The next couple of weeks had gone by fast. Zac and Vanessa were settling into a routine of working in the morning and going to the hospital to see Mia at night. One afternoon, Zac opened the front door and walked into the house. He walked into the kitchen and saw Vanessa making a sandwich for herself. Zac kissed Vanessa's cheek softly. He pulled his hand from behind his back and brought it in front of himself. Zac held a dozen roses for Vanessa.

"Baby, they are beautiful" Vanessa said kissing Zac's lips.

Zac smiled and kissed her back.

"Happy Anniversary sweetheart" Zac said.

"Anniversary? Oh my god. I forgot" Vanessa said looking at her boyfriend with shock in her eyes.

"Don't worry about it" Zac said.

"How did I forget?" Vanessa asked putting her hand on her forehead.

"You have been busy with other things" Zac said.

"Happy Anniversary baby" Vanessa said kissing Zac's lips.

"We have gone through a lot this year" Zac said.

"I know. It doesn't feel like a year has passed" Vanessa said.

"I love you" Zac said.

"I love you too" Vanessa said.

"This year has been amazing. You gave me my life back and a beautiful baby girl. Don't freak out when I do this okay?" Zac said.

Vanessa looked at Zac confused. Zac pulled out a box from his back pocket. He opened it.

"Vanessa, you have been my world since the day we met. I love you so much and couldn't see my life without you or Mia. We have been through so much together and it has made us stronger. You are the most beautiful woman that I have ever laid my eyes on and I never want our love to end. This ring, is not an engagement ring. This is a promise ring. I promise you that one day we will get married and we make lots of babies" Zac started.

Vanessa giggled at the thought of having more children with Zac.

"I will do my best to be the husband you deserve and the best father to our little girl. You make me the happiest man alive. So Vanessa, will you take this ring?" Zac asked.

Vanessa smiled and nodded. Zac slipped the ring onto Vanessa's finger. Vanessa hugged Zac tightly and kissed his lips passionately.

"I love you" Vanessa said.

"I love you too" Zac said.

Vanessa looked at the ring.

"It's beautiful Zac" Vanessa said.

"I'm glad you like it" Zac said.

"How long have you been planning this?" Vanessa asked.

"Since Mia was born. I didn't tell anyone. You deserve the world and I want to give that to you" Zac said.

Vanessa smiled.

"I like that it's not an engagement ring. It suits our situation" Vanessa said.

Zac nodded.

"I didn't want to propose yet because I knew that our relationship wasn't ready for it yet. I have to work a little more on myself before I do that" Zac said.

Vanessa nodded.

"I'm glad that you didn't put yourself in a situation that you weren't ready for" Vanessa said.

Zac smiled. Vanessa leaned in and kissed Zac's lips.

"I also have another surprise but I can't tell you until later" Zac said.

"What is it?" Vanessa asked.

"Can't tell you. My lips are sealed" Zac said.

"Zac" Vanessa whined.

"Van" Zac whined back.

"Please tell me" Vanessa said.

"No, it's a surprise" Zac said.

"Fine" Vanessa said.

A couple hours later, the couple drove to the hospital to go visit Mia. Zac parked his car in the parking lot and the couple walked into the hospital and went upstairs to the ICU. Zac and Vanessa walked past the desk and went to the incubator that was labeled Efron. Vanessa saw that Mia was not in the incubator. Her eyes widened.

"Zac, she's not here" Vanessa said not looking at Zac.

"What do you mean she isn't here? I see her just fine" Zac said.

Vanessa turned around and her jaw dropped. Zac was holding Mia in his arms. She no longer had monitors connected to her and all the wires that she had once had were gone. Zac smiled at Vanessa's reaction.

"What's going on?" Vanessa asked.

"This morning, Nicole called and told me that Mia was going to be released. So I thought it would be a perfect day to give you the ring and then surprise you with Mia" Zac said.

"She's going to come home?" Vanessa asked.

Zac nodded.

"She's coming home" Zac said.

Vanessa broke down. She cried like she had never cried before. Zac smiled and walked over to his girlfriend. He kissed her cheek softly.

"Are these happy tears baby?" Zac asked.

Vanessa nodded.

"I'm in complete shock" Vanessa said.

Zac smiled.

"Here, hold your daughter for the first time" Zac said putting Mia into Vanessa's arms.

Vanessa looked down at her daughter.

"The first time without wires or machines" Vanessa corrected.

Zac stood back and watched the mother-daughter duo interact. Vanessa was smiling from ear to ear.

"So I'm taking it you love your surprise?" Zac asked.

Vanessa looked at Zac with tears in her eyes.

"This is the best day of my whole life. I love you Zac" Vanessa cried.

Zac smiled.

"I love you too. Let's take her home" Zac said.

"Okay" Vanessa said.

The couple left the hospital and drove home. Zac parked the car in the driveway and looked into the backseat.

"She's asleep" Zac said.

"Okay" Vanessa said.

"Are you ready for this?" Zac asked.

Vanessa smiled.

"I'm more than ready" Vanessa said.

The couple got out of the car. Vanessa walked to the backseat and carried Mia's car seat out of the car. The couple walked into the house. Vanessa set Mia's car seat down and unbuckled the infant. She picked Mia up and carried her to the living room and sat down on the couch. Zac sat next to her and smiled.

"I can't believe she's here" Vanessa said.

Zac kissed Vanessa's cheek softly. Mia started to cry. The couple looked down at their daughter. Vanessa picked Mia up and rubbed her back soothingly.

"Sh..baby it's okay. Mommy's got you" Vanessa said.

Zac smiled.

Mia's cries turned into whimpers and then eventually stopped.

"When do you want our parents to come over and meet her?" Zac asked.

"Can we invite them over tomorrow? I want us to spend her first day home as a family" Vanessa said.

Zac smiled at the sound of the word "family".

"Of course we can" Zac said.

Vanessa looked down at Mia and smiled.

"I'm so happy you are home baby girl" Vanessa said kissing Mia's head softly.

Mia started to whine.

"I think she's trying to tell you that her daddy needs to have some time with her too" Zac said.

Vanessa smiled. She placed Mia into Zac's arms. Zac looked at his daughter and smiled.

"It's crazy that a month ago, it was just the two of us and now there is a third person living in our house" Zac said.

"Yeah" Vanessa said.

"I decided to take a year off of work" Zac abruptly.

Vanessa looked at Zac.

"What are you talking about?" Vanessa asked.

"I don't want Mia to live the first year of her life with me in and out of the picture. She deserves to have her dad around for all of her firsts. If I left, I would probably miss her first word, steps, solid food, and so many other things that I would regret missing" Zac said.

Vanessa looked at Zac.

"Are you sure?" Vanessa asked.

"Absolutely. I don't want to miss anything" Zac said.

"Can we do that?" Vanessa asked.

"I have money saved" Zac said.

"Okay" Vanessa said.

Zac smiled and winked at Vanessa.

"I'm glad that you want to do that for her" Vanessa said.

"For us, as a family" Zac said.

Vanessa nodded.

"I never want to lose you again and I don't want to ever lose her" Zac said.

Vanessa looked at Zac.

"I know that it won't be easy to explain to Mia why you aren't here in the future but I'm glad that you want to be there as much as you can" Vanessa said.

Zac smiled.

"You both mean the world to me and I never want to risk losing you again and potentially my daughter" Zac said.

"I never want that to happen" Vanessa said.

"I'm going to do my best and make sure that I'm here when you need me to be" Zac said.

Vanessa nodded.

"I love you" Vanessa said.

"I love you too sweetheart" Zac said.

Vanessa leaned over and kissed Zac's lips softly. Mia started to cry. Vanessa looked at her daughter and smiled. She leaned over and kissed Mia's head softly.

"I think you need a diaper change" Vanessa said.

Zac smiled.

"Do you want me to do it?" Zac asked.

Vanessa looked at her boyfriend and smiled.

"No, I can do it" Vanessa said taking Mia out of Zac's arms.

Vanessa carried Mia upstairs and quickly changed her diaper. She then came downstairs and went back into the living room.

"She's all better" Vanessa said.

Zac smiled.

"Where do you see yourself in five years?" Zac asked randomly.

Vanessa looked at Zac confused.

"What?" Vanessa asked.

"Where do you see yourself in five years?" Zac repeated.

Vanessa smiled and sat down next to Zac. She looked down at Mia and smiled. Vanessa then looked up at her boyfriend again.

"I see myself married, hopefully and with a couple more kids. I see myself working on a couple of movies" Vanessa said.

"Well, I know you will be married before that five year mark. The kids part we can work on after we get married. I think we are going to have our hands full with this one" Zac said kissing Mia's head.

"Where do you see yourself in five years?" Vanessa asked.

"I see myself married to you. I probably would be slowing down on work because we have babies on the way" Zac said with a smile on his face.

Vanessa smiled.

"Babies? Like twins?" Vanessa asked.

"I don't know. We will see when the time comes" Zac said.

The couple talked about their future for the rest of the day. They couldn't wait to spend the rest of their lives with each other.