Chapter 36.

Callie rolled over on her stomach, sprawled out on the beach towel. The waves lapped against the sand. The picnic brunch she'd packed that morning was long finished, and she and Brandon lay together near the dock, soaking up the last few hours of their honeymoon.

"I don't want to go home," Brandon suddenly groaned. "This weekend has been great."

Callie turned on her side to face her husband, lazily tracing hearts on his stomach. "I know. It's gonna be hard going back to real life." She thought about Toby. "I do miss our baby, though."

Brandon moved closer to her, placing his hand on the back of her head. Slowly, he kissed her, tugging her lips with his own. "Do you realize that things are always gonna be like this now?"

"Like what?" she asked, yawning. She wrapped her legs around him so they were as close as humanly possible.

"Like this... you and me. We're really married." He brushed some damp sand off her arm.

She nodded. "I never thought it would happen."

"I did," he said, cutting her off. "I've always believed in us. I knew we were destined to be together from the day we met."

"You didn't lose hope even once?" Callie asked in disbelief. Guiltily, she realized she had, more than once.

"Well, maybe once..." he admitted, his playful expression becoming more serious. "I guess... it was at the Winter dance at school."

"Omigod," Callie groaned, laughing. "Did you have to remind me of that? I was having a great day." Her face burned as she relived the humiliation she thought she'd blocked from her head.

"You remember what happened that day," he continued. "But it's like I told you: what we feel only happens once in a lifetime."

Smiling, Callie nodded, taking Brandon's face between her hands. "I never believed in happy endings until you." She brushed her thumbs over his sideburns, holding his gaze. "You're my Once in a Lifetime."

Three Years Later:

Callie cradled her baby boy in her arms. Davis Robert Foster had been born just hours before, and she'd hardly let him go since; from the moment he came into the world, her heart was filled with a love she never knew possible. She loved Brandon, and she loved her family. Even Jill. But this... it was a different kind of love. "Isn't he beautiful?" she asked Brandon. She pressed a soft kiss to the baby's forehead. His brand new skin was soft as satin.

"He's amazing," Brandon agreed, reaching out to touch their son's tiny hand, studying his perfect little fingers, complete with tiny nails. He grinned from ear to ear like the proud dad he was. "Look at those long fingers," he cooed. "I think he has piano player's hands."

Just then Robert came to the door of Callie's room. "Hi," he said, waving shyly.

Callie looked up from the infant and smiled. "Hi, dad."

"Hey, Robert," said Brandon. "Come on in."

Robert stepped into the room and gave Brandon a hug. "Congratulations, son. How does it feel to be a dad?"

"It's the best feeling in the world," Brandon told him sincerely, glancing happily at his child.

Robert patted him on the back, then turned to his daughter. "Hey there, Mommy." He leaned down to kiss her. "How are you feeling, sweetheart?"

"Pretty good, now that he's out," said Callie. "The pain was totally worth it."

"I brought you a balloon," her father told her, holding up a blue Mylar balloon that read 'It's a Boy."

Callie smiled at her father, touched by his thoughtfulness. "Thanks, daddy."

Robert set the weight tied to the balloon string on the nightstand, then held up a small stuffed bear. "I got something for my grandson, too. Let me at him."

Callie pushed Davis's blue blanket aside so her father could see his face.

Standing over her, Robert studied the baby. "He's a beauty," he said, letting the infant grip his finger in his small hand. His eyes lit up with joy. "What did you guys decide to name him?"

Looking to Brandon, Callie gave him a private smile. Then, she turned back to her father. "His first name is Davis, and his middle name is Robert, for you." She looked down, suddenly emotional, as her eyes welled with tears.

"Cal," said Brandon, gently placing his hand on her arm. "Moms should still be down in the cafeteria. I think I'm gonna go see if I can bum a free lunch off of them." He was hungry; he hadn't eaten since before Callie's water broke. But mostly, he sensed that his wife needed some time alone to visit with her father. "Do you mind?"

"Sure," she replied with a nod. "Go ahead,"

"I'll be back in a little while," he told her, giving her a tender kiss. "I love you."

"Love you too," she replied

Brandon kissed the baby next. "Daddy loves you, little guy." The baby yawned and stretched in Callie's arms.

"Brandon's going to be a great father," said Robert, once his son-in-law left the room.

Callie nodded in agreement, then looked up, her eyes still damp. "You know, I never really understood, until I was carrying him, how you could love me without knowing me."

"I guess it's something you don't really get until you have one of your own," he told her. "There's nothing stronger than a parent's love for their child."

"I get it now," she replied quietly. Though she hadn't known Davis for very long, she was certain that she could never give him up. She would fight for him, just like Robert had done for her, until there was nothing left of her. She was positive that Brandon would do the same. And she wondered, in the back of her mind, how Mariana and Jesus's mom could have turned her back on her twins. Ana hadn't even tried to fight; she gave them up willingly. It was too heartbreaking to comprehend. But with this realization, it became clear what a wonderful father Robert really was.

Robert smiled sadly, reaching out to brush his daughter's hair back from her forehead. "You're one of the great loves of my life, Callie." He gave her a soft kiss on the cheek. "I'm so proud that you're my daughter. And I can't tell you how much it means to me that you named the baby after me."

"Well, you're going to be an important part of his life," she explained. She hadn't heard much from Donald since her wedding day. They'd talked often for a while, but then, the time between calls became long and longer, until they ceased completely, just like when she was a child. She still loved the man who raised her, and she wouldn't be at all surprised to suddenly hear from him again out of the blue. But for now, she was okay, and her life felt more complete than it ever had. "Dad?" she asked. "Would you like to hold him?"

Her father's face broke out in a grin. "Of course I would, sweetheart." Carefully, he scooped baby Davis up in his arms, expertly cradling his head, and sat down in the chair next to his daughter's bed.

"He looks a lot like Sophia did when she was born," he suddenly confided, studying the infant's face. He looked back up at Callie. "I bet you looked just the same." His voice was heavy with emotion. "I wish I could've been there, to see you and hold you."

Callie watched Robert embrace her son in the quiet of the room. She knew that in her father's heart, he was holding her, living out everything he'd missed when she was born. Reaching out from her bed, she laid her hand on his shoulder.

The next day, Callie and Brandon got to bring the baby home. Callie clutched him to her chest as she followed Brandon into the apartment. She walked through the kitchen, smiling when she passed the kitchen table; soon the chairs would be joined by a high chair. And later on, she would drape a sheet over it to make a tent on a rainy day. The legs would be marred by crayon scribbles, and vegetables would be hidden underneath it. Homework would be done at it, and countless birthday parties would be held around it.

Those days seemed a long way off, but Callie didn't mind. She and Brandon were in no hurry for their newborn boy to grow up. And when he did, the table would still be there.

The End