Chapter Two

Marchetti? Jaime and Steve exchanged a quick glance, each worried about the other's reaction. None of their children had ever heard the name Michael Marchetti. Once Jaime had chosen Steve over Michael, the young doctor who'd saved her life had faded out of the picture quickly and completely. This had to be a very bizarre coincidence in an extremely small world. Hannah looked so happy and so hopeful that they didn't have the heart to be anything but jovial and welcoming to Daniel.

Hannah tried to divide her attention between catching up with her sisters and helping Daniel through the expected interrogation from her parents, but they seemed to be comfortable together – the three most important people in her life, who were just getting to know each other. Her parents asked Daniel about his background (his father was a surgeon, his mother was deceased) his education (his internship would begin in the spring) and his plans (he wanted to open a family practice), before Steve finally asked the question that was on both of their minds.

"Are you any relation to Michael Marchetti?"

Daniel looked surprised. "You know my father?"

"We knew him many years ago," Jaime explained, feeling her husband's body grow instantly tense next to her. "How's he doing these days?"

"He's a brain surgeon," Daniel told them, "living down in Texas. They offered him the Chief of Staff position a few years back, but he turned them down. Said he'd rather keep doing what he knew best, since he'd spent most of his life perfecting his techniques."

"Has he met Hannah yet?" Steve asked, a little too suspiciously.

"We plan to fly down there together, the day after Christmas."

A bell went off in the kitchen, and Jaime rose to her feet. "Time to baste the turkey again. Excuse me."

Steve got up, as well. "I'll put the pies in for you," he said, following his wife into the kitchen. When they were out of earshot of the 'kids' in the den, Steve had plenty he needed to say.

"Well, that's great. Marchetti finally found a way to infiltrate back into our lives, after twenty-five years."

Jaime rubbed butter over the turkey, basted it with pan juices and turned around to embrace her husband. "Steve, you really don't believe Michael had something to do with our kids happening to get together...do you?"

"I wouldn't put anything past him."

"Steve -"

"He was in love with you."

"Maybe a very long time ago -"

"And he's single now."

"Your point being...what?"

Steve had never once doubted Jaime's love for him; they'd been a team far too long for those thoughts to creep in. Still, he had to ask. "Jaime, do you ever regret..." He was unable to finish.

"Marrying you, and not Michael?"

"Yeah. Do you ever wish -"

"Not for one second – not ever." As if to emphasize the point, she kissed him with the kind of energy and passion that would've led to much more if their family wasn't gathering in the den. Another car – this one long and black – was pulling into the driveway as they went back to join the others.

While they walked down the hallway, Steve leaned close to Jaime to whisper in her ear. "Gotta admit, if Hannah were to marry Daniel, family gatherings would never be boring."

Jaime chuckled. "We have never in our lives had a boring family get-together." Punctuating that comment was Jaime's cry of delight when she caught sight of the man who was coming up the sidewalk with Lauren. "Oscar!"

"Surprise!" Steve told her as she sped out the door, hugging Oscar tightly before he'd even reached the porch.

"Hi, Babe," the older man said softly. He'd held up amazingly well through the years, his hair still the same salt-and-pepper color it'd been when he'd been Steve and Jaime's boss. His face remained unwrinkled, except for the worry lines that Jaime had always sworn Oscar must've been born with.

"It's so good to see you!" Jaime enthused, breaking the embrace only when her eldest daughter cleared her throat.

"Yo, Mom...no hello for your daughter?" Lauren asked teasingly.

When Jaime broke away from Oscar, he was nearly bowled over by the rush of Austin offspring jockeying to be the next to hug him, with three excited voices calling "Uncle Oscar!" and vying for his attention. He called Jenna and Crystal by each other's names, just as he had when they were small, even though he'd been able to tell them apart for many years now. Oscar also couldn't help but notice the young man who stood just inside the front door.

"Hello, Daniel," Oscar said as he stepped inside and shook hands with Hannah's date. He shot Jaime and Steve a quick, questioning glance as everyone herded back toward the den. They returned the look with raised eyebrows, wondering just how well Oscar knew Michael's son. There would be plenty of time to talk later.

"James isn't here yet?" Lauren asked, looking forward to seeing her twin. She had something very important to tell her parents, and since she'd (of course) talked it over thoroughly with James as she was coming to her decision, Lauren was hoping for his support when she tried to convince her parents that the idea was a good one.

She would need all the help she could get.