Accident

“Are you serious?” He looked thrilled. She had been reluctant to move too soon before, but now everything looked different since Allie had come out of her coma.

“Maybe. I have to discuss something with you first though.” Her face grew serious and he lay down on his side next to her and waited. “There's something I think I should tell you.” Something about Allyson perhaps … or Brad …maybe she was going to tell him that she still loved him and thought he should know that. He had considered that himself, but she seemed to have adjusted remarkably well, better than he had after Dana. “Remember what you said about wanting to have a baby right away?”

She looked worried and he laughed. He knew she was reluctant about that. She said she wanted more, but she was afraid she was too old, and didn't want to be distracted from helping Allie.

“I can wait on that if I have to. I just thought it would be nice. But if you need time …we're young enough to wait a while.” And if she decided she couldn't handle more, he was willing to accept that, but she was frowning at him now. She was looking worried. “It's not a deal breaker, Page.”

“Let me put it to you this way,” she said, propping herself up on one elbow. “How would you feel about getting married at Christmas,” his heart soared and he laughed out loud, he was ecstatic, but she wasn't finished, “if I was nearly six months pregnant?”

“What?” He sat up and looked down at her, and she grinned at him sheepishly and rolled over on her back and chuckled.

“I don't know how the hell it happened. I think you overworked my birth control or something, about six weeks ago. I thought I was imagining it at first, but I wasn't. I wasn't sure how you'd feel about this, with the kids and all …it's kind of a shock for everyone, and it makes for kind of an interesting wedding.” She looked like an embarrassed kid as she explained it to him. She felt foolish, but pleased. She always wanted another baby. And they had certainly started this relationship with a bang in every way. It was like being shot out of a cannon …and landing in a field of flowers.

“You know, you amaze me.” He lay next to her and held her close to him. “I can't believe it.” And then suddenly he laughed again. He was thrilled. This was exactly what he had wanted, even faster than he'd wanted it, which was fine with him. “I guess this'll be yet another miracle baby for us.” He laughed openly as he teased her.

“What do you mean?”

“Well, there's Bjorn, who's pretty special in his own way. And Chloe is pretty miraculous now too …and Andy who was so premature and is fine now …and Allie's miraculous recovery …and let's see, if we get married in December, and you have the baby in what …three and a half, four months after that …think of what a miracle that will be! A three-month baby!” He was laughing and she looked sheepish.

“You're awful. Think how embarrassed our poor children will be.”

“Then we won't let them. If they can't understand how lucky we all are, and how blessed, and that grown-ups can make a mistake occasionally too, then to hell with them. I'm certainly not going to question a gift like this, or God forbid turn it away when it's been offered to us …I'm going to hold it as close to me as I can, and you along with it, and whisper my thanks every night before I go to sleep … as miracles go, I'd say we've cornered the market,” he said proudly, and without saying another word, he reached down and kissed her, and she held him close to her, thinking how far they had come, how far they had traveled on dangerous shores, and how lucky they were to have each other.

a cognizant original v5 release october 23 2010

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