All day long, Danny had had a sense of dread, and he couldn't figure out why. It had started when he woke up that morning, and a little voice inside him whispered "watch out". He had no idea what he was supposed to watch out for, but all day the feeling had stuck with him. All day, the voice kept telling him to watch out because something was coming. He didn't discover what that something was until one in the morning.

Danny woke up with that seem feeling of dread. Nothing had happened during the day, so maybe he had a nightmare he couldn't remember. He shrugged it off and reached for Linda, frowning when his hand hit cold sheets.

He sat up, "Linda?"

The coughing in the bathroom told him she was in there. So he got out of bed and walked into the en-suite.

Linda was in what Danny mentally referred to as her "crying corner". She had a pile- more like a mountain- of used toilet paper next to her and her sobs were breaking his heart.

"Linda, what's wrong?" He kneeled down next to her, only to have her cry harder. He held her while she choked on sob after sob; soon he was worried she wasn't breathing properly.

Linda knew she needed to pull herself together. After all, "a grown woman doesn't act this way". Bullshit, she thought. Those women weren't experiencing what she was right now. She heard Danny come in, she heard him talk, but she couldn't make out the words.

She knew she needed to calm down- her head was feeling light and, even in the dark room, she could tell her vision was blacking out. She needed to get it together or she was going to pass out. So she held her breath and bit her lip.

"What are you doing?" Danny's voice penetrated her ears, even though it sounded far away. "Are you holding your breath?"

She nodded incredibly too quickly, causing her to slump further on the floor. She felt Danny's hands on her, steadying her.

"For Pete's sake, Linda, take a breath before you pass out!"

She did, but at the same time, nausea hit. She coughed and gagged, her head throbbing, and crawled on her knees to the toilet.

"Are you sick?" Danny kneeled next to her, his hand on her back.

Yes, she was sick- sick with despair. She shook her head, gagging over the toilet bowl. She coughed and gagged for a while before she gave up and collapsed against Danny.

It was extremely uncomfortable for him in the position he was in- he had to move. "Would it be better if we moved to the bed?"

She only nodded, not feeling up to using her voice.

"You gotta stand up first. I'll help."

Linda moved so Danny could stand. He helped her up and to the bed, as promised. He thrust her thermos in her hand, and once she had half the ice water swallowed, he started talking.

He felt her forehead- clammy, but not feverish. Besides, she had just had an intense crying episode- she was going to be warm.

"What the hell happened, baby? Was it a nightmare?"

"No, worse," Linda managed to say after clearing her throat. Her voice was still gravely.

"Worse? Did someone die? What happened?"

Her lip quivered again, and fresh tears slowly fell down her cheeks. "I... I g- I got my... my p...period."

His heart dropped to the bottom of his stomach. "Oh, baby..."

"That's just it! There's no baby! No... baby.."

He held her while she cried again, not knowing any of the answers to the questions she asked.

"Why?! Why can't I have a baby? Why?!"

"I don't know, I don't know," was all he could say. It sounded heartless, but it was the truth.

She cried for ten more minutes before Danny suggested more water and sinus pills. She nodded and slowly took the pills.

"You get comfy however you want. I'll adjust," he said, letting her have first dibs on the entire bed. If he had to sleep on the couch to make her comfortable, he would.

Haltingly she decided what position would cause the least amount of pain. Once settled, she called Danny. "I'm ready."

He got in, maneuvered a little bit before finding the sweet spot where he was comfortably holding her.

Linda's breathing was heavy and through her mouth, because her nose was so stopped up. She tried her hardest not to cry again, but she failed terribly.

Danny slightly jumped when she started crying again. "Linda?"

She only whimpered, and cried herself to sleep that night.

Mary frowned as she watched Linda slowly move about the room. She had noticed her daughter in law had seemed sad and defeated all day long. She wanted to ask, but she didn't want to make Linda further upset. So the mother went to her son.

"Danny, is something wrong with Linda? She seems sad and really defeated."

He sighed, seeing Linda from the kitchen. "She got her period again last night."

"Oh..." she put a hand over her heart. She knew what it felt like to try for something and not achieve it.

"She was up every hour last night with cramps and tears. I'm not sure if she's crying because of the pain, or because of the lack of a baby."

"It'll happen," Mary assured him.

"Everyone keeps saying that, but I'm not so sure. Even the doctors aren't super sure. Linda says she's known she might not be able to have kids since she was sixteen. She claimed knowing and accepting that early would make this process easier... but I don't think so."

"How long after Ella did you wait to try again?"

"A year." Danny shook his head, "you should've seen her, Mom. She nearly hurled from the tears and the hyperventilating."

Mary walked out of the kitchen to where Linda was sitting. "Can I see you for a minute, Linda?"

She painfully stood and followed Mary into the kitchen. She didn't even have the energy to ask what Mary wanted.

"I want you to know that I will love you no matter what." She hugged her daughter in law tightly, which only brought on tears.

Danny swallowed the tears he felt in his throat. He walked to the embracing women and rubbed Linda's shoulder. "That goes for me too, babe."

Danny had insisted they go home early, so that Linda didn't have to pretend to be fine. She agreed, and waited in the car for him.

When he got in, she asked, "what did you tell the family?"

"That you had a fever and was feeling queasy. They all agreed you should go home and rest. Mom and Dad even offered us my old room for tonight. I figured you'd rather go home."

She nodded, before sighing. "We're never going to be parents."

"Don't say that."

"I'm accepting it."

"Then I guess we better start saving up for adoption."

She looked at him.

"Listen, Linda, I want to have a family with you. If we can't have a blood child- while that's devastating- it's okay. Because we will adopt a little baby or kid who needs the love and care you're so willing to give."

She sobbed, "I love you."

"I love you most. And don't worry- somehow or other, we'll have a kid or two."

"How do you know?"

"Cause the whole family's been praying for it, and prayers are always answered."

Linda still had low hopes, and continued to sing the same tune. If she had known what was going to happen in a few months, she would have immediately changed her tune.