At once the front door popped open, and A.J., Linda, Cecilia, Robbie and Robin stood in the doorway.
"Surprise!, Happy anniversary!"
"Rick, you didn't…." Laurie saw their happy faces, and she went to meet them.
"This is a nice surprise!" She hugged and kissed everyone as they came out of the house.
"And what about me?" Rick gave her a puppy dog look, then beamed as she threw her arms around him and kissed him.
"You are the best present of all." She said. Taking her arm, Rick led her into the living room where the floors gleamed with new wax, and the windows sparkled.
Suddenly Laurie stood stock still, staring at the now closed hall closet door, then turned, dizzily.
"I…I don't feel so good…Rick…" At once she crumpled, and Rick just barely caught her before she hit the floor.
"Laurie? Sweetheart! Robbie, call Rudy…"
"No..no…I'm all right.. just a little dizzy spell." Laurie weakly hung on to Rick's arm as he half supported her to the couch.
"Laurie, does anything hurt? Are you in pain?" he asked frantically, and she focused her dazed eyes on him.
"No, love…it's passing. I just had too much excitement at once, that's all." Rick saw the color come back into her face, and relief flooded him.
"Well, I want you to stay put, just to make sure, darlin'.." he told her, then Robbie brought her a glass of water.
"This is all I need, son…thank you for the nice surprise…" Laurie said, reaching out to hug him.
As Robin and Linda and Cecilia put dinner on the table, Rick saw his wife looking around the living room, then she caught his eye and smiled at him.
"It looks great, love…thank you. You make every day a Happy Anniversary."
"That's because I have you to come home to…" he told her emotionally, then helped her up and escorted her to the dining room.
Despite her seemingly high spirits, Rick noticed her energy flag after dinner, and he was grateful Rudy and Oscar showed up for dessert.
"Happy Anniversary, guys…" Oscar hugged his son-in-law, then embraced Laurie, saying, "I hear someone wasn't feeling well earlier."
"Dad, I'm okay…who snitched?" she demanded, then groaned as Cecilia raised her hand.
"Just in case, humor your adopted uncle…" Rudy pleaded, then smiled as Laurie reluctantly rolled up her sleeve.
Excusing himself to help clear the table and bring out the strawberry cake Robin had baked, Rick found his mother wiping her eyes with a dishtowel.
"Mom?"
"Rick, I feel so bad for my girl, something's scaring her…I saw her trembling when you came in and when she looked at the closet….." At that, it struck Rick like a bolt of lightening.
"That's it, Mom….that's why she nearly fainted…oh, I'm a dummy." He shook his head, angry at himself.
"No you're not, Rick…you didn't know ….you got everything together so the both of you could come home." Cecilia scolded him gently.
"Cece…" Oscar was at the door, and Rick smiled in spite of himself at the tender look his mother gave the older man.
"I couldn't help but overhear…. Son, Rudy wants to talk to you…and I think you're right…"
"Thanks, Dad…." Rick nodded at him, then went past him to the living room, where Rudy was just taking the blood pressure cuff off Laurie.
"Rudy?"
Laurie immediately held out her hand to Rick, and he plopped down next to her, taking her hand in his and kissing it. Her eyes filled with tears at his tender gesture.
"Oh, Rick…I'm sorry…I've ruined your beautiful evening."
"No, sweetheart, no…we've had a great dinner, I just want you to be all right." He assured her, putting his arm around her. He looked up at the old doctor.
"Missy's blood pressure is way up, son. I don't think it's because of the flu, but I want her to go to bed early and stay there until her pressure's down. I also think it's because of something else…" At that Rick spoke up.
"Darlin'…it's okay to be upset about what happened here, you were terrorized in our own home, and if you want to stay at Robbie's a few more nights…"
At that Laurie threw her arms around his neck and began to cry. "I don't want to be afraid, but I am… Can we please go back to Robbie's?"
Aching for his wife, he held her tightly in his arms and rocked her, trying to soothe her.
"Of course, angel….it's all right…we'll come back here after the weekend, when you feel better. Whatever you want…"
Looking at Rudy over her shoulder, he caught sight of a frown on his face. Laurie's voice reassured him though, as she told him, sniffing, "Just give me a couple of days, darling…I'll be okay."
"Of course…" Rick drew back to gaze into her face, then teared up himself as she whispered, "I love you so…the bestest husband in the whole world."
"With the bestest and most beautiful wife…now, sweetheart, why don't we have our cake now." He told her, wiping her tears away with his hand.
"Of course, now it's my turn…let me help Mom put it on the table." Laurie smiled as he helped her up and she went into the kitchen.
As the door closed Rick turned to Rudy. "I know she should face her fears here, Rudy…but I want her to be strong enough to handle it. I think coming here a couple of times before moving back will do that."
His expression changed to a reluctant grin. "You might have something there, son. I only wish we knew what all happened. Those men..I'd like to give them a taste of what they did to Missy…"
"Don't worry, Rudy..I'll make sure we rake them over pretty good in Tribal court before they get tried in Phoenix…." Rick stopped, thinking of what the doctor said. "Rudy, she said one of them grabbed her and threw her into the chair and another one threatened to kill Jack in front of her….then they said "awful" things…"
"That might be the key, son….we need to find out before you come back here…" Rudy began, then Laurie called from the doorway. "Darling, Rudy, do you want ice cream on your cake?"
"Yes!" both men responded, and Laurie giggled. "I see great minds think alike."
"Sure do, princess." Rick said, then got up from the sofa and coming to his wife, scooped her up in his arms and kissed her.
"Oh, a very great mind…" she replied, breathlessly.
"Okay, you two, save it for after dessert." Cecilia wagged her finger at them.
"Yes Mom." Husband and wife chorused, then everyone laughed.