Andy was devastated. He wasn't sure he was understanding what he had just read. But what he knew was that it had broken his heart in a million tiny pieces. Those words. He couldn't believe it and didn't even know what to say, what to expect from her. Tears kept flowing out and he didn't know how to stop them. He hated to cry in front of her. He wanted and needed to be strong for her. However, it just felt too much for him to take in.

"Sharon… what is this?", was all he had managed to mumble. It was even harder to hold her gaze as he was afraid that she would read in his eyes how deeply overwhelmed he was with her words. He didn't hear her say anything for several seconds. She had probably not expected him to find the letter or at least not on that particular evening. His eyes were on her words again, looking at them closely for proof that he hadn't just made it all up. He was caught up in his own turmoil when he heard his wife sob. Her cries sounded muffled as if she was trying as hard as she could to suppress them. Her lips were shaking.

She whispered his name twice and paused, not quite knowing what she could say to make him feel better. She apologized several times. It seemed like time had stopped for a moment. Neither of them knew how to address the situation, so they kept silent until one of them would feel safe enough to say or do something.

After a few long minutes, Andy stood up, finally daring to look at his wife in the eye. He came closer and opened his arms inviting her in. Why hadn't he done it before? He hated to see her like that. He wrapped all of her in his embrace and held her against him as close as possible, a silent apology for taking so much time to take it all in.

- Sweetheart… what is this goodbye letter? he whispered, his voice hoarse from crying.

- I wrote it a long time ago... before Jack abducted me… in case I didn't… she whispered back not daring to say those words too loud.

Andy kissed the top of her head in a reassuring manner. One of his hands easily found its way to her hair, combing it soothingly with his fingers. It now made more sense to him.

- Sharon… your words… I don't even know what to say…

- You don't have to… I'm sorry, I didn't mean for you to read it like that… she sniffled still trying to pull herself together.

Andy gently pulled his girl out of his embrace to face her.

- Honey, stop apologizing… oh God Sharon I… I love you so much… there's no word strong enough to tell you how much I love you…

Her lips were shaking with emotion, tears still rolling down her cheeks freely against her will.

- Come here… his voice broke.

He sat down on their bed again, pulling her with him. He laid down on his back, his head resting against the bedhead and she followed him, snuggling comfortably into his side. He touched her delicately, his hand stroking her arm in small patterns. He didn't know where to start at first, as there were so many things he needed to tell her. That period of their lives usually felt so far distant and yet at this precise moment it seemed like it had caught up with them. How could he address such heartbreaking words written during such a devastating time of their lives?

He felt like he already knew all of this and yet they had never talked about it in so many words. The thought that she might not know his thoughts and feelings suddenly scared him and made him pull himself together to finally answer her letter in some way.

- You know… all those years, when we were apart for so long… I felt as broken as you did. I tried so hard to hold my promise… so I stayed married, gave Charlotte another chance… but all I truly wanted was you. You were on my mind every single minute of every damn day… and yet I didn't do anything about it… I even tried to ignore it… I thought that it was what you wanted and I had to respect your wish… But I regret it so much, Sharon… I should have come earlier… I should have at least tried to find you before you had to write those words… his voice broke. I feel like I should have been there to hold you… I feel devastated that you felt so lonely and thought that I had just carried on with my life like you had never existed.

- Don't do that to yourself, honey… she raised on her elbow and caressed his cheek. You did something, you came for me and you saved my life! If it weren't for you, I would be… gone, and we wouldn't be married and having a baby together… she kissed him. Honey, the past is the past… I'm so thankful to have you now and to be lucky enough to be carrying your child. Although.. yeah… the announcement part was quite bad, she chuckled.

He chuckled to her referring to the letter as indeed the announcement part had been a bit brutal.

- I guess we'll have to get you pregnant again, so that you can fix that part, he smirked.

- Yeah? And then I'll be the world's record of the oldest mom-to-be, she giggled through her remaining tears.

- Cool! Do you think we'd get a prize for that?

- Sure, probably a walker, she snort laughed which earned her a good laugh from her husband.

It felt good to laugh a little at the situation after their rough cry. Andy pulled Sharon closer as he hadn't said all he had to tell her yet.

- I love all of you, Sweetheart… I love every win, every mistake, the good and the bad, your qualities and your flaws, I love your body as it was, as it is and as it will be, and most of all I love your soul. And if I ever have to lose you again, I'd rather die than to go on without the love of my life. No matter what, my heart is fully yours… never doubt it.

Andy turned slightly to face her. His hand rested over the side of her belly.

- I had always secretly wanted for you to be the mother of my children and there you are, a few weeks away from bringing our baby into this world. Who cares about how old we are, or how hard it was to get here… you are beautiful and glowing and I sure am the lucky one in this. Trust me, I will do anything I can to protect you and to keep you safe until my last breath. There's no way I'm letting you feel as you felt back then. I will be there for you every step of the way, that's my promise to you.

Andy passionately kissed the woman he could luckily call his wife. Her lips were shaky and tears were now threating to wet her face again, although this time it would be for a happy reason. They kept looking at each other like nothing else existed around them. Only time caught up and they were interrupted by Sharon's stomach's grumble. Both burst into laughter.

- Baby's hungry, and so is Mama, she chuckled.

- Oh damn, what time is it? the dinner must be cold now! Let's feed you two...

He helped her up and led her to the kitchen, his arm around her. There was no way he would ever let this woman go or he knew he would no longer be able to breathe.

Getting everything ready for her maternity leave hadn't been easy to take care of, much less in a single week and especially knowing that she could only work in the mornings. Gladly it was all behind her now. She had passed the lead over to Provenza, trusting him fully. He would probably leave her a messy stack of paperwork but she knew he would manage the team very well. Despite his grumpy manners, he was a very skilled police officer and would have been an excellent Captain himself.

Sharon could now enjoy the last few weeks of her pregnancy her mind at peace with her work. Obviously, she couldn't resist asking Andy about the cases they caught and how things were going at the station, but she tried her best not to get too involved to keep her stress levels as low as possible. Lately, they had solved a case involving a young lady who had killed her boyfriend because he wanted to leave her. She had initially been seen as the victim, but it had all been a smokescreen.

Andy had told her that the unfamous Lieutenant Provenza had had a very obvious crush on the murderer's grandmother. Despite her closeness to the suspect, she had helped the team catch her granddaughter and therefore won Louie's heart. Patrice was her name. Sharon couldn't be happier for the old Provenza. She had always believed he was so grumpy because he hadn't found the love of his life yet. She still couldn't deny that imagining that troublemaker getting all sweet and romantic made her laugh as it seemed almost impossible. They would probably have the two love birds over for dinner anytime soon, but only once the baby would be born. For now, Andy wouldn't let her do anything around the house, much less cook a full dinner for some guests.

He was way overprotective of her, he knew it and so did she, but she couldn't blame him. They had had their lot of scares throughout her pregnancy and risking to ruin it so close to their goal would feel terrible for both of them. Which is why she would simply obey and try to take it easy. If she did anything around the house, she would do it comfortably sat on a chair or on the couch, and she tried her best to stop herself when she felt tired and rest for a few hours.

Rusty wasn't around much anymore as he had started high school, catching up with all the years he had missed. She was really proud to see him feel better about his situation and finally resolving to accept his new life with whom he would later call his true parents.

Rusty and Andy being absent throughout the workdays, they had obviously come to set a plan in case anything happened. Andy still wasn't very comfortable with her staying alone for a few hours, even though she had been feeling better and rested. If anything happened while home alone, she wouldn't get any help for hours and that thought alone drove him crazy. Since Martha had insisted on coming to help whenever they would need her, Andy decided to propose to her another holiday with them, only this time it would be for more than a week. Grandma Martha didn't need persuading as she was more than happy to help.

Since Sharon was allowed to take short walks, the two ladies enjoyed some fresh air every morning. They even went on small shopping sessions along with Nicole and Emily who couldn't be happier to finally do that baby shopping for their new sibling. Sharon was all smiles, feeling light for once. She was more than thrilled to see the girls so excited about welcoming a new member into the family. It was the best part of being pregnant after all and she hadn't been able to enjoy much of it since there was always something going on in her ever so risky pregnancy. She obviously still had to be careful and her "babysitters" regularly pretended to be tired, thirsty or needing to use the restroom so that she would take some breaks and be off her feet as much as possible. It was simply heartwarming to see them so invested in taking good care of her. Thankful. She could only be thankful for her adorable and loving family.

The nursery was looking more and more beautiful, almost ready to welcome the little one who would probably pop out sooner than they expected. The diaper station was all set, the changing table had just been put together a few days ago by Andy and Rusty, and the baby's crib was finally complete waiting in the corner of the room for the baby to finally fill it. The wardrobe was also filled with adorable clothes. Everything was ready. Only Sharon still wanted to add a little something that was missing from it, but she didn't know what yet.

The beginning of cucumber week had been pretty smooth on the mama-to-be. Andy had accompanied her to her OB/GYN on Tuesday morning and everything looked good. The baby was growing as it was supposed to in its 32nd week and Sharon hadn't had anymore issues with bleedings. However, she had been experiencing Braxton hicks contractions that were a little stronger and more painful than she recalled. Doctor Walker didn't seem worried about it though. Her body was preparing itself for the big day and in a late in life pregnancy feeling stronger pain or discomfort was to be expected.

The doctor had carefully checked the placenta which seemed to have moved a little while still partly being in the baby's exit way. They could only hope that throughout the remaining weeks it would move completely out of the way to avoid any complications. Sharon really wanted to give birth naturally as she had for her two older children. Of course, she wouldn't insist if it put the baby at stake but she just wanted to accompany the little one through the delivery process feeling all of her body and being fully awake.

Two more weeks was all they needed to at least hope to welcome a healthy baby that would have its chances of developing normally without complications. Sharon wouldn't mind carrying the baby over 34 weeks, but it was unfortunately very unlikely to happen due to the risky nature of her pregnancy. Andy was way more confident than she dared to be. He wouldn't stop telling her that they just needed to trust fate. After all, somehow, she had gotten pregnant and he was convinced it wasn't for nothing. Maybe it was the way for them to finally be at peace with all the obstacles they had overcome so far.

Grandma Martha was enjoying her new life more than she would ever say. She was getting used to it way faster than she expected and she knew it would be hard to go back to her rather dull and boring routine in Utah. She missed her apartment a little, the poker nights with her old friends, but this was what she had always wished for. A family.

Being with Sharon, Andy and the children felt heartwarming and special to her. She was beyond excited to have been invited to help Sharon out and couldn't be more thrilled to be there to welcome the new baby soon enough. She had never been this close to knowing what it felt like to be a mother and a grandmother, and she was thankful to this adorable family for letting her be part of it even for a few weeks.

That morning, Martha had prepared a little something for her sweet Sharon. The poor thing was more and more tired, swollen and needing all the care she could get even if she claimed she didn't need it. Martha didn't know whether Sharon would accept her gift or not, but she felt like it was the right thing for her to do. In a way it would be like finally closing a chapter of her life that she had struggled to go through. And somehow, with the family she had found, it got a better end than she had initially thought.

Sharon had slept in a little later than usual. She was feeling every wrinkle and every year of her 48 years of life. She had had a few contractions overnight and had struggled to go back to sleep. Andy helped as much as he could by massaging her back and neck hoping to be useful through his wife's difficult nights. Sharon had reassured him, it wasn't labor contractions she knew it, however they were particularly painful probably meaning that the delivery wouldn't be too far away. Hopefully not before another week or two.

As Martha heard quiet footsteps coming from the stairs, she peeked from the kitchen, her head appearing from behind the fridge.

- Good morning, Dear! she exclaimed enthusiastically.

- Hey Martha! Sharon's voice was not its usual.

- Oh Dear! Had a rough night? Is everything alright? the old lady was suddenly concerned.

- Don't worry, she tried a smile, I just didn't get much sleep because of some practice contractions… she sighed.

- Then you should rest today! Let me ease you into your day! Breakfast is almost ready! Come, have a seat Darling… she pulled a chair around the dining table and patted the seat inviting the tired mama-to-be.

Sharon was feeling rounder and rounder by the minute. It was a very good sign, the baby was growing well and living a pretty active life so far. Although, she knew her body was probably reaching its limits, not mentioning how tired she felt. Growing a human was indeed a great deal on her body. As her doctor had told her a few weeks ago, she had to keep it in mind and just be gentle with it. So she accepted the help. Martha was truly her rock throughout the days until Andy would take over when he finally came back home.

She missed Andy. Of course, they lived together, slept in the same bed, he would come home every evening and spend some time with her on the weekends. But she still missed him all the time. It was almost difficult to admit to herself how much she needed that man. It was simply unexplainable and beyond anyone's understanding, even hers. Thankfully she had Martha to help her and distract her, the only grandma her child would actually have and get to know. It was funny how in her mind she was just naturally part of their family now. Grandma Martha.

A full plate suddenly slid on the table, stopping in front of her, which took her out of her thoughts.

- Thank you so much, Martha! You're a true mother to me.. what would I do without you… Sharon warmly smiled laying her hand on the lady's shoulder.

- Oh Darling… don't mention it, I'm so happy to help! Martha was clearly touched, her eyes suddenly faintly wet with emotion. Now please, do me a favor and eat all of this! she pointed the plate out. You need to feed yourself!

Sharon knew she was right, although that morning she felt more tired than hungry. After a few minutes, her former neighbor joined her around the table with her own plate and started digging into her breakfast. They both remained silent for a while, quietly tasting the delicious meal. Martha broke the silence.

- Dear… I have a little something for you… it's not much, you know… I just felt like it was right for you to have it…

- Oh Martha… you don't need to get me anything, you're already doing so much for us! We should be the ones having something to thank you for being there and taking such good care of me… and the baby!

Sharon was clearly getting emotional. Argh hormones. She could no longer control herself as well as she used to before the pregnancy hormones ruined her ever so famous emotion management. She was struggling to disguise some threatening tears when Martha stood up and took her in her motherly arms. The old lady definitely knew what she was doing.

- Dear… let it out… it's no good for you or for the baby to keep all those tears inside…

Sharon could feel Martha's warm hand on her back, drawing soothing patterns. She was sleep-deprived and therefore feeling like her emotions were all over the place. Why not follow her advice and let it out for once? Martha heard Sharon sniffle and felt her shake in her embrace, finally letting go of the last remains of control she had over her emotions.

- There you go… It's alright, Dear… Hopefully you'll be as touched by my little gift when you actually see it!

Both women burst into laughter as the old lady had just pointed a major fact. Sharon had gotten all emotional before even knowing what this was about. The kind gesture deeply touched her. Now what a funny situation to already be so overwhelmed. Those hormones were definitely tricky.

Martha invited Sharon to follow her and led her to the nursery. Sharon was not really understanding where she was getting at… had she gotten the baby a little present? Clothes maybe? But when she entered the room it all became clearer. At that precise moment she knew it had been missing from there the whole time – the final touch she needed for the nursery to be complete. What she didn't know was the story behind it, which dear Martha was about to tell her.