After a night of making love and holding each other closely, Jean and Lucien awoke to a beautiful Southern California morning, to a sky of relentless blue and a gentle breeze wafting in off the water. The scent of jacaranda and orange blossoms filled the air, as in typical fashion, everything seemed to have burst into bloom overnight.

The sudden onset of spring served to make Jean even more eager to get her begonias planted and the window boxes affixed into place. The greenhouse had delivered the supplies the evening before, so as soon as they had finished breakfast, Lucien went down to the music room to listen to his therapy recording and Jean went out onto the porch to begin planting.

She had finished a few of the boxes when she heard piano music drifting faintly up the stairs. Brushing her hands off and wiping them on her gardening apron, she went down to speak with him. She paused in the doorway to enjoy the look of total contentment on Lucien's face as he played.

He looked up to see her and flashed a brilliant smile. "Is this bothering you? Shall I stop?" he asked.

"Absolutely not. I was wondering if you could patch it into the audio system so I could really enjoy it," she told him.

That earned an even bigger smile from him. He opened a cabinet, pulled out a professional-looking microphone, plugged it into the sound deck, and set it atop the piano. Switching it on, he leaned into it and said softly, "Ladies and gentlemen, for my next number I'll be playing Chopin, from his Spring Waltz."

"Very appropriate," she told him. She blew him a kiss and retreated back up the stairs as he began playing.

As she returned to her planting, the music surrounded her, making her feel almost as if it were Lucien's arms around her. When he finished that piece, he told her about it. "Chopin was a piano virtuoso, and he wrote almost exclusively for that instrument. Because of his virtuosity much of what he composed is very challenging from a technical standpoint. He was born in Poland, but spent most of his adult life in France. He was one of the leaders of what's called the Romantic era of classical music. And speaking of romance, Chopin had a very famous relationship with the French writer known as George Sand."

Jean smiled to herself. It seemed Lucien was taking his promise to teach her about this kind of music quite seriously.

"This next piece is by Sergei Rachmaninov, from his Piano Concerto Number Two. Rachmaninov is renowned for his melodies. I think you may recognize some passages from it."

And again he began to play.

This continued until she had finished with all the window boxes, when she asked for his help in carrying them around the house to set them in the frames. Jean had to admit it was quite alluring to see him flex his muscles as he carried the heavy boxes to their destinations.

Then she tidied up the room they'd prepared for Amelia, and over lunch they discussed the evening's show they would perform for all the people they loved.

"Why don't we leave for the club a little earlier than usual?" Lucien suggested.

Jean arched an eyebrow. "Do you need more time to agonize over whether to wear a tie for your mother?" she teased.

"Very funny. I thought Christopher and Ruby might like to bring Amelia early so she could get settled down to sleep closer to her usual bedtime," he insisted.

There was something a bit too casual about his response, Jean thought. He was up to something, but since all his surprises had been good ones, she decided to let him have his secret. She gave him a bit of side-eye to let him know she wasn't fooled before she responded. "I'll call and let them know they can come whenever they're ready."

"Thank you, Jean."

When they arrived at the club, he walked her back to her dressing room, where he gave her a long, slow kiss which she thoroughly enjoyed. As she used the pad of her thumb to wipe a trace of lipstick from his mouth, she said, "You know, once Amelia leaves, there's really no reason we can't share this dressing room. Let Matthew have his office back."

"You're absolutely right. We do at home, don't we?"

"Exactly," said Jean. She ran the palms of her hands down his chest. "And in case you're still agonizing about it, no tie tonight."

He laughed. "No tie it is. Now I'll leave you to it." He gave her a quick peck on the cheek before walking away. She watched him go, enjoying the sight of him from behind. He really filled out his jeans nicely.

As she was opening her dressing room door, she glanced toward him once more and saw Charlie Davis approach him. They exchanged a few words, and Lucien gestured in her direction. He started just a bit when he saw her watching him, but then he gave her a small wave before hurrying away with Charlie.

Jean had just finished dressing when she heard a knock on her door, followed by a high-pitched squeal of "Gamma!"

She wore a big smile as she greeted Christopher, Ruby, and her darling Amelia.

"Mum," said Christopher as he kissed her cheek. "Lucien said it was okay to come back here."

"Of course it's okay," she said, taking Amelia from him and covering her small face with kisses.

"You look lovely, mum," said Ruby. "Thank you so much for agreeing to watch her. It would be impossible to go house hunting with Amelia in tow."

"And not much fun for her, either," said Jean. "Come in, and we'll see if we can't get her settled down. We can have some tea, and you can tell me what you're looking for in a house."

They followed her inside, and Jean sat with Ruby on her lap.

Typically Christopher did not ask why she had insisted they be at the club this night. It was Ruby who approached the matter. "You were very insistent that we come here tonight. Is something going on? Not that we aren't happy to hear you sing any time, of course."

"I don't mean to be mysterious, but if you can wait until the show begins, you'll find out," Jean promised.

"All right, then, we have a bit of our own news," said Ruby. She nodded to Christopher.

"It seems Amelia is going to be a big sister soon," said Christopher. "We just found out that we're expecting a baby sometime in September."

"Baby," Amelia announced.

Ruby laughed. "That's why we can't keep it a secret. Amelia has been saying it constantly."

On cue, Amelia repeated, "Baby."

"That's wonderful news," said Jean, excitedly. "I'm so happy for all three of you!"

"We're pretty happy too," said Christopher, managing one of his rare smiles.

"It's a good thing we found out before we settled on a new house," said Ruby. "Now we'll need at least four bedrooms, including one for you, mum."

Jean's eyes filled with tears. "Between this darling," she said, hugging Amelia, "and the new one, I just may visit enough that you'll get tired of me."

"Never," Ruby vowed.

They chatted until Amelia was nodding off, which occurred just before Jean was due on stage. The toddler was placed in her crib, and her parents excused themselves to go out front and find their table. Once Alice arrived with Lucy, Jean thanked her and went out to her fiancé.

In a departure from their normal routine, Jean and Lucien took the stage together, hand in hand. Jean took hold of the microphone, waiting for the applause to die down.

"Good evening, and thank you for coming," she began. "This is a special night for Lucien and me. Many of our favorite people in the whole world are here tonight: our families, closest friends, and of course, all of you, our fans. And so we'd like you to be the first to know that Lucien has asked me to marry him, and naturally I accepted."

She paused as raucous applause broke out. While waiting for it to die down, she studied the faces of her sons. She expected Christopher to be happy for her, and he certainly appeared to be. He exchanged a smile with Ruby and they both nodded knowingly.

When she looked at Jack he was looking back at her, seemingly studying her. She gave him a big smile to show just how happy she was. Then the pretty girl next to him (Maria Manos, Jean assumed) leaned over to say something to him, and Jack responded to her. The girl grinned at him and punched his arm playfully. Only then did Jack smile back at Jean and nod his approval.

As the applause continued, Lucien pulled their clasped hands to his mouth and kissed them, and then leaned over to kiss her lips, which ratcheted up the cheers.

She glanced at Lucien's parents. Just as she suspected, Geneviève had tears of happiness in her eyes. She blew kisses to the both of them. Thomas was more difficult for Jean to read, but he didn't seem upset, at least.

Lucien indicated that he would like to speak, so she gladly handed the microphone to him.

He made a motion toward Cec, who began pulling bottles of champagne from the cooler and handing them to the waiters and busboys. In no time at all, everyone in the room held a filled glass. Cec himself brought them to Lucien and Jean. So that was Lucien's secret, Jean thought.

"I ask all of you to join me, please, in drinking a toast to my beautiful, clever, and supremely talented fiancée. To Jean Beazley."

"To Jean Beazley," they all echoed, including her sons, who both stood to toast her.

Then Matthew stood and held up his glass. "To Lucien and Jean," he said. "May they have many happy years together."

"Lucien and Jean," were the cries.

When they had finished the toast, Lucien bowed to Matthew and the audience. "Thank you," he said. "And in honor of the occasion, everything is on the house this evening. Please, enjoy yourselves responsibly. And now, I think it's time for some music, don't you?"

Again he kissed her hand, and then moved over to the piano and began to play. His playing was even more brilliant than usual, Jean decided. In several of his solos, he worked in classical riffs that made the songs feel new and fresh to Jean, which in turn elevated her vocals. It was the most fun she'd ever had on a stage, knowing that the people she cared most about were there to see it.

When they reached the planned intermission, Lucien leaned into the microphone above his keyboard. "Jean and I are going to take a break now. While we do, we'll leave you in the hands of a very talented young singer who writes much of his own music. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you, Ned Simmons."

He reached behind his piano for a guitar case as Ned stood up, squeezed Mattie's hand, and walked up onto the stage. Lucien handed the guitar to Ned, and the two of them exchanged a few words, with Lucien grinning and Ned managing a shy smile. Then Lucien walked over to take Jean's hand as they went offstage.

As soon as they were off to the side, out of the stage lighting, Lucien paused and said softly, "I'd like to listen."

"Me, too," said Jean. Obviously Ned was whom he'd meant when he spoke of someone to take over at the club when they weren't performing.

Ned began with what was surely an original song, about feeling alone in a world that sees you as different. It felt contemporary, yet had traditional blues rhythms and tones. A bit like Keb' Mo' in style, but the voice was all his own.

"He's very good," Jean said over the applause as he finished the song.

"Yes, he is," Lucien agreed. "He would like to play in one of the clubs at his uncle's casino, but the uncle doesn't think his patrons want to hear this kind of music."

"His uncle is making a big mistake," said Jean firmly.

"His loss is our gain," agreed Lucien.

Ned sang another original song, then moved onto a more traditional song, Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee's "I'm a Stranger Here". Gradually the band joined in. First Lou Dixon's bass picked it up, then a rhythm guitar, and soon several others. That brought the audience in as well, clapping to the catchy beat.

Jean leaned forward to catch a glimpse of Mattie, who seemed to be radiating delight in Ned's success. They made a lovely couple, she thought, with Mattie's vivacious confidence and Ned's shy thoughtfulness.

Christopher and Ruby seemed to be enjoying themselves, too. Christopher had always liked this kind of music, unlike Jack, who was more into metal and grunge, but even he seemed to be having a good time. Jean wondered how much that was down to Maria, who looked to be really into the music.

As for Lucien's parents, Geneviève was clearly having a great time, clapping along with the music, while Thomas slowly seemed to be unwinding. Perhaps it was because of the happiness his beloved wife displayed, but little by little he looked to be joining in the spirit of the evening.

"I'm so glad we decided to announce it like this," Jean told Lucien. "Sharing a celebration with the people that mean the most to us."

"Maybe we should think about something similar for our wedding," said Lucien. "Make it a celebration for not only the people we care about, but for those who've supported us and care about us, too."

"That could work. A private ceremony for those closest to us, followed by a big public party. It would take a lot of planning, though," she said, frowning.

"Jean, Jean, there are people who do that for a living," he reminded her. "We tell them what we want, and they make it happen."

"I suppose you know someone?"

"As a matter of fact, I do. You can be involved as much or as little as you want."

"I think I'd like to plan the private one myself, and then we could make decisions on the big one together, all right?"

"Perfect," he said. "And now Ned is finishing his set. Ready to go back out there?"

"Yes, let's," said Jean. She took his hand once more, and together they returned to the stage.

The rest of the show was just as much fun for Jean. The crowd was in the highest of spirits by this time, so much so that when she and Lucien had finished their third encore there was still a great deal of whistling and calling for more. No one seemed to want it to end.

Lucien took charge. "Thank you all for a truly memorable evening. Jean and I are very grateful that you were here to share it with us. Good night, and please get home safely."

He signaled to the band that they could leave as well, and then he began to play Leadbelly's 'Good Night, Irene' very softly as the club's patrons headed for the door. Jean sat on the piano bench beside him as everyone filed out.

Soon only the invited guests and the staff remained. Lucien finished the song, and then they went to join their family and friends.

While Lucien greeted his parents, Jean headed for Jack. She very much wanted to meet Maria Manos.

"Mum, you were amazing," Jack told her as he kissed her cheek. "Even better than the last time I was here. You're really growing as a performer. Is it everything you hoped it would be?"

"It's much more than I ever hoped," Jean admitted. During all those years of manual labor, dreaming of becoming a singer, she had never envisioned she'd find someone like Lucien to share it all with her.

"Good. You deserve it," he told her. He stretched out a hand toward his girlfriend. "Mum, this is the girl I told you about. Maria, this is my mother, Jean Beazley, superstar."

"Well, maybe for tonight," said Jean with a laugh. "How do you do, Maria. It's lovely to meet you. Lucien raves about you, and I'm sure your father mentioned to you that we met."

"He did, and he was very impressed," said Maria, "and not many people impress my father. Thank you for inviting us tonight."

"We're both happy you could come."

As Maria moved over to greet Lucien, Jean leaned closer to Jack. "If it means anything, I approve," she whispered.

Jack only smiled. Jean was sure that her disapproval would never make Jack give her up, but she hoped her approval would please him, at least.

Lucien came over to them with an arm around Maria's shoulders. He shook hands with Jack. "I need to congratulate you on your good taste," he announced. "I've known Maria since she was a small child. She's a remarkable woman."

Jack remained deadpan. "I've known Mum since I was a small child. She's a remarkable woman, too. So I guess I should congratulate you on your good taste." He broke into a laugh. "Seriously, congratulations. I've never seen my mother so happy, and you must be the reason."

"I hope I am," said Lucien.

"Oh, you are," Jean assured him, taking his hand and squeezing it.

Likewise, Jack took Maria's hand. "We're just going to wish Chris and Ruby well with their house hunting."

"It was great to meet you, Mrs. Beazley. Thank you for a wonderful evening.," said Maria as Jack led her away.

"So, it seems we have the blessing of both your sons," said Lucien. "That must be a relief to you."

"If they had not approved, it wouldn't have changed my mind, but, yes, it is a relief that we won't have to deal with that. What about your parents?"

"Maman is over the moon. She wanted to know why it took me so long, since she apparently knew we were meant to be together since the first time she met you."

"That's sweet," said Jean. "And your father?"

"You remember how I told you that his opinion of you would make absolutely no difference to me?"

Jean felt her heart sink. She had hoped Thomas had turned a corner in his attitude toward his son. "So you're saying he doesn't approve?"

"The first thing he asked me was if you'd signed a pre-nup yet."

"He thinks I'm a gold digger," Jean said indignantly.

"I know you aren't, and so does my mother. Either Dad will come around or he'll be out of my life. Again. It isn't like I'll miss him anyway. We'll just be patient and let Maman work on him, yes?"

She sighed. She didn't want to be the reason father and son were at odds once more. Smiling brightly at Lucien, she said, "I want to say hello to your mother."

As she expected, he followed her over to his parents, intending to protect her against his father, she was certain.

She kissed the older woman's cheek, and Geneviève reached to clasp both of Jean's hands.

"Such happy news, cherie," said Geneviève. "It will do my heart so much good to see mon petit married to the kind of woman he deserves."

Jean found it endearing that this sweet woman called the tall, strong man who towered over her 'my little one'. Then again, as a mother herself, she often looked at her own grown sons and pictured them as the small boys they had once been. She looked forward to the day this lovely woman would officially be a part of her family.

She was at a loss as to how she should greet Thomas Blake. A handshake seemed impersonal, while a kiss on the cheek seemed much too personal with a man she scarcely knew. But with what she'd learned of the man, it would be up to her to make the effort if they were going to bridge the gap between them.

"Lucien and I are so glad you came tonight," she began. "Has he told you the good news about his music?"

"Oh?" said Thomas, looking to Lucien.

"Yes, thanks to my beautiful bride-to-be, I can play classical piano once more," Lucien told him. "Jean encouraged me to work through the therapy that Alice suggested, and she was by my side, helping me every step of the way."

"Is that right?" said Thomas. "Well, then, you have my gratitude."

"No gratitude necessary," said Jean. "I could see how much Lucien wanted it, and he did all the difficult parts."

"I wouldn't have made it this far without her in my corner," Lucien insisted.

"Do you think you'll tour again?" asked Thomas

Geneviève warned him. "Thomas..."

He held his hands up in surrender. "I'm just wondering what this means for his future."

"I don't think I want to do that type of concert work any more," said Lucien, "but I could see myself returning to the recording studio after a few months of practice."

Jean noticed he deliberately didn't tell his father about their future plans of touring for Tony. She thought it might only cause more friction anyway, when Lucien was trying to show Thomas a side of Jean he might appreciate.

"Well, then, if I can be of help once you're ready, don't hesitate to ask," said Thomas. "And again, congratulations, to both of you."

As they walked away, Jean nudged her fiancé. "Well played."

He laughed. "I have my moments. But really I just followed your lead."

They made their way through their guests, accepting well wishes. They also congratulated Ned on his performance, and it was agreed that he would begin at the club regularly, starting at one night a week for the time being.

At last they reached Christopher and Ruby, who were preparing to leave.

"I have the car seat and the rest of Amelia's things in our car," Christopher explained.

"Perfect," said Lucien. "Why don't you and I go out now and transfer everything to my car? We'll be back in a few minutes."

"We'll be in the dressing room," Jean told them.

When the men had gone, Ruby said, "Mum, I'm so happy for you. Lucien seems like a wonderful man, and it's obvious that he loves you very much. And Amelia adores him."

"I think I knew I was falling in love with him the first time I saw him with Amelia," Jean confessed. She leaned closer. "Ruby, my dear, I can't tell you how happy it makes me to see you and Christopher and Amelia together, especially with a new one on the way. In my darkest days, when Jack was always in trouble and I was so broke I had to choose between food and rent, I would think about Christopher and you, and later, Amelia, and then I knew that I'd done something right, at least."

"Oh, Mum, you've done many, many things right. And now you're finally seeing the rewards," Ruby told her. "You're getting the things you've always deserved, and Christopher and I are delighted to see it."

The two women hugged.

"We'd better get Amelia ready to go. I'm sure Christopher wants to get home since you two have a long drive ahead of you tomorrow," Jean said.

Alice had set up a baby monitor once the two little girls were sound asleep, so that she could enjoy the show with the rest of them. Jean and Ruby tiptoed into the dressing room where Jean gently lifted Amelia into her arms. Her granddaughter barely stirred, just snuggling more closely into Jean's neck.

Jean leaned close to the monitor and whispered, "Thank you, Alice. I have Amelia, and we're heading out. Lucy is still sound asleep. Good night. See you tomorrow."

Ruby was closing the door behind them when the two men appeared.

"All set," Lucien said softly, as he reached to take the sleeping toddler from Jean.

Jean hugged Christopher and Ruby, wishing them luck in their house hunt. A few minutes later, Jean and Lucien were headed home with Amelia sound asleep in her car seat.

Jean noticed Lucien check the rear view mirror a few times. "Anything?" she asked him, really hoping they wouldn't have to stop with Amelia in the car..

"Not tonight," he said.

"Good," she replied. "Maybe the deputies are busy actually doing their job."

They made it home with no sign of a police car.

Lucien carried Amelia up the stairs while Jean hurried ahead to turn down the sheets and switch on the Tinkerbell nightlight for her. She also turned on the baby monitor, since Amelia would not know where she was when she woke up, and they didn't want her to be afraid.

The sound of Amelia calling for her mother woke Jean. She rolled over to glance at the clock. Almost nine o'clock. Amelia had slept much later than she thought she would.

She wondered where Lucien had gotten to, She half-expected to hear him in with Amelia. As she donned her robe, she glanced at her phone on the nightstand. There was a text from Lucien. "Getting haircut. Back soonest. Love u."

With a smile, she slid her phone into a pocket and then went to get Amelia.

"Sweetheart, good morning," she greeted the little girl, who wore a big smile at the sight of her grandmother. "Are you ready for some breakfast, my darling?"

"Gamma," Amelia said happily. "Where's Loosen?"

"He'll be back soon, but in the meantime, let's get you some cereal and orange juice, shall we? And we'll see if we can find the kitty."

At the mention of Scout, Amelia was eager to go. She took her grandmother's hand and pulled her out of the room. Despite Amelia's eagerness, however, the stairs proved a challenge, with the little girl insisting on navigating them herself rather than being carried down.

But when they were on the ground floor, Amelia was off at full tilt once more, heading for the kitchen where she remembered Scout's bed was kept.

"Breakfast first, young lady," Jean reminded her. Amelia's lower lip protruded in a definite pout as Jean lifted her into the high chair. "You'll have a whole week to play with the kitty. Heaven help the poor thing."

She put a handful of Cheerios on the tray for Amelia to start on while she fixed a bowl of them with milk and poured orange juice into a snippy cup. She blessed Lucien for having started a pot of coffee before he left for the barbershop.

Jean had just sat down beside Amelia when her phone pinged to indicate an incoming message. She reached into the pocket of her robe to look at it and was startled to see a video already playing. She recognized the Pacific Coast Highway, and then heard Lucien's voice.

"Jean, I'm being pulled over by the Sheriff's Department. If I don't come back on in the next ten minutes, please call Patrick and let him know. I'm on the PCH, about four miles north of Sunset. And I love you very much."

She stared at the phone's screen in trepidation as two deputies approached. They passed out of her range of view when they reached the door, but she could hear them clearly.

"Get out of the car, and keep your hands where we can see them," growled one of them.

"All right," said Lucien, his voice sounding mostly calm. "May I ask why you stopped me?"

"Why? Broken taillight."

Jean could hear the sound of glass breaking, and she gasped. She could only pray Lucien wouldn't react foolishly to them damaging his beloved Mustang.

"What the hell?" she heard him shout.

"Hands on the car, spread your legs," barked one of them.

"Really? You're going to search me? For a broken taillight?"

"Search the car, too. Be a shame if we found any drugs in there, wouldn't it?"

As she heard the car door open, Jean tried to think if he had any medication with him. Most likely not, since Alice had mentioned that he hated to take it.

"You won't find anything you didn't bring with you," Lucien told them.

"Good thing we brought some along, then."

Suddenly, Lucien's phone was moving, and she saw the face of one of the deputies looking directly into the camera.

"Shit, he's recording us!"

The other voice said, "Give it here."

The phone was tossed on the ground, and Jean saw a boot coming down on top of it. The screen went black.