A/N: Only three more chapters left after today! The countdown has begun. :)


Amanda drummed her fingertips against her thigh, biting her bottom lip as she stared at Stephanie from across the bed. Stephanie sat cross-legged, wearing a knowing smile, because she could sense that her presence was making Amanda nervous. In actuality, it wasn't so much her presence that was daunting, as it was that she hardly ever sought Amanda out in her own bedroom, and especially at night. Nighttime was when she normally disappeared somewhere in the house with Chris, enjoying private, quiet time with him until they both decided to turn in for the night. Graham and Caylie were asleep, as they usually were so late in the evening, but Stephanie had left Chris in the movie room, where she assumed he was still waiting on her to return, to let him know how the talk had gone.

Stephanie's decision to marry didn't only affect her, nor did it only affect the likes of Chris and Graham. She had allowed Amanda and Caylie into her home, and into her life, long before she knew Chris or Graham existed, and her home belonged to them just as much as it did anyone else. It didn't feel right for Stephanie to begin making huge life changes without including Amanda in them, at least in part, so with Chris's encouragement, she pulled Amanda aside to discuss those concerns. Preparing to make two people an official part of her family was a big deal for Stephanie, as she was certain it was for Amanda, likely from the very moment she had been told of their engagement.

"So, what's up?" Amanda asked, trying to sound casual, but her words came off as anything but. Her voice was shaky, and she kept taking deep breaths to calm what Stephanie guessed was a racing heart. She was making Amanda nervous. The motherly part of Stephanie urged her to reach out, and she slipped her hand over Amanda's, giving a light squeeze. "Is something wrong? I hope I didn't do anything to upset you."

"Not at all. You're perfect," Stephanie assured her. "I wanted to come and talk to you because there are a lot of changes happening around here, and I want you to know that you're not being forgotten through all of this. I may be busy with everything I have going on with Chris and Graham, but you're always going to be my family, Amanda. You and Caylie are my family, and I guess I'm just trying to say that you're in my heart. Even when I'm busy with a million other things, I'm always thinking of you two."

"I know that," Amanda said. "I've never felt like you've forgotten us. I know you're always watching out for us, and I feel comfortable enough with you that I would just come find you and talk, if I felt like you were neglecting us or anything like that, but I don't."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm positive," Amanda said.

"Okay, good," Stephanie answered, breathing a sigh of relief. "I just worry about you guys, because I don't want you to feel like I'm ditching you for Chris and Graham. That's not the way I mean for it to be at all. The general atmosphere around here will calm down once Chris and I actually get married, and we'll be able to return to a more normal life, like the one we had before. The only real difference will be that Chris and I will have rings on our fingers and be an official couple, but everything else stays the same."

"I don't know if I really got a chance to tell you, but I'm so happy for you, like, seriously happy for you," Amanda said. She hunched forward and pulled Stephanie in for a tight hug, each of them giggling like schoolgirls when they pulled away. She tugged Stephanie's hand into her lap like Graham always did and stared at the ring. "It must have cost Chris a small fortune to buy you a ring this beautiful. The diamond is so big."

"Yeah, he told me the amount, and I'm very impressed that he would have saved that much up for me," Stephanie admitted. "He's so sweet. I thought we were only going to the coffee shop in Winnipeg to reminisce about when we first met there last year, so watching him pull out a ring and get down on one knee was crazy for me. It was almost like an out-of-body experience at first. I felt like it was a movie, and I was watching it play out and happen to somebody else."

"He's the sweetest guy I've ever known," Amanda said. Stephanie agreed, but the curious part of her was compelled to ask Amanda what had prompted her to say so. Before she could get her question out, the answer came. "I don't think you realize how Chris talks about you when you're not around, but if you did, you would probably run out the door with him today and marry him now. I've never seen anyone light up like that when they speak about the woman they're dating. He's so in love that it's crazy."

"Well, like," Stephanie stumbled, biting her lip and blushing, "what does he say about me?"

"All kinds of stuff," she answered, still toying with Stephanie's ring. "He told me you taught him to love in a way he's never known before. He said the only other person who's ever done that is Graham. He was basically telling me that you don't truly learn how to love until you have a child, and he experienced that when he had Graham. He was talking about how he had loved Carly, but he said with you, he loves deeper and more drastically. So, naturally, I asked him what he meant by that."

"And what did he say?" Stephanie asked, urging Amanda on a little too eagerly.

"He told me that with Carly, he loved her for who she was. She was fun to be around, made him smile, made him want a future with her, and all the usual stuff that makes you love a person," Amanda said. "With you, though, he told me that he's more connected with you emotionally, and he feels more for you than he ever has for another woman. You have full control of his emotions, he told me, because he cares more about what you think than anyone else. He was telling me how hard it is to let you go, whenever you guys have to be away from each other. Even at places like work, he tries to hold onto you a little longer, and he said you always have to be the one to break away."

"He does do that now," she laughed. "He'll hold my hand as we walk into the building, and when it's time for me to get on the elevator, he pulls me into a hug and doesn't want to let go. It's a little frustrating sometimes, but also really sweet."

"He told me something else that really just made me say 'wow'," Amanda admitted. "Like, when he said it, I was practically wanting him to marry me, just because it was so adorable that he would say something like that about any woman."

"What was it?"

"He told me he finally found the other half of his heart when he met you. Ever since Carly passed, he's been walking around without remembering what it's like to be in love, but when he met you, he said you fit together like two pieces of a puzzle. That's how he described the world. He said people are like a giant puzzle, with all the pieces mixed up and stuff. When someone discovers their soulmate, it's like snapping two puzzle pieces into place where they belong, and he feels like he did that with you. He kept saying he had found his puzzle piece, and he was asking me when I'm going to go out and find mine. It was so cute."

"I didn't know he said that, but I'm also not too surprised. That sounds like him," Stephanie said. A dreamy smile settled on her face. "It wasn't that long ago that I had a talk with Chris about moving too quickly. I told him we had no business even thinking about marriage anytime soon, and now that we're engaged, I know I was wrong. There will never be a man who loves me like he does. In fact, I talked to my mom about that a while back."

"About his love for you?"

"Yeah. Have you noticed it?" Stephanie asked. "He loves me so much, and it's like I don't even have to go out of my way to do anything special. He just loves me so completely and wholly, and it's the best feeling. I always thought the only type of true unconditional love that there was in the world was between a parent and child. I never knew there could be men in the world who would give you unconditional love, but he does that for me."

"I think you're making the right decision," Amanda said. "I know it's not my business to even speak on your engagement, but I really do think you're taking a huge step in the right direction. There's a real sincerity to Chris when he speaks. I can tell the difference between someone who's just trying to be with you because of who you are, versus someone who truly loves your heart and doesn't want to be away from you. Chris falls into the second category. Like, Ross was a nice guy and I do think he really loved you, but not the way Chris does. It's different with him."

"It is different with him, I agree," Stephanie nodded. "I can definitely feel that there's a difference. Thank you for telling me all of this."

"Of course. That isn't even the half of what he's said, like when he talks about how proud he is to know you. He told me the other day that if all he was allowed to do at Titan was clean the restrooms, he would take the job, because it would keep him close to you. It's just little stuff like that. A guy who isn't that into his woman doesn't make comments like that. He really does love you."

"I love him, too."

"I can tell."

"He makes my personal story complete. I feel like my life has been this unfinished book, and with him and Graham coming along, I can finally complete the story. It can have its happy little ending, all wrapped in a neat little bow," she smiled. "I just can't wait to make it official," she added, gazing down at her ring. Something snapped her out of her daze, and she remembered why she had gone to Amanda's room to begin with. "Oh yeah, Manda, I had one more thing to say. I know our snowboarding vacation was a little bit of a rocky ride, and I wanted to apologize for that."

"No, it was perfect, and you don't have anything to apologize for. I was honored you even brought me on the trip, honestly," Amanda said. "I didn't mean to come off as being rude while we were there. I know I kept to myself a lot with Caylie, but it wasn't because I was annoyed or anything. I felt like I was a little in the way and intruding on your talks with Ted and Amy, so I wanted to give you guys your privacy. That's all that really was, just so you know."

"Are you sure, because you can talk to me if you were frustrated about anything."

"No, I was perfectly fine," Amanda promised. "I'm really happy you invited me. I probably don't say this as often as I should, but..." Amanda teared up unexpectedly, and Stephanie grasped both of her hands.

"What is it, honey?"

"I don't say it the way I should, but I love you, and I appreciate everything you've ever done for me and my daughter. I...I should have told you before," she said, tears beginning to trail down her cheeks, "but you had so much going on, and I didn't want to kill your sunshine with an announcement of my own, but...this is so hard."

"It's okay, you can always talk to me about anything," Stephanie said, pulling Amanda into another hug. When they tugged away from each other, Amanda managed a smile, wiping the lingering tears from her cheeks.

"I'm moving to Montana in March."

"Montana?" Stephanie asked, puzzled. "I don't mean to discourage you, but why Montana?"

"I have some family there, and I really want to start a new life with Caylie that's away from my parents. Plus, well, Caylie's dad is talking about moving with me. He wants us to try being together again, and he wants to be in Caylie's life. He called to apologize to me," Amanda said, a new flood of tears welling in her eyes. "He knows he hasn't been a good father, but he wants the chance to be one, and he wants to test things out again with me to see if we can be good together. I don't think we'll ever have what you have with Chris, but it's something, you know?"

"I'll always support you in whatever you want, but please don't settle for anyone, Manda. Don't do it," Stephanie urged. "I settled for Ross when I really wanted Chris, and if that relationship had stuck, I wouldn't be anywhere near as happy as I am now. If Caylie's dad cleans up his act and treats you well, give him a chance, but don't stay with him if someone better comes along. Who knows, you might find your own version of Chris in Montana, who ends up being better for you than any other guy ever was. Just promise me you won't settle for less than you deserve, because you and Caylie deserve the world."

"I won't," Amanda promised, and when she let the next wave of tears come, Stephanie pulled her close.

They settled in on top of Amanda's bed, hugging each other for so long that they both lost track of time. Stephanie found herself wondering how she had managed to accidentally track Amanda's tears onto her own face, until she felt her cheeks and realized she was crying, too. Losing a friend was never easy, but she would make it a point to keep in contact with Amanda. She wanted to have the opportunity to watch Caylie grow, the same little girl who may not have had a fair chance at a decent life had Stephanie not stepped in and offered her assistance.

"I'll always be here for you," Stephanie murmured, her arms still wrapped around Amanda's shoulders. "Give me a list of whatever you need to make your move, and I'll make sure to get it for you. I'll have Sergio bring one last set of clothing in for you and Caylie, and there will be a lot of winter clothing to choose from, so you two can stay warm in Montana. I'll make sure you have a car for when you get there and whatever else you need, so you just let me know. And Amanda?"

"Yeah?" she asked.

"I love you, too."

By the time Stephanie went off in search of Chris, most of the house was dark and quiet. She checked her bedroom, and there he was, lying in bed on his back as he watched some minimally interesting reality show on the television. Stephanie went to use her bathroom, pulling her hair back so she could brush her teeth and wash her face for the night. After slipping into her walk-in closet, she shed herself of all clothing, not bothering to wear a nightgown, since she often slept in her bra and panties. Chris claimed that he liked it when he had less clothing to peel off of her body. It made his work that much easier.

She slipped quietly into bed beside Chris, covering herself with the blanket and focusing on the show playing across the television screen. She sniffled loudly without thinking, and Chris glanced over, squinting at her in the dark. When he couldn't get a good look at her face, he turned on his lamp and found her eyes red and her cheeks blotchy. "Baby, were you crying just now?"

"A little bit," she said. "I was talking to Amanda and found out she's moving to Montana in March, like a month after we get married."

"Wow, Montana?" he repeated. "That's a huge move. Did she say why?"

"She has, um, family there, I think," Stephanie said, swiping a hand across her face, voice catching in her throat as she grew more distraught. "She wants to go and start a new life away from her parents, and Caylie's father is supposed to be moving with her. They're going to try things out again and see if their relationship can work out, so I wished her luck with that. I told her I'll buy her anything she needs so she can have an easy move. She just has to let me know."

"That's very sweet of you," Chris complimented.

He slipped down further beneath the covers and lay on his side, pulling Stephanie right up to his body, so they were facing each other. Something about the sympathy in his gaze set another wave of tears in motion, and Stephanie's face contorted as she pressed her eyes closed and let out a body-quaking sob. Chris brought her forehead down on his body, and she cried into his chest, letting out one strangled whimper after another. Chris hopped out of bed, only long enough to shut their bedroom door, so nobody would overhear and start getting worried for Stephanie.

When he climbed back under the covers, he found that Stephanie had turned her back to his side of the bed, so he hugged her from behind, rubbing up and down her left side as she covered her face with both hands. The nagging feeling persisted in Chris's gut that something more than Amanda's move was bothering Stephanie, but he was too scared to consider what else it may have been, so he resigned himself to comforting her. "It's okay, Steph. It's been a hard day, but you'll feel much better tomorrow. I know it hurts right now, but it'll get better."

"I just want to call my mom," she mumbled. "I need to talk to her."

Chris checked their bedside clock. "It's pretty late to call her now. Can it wait until morning?"

"No," she said. "I need to talk to her now."

"I can get her on the phone, if that's what you need. I'm here for you, okay?" he asked. She nodded, and he kissed the back of her neck, brushing her hair down flat with his palm. He reached across to his bedside table and grabbed his cell phone. "I'm calling her right now, baby. Just hang on for a little while longer."

"Okay," she said. Linda answered after the second ring, and Chris continued rubbing Stephanie's hair while he spoke.

"Hi, Linda, it's Chris," he said. "I'm sorry for calling so late at night, but Steph just found out that Amanda's going to be moving out of this state in a few months, and she's upset and having a really hard time dealing with it. She was asking for you, so I wanted to give you a call and see if you could talk to her, maybe lift her spirits a little," he said. There was a slight pause while he waited to hear what Linda had to say, then he let out a breath of relief. "Thanks so much, Linda. I'll put her on now. Here, angel," Chris said, handing his phone off to Stephanie. She sat up in bed and took the phone, and he kissed her cheek. "Do you want me to sit with you while you talk, or would you rather have some privacy?"

"I want you to stay."

"Okay, then I will," Chris said, wrapping his arm around her shoulders and leaning his temple against hers while she took the phone call.

The next morning, Chris woke up in bed alone. He opened his eyes and found that the covers on Stephanie's side of the bed were peeled back. Since he had woken up on his own, without having to wait for the alarm clock to go off, Chris reached over and cleared the alarm he had set the night before. He yawned loudly, stretching his limbs and feeling Stephanie's side of the bed for warmth. He did that, sometimes, to determine whether or not it had been a long time since she left him alone in their bed. The exposed sheets on her side were cold.

The previous night had been a difficult one, but Linda had calmed Stephanie down enough to get her to sleep, which Chris was infinitely grateful for. She had tossed and turned throughout the night, and Chris was certain of that, because Stephanie had woken him up more than once, but each time, he was able to smooth her hair down continuously with a series of soft strokes from his hand, until she fell back asleep. He felt for Stephanie, because Amanda and Caylie had been the only two people living in her home for quite a while, and Stephanie had grown accustomed to having them there all the time. It would be a big change to wake up one morning and have both of them gone.

Chris hadn't known Amanda or Caylie anywhere near the same amount of time as Stephanie had, and even he was anticipating a struggle in getting through the grief of not having them around any longer. Scratching his bare chest, Chris climbed out of bed and found a clean t-shirt, tugging it on over his head and taking a couple of minutes to use the bathroom and get cleaned up. He went downstairs, expecting for Stephanie to be in the kitchen, since she often went down to cook a big breakfast when something was bothering her. Instead, he found her in the living room, a large, brown box of ornaments at her feet as she thoughtfully fitted them to the massive Christmas tree in the corner of the room.

She was still in her robe, which meant she hadn't showered or changed yet. Stephanie turned around when she heard someone creeping up behind her. She smiled softly, and Chris did the same, brushing his hand over her cheek. "Good morning, beautiful. Are you feeling a little better today?"

"A little, yeah," she said, coughing softly into her hand. "Um, I'm not going to work today, just so you know. I guess my mom got to my dad and told him I was upset last night, because he called me early this morning and told me to take the day off. He said to stay close to my computer, because he might need my help with some things, but he won't ask anything of me that I can't do from home, so I'm staying here."

"Oh."

"Yeah."

"So, I guess I should start getting ready?" he asked, rubbing the back of his neck and letting out another yawn.

"I can't stop you if you want to show up, but Dad said you could stay here with me," Stephanie replied. She placed the silver ornament in her hand on a low-hanging tree branch and pointed to the couch. Chris took a seat first and she cuddled up beside him, gazing into his eyes expectantly. "Hold me."

"Of course," Chris said, wrapping his arms around her body and covering her in soft kisses. "Could you tell whether your dad was leaning toward having me show up at work, or whether he was really fine with my staying here for today?"

"He said he would prefer if you would stay with me, actually, because he was worried about me. Like I said, I think my mom got a hold of him last night and let him know I wasn't feeling well. She probably told him I had been crying while I talked to her, and when my dad finds out I've been crying, it's all over. He babies me for days on end."

"Hey, if I had a daughter, I'd be the same way, so I can't exactly blame him for that," Chris laughed. He kissed the top of Stephanie's head. "I know this is hard for you, but things will start looking up again soon. All I can say is to make the most of your time with Amanda and Caylie. I tend to hog you a lot because I love you so much, and Graham does, too, but we're going to start giving you a little more space so you can be with Amanda and Caylie more often. You only have a few months with them, so have as much fun as you can. Also, you have the means to fly over and visit them after they get to Montana, so there's that."

"All good points," Stephanie nodded, hiding her face in the crook of his neck. Chris smiled when he felt her warm lips against his skin. "At least I know you'll never leave me. I'll always have you and Graham."

"You know it," he confirmed, rubbing her hair. "I don't think the move is what's bothering you so much as the distance, though. You weren't expecting Amanda to say she was going all the way to a place like Montana, were you?"

"Not at all. I thought she would find an apartment in town, but I never thought she would leave this city, let alone leave the state."

"It will be okay, Steph. It might not seem like it right now, but it will," Chris promised. He glanced over at the Christmas tree and the numerous wrapped presents stacked underneath. "That tree is looking good. I can't wait to spend Christmas morning with you, Graham, Amanda, and Caylie. We'll have a lot of fun. I just can't believe how many presents we all bought," he said. Stephanie picked her head up to take another look at the tree and gifts. "Isn't it crazy? At this rate, it will take us at least two hours to even open all of the presents."

"I love big Christmases, though. They're fun, and they remind me of when I was little. My parents sort of used to go overboard on buying my Christmas gifts, and Shane's, too," she said, laughing at the memory. "I think they felt bad that they were gone so often when we were younger that they would try to make up for it by getting us everything under the sun. We were never spoiled brats, though, which is what's so amazing to me about it. No matter how much Shane and I grew up with, we were always humble about it, which isn't always easy when you grow up in a town of blue bloods like we did."

Footsteps plodded down the main stairs, and Chris and Stephanie were greeted with the sight of a sleepy-looking Graham, rubbing his eyes as he trudged down to where they were. He still had another week and a half of Christmas break, and by the looks of it, he was enjoying not having to rush around to prepare for the school day. He went straight to Chris, taking a seat beside him, and Chris rubbed his back. "Hey, buddy, did you sleep well?"

"Yeah," he said, yawning just as Chris had a few minutes earlier. "Daddy, why aren't you wearin' your suit?"

"Stephy and I are taking the day off from work. Do you want to go out and do something fun?" Chris asked. "Because I'll take you somewhere, if you want to go."

"I do," Graham said. When Chris glanced at Stephanie, the old, familiar twinkle had returned to her eyes.

"What?" Chris asked curiously.

"Nothing," she shrugged, feigning innocence. "I was just thinking of how I can't wait until I'm the one saying 'I do' to you."

"Our time is coming, babe."