Oh Wow, thank you so much for the reviews! I didn't know how this story would be received so I'm glad everyone likes it. I'm sorry it's taking me so long to update 'A Night To Remember'...I'm just really trying to think about the direction I want to take that story before I post another chapter. I have been working on it though and hopefully it will be updated by tomorrow or Sunday. Again, thanks so much for reading! :) XOXO

Chapter Two

Naomi had never been so mentally and physically tired in her life; in addition, she was emotionally unstable and sick. Her feelings ran the gamut from intense rage to depressing sadness which in turn had adversely affected her eating habits. Some days she couldn't stand the sight of food and other days she binge ate until she felt ready to explode. As she unlocked the door to her apartment, after a long, stressful and exhaustive day, Naomi's appetite was leaning towards nonexistent. The one thing she was grateful for was that it was Friday; that kept her from having to call in sick the next day. The flu like symptoms she'd been experiencing for weeks now were only getting worse; Naomi couldn't pinpoint what the problem was. All she knew is that she felt like crap. What she needed was a hot bubble bath and her bed. Opening the door with that in mind, Naomi's nose was immediately assaulted with a foul fishy odor.

"Hey mom" Maya shouted from the kitchen.

Pinching her nose to keep the smell from making her gag, Naomi asked "What the hell are you cooking"?

"Fish tacos; a friend gave me the recipe" Maya said, coming out of the kitchen into the living room.

"Well, can you at least open a window or turn on the fan? The smell is overwhelming" Naomi said, dropping her things on the floor and collapsing on the couch. "Why are you cooking at my house anyways? You do realize you don't live here, don't you"? She loved seeing her daughter and her granddaughter frequently, but it was also nice to have her own space. She'd moved to New York to help, not cohabitate.

Maya turned on the fan as she walked into the living room. "Yes, but Olivia and I like visiting you. And tonight, I wanted to cook dinner for you; it's my way of thanking you for all your support".

"Thank you, but I'm not hungry". Naomi closed her eyes and put a hand on her forehead; she took deep breaths to keep the queasy feeling creeping up on her at bay.

"What's wrong" Maya asked concerned; she walked over to the couch and sat on the coffee table directly in front of her mother.

"Nothing; I'm just tired. It's been a long week".

A nagging suspicion had been haunting Maya's thoughts for days now; looking at the sad state her mother was in, she couldn't keep it to herself anymore. "Mom, are you pregnant"? She was displaying all the classic symptoms.

"What" Naomi gasped, her eyes popping open, sure she'd heard her daughter wrong.

"Are you pregnant" Maya asked again. "Lately, you've been tired, sick, irritable, and sometimes just downright mean. You always look like you want to throw up whether you eat or not. And at the risk of being slapped, it looks like you've packed on a few pounds; plus, your boobs are huge".

"That's ridiculous Maya; getting pregnant requires having sex…" Naomi started before her memory stopped her words dead in their tracks. Sitting up, she ignored the dizziness as a cold sweat permeated her body. "Excuse me for a moment" she said, before getting up and walking towards her bedroom.

"You are, aren't you" Maya asked for the third time.

"I don't know" Naomi admitted. "But I'm about to go find out". Entering her room, she saw her granddaughter Olivia passed out on her bed. This could not be happening; she was a grandmother for crying out loud. How could it be possible that she might be pregnant at this stage in her life? Going into her master bathroom, she closed the door and locked it behind her. Looking in the medicine cabinet, she grabbed the pregnancy test she always kept for emergencies just like this; though never in her wildest dreams did she imagine she would have to use it. Then again, so many events she never expected to happen had turned her life upside down in the last four years. She hadn't expected to get a divorce, have a pregnant teenage daughter, watch her ex-husband fall in love with her best friend, or move to New York; nor had she expected for said ex-husband to randomly show up on her New York doorstep in the middle of the night. What Naomi had expected was to wake up with a broken heart if she gave into Sam's drunken flirtations, which is exactly what happened. 'But I was too dumb and weak to listen to my gut' Naomi thought as she flushed the toilet.

Sitting on the edge of the tub, Naomi held the stick and bounced her legs up and down, trying not to freak out as she waited for the results. She'd tried so hard, and sometimes succeeded, to forget that fateful night eight weeks ago; it was the only way to keep the heartache from swallowing her whole. Sam had made such passionate love to her, Naomi had begun to hope against hope that he still loved her. It wasn't until she woke the next morning and found him gone that she realized the monumental mistake she'd made; there was no note or anything, he had simply disappeared without a word. The initial shock of his drastic departure had kept Naomi numb for the first few days; but when the full gravity of the situation finally hit her, the pain immobilized her. Her anguish had run so deep, her bones hurt; she hadn't been able to get out of bed for three days straight and the crying hadn't stopped until her body was physically unable to produce more tears. She felt worse than when they had gotten a divorce. But even at her lowest point, she couldn't find it in her to blame Sam; he'd made her no promises or given her any guarantees this time. If Naomi wanted to be angry at anyone, blame anyone for her hurt feelings, she needed to look in the mirror. It was a valuable lesson learned and since then, Naomi had attempted to pick up the pieces of her life. She had her good days and bad days but the point was she was trying; her main goal was to look ahead and leave the past in the past. Sam was her past, not her future; or at least Naomi thought that until she looked down at the stick and saw two pink lines.

...

Sam plopped down on the couch right next to Naomi in her office. They were sitting so close, their thighs were touching. "What are you up to "?

"Updating charts". Naomi didn't even bother to glance up from her paperwork; the casual way Sam felt it was okay to invade her personal space perplexed her. She didn't really mind it; after being married for so many years, it felt natural. But he was in a relationship with someone else; he needed to learn boundaries. Lack of boundaries had landed them in trouble so many times before; Naomi was determined not to fall into that trap again. She'd worked hard to move forward with her life and away from Sam's hold over her.

"What are your plans for the rest of the day"? Naomi was one big mystery these days; she came into the office, worked, and left everyday like clockwork. There was no socializing and gossiping between patients like the old days; she was strictly business. Sometimes she seemed more robot than human. Sam couldn't help but wonder what had brought about such a big change.

"I'm headed home right after my last patient. That's why I'm trying to get this paperwork done now" Naomi explained, as she continued writing notes in patient folders.

"Oh come on Nae; that sounds so boring. It's Friday, the beginning of the weekend. Why don't you join the rest of us for happy hour after work" Sam suggested.

"Maybe some other time; I've got a lot on my plate right now". And she couldn't drink while she was breastfeeding Naomi thought.

"Like what"?

"Things" Naomi said vaguely.

It was apparent that Naomi had no intention of looking up from her charts, so Sam took matters into his own hands and touched her chin. Gently, he pushed it upwards until she was looking at him. "There's those beautiful chocolate brown eyes; I was wondering if they still existed. What things Nae" he asked again, wanting a more specific answer. Why was she being so inaccessible?

She stopped writing and put her pen down. Ignoring his backhanded compliment, Naomi pushed Sam's hand away. She didn't look back down but she did break eye contact. "Just…things. And I'm still adjusting to being on the West Coast again; my body hasn't caught up to all the recent changes. I'm tired all the time" Naomi rambled, hoping Sam wouldn't keep digging. In reality, it was Isaiah that was having the hard time adjusting. Being only a few months old, Naomi had not expected her son to sleep through the night; but ever since they'd moved to California, he had been fussier than usual. Instead of waking up twice, he was up three to five times a night. Naomi couldn't remember the last time she'd gotten more than three hours of consecutive sleep; and she was running out of ideas on what to try to soothe him. All she could really do was be there for Isaiah as much as possible until he settled into his new environment. That meant getting home to him as quickly as she could every day; not only did she miss him, but he needed her. It was refreshing to be wanted and needed, even if she was sleep deprived.

"It's been a month Naomi. And it's not like this is the first time you've lived out here. California has been your home much longer than New York has" Sam pointed out, not fully believing her excuses.

"I'm not as young as I used to be Sam. I don't adapt as fast; I'd barely gotten used to the East coast before I came back here".

"Are you saying that you're old"?

"I'm old enough to be someone's grandmother; I am someone's grandmother" Naomi pointed out.

"Well, you damn sure don't look like a grandmother. You look like a beautiful woman in her prime; you could probably have a few more babies yourself" Sam said.

Naomi nearly choked but covered it up with a nervous laugh. "I don't think so Sam. My childbearing days are behind me". Technically, it was true. There was no way in hell she was having another baby after Isaiah. As much as she loved her son, Naomi definitely couldn't say she'd planned on having him so late in life by a man who didn't love her.

"Yeah, but that's by choice, not by biological circumstances. There's nothing physically preventing you from having more children" Sam said, then paused for a minute, like he didn't know whether he should voice what was on his mind. "Do you ever wish we would have had more kids"?

Naomi finally looked directly at Sam, caught off guard by his question. Her heart began to beat faster. "Where is all this coming from"?

"Could you please just answer the question" Sam asked; his tone serious.

Searching the depths of his eyes for clues to his line of questioning, Naomi answered "I always thought we would have more children. But the timing never seemed right and then we…yeah. However, even though I wanted more kids, Maya was truly enough for me. She made…makes me happy".

Sam nodded in agreement. "Maya is one great kid. I always thought we would have more kids too, it just never happened. And somewhere along the way I let go of that dream. You have to admit though, if Maya is any indication, we make great babies".

Naomi's breath caught; an image of Isaiah popped into her head. His chubby pinch-worthy cheeks and deep dimples; the dimples reminded Naomi of her late father, but when Isaiah smiled he looked just like Sam. He was such a perfect little baby. Sam was right; they did make beautiful children, even so many years later. It was unfortunate she couldn't share that with him. She avoided responding to his comment. "Why this trip down memory lane"?

Sam sighed. "I've just been doing a lot of thinking. Addison keeps harassing me about having a baby with her. I guess I should have seen it coming; she's always wanted children but like I just said, I gave up on that dream a long time ago. To start all over again at this stage in my life doesn't sound ideal to me. And her forcing it down my throat doesn't help. This is a big deal and a big decision I can't make lightly; especially considering that with her fertility issues, we wouldn't be able to conceive the old fashioned way. Who in their right mind looks forward to needles, crazy hormones, mood swings, and money down the drain"?

"Considering I make a living off fertility treatments, I would say a lot of people" Naomi smiled wryly. For some reason, she felt blind sighted; though she supposed she should have seen this coming just like Sam. Addison has been obsessed with having a child ever since Naomi could remember; but Addison was also a perfectionist. She had refused to bring a life into the world until she felt her career and personal life were in the right place; it had come back to bite her in the ass. Maybe she really did believe Sam was her endgame, but Naomi also felt her desire to have a baby with him was a race against the clock. Her fertility problems had given her less time than she'd preferred. Naomi would be lying if she denied this news hurt; while she had finally managed to bury her feelings for Sam, she would never be comfortable with him dating her best friend. Many days she wondered how she and Addison were still friends; the things they let each other get away with over the last few years sure didn't coincide with a real friendship, or at least not a healthy one. On the other hand, Naomi would always have a connection to Sam because of Maya; they would always share a bond because of her. And in many ways Naomi still loved him; their history was too long and too rich to erase such powerful emotions entirely. She'd tried. However, she wished Sam wouldn't share the intimate details of his relationship with Addison with her; grinning and bearing their relationship was already hard enough.

"Or maybe there's just a lot of people not in their right mind" Sam joked. "No, I know they're not crazy but they're dedicated. You can't go into a situation like that half-hearted and unsure and Addison wants me to make a decision so quickly. I need time for the idea to marinate and digest before I can even begin to make a decision".

Cutting to the chase, Naomi bluntly said "Look, whatever happens is between you and Addison. Either you love her enough to give her what she wants or she loves you enough to sacrifice what she wants".

"In both scenarios, I sound like the bad guy" Sam complained. "It's like I'm either forcing her to give up her dream or I'm going with what's easy; doing it because I don't want to fight, not because I want another kid. How would that be fair to any child"?

"How is Addison forcing you into something you might not want any better? You have to make this decision for you, not her. Relationships are about teamwork and compromise, you know that Sam. You're going to have to find common ground, something you can both live with, not give into each other's demands. And if you can't….that's another bridge hopefully you won't have to cross".

"I guess you're right" Sam sighed.

"Of course I'm right" Naomi said, wanting to end the conversation; giving Sam advice about his love life was weird. She'd done it before but the conditions had been different; his love interest hadn't been a close friend. "Now, unless there's anything else you want to discuss, I have to get back to work. I've been swamped since day one. I don't understand how so many people knew I was back in town". She looked back down at her paperwork.

"I might have spread the word around, asked other doctors at the hospital to recommend you" Sam hinted.

"You did that for me" Naomi asked, whipping her head back up in surprise.

"I'd do anything for you Naomi; you're one of the most important people in my life" he said softly.

He'd do anything except love her Naomi thought, regressing for a few seconds. "Thank you".

"Anytime" he said, kissing her on the cheek, his face lingering close to hers for longer than it should.

Naomi stared at him intently; it was a well-known fact that they knew each other better than anyone. But at moments like these, Sam still had the ability to confuse her.

"Sam, are you busy" Addison said, standing in the doorway of Naomi's office. "I need a consult. I have a patient that is 25 weeks pregnant and her heart murmur is starting to concern me. The symptoms have been exacerbated due to her pregnancy". Addison played it cool, determined to not overreact, but seeing Sam sit so close to Naomi was unsettling. And they seemed to be sharing an intense moment right when she walked in. They were no longer married; so why did looking at them sit together make it feel like they were? Addison quickly shook the thought from her mind before it could stick.

Sam jumped up, a little startled. "Sure, I'm coming right now" he said, walking towards her. Right when he reached the doorway, he turned back to Naomi. "Are you sure you won't come out with us tonight".

Naomi nodded her head and smiled softly. "I'm sure but thank you for asking".

…

"Come on Zay-Zay, mommy needs some sleep. How are we supposed to spend tomorrow together if I can't stay awake" Naomi yawned, as she rocked with her son back and forth in the chair. It was after one o'clock in the morning; she'd already breastfed him and burped him but he wouldn't go back to sleep. It was clear that he was just as exhausted as Naomi but he stubbornly refused to give in. His tiny little fists grasped tighter to his mother any time she shifted or moved; he seemed afraid to let her go.

"Mommy's right here" Naomi whispered, kissing him on the forehead, concern creasing her brow. Instead of adjusting, he seemed to be getting worse as the weeks passed. It was almost as if Isaiah was having separation anxiety; being away from her during the day had apparently been harder on him than she thought. Was that why he was being so fussy at night? Was it his way of spending as much time with her as possible? "Tell you what; I'll make a deal with you Zay" Naomi said softly. Standing up, she continued to talk to him as she walked down the hallway to her bedroom with him in her arms. "If it makes you feel better, I'll let you sleep in the bed with me. Is that what my precious Zay-Zay wants"?

Lying on her back in bed, Naomi cut off the lamp and the baby monitor and let Isaiah lay on her chest. She rubbed his back in a counterclockwise motion and hummed a lullaby to him, letting the rise and fall of her chest soothe him. Within ten minutes, he was sound asleep. Careful not to wake him, Naomi gently lifted him and placed him on his back on the bed next to her. Taking the extra pillows on the bed, she placed them on the other side of his small body, so he wouldn't roll off the opposite side of the bed. Turning on her side, she lightly patted his belly and stared at him. Naomi wished she would have given into the idea of letting him sleep in her bed sooner. However, she'd been concentrated on training him in his crib; she didn't want Isaiah to become too dependent on sleeping with her. But now it was clear that he needed it; it made him feel safe. "I'm sorry mommy has been so stubborn; we have that in common. You must've gotten it from me" she whispered, kissing his little hands. "I love you". Being a single mom was hard, but moments like this made every second worth it. Pulling the covers up over both of them, Naomi watched her son sleep peacefully until her own eyes became heavy and she drifted off to sleep.