A/N; Happy New Year everyone! I'm so sorry for the long wait. December was a very crazy month for me. Thank you so much for hanging in there with me. Welcome and thank you to the new followers in the past few weeks. I hope 2018 is a good year for all of you!

It was almost three in the morning one day during the first week of May. Nearly ten weeks had passed since Alicia had taken the bar exam.

She'd been lying in bed awake for nearly a half-hour unable to calm her nerves. Giving up on sleep, she gently moved out of Will's embrace and climbed out of bed.

"Leesh, where are you going?"

She hadn't meant to wake him. Throwing on a robe she turned back towards him. "Downstairs. I need a glass of water. Go back to sleep," she whispered, heading for the door.

Twenty minutes later when she hadn't returned, Will got up to go find her. He knew something was bothering her. She'd seemed tense, and distracted ever since they'd left work the previous day, but she'd been unwilling to admit, or discuss, that anything was wrong.

From the upstairs balcony he could see her pacing around the kitchen with a mug of, he guessed warm tea, in hand, her laptop open on the counter. He'd come down the stairs so quietly, and she'd been so caught up in her thoughts, when he entered the room and said her name, it startled her, causing the mug to slip through her fingers and shatter on the floor at her feet.

"Stay there, I'll clean it up," he said.

Slightly agitated she frowned at him as he grabbed a broom and made his way closer to her. "You can't sneak up on me like that," she snapped, her bare feet firmly planted on the stone floor as she reached across the counter for a rag.

He sighed beginning to sweep up the broken pieces of glass. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to startle you, but when you didn't come back to bed I thought I'd come make sure you were all right."

She handed him the rag. "I couldn't sleep. I didn't want to bother you so I stayed down here."

Once the mess was cleaned up, she turned to fully face him.

"What's wrong?" he questioned, moving closer to her. "And don't tell me nothing. Somethings been bothering you ever since we left work last night."

She bit her lip looking away from him, wrapping her robe more tightly around her body. In a much calmer tone she replied, "I got my bar exam results back." She glanced at the open laptop across the counter from them.

With her current mood he assumed the worst, that she hadn't passed and was now heavy laden with guilt, or self-doubt. At the least her self-confidence had probably taken a hit. This must be the reason she hadn't told him when she'd first gotten the email. If she'd of passed she would have dropped everything and run into his office to tell him the good news, he thought. But surely she must know it made no difference to him whether she passed or not. So she hadn't passed the first time. She could take it again in three months. He had no reason to believe she wouldn't be able to pass it eventually. It had been a lot to expect from her after so little time to prep.

He moved closer to her gently placing a hand to her arm. "Leesh, what did it say? I know you did your best. It's okay if you didn't pass. You can take it again.

She briefly looked down at the floor, then sighing she slowly brought her eyes back up to meet his. "I didn't open the email. I don't know if I passed or not. It showed up in my inbox yesterday afternoon but I couldn't bring myself to read it." She turned toward the laptop. "My whole future lies in whatever that email says."

All hope and suspense returning, he had to suppress a slight chuckle. It had been a long two weeks of waiting since the eight week deadline they'd originally been given to get her results back. Now she'd had them for nearly twelve hours and hadn't looked at them. The Alicia he'd known eighteen months prior wouldn't have hesitated in opening the email. But now she was more cautious. She hadn't totally gained back her natural sense of confidence. She seemed to hold a slight fear of letting others down, especially herself. Sometimes it was difficult to make her understand that no one was judging her. That he especially would love her no matter what. That he wouldn't think any less of her if her skills as a lawyer weren't what they used to be.

He reached his other hand to her, pulling her close to his warm body. His lips curved upwards. "You've waited two weeks longer than it was supposed to take to get those results. I bet it's a good sign. Either way, your whole future won't be decided by what that email says. If you didn't pass, you can take it again. If you did pass, then you passed. Leesh, the results of that exam do not define you."

Between the late hour and the amount of energy she'd spent fretting over the email in the past twelve hours, she felt exhausted, but comforted some in his reassuring words. She leaned closer resting her head against his chest, wrapping her arms around his waist. "Will you read it, and tell me what it says?"

He chuckled again resting his chin on top of her head. "Yes." A few long moments later she released her grasp on him. He moved to the laptop and clicked open the email.

She watched intently as he read. Only a matter of seconds had passed, but it seemed like an eternity before his gaze met hers. He didn't say anything. His features were unreadable. She covered her face with her hands. "I failed didn't I?" Her whole body slumped as a stream of tears neared the surface.

"No, Leesh." He was in front of her in seconds his arms wrapped securely around her. "You passed!" he exclaimed, enthusiastically.

She brought her hand from her eyes, and looked into his with a hint of genuine surprise. "I passed?" Relief flooding through her entire body she threw her arms around his neck.

"Yes," he said, just before her lips crashed into his.

After pulling apart he took her hand and led her to the laptop. "You not only passed, you scored in the ninety-eighth percentile. You hit it right out of the park."

She looked at the email with him. A few tears escaped her eyes. The weight that had just been lifted from their shoulders was enormous. She almost felt weak at the knees.

He wrapped her up in his arms again. "Now all we have to do is turn this into the disciplinary board, and after they approve it, we can reinstate you as name partner. Congratulations Leesh, you're a full-fledged lawyer again. We'll celebrate this weekend!" He kissed her again. She pressed her body closer to his, not feeling nearly as tired as she had ten minutes earlier.

"Maybe we could celebrate now." Her hands moved to his chest.

"Maybe we should." He swiftly scooped her up off the floor, causing her to giggle as he carried her back upstairs to their bedroom.


Two weeks later the morning sun filtered through their bedroom window casting a glow on her porcelain skin. She was sound asleep as he moved closer threading his arm under hers to hold her securely in his embrace.

He watched her for quite a few minutes taking in the sight of her. Breathing in the faint scent of her hair. It was Mother's Day. A day that always seemed to make him love her even more, perfect for the plans he'd made.

He rested his head against hers, his gaze moving over her sleeping form. She wasn't just his wife as she'd once been. She was the mother of their children, and he'd be forever grateful for all the things that bearing that title meant, the joy and happiness, as well as the pain and discomfort over the years.

On days like today he'd prefer to have her all to himself, forget life for awhile and just enjoy his wife. While the day promised to be somewhat relaxed, there were still things to do, and one particular errand he needed to run.

He leaned over brushing a soft kiss to her cheek. Not wanting to wake her, he removed himself from the bed as delicately as he could.

She was beginning to wake, and shifted to look at him. "Come back to bed. You were keeping me warm," she said, drowsily.

He pulled a t-shirt over his head and leaned back over the bed to give her a kiss. "I have to go help the kids with breakfast. They wanted to make you and Mom pancakes this morning. And I know for a fact that neither of them have mastered the skill quite yet."

A tiny pout formed on her lips. "Just ten more minutes. Are they even up yet?"

He laughed at her insistence and climbed back under the covers, securing his arms around her. "Yes, they're up. But they probably won't do much damage in ten minutes. And I'll bet my mom is up anyway giving them tips." Will's mother had finally sold her house, and come to stay with them for a few days until the new place she'd purchased was ready.

She smiled snuggling closer to him, closing her eyes once again. They lay together in comfortable silence for a few minutes. Will's mind drifting back in time to the first Mother's Day they'd celebrated after Zach was born.

- She'd insisted Will not make a big deal about it. Zach was only six weeks old, she was still on maternity leave, and the only thing she'd asked was that Will be home all day and not do any work.

As had become their routine it had been his night to get up in the early hours of the morning with Zach and feed him. Will had done it, and in an attempt to let Alicia get a little more sleep he'd gotten back up with Zach for the day a few hours later. Alicia had managed to get more sleep that night then she had since Zach had been born. Will hadn't thought much of it. But when Alicia had emerged from their bedroom late in the morning, she'd thanked him profusely for the extra hours of sleep. -

He smiled to himself at the memory now snuggling with her. Their marriage had been built and become strong on these simple kinds of gestures from both of them.

All too soon a knock came to their bedroom door. "Dad, are you up yet?" Zach called.

"Yes, I'll be down in a minute." He leaned over to press a soft kiss to Alicia's lips. Her eyes still closed, he whispered in her ear. "Happy Mother's Day. Rest for as long as you want, okay?"

"Mmhm," she mumbled. "Right after you give me another kiss."

Laughing under his breath he leaned close to press one last kiss to her warm lips before heading downstairs.

That evening they had a small crowd over for dinner, Kurt and Diane, Julia, Josh, and the kids, Veronica, Bill, and Owen. They all sat outside talking in the backyard enjoying the warm spring air. Grace, Zach and Ethan were running around the yard with a soccer ball.

Will sat comfortably next to Alicia with his arm draped over her shoulder. He smiled as she laughed at something Kurt said, trying not to jostle Julia's sleeping baby in her arms too much. He loved her laugh, it had been one of the first things that had caught his attention all those years back at Georgetown. That and her eyes. Those eyes hadn't changed in the twenty some odd years since he'd first seen them, and they still held the same mesmerizing effect on him.

The baby got fussy, and Alicia stood to try and soothe her. Swaying back and forth, the baby gently resting on her chest, she cast a sideways glance at Will.

"I think Uncle Will might have to get used to changing diapers again because I've decided to keep you here all to myself." Her gaze quickly moved to Julia. "Mommy can come visit us when she wants."

Everyone laughed. "I knew letting you guys come over was a bad idea," Will joked, looking at Josh and Julia. Everyone laughed again, and continued chatting.

Will's eyes remained fixed on Alicia. Seeing her with the infant in her arms reminded him of watching her with their own babies. These memories only added to the continuous stream of thoughts that had drifted through his mind all day. He'd barely been able to keep his eyes off her and when she'd gone with Grace, his mother, and Veronica to the spa to get manicures and pedicures he'd genuinely missed her. The continuous stream of thoughts hadn't been like they were some days. It wasn't a physical need or want he'd been feeling all day, but a genuine outpouring of love. He'd wanted to make certain throughout the day that she knew just how much she meant to him. He'd added a bouquet of flowers to the kids' presentation of breakfast in bed. He'd surprised her with the spa trip. While the women were gone doing that, as well as some shopping, he and Zach had tidied up the house, even cleaned the bathrooms, which was one of Alicia's least favorite chores.

She'd wrapped her arms around his neck and given him a passionate kiss of appreciation when she'd gotten home and found that all the things she'd thought she'd have to do before dinner had been done. This extra time in the late afternoon had allowed for the two of them to steal away to their bedroom for awhile to enjoy a nap snuggled up with each other.

The cheerful mood continued amongst the group as the sun began to fade. Grace came over and interrupted the adults conversation. "Is it time for dessert yet? I'm getting tired of the boys."

Alicia laughed, pulling her down to sit next to her. "We can have dessert as soon as you tell me what it is."

Grace glared at her father. "Dad, can we please just tell her? I don't know why you wanted it to be a surprise anyway. It's just dessert!" she complained, slumping back against the cushions.

Will chuckled. "It's not a surprise. It's just a secret." He looked at Alicia. "And it's fun to keep your mom guessing sometimes." Alicia rolled her eyes. Everyone laughed.

Diane spoke up. "I'm on Grace's side with this Will. That dessert sat in my refrigerator over night. You're lucky it's still in one piece."

Will chuckled taking Alicia's hand into his, his gaze resting on her. "All right. We can have dessert, but there are a few things I want to say first."

Becoming serious, he stood pulling Alicia up with him. He couldn't get over how perfect she looked standing there next to him as the last rays of sun shone down on them.

"I just wanted to thank all of you for being here tonight to celebrate the wonderful women in our lives. Each of you have played a significant role in mine.

He squeezed Alicia's hand. "Allow me to tell you a little story, and then we can have dessert." The boys had joined the group, and everyone's attention was on Will.

"Just make it quick. We don't need a long drawn out closing argument here tonight," Josh joked. Everyone laughed again. Will just nodded and smiled before continuing.

"Eighteen months ago while Alicia and I were away celebrating our eighteenth wedding anniversary. We were sitting outside one night watching the sun set across the lake. Alicia won't remember this, and I haven't mentioned it to her since then."

This perked Alicia's attention, and she moved a bit closer to him.

"We got to talking about all the anniversaries we'd celebrated, the places we'd gone, and the things we'd done together over the years. We decided that night that for our twentieth anniversary we'd go back to New York and renew our vows. As you all know our lives have changed quite a bit in the eighteen months since then. After Alicia's accident I was scared to death that she'd never love me again. That twenty some odd years ago after numerous attempts I somehow managed to convince her we were supposed be together, but I wasn't certain that twenty years later I could convince her all over again."

A silly little smile crossed his lips. "I'm happy to say she's fallen for all of my old tricks." Everyone got a good chuckle out of the comment.

Alicia blushed a bit. "Is there a point to all of this, other than you embarrassing me?" she teased.

He chuckled. "Yes. As time's gone on, and Alicia has gained back portions of her memory, one thing she's not been able to remember is our wedding."

He turned to fully face her taking her other hand into his. "I've watched you thumb through the wedding album, and stare at our wedding portrait on the mantle over and over again trying to will any sort of memory from that day. And I've seen the tinge of sadness in your eyes when nothing comes to mind."

He stepped closer to her their bodies were nearly touching. "So, I got to thinking that maybe we shouldn't just renew our vows. Maybe we should do the whole thing all over again," he breathed, just inches from her face. Her hazel eyes fixed on his.

"I love you. I've loved you for so long I don't remember what it was like to not love you. I even foolishly tried to not love you for a short time, and it was the most ridiculous thing I've ever done. Not to mention impossible."

He stepped back a few inches reaching into the pocket of his khakis and pulled out a small box. In that instance as the sun faded more in the background everyone, very much surprised, realized what he was doing.

In utter surprise Alicia's hand went to her mouth as a few tears escaped her eyes.

His other hand reluctantly let go of her. "I know when I took your ring two weeks ago, I told you I was just going to have it cleaned along with mine. That was only partially true. I had another band and diamond added to it."

Bending down on one knee he opened the box so she could see the ring. She breathed in an audible breath of air, her hand moving to her chest. "Leesh, will you marry me...again?"

She nodded as more tears spilled from her eyes. "Yes!"

He took the ring from the box and slipped it onto her finger. Pulling him up, she closed the small gap between them, wrapping her arms around his neck before planting a tear stained kiss to his lips.

It hadn't been an extravagant proposal, but simple just like the first time he'd asked her to marry him. He'd pondered ways of proposing over the past few months, had come up with some pretty intricate plans, but when it came right down to it, the thing that felt most appropriate was to ask her amongst their closest friends, loved ones, and their own little family they'd created over the years.

The kiss lingered, and although the women were anxious to see the ring, they gathered the small group and led them inside to give Will and Alicia a few minutes alone.

Breaking the kiss, tears still streaming down her cheeks, she took his hands into hers. "I love you so much. This whole day has been perfect," she said, softly.

He continued to hold her gaze, running his thumb over her fingers. "I'm glad. Listen, last month I reserved the mansion and property in New York for the wedding. I wanted to make sure we could get our anniversary date. But if you want to do it somewhere else I'll cancel the reservation. I wasn't sure what you would want."

"That is exactly what I want to do. I'm glad you went ahead and made the reservations."

Her arms wrapped around his waist. Pressing her warm body to his again she smiled. "So, if we're getting married again, does that mean we get to have a second honeymoon?" She raised a seductive brow towards him.

The thought of a honeymoon, the light breeze blowing gently through her hair, mixed with the last rays of sun making her skin glow, caused his physical urges for her to return.

His lips curved upwards, pulling her closer to his body. "You know that trip I promised you? I was thinking that might do for a honeymoon."

"I like the sound of that," she breathed, leaning in for another kiss. "Do you think we'd be missed if we snuck up to bed now?" she said, running her hands over his back.

He laughed under his breath, his hands moving over her body. "Yes, but I promise you there will be plenty of time later to make you feel like a newly engaged woman."

She giggled pulling away taking his hand to go inside. "So, what's this dessert you made the kids keep a secret?"

"It's this far too rich gooey chocolate strawberry cake filled with fresh berries. I had it sent from this bakery that used to be down the street from us in New York. It was one of your favorite splurges when we lived there. We shared a slice the night I proposed to you the first time."

He chuckled, shaking his head. "I was surprised the bakery was still there when I looked it up."

She shook her head holding his warm hand a bit tighter. "You never cease to amaze me."

For the remainder of the evening she stayed by his side. Purposefully brushing her hand against his, whispering soft words of love and appreciation into his ear, sitting a little closer to him when he wrapped his arm around her. It filled his heart to know she was happy and content. The day had gone just as he hoped.

She seemed to approve of the ring that sat on her finger. Every so often he'd catch her glancing at it. When he'd first gotten the idea of proposing to her again he was worried about making changes to her ring. He'd briefly thought about getting her a new one. But when he'd taken the ring to the jewelers to have it cleaned, they'd suggested he simply add a new band and diamond that could be molded to the shape of the current one. It had turned out well, and adding the extra diamond hadn't made it look too gaudy, which he knew she would have hated.

At the day's end, just as he had promised, they made love to each other. Hot and steamy at points, soft, slow, and gentle at others. He relished in it. The familiarity of running his hands over every inch of her body. The feel of her soft skin, the taste of her lips against his own. The way she responded to him, knowing exactly what to do, and where to touch him to drive him near ecstasy. And when their bodies finally connected molding perfectly together, the warm familiar connection of having been together for so many years flooded through both of them.

Tangled with her coming down from the high he knew he'd never tire of this. Nor would he ever tire of loving her.