding because she never asks for our help with anything.'

After about five more minutes of hearing their granddaughter's crying Donna can't take her painful sobs anymore and decides to go to check on Sophie. When she gets to Sophie's room she finds her daughter dead to the world, completely deaf to her daughter's emotional cries. Sophie's hair is strewn across her pillow but she is in such a deep sleep that she doesn't even move when Donna strokes her cheek and whispers her name in an effort to wake her. So instead Donna turns her attention to her granddaughter, who is still wailing in her cot which is in the corner of the room. Her granddaughter, Cassie Donna Sheridan, looked like Sophie in every way. She had bright blonde hair and the cutest red lips and cheeks Donna had ever seen. Donna was sure Cassie would grow up to be Sophie's little mini me, a mirror image of her mother. There was one marked difference today though, Cassie's face was bright red like a beacon and crinkled from crying so much. Donna picks Cassie up, who by now is screaming louder than a fog horn and bright red, almost purple and says in her most soothing voice.

'Hey, hey. What's all that noise for? You are going to wake up your mama if you continue like this!

Donna lifts Cassie out of her cot and gently starts to rock her in her arms, singing to her in soft and soothing tones. As she does so memories flood back to her of Sophie's life growing up. Sophie learning to walk, her first tooth, starting school, meeting Skye and having her first child, all the things a father should be there for. But instead they had to do it all themselves. But no matter how hard those years were for Donna she wouldn't have changed them for the world. She could only hope that being a mother bought Sophie as much joy as it had done for Donna over the years.

'Giving love is a reason for living

But a few things can be tough

Love isn't easy but it sure is hard enough

(Sweet, sweet, our love is bitter-sweet)'

It is only when Donna feels warm muscular arms wrapping around her and Cassie, cradling them in security and pulling her out of memories long gone by, that she realises Sam has made his way upstairs.

'I feel so lucky'. Sam whispers in her ear. Donna leans back into his embrace and closes her eyes as Sam's voice washes over her. 'Look at what I've got. A beautiful wife, a gorgeous daughter and now this stunning bundle of joy that brings light and love to both of our lives. I wouldn't have it any other way. Once again I feel like the happiest and luckiest man alive to have you all in my life. Oh and before I forget. Happy anniversary.'

Donna opens her eyes shocked and stunned in the same moment. With all that has been going on in their lives over the last five months, life has taken on no meaning and almost speeded up. All that seems to have mattered and revolved around, is Cassie and Sophie. They have had no time to think about themselves. Or at least she didn't think they had. At her silence Sam seems to have realised what has happened. However he doesn't want to embarrass her by letting on. Donna snaps out of her shock knowing he is expecting a response. She turns in his arms and hands him their granddaughter.

'Happy Anniversary darling. I can't believe it's been two years already. How have I put up with you for so long, considering I never wanted a husband in the first place? I was doing perfectly well on my own.'

'Well all I can say is, I came along and swept you off your feet and you couldn't resist my charms, good looks and of course that singing voice, that you love me to serenade you with oh so much. I have a dream that you'd let me do it more often actually.'

Donna starts walking away, laughing at the thought of her husband serenading her. Something he had never done and would never do, as long as Donna lived. She punched him playfully on the arm.

'And I really wish you wouldn't. We don't want a storm blowing down the Villa now do we?'

'Come on, I'm not that bad!'

Donna gives him a look that suggests that yes he really is that bad before looking over at Sophie's bed. She stirring ever so slightly.

'I think we need to get Cassie downstairs before she wakes Soph up, I want her to get some proper rest. I think she expressed some milk last night.' Donna whispers, staring down at her grandchild lovingly.

'Ok let's go and I have got something downstairs for you anyway.' Sam says smiling at his wife, content.

Donna returns her husband's smile weakly, the guilt in her heart ever expanding and getting worse the more she looked at his sparking blue eyes, almost the same shade as the ocean outside the windows. In other words to Donna he was absolutely beautiful, she shouldn't have forgotten any Anniversary let alone their second. The pair leave Sophie's room with Cassie, closing the door softly behind them.

'But if I would have to choose

I wouldn't let you go

Just give it some more time

And you will see our love will grow

Darling I know'

When Donna enters the kitchen once again she wanders straight over to the fridge, where bottles of expressed milk are chilling. She then walks over to the microwave and puts the bottle in to warm it up. She is so busy concentrating she doesn't realise Sam is stood by the side of the dining table, waiting for her to turn round.

'You are stunning'

'Give over, we may be older but by that comment you are not necessarily much wiser.'

'Come on Donna let me do that, you have been run off your feet all week.'

'No I want to do it, it brings back memories, the best memories.'

It is only when Donna turns around that she realises her husband is stood by the kitchen table a soft grin on his face. On the table beside him is what looks like a ring box, tied loosely with in a bow.

Donna stops, momentarily stunned. Her husband just kept surprising her with his big romantic gestures.

'Like I said why don't you let me feed Cassie and you just come and sit down? Please.'

'OK if you insist.'

Donna dutifully sits down and turns her attention to the gift on the table.

'You know I'm not keen on material things Sam.'

'I know that. Look just open it.'

When the bow is untied and the box opened it reveals a spool of cotton thread and a beautiful silver charm ring with one clear charm in the shape of a heart on it.

'Sam it's gorgeous.' Donna whispers.

'I just thought that as I didn't have time to get you a proper ring on our wedding day, I would buy you one now, on our second anniversary and to celebrate the fact that we have managed to get through another year together. Without feeling the urge to murder each other, that is.'

Donna can't help it, she laughs out loud but has to stifle her giggles when she looks at Cassie, who has fallen asleep in her granddaddy's arms, after having her bottle. Donna smiles at him wistfully, it really suited him being a Granddad. He had softened, they both had.

Sam gets down on one knee and takes the thread from the box, unspools it and slips the ring onto it. Donna puts her finger out and it goes onto her finger and it fits perfectly.

'Isn't this reminiscent of a film or something?'

'Yes, Stepmom I think, and you are a stepmom now so I thought it was more than appropriate. Now the thing about this ring is I can buy you a different charm every year.'

Donna can feel her eyes filling as she listens to the sweet things Sam is saying to her. She knows she has to own up.

'Sam… I forgot.'

Sam takes his wife's face in his hands and looks into her eyes.

'Donna, I know and I don't care because I everything I have ever wanted, a stunning wife, a beautiful daughter and a cutie pie of a granddaughter, so I don't care. I love you Donna and I adore our family that is all that matters to me.'

He leans over and gives Donna a gentle kiss on the lips.

'Happy anniversary my love, I love you.' Donna whispers to her husband.

'Happy anniversary gorgeous, I love you too so much.' Sam says gently.

The pair kiss passionately before looking down at Cassie with love in their eyes.

'We gotta have patience

Love isn't just a sensation

Some of the time it gets rough

Love isn't easy but it sure is hard enough

(Sweet, sweet, our love is bitter-sweet)'