Sharon watched the muscles in Andy's back stretching as he painted the nursery in Rainie's new apartment. Even at seventy, Andy frequented the gym three times a week, and despite not being able to fully get rid of his belly fat, he was quite toned. Sharon knew that he took pride in his arm muscles and she had to admit that with the thin layer of perspiration that covered his skin, he looked damn hot.

Andy has been painting the room since the morning. Originally, Sharon intended to hire a painter, but Andy insisted that he wanted to do this for his daughter, and neither Sharon nor Rainie could refuse in the face of his stubbornness.

"God, mom, could you be more obvious?" Rainie elbowed her.

"He's legally mine. It's perfectly within my right to ogle my husband as much as I want," Sharon quipped.

"Not in front of my kid!"

"Your kid is still in the oven. And you're a grown up, so I'm sure you can handle it," Sharon said. "Anyway, have you decided which of the two decorations you want to use and where?"

"What do you think about hanging the organic rainbow above the changing table?"

"It works everywhere you put it, but I think it would look better next to the window," Sharon replied.

"If Lauren was here, she'd have the entire thing figured out. She was so good at this," Rainie sighed.

Sharon knew that designing her new apartment was a confusing and sensitive experience for Rainie. Lauren was the expert in everything and anything related to design and despite the fact that Rainie was a creative person, her talents extended mostly to drawing and writing. Still, Sharon sensed that designing the new apartment was more of an emotional burden for her daughter rather than a matter of talent.

With six weeks left until her due date, Rainie's emotions ran high about almost everything. Sharon couldn't remember a time when she and Rainie fought as much as they did in the recent few weeks. She knew her daughter wasn't always that oversensitive, and attributed it to the surge of hormones her daughter's body was going through. Sharon remembered being quite sensitive, although not to that extent, when she was pregnant with Emily, and could understand and relate. She tried to avoid arguing with Rainie whenever she could, but unfortunately, it was not always possible.

"Then let's hang it over the changing table like you wanted. You'll always be able to move it if you change your mind," Sharon said.

Rainie rubbed the top of her round stomach and nodded breathlessly and then watched Sharon put a nail in the wall and hang the organic rainbow decoration on it.

"Looks good," Sharon said.

Rainie hummed, but Sharon noticed tears welling in her daughter's eyes before she left the nursery and escaped to the balcony.

"Honey, what's wrong?" Sharon came after her.

Rainie supported herself against the railing and panted. "I'm such a bitch to you and dad all the time."

"No, honey. You're not a bitch at all." It was a lie, but Sharon knew where her daughter's erratic behavior originated.

"I am, mom. I know you're just indulging me, but I'm such an asshole."

"Sweetheart, listen to me," Sharon placed her hands on her daughter's shoulders. "You have a lot of confusing emotions right now, and that's fine. Your dad and I love you and there's nothing you could say that would change that."

Rainie wrapped her arms around Sharon and sobbed against her shoulder. "I'm sorry, mom. I'm just nervous because you're going away to San Francisco for that new job and what if I go into labor and you're not there?"

"It's not a new job. I'm just working with the San Francisco Police Department on a shared case. I hope it won't take long."

That wasn't the entire truth. Her performance on this case would be evaluated and could affect her chance to receive the promotion she applied for a few months ago. While she never wanted to become Assistant Chief several years earlier, the new position – Head of Leadership Unit – was of high interest to her. She was excited to trace and train the next generation of leaders in the LAPD, and help create a better and stronger force. If she was to get the new position, Sharon would have to go back to school for a year and study Leadership Development and Management.

"Why can't Provenza go?" Rainie whined.

"I'm the head of the department, that's why. Plus, Provenza has a history of getting in trouble and misrepresenting his position." Sharon smiled. She still remembered some of Provenza's shenanigans with Andy when Chief Johnson led the department. A certain skybox tickets joke still circulated around the LAPD until this day.

Rainie huffed.

"Your father will be here," Sharon said.

"It's not the same," Rainie said. "I need you."

"Honey, I will be here when you give birth, I promise."

Rainie huffed again, but didn't argue further. "You really want this job, don't you?"

"I do," Sharon admitted.

"And you're not scared of going back to school?"

"Are you kidding? I'm terrified." Sharon said.

"I hope you get it, even if it means you and dad will have to move away for a year," Rainie said.

"We won't move away. Andy will stay here," Sharon said.

"You're really going to separate for a whole year so you can go to school out of town?"

"We'll see each other on holidays," Sharon explained. "And there are phones and laptops."

"The LAPD will miss out if you don't get the role, mom."

"You're damn right." Andy walked into the balcony. "You okay, Firecracker?"

"I'm fine. I'm just overemotional about all the changes," Rainie said and wrapped her arms around both of her parents.

"We'll all be okay, no matter what happens," Andy reassured her. "Anyway, I'm done painting the nursery. Wanna see?"

Rainie nodded and squeezed Sharon's hand before she followed Andy to the nursery.

Sharon looked at her boarding ticket and then at Andy, who stood behind her, with his arm around Rainie's shoulders. Her daughter had a concerned expression on her face, and Sharon could understand. Rainie's baby dropped earlier that week, which meant that her body was preparing for birth and both of them were worried that despite Sharon's promise, she might not be able to be there by her daughter's side when the baby is born.

Sharon hated not keeping her promises.

"You're okay, mom?" Rainie asked.

"Yeah, they gave me an aisle seat. I don't like sitting in the aisle," Sharon lied. She got a window seat, but didn't want to burden Andy and Rainie with her concerns about the possibility that she'll miss the birth.

"That sucks, mom. I'm sorry."

Sharon shrugged and took Rainie's hand. "You are my beautiful, brave, wonderful daughter, and I love you, no matter what. You know that, right?"

"I love you too, mom. You're the best!"

Rainie placed Sharon's hand over her stomach, and Sharon rubbed it lovingly. "Be kind to your mom while I'm gone, Jellybean."

"She'll be fine. You'll be here when she comes."

The hopeful glint in her daughter's eyes made Sharon's heart skip a beat. The likelihood that she will be able to attend the birth of her granddaughter was slim and Sharon's guilt was eating away at her.

"I'll do my best. You know that," Sharon said and kissed her daughter's cheek.

"Don't worry, babe. Everything will be okay," Andy wrapped his arms around her.

His embrace was comforting and Sharon realized how much she needed him. She was still a bit tired from their lengthy lovemaking the previous night, and she hoped that the sensation of his hands and mouth on every part of her body will linger with her for the next two weeks.

A robotic call for Sharon's flight was heard on the airport's PA system.

"That's me," Sharon said, and her heart battled between disappointment and relief.

Andy lowered his arms from her shoulders to her waist. "Go, show them what you've got, babe. Knock them off their feet with how amazing you are."

"Thank you," Sharon smiled and captured his lips.

"Oh my God, get a room, you two." Rainie groaned, but Sharon knew her daughter was faking her disgust.

"You're hilarious," Sharon smiled when she drew away from Andy. "I love you both so much," she said as she grabbed the handle of her carry-on trolley.

"We love you too, and we're proud of you, babe," Andy said. "Have a safe trip."

With a heart that was only slightly less heavy by Andy and Rainie's encouraging words, Sharon walked towards the gate, towards an opportunity that could pave her future.

-TBC-