Author's note: Thanks to my dear friend Donna Barr Krolewski for discussing this chapter with me as I wrote it.

Previously on "To have and to hold:

Grace pottered around the kitchen, wiping already dried silverware, not even aware of what was she doing.

"Grace."

Her eyes widened a bit as she heard Lucas' voice. She quickly wiped her tears and mumbled silently, not turning around:

"I'll be back in a minute", her fingers shivered as she continued to furiously press the tablecloth against the spoons and the forks.

Suddenly, she saw Lucas' fingers taking a hold of her shivering ones, gently pulling the tablecloth and silverware away from her hands and placing it at the counter.

Grace blinked a few times, not looking up.

Lucas slowly stepped in her personal space.

"Come here", he whispered and gently pulled her in his arms.

And when she felt his warm chest in front of her face, Grace broke down in tears.

—--

Lucas gently tightened his hold on Grace as she cried into his chest. He didn't ask any questions, allowing her to let it all out and just held her like she did for him so many times.

Her sobs shattered his heart to pieces. He couldn't even think how hard was it for her to go through all those days and nights alone, scared and feeling so lost and abandoned. Grieving her parents. Being snatched away from her beloved sister, the only family she got left. Being just a number in the huge orphanages. Never being adopted. Nobody to celebrate her existence on her birthday. Nobody to love her.

"I'm sorry", he heard her whisper.

Lucas placed a gentle kiss on her brunette hair.

"Sweetheart, there's nothing to apologize for", he whispered.

Grace pulled back a bit, her shivering fingers wiping her cheeks.

"I don't want to spoil Jack's birthday…", she started to to talk, but Lucas gently interrupted her:

"Hey, hey", he silently said as he cupped her darling face in his palms "Don't worry about Jack now. He has many people to celebrate his birthday with now", he slowly wiped her cheeks and handed her his handkerchief. He watched as she took it and blew her nose a bit, trying to stop crying. Lucas put a stray curl behind her ear and said "I'm just going to close the kitchen doors so nobody would bother us. I'll be right back, okay?", at her small nod, he gently kissed her forehead before he quickly went to close the doors.

When he turned around, Grace was still standing at the same spot, in front of the counter, looking down and wiping her tears away.

Lucas quickly closed the distance between them and pulled her back in his arms. One hand went around her waist while the other one gently caressed Grace's long hair as she cried silently on his shoulder.

Lucas held her close to him, his cheek leaning on her head.

"Just cry. Let it all out", he whispered "I'm here. You're not alone anymore."

He held her close until her silent sobs turned into small hiccups. That was when he pulled back a bit, only as much as it was enough to look at her.

His right palm gently wiped her tears away as she silently sniffed before looking up at him.

Her lips trembled and Lucas felt his heart break as he saw anguish and sadness in those eyes he loved so much.

"I don't want others to see me like this. I don't want Jack to be sad", she started to ramble tearfully, causing Lucas to pull her closer to him with one hand while his other palm cupped her face.

"Hey…Don't worry about it. You are the most important, Grace. And there is no shame in your tears. You are missing your parents. You are reminded of all you went through", his thumb gently caressed her soft cheek "You wouldn't be a human if you didn't feel like this, Grace."

She swallowed hard and let out a shaky breath.

"Lillian wants to celebrate my birthday every year. I just don't want it to be a big fuss", she whispered tearfully "She said she wants to celebrate the day her little sister came into this world."

Lucas gently caressed her hair.

"I want that too. But I don't want you to feel uncomfortable because of it", as she blinked a few tears away, he gently added "I am beyond grateful that you came into this world, Grace. I can't imagine my life without you", as his fingers slowly wiped her tears away, he softly added "We will celebrate it the way you wish. The most important thing is for you to remember that you are not alone anymore. You have me and Lillian and so many people who love you. All the kids at the orphanage, my parents, our friends…and Jack thinks the world of you", he softly smiled at his love "He says that Miss Grace is his giggling buddy."

Grace's eyes widened a bit as a small smile appeared on her lips.

"Giggling buddy?", she silently asked. As Lucas nodded with a soft smile, she felt her heart warming up with love "He is such a sweet little boy. It is awful what he is going through."

Lucas' heart soared at his beloved fiancée's words.

"But, you helped him. You brought him here, to see me. You took him under your wing. And you encouraged him today, saying that you would be glad to see him if he visits me again", said Lucas, his voice cracking up with emotions.

Grace's eyes widened a little bit more.

"You heard that?", she whispered.

Lucas nodded, his palm never leaving her cheek and his heart sang as he felt it grow warm under his touch like it always did.

"I heard everything. And I fell in love with you even more", he leaned his forehead against her forehead, gently nuzzling his nose against hers. Grace let out a soft sigh and Lucas whispered "You have the most beautiful heart ever. And I will cherish it forever. I will never stop celebrating you. Not just on your birthday, but every day", his fingers sneaked into her hair and he gently caressed it, making her sigh and close her eyes "I cannot even imagine what was it like for you to be so scared and alone. But you will never have to go through such a thing again. You will never be alone again. I will always be here for you, Grace. I will always love you", he gently kissed her forehead and she opened her eyes, looking at him, her eyes reminding him of a little deer's eyes, brown and wet and beautiful "And if you ever want to tell me about those days, please know that I am here for you."

Grace quickly nodded, her eyes filling with tears again and she reached for him. Lucas understood what she needed without her uttering a single word and pulling her closer to him, he kissed her. She let out a silent, shaky sob as their lips joined and held onto his shoulders for dear life as he kissed her with so much love and care that her heart danced with joy. She wrapped her hands around his neck and let herself go…knowing that she will never be alone again.

—--

I cry and you comfort me

I'm lost and you hear my scream

So it's hard to watch you falling

When you run so deep in me

You live in me.

Gonna stand by your side now

Let me kiss all your tears away

You can stay in my arms now

And I know I can make you believe again.

I walk but you can run through fire

I search for reasons and, baby, you inspire

But I know somebody hurt you

And I know you really need a friend

Well you can take my hand.

Gonna stand by your side now

Let me kiss all your tears away

You can stay in my arms now

And I know I can make you believe again.

So when you're feeling like you can't go on

Don't you know

You never walk alone, no

And you live in me.

Gonna stand by your side now

Let me kiss all your tears away

You can stay in my arms now

And I know I can make you believe again.

I'm gonna stand, stand by your side

Kiss all your tears away tonight

I'm gonna stand, stand by your side

Make you believe again

I wanna look in your eyes now and see you smiling again.

("Stand by your side" - Celine Dion)