[I usually have a person or actor in mind when writing these characters and from the very beginning of this story; I knew David Hyde Pierce was the actor who would play this role. You can plug in anyone you like.]

Hello? The caller asked again.

Her voice was frozen in her throat. "N-Nick?" She finally got it out. Was it really him? She had to sit down on the end of the bed as her knees grew too week to hold up her body.

Victoria and Melanie watched as the color drained from Joy's face.

"Joy." He spoke softly. You could hear the smile on his face. "I was wondering if you'd figure out it was me. You were always so Sherlock Holmes-ish." He laughed. She hadn't heard that laugh in over 30 years but it was still as she remembered it.

"How did you get my number?" Joy asked slowly. She was still in shock.

"I've checked up on you from time to time, Joyous. I couldn't help it." He took a breath. "But Owen gave me your number. He contacted me last year and we finally met a few months ago."

A single tear rolled down Joy's cheek when he mentioned his pet name for her. Her mind flashed back to a clear, cool New Year's Eve in 1981.

Her long, straight brown hair was tied back with a neon orange scarf. Her parents had dragged her to a New Year's Country Club celebration. Of course she'd rather be home doing anything or nothing. She decided to walk around the grounds of the palatial estate. Anything to get away from the upper crust and their crustiness.

She walked a little ways until she found a small pond surrounded by evergreens. The bright moon and stars reflected off of the glassy surface of the water. Out of the corner of her eye she saw something move. Startled, she turned to see someone on the other side of the pond lying in the grass. She could tell it was a boy because his short, golden blond hair was glistening in the moon light. His black oxford dress shoes were lying to the side with his tuxedo jacket and overcoat.

"I didn't mean to scare you." His voice flowed like silk across the pond. He had a distinct American accent. She smiled. What was it about an American accent that could make her swoon?

"You didn't frighten me." She continued to walk around the pond never taking her eyes off of him. "Do you live here?" She asked.

She could tell he was watching her. The moonlight cast auburn and bronze highlights in her hair. Her long white dress billowed in the slight breeze. Goose bumps broke out on her long, model-thin legs. Joy finally made her way to the other side of the pond where the boy was now propped up on his elbows. She started to sit down in the grass beside him. "Wait." He told her, then laid open his overcoat for her to sit on.

There was something about this boy, she thought. She figured he was 16 or 17 years old.

"No, I don't live here. I work here during my school breaks and on weekends." He finally answered. "I'm from Seattle, Washington."

She was spell-bound. He had a strong chin with sharp jaw bones. His piercing blue eyes almost appeared black in the night sky. His golden blond hair was cut short in the back but left a bit long on top. Just enough to brush back away from his face. "My name is Nicolas Crager." He had the most delicious smirk. "And what appellation might befit such a radiant girl like yourself?"

Joy smiled shyly and looked down at the grass between them. "My name is…ReJoyla Scroggs." She looked up to see if he laughed at her ridiculous name. But he wasn't laughing. But his smile grew bigger.

"Well it's a pleasure to meet you, Miss ReJoyla Scroggs." He reached out and took her hand which he kissed lightly.

Joy felt like she had been transported into a Shakespearean play. The teenage boys she knew in London didn't speak that way.

Joy and Nick talked for hours under the moon and stars that night. She learned his parents sent him away to England to boarding school and he was studying literature. That explains the flowery words, she thought. He was indeed sixteen years old, which made her fifteen year old heart beat faster. Joy told him she dreamed one day of working in a salon in Paris or New York City. He wanted to know everything about her.

They fell in love that night. It was like they had known each other forever or in a past life. Nick couldn't learn enough about Joy and Joy was mesmerized by Nick's smooth as satin voice as he recited poems and sonnets to her.

It was well after midnight but Joy knew Philippa wouldn't be looking for her. Her mother was too wrapped up in being the belle of the ball.

"Do you believe in fate, Joy Scroggs?"

Joy couldn't imagine life any better than the moment Nick held her in his arms under that starry sky.

"Joy, are you still there?" he asked and waited for an answer.

"Yes. Yes, I'm still here. Nick, is it really you?"

She heard him laugh again and her heart melted just as it did 30 years ago.

"It's me, beautiful Joy. Like I said, Owen contacted me and I was finally able to meet him. Oh Joy, he's such a smart, young man. He has your sarcasm though, I noticed."

It was so strange to be listening to the man she thought would be her happily ever after. She never did totally get over Nicolas Cragen.

"I didn't-I didn't mean to send that message to you, Joy." A small pain shot through her stomach. She had always hoped that after all these years Nick was off pining for her. "I knew I couldn't take it back so I just waited to see if you'd track me down." He paused. "But now that you have…I'd like to see you again."

"Nick, I don't know…we agreed…" She was oblivious to Melanie and Victoria staring at her with wide eyes and gaping mouths.

"I know exactly what we agreed to, my dear. I'm reminded of it every October first." The thought of him remembering the day took her back to that sterile, white hospital room.

It just wasn't good for a child to be raised by children. And at 15 and 16, Joy and Nick were children. Philippa encouraged Joy to consider the rest of her life before getting tied down with a child at such a young age. Joy half wondered if Philippa had wished someone had given her the same advice when she was pregnant with Joy. But her mother's opinion was never a driving force for her and this was a decision she'd have to make with Nick.

"Nick, I'm sorry I let this happen…"

He stopped her mid-sentence. "Stop it! I've told you this is not your fault. We got into this together. I don't regret anything we did, Joy. I loved you from the minute I saw you standing across that pond with the moonlight shining on your beautiful face." He leaned over and kissed her lightly on the lips.

He held her hand as another contraction hit her young body. Thank goodness for modern medicine. The hospital room was stark white with bright lights everywhere. For nine months she had both dreaded and looked forward to this day. This would be the day she would meet the tiny person who would carry on, hopefully, the best of Joy and Nick and also the day she would hand over her baby…the baby created in young, unforgiving love…to a stranger.

"Are we doing the right thing?" Joy asked Nick for probably the hundredth time. It broke his heart to see Joy having so much confliction with this. He maneuvered the bed rail down so that he could lay next to Joy, hold her in his arms and tell her how much he loved her, perhaps for the last time. After today, his parents were bringing him back to the United States.

"I think so." He brushed her hair away from her face with his fingers. "Maybe one day fate will shiny upon us again."

An hour later they held their son for the first and last time. Joy and Nick agreed that it would be for the best for both of them if they just moved on with their lives and never looked back.

"Joy, do you ever think about us? I do. Every New Year's Eve. Every clear night with a full moon and millions of stars. I think of us. I can't help it. Come see me."

Joy swallowed. "I—I can't."

Nick laughed. "Just think about it?"

Joy hung up the phone without answering. Her whole world was turned upside down.

"Who was that?" Melanie asked with a smile on her face.

Joy finally told them the story of her 9 month love affair with the father of her son. She hadn't told this story to anyone before and was surprised how emotional she became. She never thought she would see or hear from Nick ever again after that October day. But maybe the fates had aligned again.

"You need to see him." Five timed divorced Victoria encouraged a 30 year reunion.

"I don't know. I mean, what would I say or do?" Joy was more conflicted now than ever. "And besides, I'm stuck here for the time being."

Melanie was a hopeless romantic. "Joy! This is your fate!"

[By the way, thank you for the reviews. Good or bad - they help more than you know.]