Natalie stood over the stove, pushing the last of the vegetables off her cutting board, adding them to the stew, already in progress.

Julie walked into the kitchen to get a drink from the fridge. She stopped when she noticed the aroma of the meat and seasonings simmering in the pot. She looked over at her mother stirring it with her wooden spoon. "Mom, what are you doing?"

Natalie turned towards her daughter with raised eyebrows. "What do you mean, what am I doing? I'm fixing supper."

"I can see that," said Julie, getting a glass out of the cabinet, "but you aren't supposed to be cooking supper. You're supposed to be going out with your friends tonight."

Natalie sighed. Her daughter could be persistent. "I told you. I'm not going. I want to enjoy my time with you while I can."

"I've been here for almost two weeks, and we've still got a few more days," said Julie as she put ice in her glass and poured her soda. "You should go. You don't get together with them very often."

Natalie turned back to the stove, giving the stew one final stir before putting the lid on the pot. "Julie, I just don't want to."

Julie threw the can in the recycling bin. "Why? Is it because you're missing Dad?"

Natalie's shoulders slumped as she turned to face her. "Yes, I suppose it is. They will all be talking about their husbands and Sharona will be talking about the baby, and it's just going to make me miss him even more."

Julie looked at her over the rim of her icy drink. "You should go."

"What about the stew?"

"We'll eat it."

"You and Sophia?"

"Molly's coming over. We were going to watch Sophia together."

Natalie couldn't help but smile at that. "Ok, ok. It will be good to see Molly again." Then, her eyes twinkled. "And now, you won't have to spend your time conspiring how to get Adrian and me together."

Julie laughed. "Unless we can think of a way to get him home sooner."

Natalie sighed. "Oh Julie, that would be wonderful!"

Just as Natalie finished putting on her shoes, she heard the doorbell ring. She came downstairs with Sophia, just in time to see Julie and Molly excitedly embrace and begin to talk, neither allowing the other to finish a sentence. Walking across the living room, she also embraced her friend. They took their seats on the brown, leather furniture and Molly pulled Sophia into her lap, kissing her cheek and running her hand through her hair. Sophia smiled up at her with her big green eyes, then squirmed down to the floor to toddle off and find a toy.

They spent some time catching up, then Natalie asked, "So how was the Toronto Film Festival this year, Molly?"

"It was great!" she said, then she blushed. The blush did not go unnoticed by Natalie or Julie.

"What was that?" asked Julie.

"What was what," asked Molly, trying to sound nonchalant.

"Those pink cheeks, that's what", said Natalie, grinning.

"Oh," said Molly, looking at her shoes.

"Come on, spill it!" said Julie, playfully pushing Molly's shoulder.

A smile spread across Molly's face as her cheeks turned an even brighter shade of red. "I met someone," she said quietly.

"Wait, what about Kyle?" asked Natalie.

"Kyle?" Molly's smile faded a little. "Oh, I guess Julie didn't tell you. We broke up just after Christmas."

"I'm sorry," said Natalie.

Molly laughed lightly with a toss of her long, blonde hair. "Don't be. Things had been going downhill for a while. It was mutual, and it was for the best."

"Sooo," said Julie. "Tell us who you met."

Molly's smile returned. "His name is Luke. He's 31. He's tall, handsome, and he's an independent sports writer."

"A sports writer?" asked Julie. "What was he doing at the film festival?"

"He worked as a technical advisor on a film being shown there."

"So, where does he live?" asked Natalie.

He lives just north of L.A. We hit it off really, really well, and I'm going to go down to meet his family next weekend"

"Oh, that sounds a little serious," Natalie said.

Molly looked down bashfully. "I'm hoping so… Don't tell Adrian though. I want to tell him myself after I'm a little more sure of things."

"Good thinking," said Julie, and Natalie laughed as she imagined the torrent of questions Adrian would have about the mystery man if he knew. He loved the women in his life fiercely, but he was also fiercely protective.

Natalie listened to Molly and Julie continue to talk excitedly about Molly's news, and she fondly remembered the moment she had sat in the same room with the same young women and told them of her budding romance with one Adrian Monk. On one hand, it felt like yesterday. On the other, a lifetime ago.

Natalie pulled into a parking space outside her favorite Indian restaurant, just in time for her monthly dinner date with the ladies: T.K. Stottlemeyer, Sharona Disher, and Nicole Washington. She checked her hair and makeup one last time in the rearview mirror and straightened her white shirt collar and mauve, suede jacket, which she had paired with jeans and heels. She almost hated to admit it, but she was glad Julie had talked her into coming. She had been bumming around the house for almost two weeks, and it felt good to get dressed up for a change. She walked in and immediately found the ladies waiting for their table. There was a flurry of hugs, then they were seated. Natalie ordered a spicy chicken curry with naan bread, then sat back and enjoyed the conversation as she awaited the savory dish.

As predicted, it wasn't long before the conversation turned to the husbands. Their relationship and commonality of the police force were the foundation of the ladies' friendship, after all.

Nicole turned to Natalie and gently touched her arm. "So, how are you holding up with Adrian in Texas?"

Natalie was touched by the concern in her friend's voice. "Well, I'd probably be home in my pajamas with chocolate and a glass of wine if wasn't for Julie. It just so happened that she had to move out of her dorm at Berkeley for a couple of weeks, so she came home. It's been wonderful!"

"What perfect timing," said T.K.

"But the bigger question is, how is Adrian doing without you?" asked Sharona.

Natalie smiled a wide smile, and the ladies couldn't help but hear the note of undeniable pride as she told them about his decision to not only go to Texas by himself but to fly there alone. She also told them of how he wouldn't leave his father's side until he woke up, and then their beautiful reconciliation. She excitedly told them how Adrian convinced Jack to move back to San Francisco, and how he was currently acting as his main caregiver while he went through physical therapy. Yes, she missed him, but she was very happy for him and the tremendous strength of character he was displaying in this time away. He was, most definitely, not the same man she went to work for almost eight years ago.

"Natalie," said Sharona, "I knew you were good for him, but my word, girl, you are a miracle worker."

Natalie laughed. "It's not me. He's the one doing the hard work. I just love him and support him."

T.K. smiled. "And that's why he can do it. Your love has changed him. Leland said he's improved even more under your love than he had with Trudy. He's never seen him do this well."

Natalie ducked her chin bashfully, then quickly changed the subject. "What about Randy? How's he doing with the idea of becoming a father?"

Now it was Sharona's turn to laugh. "He waivers between excited and scared to death. He's working on a song about the baby, though. It's really sweet." She placed her hand on her tummy affectionately. "We have another ultrasound next week. Hopefully, we'll find out if we're having a boy or a girl."

The conversation continued as Nicole told of her experiences with her three babies, and even though T.K. never had children of her own, she could tell her sister's stories. Natalie grew very quiet as she ate her curry, and eventually, they noticed her faraway look.

Nicole turned to Sharona and T.K. "Uh oh, I know that look." Then, she turned back to Natalie. "So, when are you and Adrian going to have a baby?"

"What? A baby?" She couldn't have heard right.

"Yes, a baby," Nicole said. "I know that look. You want a baby, don't you?"

"I…I don't know," stammered Natalie, feeling her face grow hot. "I'm sure it's too soon. Sophia is still so young…" she stopped as she looked into the faces of her friends. She'd been caught. "Am I crazy?"

"Oh honey," said Nicole, touching her arm. "It's perfectly normal to want to have a baby with the man you love."

"You're not getting any younger either," said Sharona. Then, she smiled. "Trust me, I know. When you're our age, you know your time is limited."

"Have you talked to Adrian about it?" asked T.K.

"No," said Natalie, looking down. "He's had so much on his mind…"

"You should talk to him soon," said Sharona. "You just might want to make sure he's sitting down when you do."

Natalie looked around the table, grateful for the ladies who had become the best of friends.

Natalie barely had the chance to walk into her house when Julie ran up, grabbed her hand, and pulled her into the living room where Molly already sat, anxiously waiting for her.

"What on earth is going on?" Natalie asked.

"We did it, Mom," said Julie.

"Did what?"

"We found a way to get Dad back home sooner."

"What? How?" asked an incredulous Natalie.

"Well, first of all," you have a new babysitter, at least for now," said Molly.

"A new babysitter? Who?"

"My mom," said Molly, "if you want her."

Natalie's mouth dropped open. "What about her job at Mercy Services?"

"She retired, just last week. There are several younger women who have been wanting to start working there as counselors, and my mom decided it was time to step down and give them the chance. She'll be training them, but that will only take a few hours a week. She wasn't sure what she was going to do with the rest of her time, but she wanted to stay home more, so I called her while you were out and asked her if she'd be interested in watching Sophia a few days a week for you. She said she'd love to!"

"Oh Molly, I don't know what to say," Natalie said as she began to whelm at the kindness being poured out on her that night. "It would be such a blessing to have someone I know and trust to watch her again."

"You know, I can help sometimes too," said Molly. "With my new position at the paper, my schedule is very flexible. I can work less one day, then more another. They don't really care, as long as I meet my deadlines. Sometimes, I even work on the weekends so I can have free time during the week. Just let me know if you ever need someone and my mom isn't available."

"Oh, Molly…really? I…I just don't know what to say. Thank you so much."

Molly just shrugged. "Hey, we're family. We love you."

"And we love you! Now, what was that idea about getting Adrian home?" asked Natalie.

"Oh, that," said Julie with a grin.

"Dad, come on, let me help you," said an exasperated Adrian. Jack had been making good strides in his physical therapy after being moved to the stand-alone facility next door to the hospital, but besides walking, he still struggled most with shirt buttons and tying his shoes.

"Son, I have to learn to do this on my own. I'm not going to have you or Ambrose or anyone else doing this for me for the rest of my life."

"I don't plan to help you for the rest of your life," retorted Adrian, "just until you have better muscle control in your fingers again. If I don't help you, we will never go on that walk you wanted to take."

Just then, they heard a knock on the open door of Jack's room. Without looking up from his position, squatted down by Jack's feet, Adrian said, "Come in, door's open." He sensed the presence of someone beside him. He thought it was Jack's nurse, but then he sensed something familiar…it was the scent of Natalie's perfume. He hadn't noticed that Jack's nurse wore the same perfume as Natalie... He looked up. He closed his eyes and shook his head, then opened his eyes again. He couldn't believe it, because there beside him stood his beautiful wife, grinning at him, her hand on her hip.

"Aren't you glad to see me?" she asked.

"Natalie!" he shouted, leaping to his feet and pulling her into his arms at once. Taking her face in his hands, he pulled her to himself and kissed her fervently, unable to hold back after all the days of missing her. "I've missed you so much," they both said simultaneously. Then, they held each other tightly, lost in each other, but they were pulled out of their private world when they heard the distinct sound of throat clearing behind them.

"Maybe you two should get your own room down the hall," said Jack, chuckling.

They turned, suddenly remembering the other person in the room. Adrian grinned and Natalie blushed as she put her head against Adrian's shoulder. "How are you, Dad?" Natalie asked. Then, she warmly embraced her father-in-law.

"Much better now that you're here," he said. "Now my son will have a distraction and maybe leave me alone."

"I'll leave you alone when you're better," said Adrian in all seriousness, but Jack was grinning at his own joke.

Adrian turned to Natalie. "Sweetheart, what are you doing here? I didn't know you were coming?"

"I know," she said, looping her arm through his and kissing his cheek. "We wanted to surprise you."

"We?"

"Dad!" shouted Julie as she ran up to him, almost knocking him over with her embrace.

Once she had thoroughly hugged her stepfather, Julie embraced her grandfather and planted a kiss on his cheek. "It's so good to see you, Jules," he said.

Adrian was thrilled to see his girls, but then he looked around. "Where's Sophia?" he asked.

"Don't worry, she's with Beth Evans and Molly. In fact, Beth is our new babysitter."

"Beth?"

"I'll explain later," said Natalie, but in the meantime, "Jack has one more visitor here to see him if we can get him to come in."

Jack and Adrian's eyes shot towards the door as Julie walked into the hallway. Moments later, she walked back in with a shaking but smiling Ambrose Monk. Their mouths dropped open in identical fashion. "Ambrose!?" they both shouted.

"Hi everyone," he said with a slight wave. Julie led him over to a nearby chair where he gladly took a seat, then nodded to Julie in silent thanks.

"Ambrose, what are you doing here?" asked Jack, still not believing that his oldest son was sitting in a chair across from him.

"I'm here for you, Dad." He said. "I'm going to stay with you so Adrian can go home. He's got a family and a job back in San Francisco, but I can work anywhere. Once you're done here, we'll pack up your house and we'll move back. I… I've been looking for a new house to buy, so you don't have to stay in the old one."

"Ambrose, I…I don't know what to say," stammered Jack. "Thank you. Thank you, son. I know this couldn't have been easy for you."

Adrian was overjoyed that his brother had come, but he was also dumbfounded. "How… how did you get here?" he asked.

Ambrose lifted his eyebrows. "The same way you got here. On a plane."

"But…"

"Dr. Bell gave me a sedative, and it helped, but as you know, Dr. Bell has been helping me in other ways, and I've been getting out more and more. He didn't think I was ready for this trip, but Natalie and Julie proved him wrong. I couldn't have done it without them." He looked up and smiled affectionately at his sister-in-law and niece as Julie reached over and gave his hand a squeeze.

"Somehow, I think this was your idea," Adrian said, taking his wife's hand, his eyes filled with love.

"Actually, it was Julie and Molly's idea. They were conspiring to get us back together." She said with a grin.

Adrian slipped his arm around Natalie's waist and hugged her tight, then he looked over at Julie and winked. "Thanks, kiddo."

She smiled and shrugged. "Anytime."

After Adrian tied Jack's shoes and made sure the laces were perfectly even, they all took a walk down the hallways of the therapy center. When his nurse saw them, she asked, "Well Jack, who are these folks?"

He grinned and puffed out his chest, prouder than a peacock. "This is my family," he said.

Ambrose sat on Jack's couch, with Adrian on one side, and Natalie on the other. Julie sat on the floor by his feet. They were looking at a photo album Jack had taken home after his visit at Christmas. He turned the page and Natalie instantly recognized the sites in the background of the pictures, with a young Ambrose and Adrian posing in front of them.

"That's Disneyland!" she said. "I didn't know you guys ever went to Disneyland."

"Yes," said Ambrose, "we went this one time. I think I was nine and Adrian was seven."

"Did you ride the rides?" asked Julie.

"No," said Adrian. "We were too scared, but we had fun watching Dad ride them."

Natalie covered a smile at the idea of the role reversal between parent and children. "Was your mother there?"

"No, she stayed home," said Ambrose.

"Oh, too bad she missed out on the fun," said Natalie.

"It's ok," said Adrian, "I don't think she would have thought it was fun."

Natalie looked at her husband and saw his eyes take on a deep sadness. "Adrian, Ambrose, I hope you don't mind me asking, but do you know what your mother suffered from? I know she wasn't well."

The brothers looked at each other, and Ambrose nodded. "We… we think she had Bipolar Disorder. Of course, they didn't know what that was back then."

"Yes," said Adrian. "That's what Dr. Bell thinks from our descriptions. She would have long periods of depression, but then she would have periods of extreme happiness, almost euphoria, but during those times, she often did rash, impulsive things. She would go from not leaving her room for weeks on end to going on major shopping sprees."

"I'm so sorry," said Natalie. "I can't imagine how hard that must have been to live with."

"It wasn't easy," said Adrian.

"That's why Dad left," said Ambrose. "He told me so back in December. Adrian and I had always thought he left because of us, but it wasn't us. It was Mom that he couldn't live with."

Adrian nodded. "We've talked about it since I've been here, too."

"Well, I'm sure glad the three of you are back together again," said Natalie. "Everyone should have a family to turn to."

Adrian and Ambrose looked at each other and smiled.

A couple of hours later, Natalie crawled into bed next to her husband, sighing contentedly as she slid into his outstretched arms. Adrian looked at his wife, taking in her smile, her scent, and her softness. "I missed you so much," he said, kissing her forehead before burying his nose in her hair.

Natalie lifted her chin to look into the deep, dark eyes she loved so much. "Not as much as I missed you."

Adrian grew more serious. He touched his hand to her face and stroked her cheek. "There just aren't enough words to tell you how much I love you." His eyes tenderly caressed her face before he kissed her with an intense desire and longing. She melted into his embrace as he pulled her to himself as tightly as possible, not daring to let go, after too many nights of empty arms and an empty bed beside him.

After a peaceful night's sleep, Adrian and Natalie were awoken at 6:00 the next morning when Julie pounded on their door. "Dad! Wake up! Grant Matthews is here, and he says it's important."