Fyi this is a sad chapter.

Heartache

Today was not supposed to happen this way.

Laura had a long week already between her final exam at Law School and the bar exam. Now in a little over in a week she would be graduating Law School and in over in two weeks her and Steve would be celebrating their four year wedding anniversary. She was now home waiting for Steve to come home from work in a few hours. She would go over her options with him on what Law Firm to start her career with. She finally sat down after a long day of job interviews and having lunch with her mom and Max. She put on the television as Opera just came on. But before she knew it she was nodding off on the sofa.

Laura was suddenly woken up by her house phone ringing. She sat up and answered it. "Hello?" She answered groggily.

"Laura? Sweetums, Big Guy tried called you and you did not answer. Are you okay?" Steve asked but Laura could tell his voice was full with panic.

"Yeah I am fine, just ended up taking a nap. Why? What is going on?" Laura the felt an uneasy feeling in her stomach as she heard Steve start his car.

"Okay I'm on my way home. Estelle had a bad spill at the nursing home according to your dad and now she's in the hospital... Laura Lee my love, your dad wants everyone there, I don't think it's good..." Steve voice became shaky as the tears began to fall.

"Oh Steve!" Laura breathed out and felt herself begin to cry. "I can just meet you there... Just tell me what hospital." She told him as she began to wipe the tears.

"Sweetie, I really think I should pick you up. I will be home soon I promise. Laura Lee please let me do this." Steve pleaded.

"Okay just please hurry but be careful. I need you Steven Q. Urkel. I love you" Once Laura heard he tell her. 'I love you too.' They hung up and Laura went to get her tennis shoes on and before she left her apartment, she went into the nursery and grabbed the quilt Mother Winslow gave her that was over two hundred years old when she was just a child. Something was telling her she would need it for comfort.

Steve pulled in front of their apartment complex and came out and opened the passenger door for his wife. He could see the destress on Laura's face as he knew he held the same look. The car ride was quiet but Steve gave as much comfort as he could as he drove. He would take right hand and squeeze her hand everythine they hit a red light or just reach over and rub her baby bump.

Finally when they made it to the hospital, they made it up the waiting room to meet the rest of the family. Laura was glad to see her uncles glad made it always. She had not seen her dad's brothers since her and Steve's wedding. She was not close to them but happy they were here for Mother Winslow. Also Fletcher was sitting in a chair just distraught as was Eddie, her mother, and 3J. Even Max came for support for Eddie since their relationship was not a secert anymore and Estelle loved them together and always adored Max as Laura's best friend. Steve stood behind his wife as she came up to Carl. "So Daddy what is going on?"

Carl took her and Steve aside. He took a deep breath and looked at his is son-in-law who was much of a grandson to his mother as Eddie and 3J were. Then was he looked at his daughter who was no supporting a small pregnant belly, Carl's heart hurt for that baby that he would necer get to know Mother Winslow other than through memories. He put his arm around his daughter, then his other around Steve. "Your grandmother did have a spill in the nursing home and broke her hip. I wish that was all. The reason she fell is because she fainted due to a brain aneurysm and has not woken up since. She is in surgery right now but they found a tumor, which caused the aneurysm... Right now it is all a waiting game." Carl struggled with the words and just pulled Laura and Steve tighter as they all sobbed.

As the mintues turned into an hour, Laura refused to leave the waiting room. Steve knew his wife had to eat as she stayed curled on the chair next to her mom with Estelle's quilt laid over her. No one was willing to leave the waiting room except Max, so Steve and her went down to the cafeteria to get a little bit of food for everyone. "Thank you Max for coming with me." Steve told her, feeling the awkwardness between them.

"It's no problem, I had to do something except for feeling helpless..." Max looked at Steve as she told him with saddness and worry.

"That's how feel too. I had to think of something and well Laura has to eat for the baby so just thought bring everyone food. I haven't have dealt with death that much and well except when Laura and I got the news Myra wanted to speak to us while she was on hospice..." Steve paused because even though Myra lost to cancer few years back and everyone reconciled it was still hard to loose her with her bright and crazy personality. Steve was happy for Myra though as she found someone who loved her unconditionally from her group therapy sessions and even got married. Even though cancer took her shortly after she married her husband. "Anyways, this is way different because we have no clue what is going to happen... Max I have never seen Laura this sad..." Steve felt sick to his stomach of this unknown. He never felt so useless because he wish he could think of something to save Estelle but everything was just scrambled.

They walked the rest of the way in awkward silence and got food for everyone, but Steve made sure he grabbed extra for Laura. When they made it back up, him and Max passsed out some food and drinks. But as Steve handed Laura food he was worried. "I'm not hungry Steve..." and turned back the other way.

"Sweetie you need to eat not just for you but for our little guy too. I get it you are upset, I am too but..." Before he could finish she turned to him and took the small basket of chicken strips and french fries and gave him an apologetic look. He was just happy his wife began to eat.

It was not long after the surgeon came out. Fletcher, Carl, and his brothers were pulled aside as everyone sat up and trying to figure what was being said. When they saw Carl's face they knew.

Next few days felt like a blur to Laura. Steve tried his best to up her spirits just enough not to stress out their unborn baby. Laura ended up just taking the job at the family law firm and Steve was grateful for them for letting Laura start when she was ready after this sudden passing in the family. Steve was there for her everyday and glad his work let have days off because there was no he could think straight. But today happened to be the worst since it was Estelle's celebration of life.

There was singing and many stories of Estelle and how she loved her family and the Lord. After the burial, every family member and close friends, they had a big potluck dinner at the Winslow household. Steve knew most of the people and was glad Rachel and Richie made it. He said even said to the people he did not know. But as he grabbed a plate to eat for Laura, she was no where in sight. He looked everywhere for her. He did not want to bother his in-laws, so he went up to Rachel. "Hey Steve, whats wrong?" She asked as she would see panic on his face.

"Have you seen Laura? I know she's taking this really hard, we all are. But she's starting to worry me as she hasn't ate much since Thursday. My concern right now is her and our son..." Steve hated feeling this way. Four days of worrying about his wife while grieving was a very uneasy feeling. He was almost surprised by the hug from Rachel but he accepted it and it felt just like what he needed.

"Steve honey..." Rachel began as she let go of the hug and looked with a smile of relief. "I saw her sneak upstairs like a half hour ago. My first place I would look would be her old bedroom."

"Your right Rachel, I don't know why I didn't think there in the first place?" Steve said as he snapped his fingers.

"Well even a smart man like you can get scattered brain. More with you when an experiment gone wrong, but thats not the case lately..." Rachel told him, while patting his bag to ease in some sense of humor in there because they all needed that right now.

"Thanks Rachel, you're the best!" Steve gave her a warm smile and a quick side hug. Thn ran up the steps, after tripping over a few.

"Same ole Steve..." Rachel said with a grin. He might be smoother than in the past but that old Steve still would come out. At least he didn't break anything trying to get to his wife.

Steve stumbled a little bit more as he made it to Laura's old bedroom door. He smoothed himself out to compose himself. Steve could not help but smile all the memories he had when it came to this door. Gish he had not been in front of the door since they moved out shortly after getting married. They shared her bedroom as their own for three months before they were approved of a very small marriage dorm when they went back to college of late August of 1999. They had both wished they would have stayed in her old bedroom once they moved into the dorm room. They finally had their own bathroom but was it much smaller than Laura's childhood bedroom and boy did it test their marriage. Steve was close to begging Carl to move back and would have told his father-in-law that Laura and him would be quiet from then on. Because that is s sound a father never wants to hear is his daughter being intimate by accident with her husband. Carl told them what was worse is hearing Steve Urkel as his son-in-law being intimate with his daughter. Sounds he wish he never would had ever heard. But they stayed on campus until they finally found their studio apartment they lived in before they decided to start their family.

Steve walked in and the room was dim from a side table lamp. As he got closer he could see his wife was asleep but her face was stained with tears. Steve's heart broke seeing his love this way. He wished he could make it go away and he knew he could come up with a formula just for that but he would never do that to Laura. So instead he gently crawled up from the bottom of the bed and laid next to his wife on his side and laid his hand over her stomach. Steve leaned over and gave her a kiss on the cheek. His breathing became one with hers and he began to drift alseep himself.

Laura woke up feeling a little refreshed but frowned not expecting of hearing that all to familiar nasally snore next to her and his hand on her little baby bump. She smiled on how amazing he has been the last five days as he tried his best to take care of her stubbornness. Grief sucked that was for sure and her trying to deal with it while pregnant was not a good combination. Steve had been in the line of fire when she just snap at him for no reason and yet he was just his sweet self. Laura knew Steve would sneak off and cry not in front of her or Eddie would take him to the gym for a quick workout to let off some steam. She shifted and turned over to face her husband. She took a quick glance out the window, which Steve would sneak in at all those years ago, and she noticed it was now dark out. Laura sighed and suddenly felt eyes on her. She looked at Steve again and saw he was awake. She gave him a warm smile with a "Hi."

"Hi back..." is all that came from Steve's mouth as he gave her a warm smile back with one arm drapped over her back and the other supported his head.

"Steve, I'm hungry." Laura said but could not shake this feeling and things felt almost awkward between them.

"Good, let's go see if there is left overs to feed you and our baby." Steve sat up and scooted off the bed, standing in front of her as she was now sitting on the edge of the bed.

Laura looked up at him. His big eyes searched hers. She stood up, wrapped her arms around his neck, and pulled him into a hug. Steve automatically wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled into their hug tighter as he just held her. This was the first time she let him hold her like this since Estelle passing and he soaked up the moment. Holding Laura in his arms always felt a sense of love to Steve. He just enjoyed the moment as long as Laura wanted it.