Given the disaster that resulted from Scott's first meeting with Lauren's parents, he was more than nervous about the second. The whole drive to their house, he felt tense, like a weight in his chest. Lauren kept putting her hand on his thigh, gently massaging, trying to make him feel better. It wasn't working.

By the time they parked the car in her parent's long driveway, Scott was trembling with nerves. Lauren got out of the car and went to him.

"It's going to be all right Scott. You just have to relax. My dad is a fear magnet, if he smells fear, he eats it up. Relax?"

"They have to like me Lauren?"

"No, they don't. I love you, that's all that matters. We are not here to win their approval. Now, take a deep breath, and give me a kiss."

"Here?"

"Yes, here. Come on, give me a kiss."

Scott felt uncomfortable doing that. This was her parents' house. But he had committed himself to the idea that Lauren's wish was his command, at least for the duration of her pregnancy. Slowly he lowered his lips to hers and kissed her gently. She wrapped her arms around him and held him close.

"There now, you relax. Let's get this over with."

Hand in hand they walked up to the front door and rang the bell. In seconds, Helen Davis opened it with an inviting smile.

"Hi, sweetheart, Mr. Guber. Come on in."

"Hi, Mama."

"Thank you both so much for deciding to come. I know that Gerald isn't easy and that things were did not end on the best of terms at Daniel's."

"No they didn't, and Daddy was to blame for that."

"Yes, I was."

Gerald Davis had entered the room, looking older and more tired than he did the other day. The argument with Lauren must have upset him just as much as it upset Lauren.

"Hi, Daddy."

"Lauren, Mr. Guber."

"Why don't we all talk in the parlor," Helen suggested.

"The tension was so thick it could be cut with a knife. Lauren sat next to Scott and held his hand, showing her parents that this was the man she loved and that she was going to support him. For a long time, no one spoke, and then Helen offered, "Can I offer anyone a drink?"

"Yes, darling, I'll have a Scotch and soda, Mr. Gruber?"

"It's Guber, and uh, I'll have a white wine."

"Lauren, honey?"

"Club soda, please."

"You never drank club soda before."

"I still don't."

"Then..."Helen stopped, and then said, "I think I better sit down."

"Yeah, Mama, I think you should. Uh, wow, this is a hard thing to tell parents, oh God, uh, Mama, Daddy; you are going to be grandparents."

"We are grandparents."

"Again."

"Oh, Laura's going to have another baby."

"No, mama. I'm going to have a baby."

Helen's mouth dropped open, and Gerald stared straight ahead.

"You're pregnant?"

"Yes, Daddy."

"Wow, that's a relief, I thought, at least now I know why you think you have to get married."

"No, that is not why. I'm marrying him because I love him."

"Can I say something? Mr. and Mrs. Davis, I know that you are uncomfortable about the difference in our ages, it was a problem for me too, but age is a number. I love Lauren, I want to marry her. You've raised her to be careful about making important decisions, we are adults. We love each other, we want to get married and we want your blessing."

"We can't give it to you."

"Daddy, what is wrong with you?"

Lauren got up and ran from the room; Helen looked at Scott who was all ready on his feet and following Lauren.

"Gerald, he loves our daughter."

"She's pregnant, and he did that to her."

"Takes two to Tango."

"Helen."

"That is it Gerald, you either accept Scott Guber or Lauren will walk out on us. I've lost one daughter; please don't make me lose another."

Gerald sighed and walked out into the garden. There he saw Scott holding Lauren to him, as gently as if she were a baby.

"Mr. Guber, can I speak with my daughter."

"She's very upset."

"Please, I need to talk to her."

Scott moved away and watched as Lauren and her father talked and hugged. Then in a few moments later, they were before him.

"Welcome to the family, Mr. Guber."

"Scott, please. Are you all right?"

"I'm fine. Now let's talk wedding plans."

Gerald felt the sweat start to build under his arms, wedding plans. He would have a lot to get used to.

Meanwhile, back in Boston, Harry was drowning his sorrows in a vodka rocks. Lauren would be happy, that was what mattered.

"Need a friend, sugar?"

He shrugged his shoulders, "I need to get used to some things in my life. I'm Harry Senate."

"Cathleen Montgomery."

"Cathleen Montgomery, it's nice to meet you. So tell me, what is a nice girl like you doing in a place like this on a Saturday night?"

"I've got nothing better to do with my time. What about you?"

"I here trying to remember what happened to my life."

"Girlfriend troubles?"

"Not exactly. I left her or she left me, we're not sure, but she's getting married, and I'm dealing with that. Now where have I seen you before?"

"At the hospital, you might know me better as Nurse Montgomery."

"Oh my God, you are the nurse that took care of Scott Guber. Say, didn't you date him?"

"Yes, I did, and he left me. For Lauren Davis."

Cathleen said Lauren's name with such contempt, with pure hate. This woman clearly loved Scott Guber, and for a second he was glad that she didn't make the connection between him and Lauren.

"So you were friends with the ice queen, is he still with her?"

"Yeah, he's still with her. But hey, we shouldn't sit here and wallow.   What'd you say we blow this place, go get some real food?"

"I'd like that," she told him.

With her acceptance, Harry slid off the stool and helped Cathleen off of hers, and together, they went off to forget the past.

Scott turned down the bed in the room Helen Davis had given him. It was a large and very masculine room, probably had been Daniel's growing up. Lauren's was next door, and Scott sincerely hoped that she stayed there. She was so lovely, so perfect, elegant, and he so enjoyed holding her close to him in the night, but this was her parents' house, he could not do that there.

Just as he was thinking this, and was about to undress, he heard a knock at the door.

"Come in," he called, expecting to see Lauren, but he didn't, he saw Gerald.

"Mr..., uh, Scott, we need to talk."

"About Lauren?"

"Yes, about Lauren. You see, Lauren is my little girl and sometimes I still see her as if she was six years old. When you become a father you'll know what that means."

"I'm going to be a father, Mr. Davis, a father to a child that is half Lauren and half me. I'm not going to lie to you, I'm almost forty-nine years old, I will be in my fifties by the time he or she is in preschool, in my sixties when he or she graduates college. I think about the years ahead, about what the future holds, and I don't see everything clearly, the only thing I do see, is that Lauren is the one that I want to share it all with."

"You love my little girl very much, don't you?"

"I love her more than I've ever loved anyone. Lauren brought that into my life. She helped me to know love, to feel love, to give love. She is the only reason I'm able to have this conversation with you, I owe her that."

"Please, let me say this. Lauren loves you, I saw it in her eyes, but she is my baby, my little girl. For mothers, it is wonderful when their daughters marry, it is something in common, to a father; his daughter's marriage means he's obsolete, he's no longer the man in his daughter's life, and it means she no longer needs me. Understand?"

"Mr. Davis..."

"Gerald."

"Gerald, I may be the husband, but I can't replace you, she still needs you, that's why your approval is so important, that's why we're here."

"And she has my approval. You will be a good husband to her, Scott."

"I'll do my best to try."

Meanwhile, Lauren was next door talking to her mother and trying to forget the history of this room, trying to forget the girl that once shared it with her.

"I never thought this day would come," Helen said, "I remember when I first got engaged to your father. Your granddaddy was raving mad, I was pregnant with Edward, and he believed that was the only reason he was marrying me, love could have nothing to do with it. But it did, and it does still for us today, and for you and Scott, you have it, that love, deep love. That's why, honey, I support this marriage, and that's why I want to give you this."

Helen Davis handed Lauren the veil. A gorgeous lace veil that she had worn and her mother, and her mother's mother before her. It meant so much to Lauren, that her mother gave it to her because that veil should have been Eliza's.

"Thank you, Mama. I love you."

"I love you too, baby."

Helen left and met Gerald in the hallway. They walked to the bedroom.
It was very late at night when Lauren heard sounds coming from Scott's room. It sounded like heavy breathing, like sobbing.

Lauren got up and went into the room. Scott was asleep and she realized she was having a nightmare. She sat on the bed and shook him gently.

"Sweetie, honey, it's Lauren. Come on now."

He awoke with a start, "Oh, Lauren, it's you, it's not him, it's not him."

"Not him, not who?"

"Not my dad."

Lauren was silent for a long time. She sat on the bed, embracing Scott, stroking his back and neck, waiting for his breathing to settle. She'd never seen Scott with his guard down like this. Even when they were making love, he wore the same armor, but now, in the middle of the night, sheltered in her arms, he was completely vulnerable, and Lauren took advantage.

"What about your father, Scott? Why would he be here?"

"I always have this dream around this time of year, the anniversary of my mother's death."

"And it's soon?"

He nodded, "My father and I haven't spoken since she died."

"Is he still alive?"

"I don't know. George and I have no contact with him. I'm sorry I disturbed your sleep, honey."

"It's all right, I can't sleep in that room anyway."

"Why not?"

"Because that was the room that I shared with Eliza, my older sister. She died when I was twenty of leukemia."

Scott squeezed Lauren's hand, "I'm sorry."

"It's all right. It was over a long time ago."

"Well, you need your rest. I didn't want to do this, but lie down next to me."

"Scott, I've been thinking about the wedding. Would you like to have an engagement party?"

"Lauren," he said, cradling her close to him, "I would love to have all of the things that engaged couples have. An engagement part, a diamond ring for you, the excitement of planning a big wedding, but, sweetheart, I can't afford these things."

"Well, I don't need a ring..."

"Yes you do, that you need."

"Scott, incase you haven't noticed, my parents are more than capable of paying for the wedding."

"I don't want it that way."

"Scott, that's tradition. The bride's parents always pay for the wedding."

"True, but I've never been one to take handout. No one pays for Scott Guber to do anything."

"You're a stubborn man."

"Lauren, I didn't want to tell you this, but it's necessary. I have money, the Guber family has money, however, the surgery and the nursing care depleted a majority of my finances. I want to give you two things in this marriage, a diamond engagement ring and a house. You told your dream about having one, and I want to give you that. After that, and I do have the money saved for that, there won't be much left over for a big wedding."

"Scott, I don't need a big wedding. I don't need a diamond ring, or a house with a white picket fence, all I need is to be your wife, to be the mother of your children. Everything else be damned."

"I love you, Lauren," Scott whispered, his hand stroking her upper arm, "I want a grand wedding, and if you do also, we'll work it out."

"The wedding details need to be dealt with soon, before your son or daughter makes his presence known. I also want an engagement party. It could help with the overall cost of the wedding."

"All right, you win. In the morning you and your mother can talk about the arrangements. Now, go to sleep."

Lauren snuggled up to Scott, burying her head in his shoulder. Scott couldn't fall asleep again. He lay awake, thinking about his dream, thinking about Lauren's sister, and about his lack of funds. He wanted Lauren and the baby to have everything, and so help him God, they would have it. That decision made, he kissed Lauren's forehead, and cradling her, watched her sleep for the rest of the night.