A/N: Sooo, I'm back with a new chapter ;) Thanks for the reviews (ik I say that every time, but it's because I really mean it) and I love that you guys sometimes go back and share your thoughts about previous chapters. I love getting these discussions going. About chapter 19: yeah, I think it's a natural thing for a mom to freak out when her kid is sick and/or hurt, and it can drive them crazy. As kids, it's easy to get annoyed when our parents are freaking out, but they probably just can't help it. It's because they care so much and want us safe :)
Lou and Peter emerged from the room. Lou's right hand was on her ring finger, completely covering it.
Amy looked back at the both of them curiously. Pursing her lips to conceal her smirk, she said, "So," Amy said, washing her hands and drying them on her apron. Taking the apron off, she moved toward them. "What's…going on?"
Lou glanced nervously to Peter, then looked back to Amy. "Well, we actually have some news."
Amy turned to look squarely at the two of them. Noticing they were standing awfully close, she asked, "What kind of news?"
Lou looked to Peter, and he looked down at her, smiling back. "Um, well…we realized that…that…"
"That even after everything that's happened, we still love each other," Lou began for him.
"And we could never be happy without each other, without our girls," Peter added.
Lou looked back at him, a soft smile at her lips.
Amy watched them, and she could almost feel her heart glowing with happiness, her eyes slowly welling with tears of happiness. She laughed softly, saying, "And?"
Lou removed her hand from off her ring, adjusting it a little. "And Peter asked if I would marry him, and I said yes," she said, curving her shoulders inward, sort of like a half-shrug, smiling and gushing with happiness.
Amy let out a laugh, bringing her hands to cover her mouth. "I am just—I am so happy for the both of you!" Amy said, coming forward, engulfing Lou in a hug. "Oh my god, I'm just so happy for you two…"
When Lou and Amy moved out of the hug, Amy planted a quick kiss on Lou's cheek, bringing her hands up to cup her sister's face. They both laughed, pressing their foreheads together, and Amy eventually wrapped her arms around Lou again. "I love you."
"I love you too, Amy," Lou said, a smile in her voice.
Amy moved back, looking to Peter. "You made a good decision. I see you're a wise man."
Peter laughed, reaching out an arm to hug Amy.
Amy hugged her soon to be brother-in-law. She now felt comforted that this was her sister's soon to be husband, the man her sister loved. This was the father of her sister's children, and he would be there for them. He would protect them. When they moved out of the hug, Amy put a hand to Peter's arm. "Thank you, Peter."
Peter smiled, trying to keep himself together. He nodded.
Amy moved back, and that was when Lou slipped a hand behind Peter's back, leaning closer to him.
"So, when are you two getting married?" Amy asked, her eyes inquisitive, watching them.
Peter looked down at Lou, saying, "Well, we want to make this official as soon as possible."
Lou looked to him, saying, "We were thinking Thursday, actually."
"That's—that's soon," Amy said.
"Not soon enough," Peter remarked, making both Lou and Amy laugh.
Amy smiled, "Well, I'm excited. Where—where are you guys going to hold it?"
"We haven't really discussed that, but I mean—" Peter began.
"The dude ranch pier," Lou interjected, a smile at her lips. "That's where I want to get married."
"Really?" Peter asked, surprised that she had already thought about the venue.
"Yeah. That's where you proposed to me the first time, remember?"
"Yeah. I think that's perfect," Peter gushed, realizing then how meaningful it would be for the two of them to get married right where it all began.
Tim had offered to pick up his granddaughters from school that day. When the girls arrived home, Lou and Peter were seated at the roundtable and were in the middle of making something for dinner.
"Daddy!" Katie shouted happily.
Peter stood from his chair, swooping his daughter off the floor. "Hey…! Kitty Kat!" He hugged her, messing up her hair playfully.
"Daddy, stop it! You're ruining my hair!"
Peter laughed, ignoring Katie's concern for her hair. He planted a kiss on her head. "Oh, honey, I missed you," he said to her. He then walked over to Georgie and wrapped a loving arm around her, with Katie still in his arms. He kissed the top of Georgie's head. "I missed you, too."
"I missed you," said Georgie, hugging her father back, leaning into his heartfelt hug for a few moments.
"What, no hug for me?"
Peter moved away, and Georgie saw her mother had stood up, her hand resting on the counter. She smiled, walking over to hug Lou. As she felt her mother's arms go around her, Georgie's muscles relaxed.
Lou kissed Georgie's hair lovingly.
"Are you feeling alright, Mom?" Georgie, of course, asked.
Amy's words came back to Lou. Your kids draw strength from you…If they see you've fallen weak, where is that going to leave them? "Yeah, I've been good. Really good."
Georgie hugged Lou tighter, sighing a breath of relief.
When they moved away from the hug, Lou looked to Peter and they shared a look. Peter nodded to Lou, who then looked back to Georgie, putting a hand to her daughter's face. "Sweetie, there's something your father and I want to tell you," she said, smiling. "Both of you," she said, looking to Katie as well.
"Yeah? What's going on?" Georgie asked, skeptical.
Peter cleared his throat. "Sweetheart, it's good news. Very good news, in fact. We've decided that we're going to…" Peter trailed off, deciding that this was something Lou should reveal to their daughters. Looking to Lou, he gave her a slight nod of his head.
So then, Lou said it. The words Georgie had wanted to hear for so long, but never did, until now, that is.
"Your father and I are getting married."
It took a moment to completely register what her mom had said to her. Suddenly, she was confused, and then the next moment when she had taken it all in, Georgie's emotions begun to overwhelm her. She laughed happily, her hand going to her mouth. She tried to stop herself, but she just couldn't. She began to cry tears of joy.
"Oh, honey…hey…"
Georgie's tears had gotten the best of her and she was full on crying now. "Mom, Dad…" she let out in between the tears.
Lou brought her arms around her daughter again. She could feel her shaking and trembling against her, and this ignited tears in Lou as well. "Oh, sweetie…"
"I feel like I must be dreaming, or something," Georgie said after a long pause. It was clear in her voice that she was disbelieving, completely taken aback by this.
"No. This is real," Lou said against Georgie's hair.
"If it's a dream, then I don't ever want to wake up."
Peter laughed. With Katie in his arms, he walked toward Lou and Georgie. Peter brought an arm around Lou, and Katie leaned forward to wrap her arms around Georgie. The family of four stayed in their happy little bubble, taking in the salvation of this moment.
Peter brought his arm tighter around Lou and planted a kiss on her head. Moving back, he set Katie down and got down to her level. He said to her, "Katie, honey, are you happy that Mommy and Daddy are getting married again?"
"Forever this time?" Katie asked.
Peter's lips parted, a glint in his eyes. "Forever this time," confirmed the father.
"Then I am happy," Katie said, a twinkle in her eye.
Peter laughed contentedly. He straightened, putting a hand to Katie's head.
Katie came forward, wrapping her arms around Peter's legs.
Georgie followed suit after her little sister and she swiftly strode over to where Peter stood just a little ways away and bumped into him, hugging her father tight. "I love you, Dad. Thank you…"
Peter put a hand to Georgie's head, keeping her close. "I love you, honey."
Lou walked forward, putting a hand to Peter's back, leaning her head to his shoulder. She brought an arm around Georgie, hugging her tight. She had dreamt of this day for a very long time, and now that it was finally here, she knew that it couldn't be more perfect.
Peter stood there, engulfed in the hugs of the three people that meant the world to him, the three people that were his world, and he smiled to himself. This was his family. His beautiful family that he had finally managed to mend...For the first time in a long time, he felt content. He felt happy, and he didn't feel any crushing weight on his chest anymore. He could finally breathe, finally begin to set things straight, and finally begin to live.