Book Series: Byrnehouse-Davies & Hamilton Saga
Publishing Date: 1996
Author: Anita Stansfield
Publisher: Covenant Communications, Inc.
Category: LDS Contemporaray Romance
Point of View: Third Person, limited, Emily and Michael
Chapter Count: 18
Page Count: 292
Point of View: Third Person, limited, Emily and Michael
Chapter Count: 18
Page Count: 292
To my sisters, Janet
and Suzie. “Thank You. Thank God for you, the wind beneath my wings.” It
was nothing.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
A special thanks to JoAnn Jolley, my editor and friend, for
humoring my eccentricities, and for the way you make a good book better. And to
all the people at Covenant, for treating me so well. Also, to Colleen Saxey,
for your medical expertise. And to Betty Haden, the sweetest Australian I’ve
ever met. To my parents for all the babysitting. To Dennis, for some answers.
To Nathan, for some genius. To my friends-you know who you are-for being there.
And to all of you readers who love Michael and Emily almost as much as I do;
thanks for the cards and letters. You’ve made it all worth it! And I can’t
forget the Independent Booksellers…for the votes. And last but not least, to my
husband and children, for your love and support.
Oh, and…Cindy, I love you. Your day in the spotlight will
come, as surely as you’re reading this.
South Queensland, Australia
Chapter 1- Eight years have passed since the last book. Michael and Emily Hamilton are happily married and life couldn't be more perfect. Michael is the branch president. Emily has added two boys to the family: James is two and Jess is six. Amee and Alexa are ten and nine, respectively. Allison is seventeen and anxious to follow her older cousin and best friend Stacy to BYU in Provo. Emily also happens to be pregnant with number six but fears it will be stillborn as she hasn't felt it move in weeks. Michael has no idea of the problems and stress Emily is dealing with because he's been so busy seeing to the needs of his congregation. He finally arrives home and crawls into bed; falling asleep immediately. Emily has to remind herself she isn't married to Ryan Hall anymore. Next day, Michael is up and gone. Emily informs LeNay she is feeling premature labor pains. LeNay lost several babies herself so she knows exactly how Emily is feeling. When Michael gets home that night, he drives Emily to the nearest hospital where she spirals down into a medical emergency. Michael almost loses it as he witnesses his beloved Emily flat-lining on the table. The response team is able to resuscitate and stabilize her but Michael knows he will never be the same again.
Chapter 2- Emily lost the baby but she's alive which is all Michael cares about as all he could think of during the ordeal was that Emily isn't sealed to him and still belongs to another man. The doctor advises them not to try having any more children but Emily disagrees. She tells Michael they were supposed to have this baby. She had a dream that great-grandmother Alexa came to her and told her so. Several days later, Emily requests a blessing from Michael and brother-in-law, Robert. Robert and his daughter Stacy joined the church several years ago but Katherine and Wade didn't. Wade is currently living it up in Europe, stuck in neutral, with no plans to ever get married, get a job, or start a family of his own. In the blessing, Emily is promised a long life and another child though not by expected means or in the time frame they desire which will require faith. Emily is satisfied but Michael is still upset. His soulmate could be taken from him at any time and he will be left a lone man on earth with no eternal family of his own. The very thought makes him jump in the nearest Toyota Land Cruiser and engage in reckless driving at breakneck speeds over the flatland, a habit he picked up during his single years after Emily dumped him. Emily chides him to have more faith then turns to her patriarchal blessing for some personal guidance. A line she never noticed before about pursing an education jumps out at her and gets her thinking.
Chapter 3- Emily shares her idea with Michael-they should move back to Utah where Emily and Allison can enroll at BYU and Emily can finish her education. Michael is open to the idea, anything to distract Emily from trying to get pregnant again. Almost overnight, Michael is released from his calling as branch president. The kids have mixed reactions about the move but the decision has been made. The Hamiltons are moving to Utah for an indeterminate amount of time.
Chapter 4- Michael takes Allison with him, ahead of the family, to Utah where they find the perfect house in Emily's old neighborhood in Orem. Allison requests a visit to her father's grave. Michael complies, keeping his mental anguish to himself. He purchases three brand new cars: a Chevrolet Astro Van for the family, a red Geo Storm for Allison and a forest-green Blazer for himself. He leaves Allison to finish setting up the new house and returns to Australia where he kisses Emily with heated passion. During his trip, Michael convinced himself that when Emily dies she is going to choose Ryan in the eternities while he'll be rejected, again. Michael has also convinced himself he can never share these concerns with Emily, so he keeps quiet. In no time at all, the family is landing at the Salt Lake Int'l airport and driving to their new neighborhood to give Penny the surprise and shock of her life. The move proves Providential as Penny reveals her husband, Bret, has cancer. They didn't want to say anything in their letters. Michael and Emily are glad they can quietly help out; repay these good friends for all they've done for their family. Then Emily is introduced to a new convert in town; a young, very single, man named Sean O'Hara (a recurring character featured in the next book) from Chicago whose family disowned him when he joined the church after he was seriously injured in a car accident. Sean is very lonely and starved for a family of his own. Michael and Emily are more than happy to take him in.
Chapter 5- After a little prompting by Michael and Emily, Sean opens up and shares the remaining details of his conversion story: born Irish Catholic to immigrant parents, he rebelled against everything as a teen, got into drugs and alcohol and ended up as the passenger in a fatal DUI accident. Though he wasn't the driver, it was enough to wake him up. While recovering in the hospital, two Mormon Elders befriended him and that's how he ended up joining the church but his father disowned him the day he was baptized. Exercising faith, he packed up his truck, drove out to Utah, found a job that accommodated his injuries, and enrolled in BYU with plans to become a family counselor. Now that he's met Michael and Emily, they can assist him financially in making all his dreams come true starting with cosmetic surgery as well as providing a home for the holidays. Sean and Allison have no chemistry but everyone enjoys having him around. Allison, meanwhile, has picked up with her old childhood friends and their questionable values and standards, despite all being members of the church. (For some unexplained reason, Stacy dropped out of BYU and returned to Australia.) Michael and Emily are worried but don't want to press the issue and drive Allison further away. Jess is bullied at school for being different but he insists he can handle it. Bret continues to battle cancer. Michael and Emily visit him in the hospital.
Chapter 6- BYU fall classes are underway and everyone is very busy with school activities. Michael manages the entire household so Emily can study. He writes occasionally on the computer but has no pressing deadlines. One day, Emily discovers she's pregnant and fears Michael's response. He is very upset when he finds out. He and Emily have an intense discussion which results in Emily storming out of the house. They kiss and make up later but Michael just can't overcome his feelings of anger and bitterness over the lack of temple marriage in his life and that if Emily dies, he can never be with her, or the children or any future children they might have together, who, according to church doctrine, are all automatically sealed to HER and RYAN in the eternities. The whole idea is driving him (and the reader) insane because he continues to keep these concerns to himself.
Chapter 7- Michael solves his son's bullying problems by visiting his classroom and sharing some Australian tourism with the second graders (because Lord of the Rings is still five years away) who now think Jess is cool and will leave him alone for the rest of the school year. Michael has reconciled with Emily's pregnancy, he's happy to be a father again but the fact that Emily is an older mother, over 40, thus risking complications, isn't lost on him or Emily. Sean announces that despite getting serious with a terrific, single, LDS girl he met at BYU, Melissa James, (who stars in her own book after Sean's) he's feeling the urge to put the wedding plans on hold and serve a mission which Michael and Emily will be more than happy to finance. He submits his papers and is called to the Dublin, Ireland mission. Life is good but Michael just can't escape the tension he feels every time he notices his wife's expanding baby bump. Her heart will stop the minute she goes into labor and she will DIE! They'll be separated FOREVER! (Quick, someone give him Edward Cullen's phone number!)
Chapter 8- Michael and Emily take matters into their own hands with Allison, the rebellious teen. They search her bedroom while she's out of the house one afternoon and almost wish they hadn't as they uncover her secret stash of beer and whiskey, a marijuana joint and an open box of Trojans. Michael and Emily clutch their pearls. Their daughter is not the sober virgin they believed her to be. They confront Allison who confesses and accepts loss of car privileges as punishment but she's not happy about it. She verbally slaps Michael with the classic teenage anarchist line: "You are NOT my father!" Michael's unhealthy response is to take the nineteen year old for the ride of her life, doing one-eighties through Provo Canyon and blasting rock music. Allison screams at him to stop. Michael pulls over and gives her the ultimatum: shape up or move out which means no financial help; he will not support her self-destructing habits. Back at the house, Allison tattles to Emily who agrees Michael could've made his point a little less dangerously, she would be just as lost without him if he died. Michael coldly reminds her she made the same dangerous choice by allowing herself to get pregnant.
Chapter 9- Emily has a heart to heart with her daughter who is confused about real love and doesn't believe her mom and stepdad have it. Emily tells her she's wrong. Michael has a recurring nightmare about losing Emily and being left all alone. Emily presses him to talk but he refuses. Attending church that Sunday only makes the issue worse as the lesson is on temple sealings. Michael gets a taste of what it's like for single, never married women in the church as he points out to the young, newly married, male Sunday school teacher, that not all temple marriages will take place in this life yet, somehow, God is going to magically work everything out. Michael excuses himself and leaves the room.
Christmas comes and goes, Sean leaves for his mission and Emily's due date is approaching. One day, she catches her young son, James, before he falls off the kitchen countertop and accidentally induces labor. She's hemorrhaging. Allison calls the ambulance. Michael follows it to the hospital, fighting panic. Emily is okay but lost the baby, a little girl, which shocks Emily because, in her dream from Chapter 2, Alexa was holding a baby boy. Michael mourns with her but, secretly, he's just glad her heart is still beating.
Chapter 10- Emily recovers after losing the baby but the grief lingers. Michael holds her late one night as she cries. Their kissing leads to the bedroom where they make whoopee. After the passion subsides, Allison crashes the party. Literally. By driving the Geo while intoxicated into a tree in the front yard. She's not hurt but Michael and Emily can't understand her indifference since her own father was killed by a teenage drunk driver. Allison admits tonight's actions were triggered by the fact she might be pregnant. It turns out to be a false alarm but Michael and Emily did consider the possibility of adoption. Since she's not pregnant, Allison runs away instead, leaving a note behind: Love you, not your fault, tell Michael I'm sorry I had to "borrow" his emergency stash of money, I'm off to see the world!
Emily is devastated. Luckily, she has Michael to lean on. They sit and talk one day in the car about the post-traumatic time in his life when Emily rejected him, not once but twice and while he's grateful to have found the gospel, it doesn't mean a darn thing without an eternal companion or family to share it with. Blessing or no blessing, he'll be withholding sex from Emily for her own good. If she gets pregnant and dies, it won't be his fault.
Chapter 11- Two years have passed. No word from Allison. Sean is back. Melissa also left to serve her own mission and is now returned. Everyone is anticipating an announcement any day. Emily is almost done with school and will graduate soon with a Masters degree. Penny and Bret are fine as Bret has been cancer free for some time and is now bishop of their neighborhood ward. Emily's marriage to Michael is as wonderful as ever, the only dark cloud is her desire to have another baby which Michael is against. The doctor informs Emily she's hit menopause at 44 and her childbearing years are over. She tells Michael who breaks down and sobs in his wife's arms. It's been three and a half years since the initial pregnancy that nearly killed Emily and now he's feeling guilty about that blessing he gave her. He's a bad husband who let himself become addicted toDiet Coke, grew a beard, and let his temple recommend expire. How can he ever be worthy of Emily now? He's really let himself go. To make matters worse, the doorbell rings one evening as the family is about to sit down to dinner. It's Mrs. Hall, the world's worst house guest, who invites herself to dinner and ends up staying the night. Mother-in-law had no idea Allison ran away, she frowns hearing "Amelia" and "Alexandra" refer to Michael as "Dad" and does her best to insult them all in every possible way. This brings on another one of Michael's famous nightmares about Emily rejecting him for Ryan and laughing in his face. It's so bad he runs to the bathroom to be sick while Emily pleads with him to open up and tell her what's troubling him.
Chapter 12- The situation doesn't improve much the next day as Mrs. Hall reminds Amee and Alexa that thanks to temple marriage, they belong to her son, Ryan, while poor Jess and James will be subservient. Unable to take any more of this, Michael intervenes and tells this woman off. As long as they remain faithful and obedient, they will be an eternal family. Emily backs him up while Mrs. Hall chokes and stammers on her indignation. (Obstinate, headstrong girl!) Micheal is so upset he has to leave the room. Later, after the company has departed, Michael has a spectacular emotional breakdown hurling the glass temple knickknack at the wall and cursing temple marriage before storming out of the house. Emily jumps in the car in time to join Michael for another round of reckless driving, except they aren't in the Australian outback this time. Emily reminds Michael he has always been the best husband and father any woman or child could ever want and insists again that they WILL be together forever. The words are hardly out of her mouth when Michael, driving way past the legal speed limit, is forced to veer off the canyon road to avoid hitting a slow moving farm truck and slams into a power pole. Michael slowly regains consciousness to realize Emily is badly injured and not breathing. He gives her a priesthood blessing as the emergency responders arrive at the scene.
Chapter 13- Michael has a broken leg while Emily is in the ICU barely clinging to life. He gets a nurse to wheel him into the room where Emily's first whispered words to him is that she wants to be with him forever. Sean is there when Michael wakes up in his own room. He lectures Michael on reckless behavior; he knows all about suffering the consequences of bad choices. He also admits he proposed to Melissa who refused him and their relationship is on hold. Bret also visits and joins the team in urging Michael to open up and talk. Bret considers himself Michael's friend as well as his bishop. Michael finally breaks down and pours out the whole story. Bret repeats what Emily has been saying to Michael the entire book: he's a righteous priesthood holder, devoted husband and father who always puts his family first. That sealing is just a minor technicality. Everything is going to work out in their favor but Michael fears it's too late.
Chapter 14- Amee and Alexa come to visit Michael; hugging, kissing and crying their relief that Mom and Dad are still alive and quick to tell Michael not to feel bad about causing the accident. To them, he'll always be the World's Greatest Dad (and they'll get him a t-shirt to prove it). Next day, LeNay walks into Emily's room while Michael is there holding her sleeping hand. She helps him back to his room and gives Michael a stern lecture on finding the faith and humility to face up to his fears and let God and others help him. She didn't fly halfway around the world to attend a funeral. Michael returns to Emily's bedside to kiss her and promise they'll talk as soon as she's released. He's beginning to believe in miracles again.
Chapter 15- After being released from the hospital, Michael spends every waking hour visiting Emily, sobbing in her lap while she rests in bed, stroking his hair. Emily has to keep reassuring him she's not bitter or angry. On the contrary, she's the luckiest woman on earth to be so loved and cherished by a man. It takes three weeks of recovery before the doctors allow her to go home along with the shocking news that she's pregnant. Michael proves he's learned his lesson as he's completely accepting and promises Emily he will wait on her hand and foot as she'll be spending the next nine months on her back as her fragile, broken body is in no condition to give birth. Melissa stops by one evening seeking Emily's advice about turning down a marriage proposal for a career. She's been offered her dream job in California but fears she'll break Sean's heart if she accepts. Emily tells her to fast and pray about it.
Chapter 16- Emily is carrying twins, as revealed during the ultrasound. They will name them Emma and Tyson after Michael's grandmother and her twin brother. LeNay is only too glad to extend her visit and keep the house in order while the younger kids are equally excited about the new arrivals. The complications from this pregnancy are discouraging as Emily must lay around all day in bed. Sean comes over, upset, because Melissa took Emily's advice, dumped him, and left for California. Emily explains and Sean understands.
Later that same evening, the phone rings. It's Allison! She's calling from Las Vegas, the prodigal daughter wants to come home. Michael is already backing out of the driveway to meet her in St. George because that was the cheapest bus ticket she could afford. He is shocked at Allison's humble appearance and attitude. He gets a motel room so she can change and clean up and they share a pizza before checking back out and hitting the road. Somewhere around Beaver, Allison opens up, spilling the whole, sad, story to the man she's referring to as "Dad" from now on. A guy invited her to join him in moving to Vegas where Allison set herself up in an apartment with other girls, rejecting prostitution as their preferred choice of income to pay the rent, choosing instead to take a job caring for the residents in a nursing home (without a CNA licence?) until she decided to break up with the guy she was dating who tracked her down at work and started beating her up. This resulted in her termination. Then one of her roommates decided to move out and skip town, taking all of Allison's money with her which resulted in her eviction from the apartment. She spent one night on the streets before breaking down and calling her parents. She is ready to come back, repent, and be called their daughter again.
Chapter 17- The bonding and healing continue as Allison shares new insights about Ryan. She never loved her biological dad because he was a jerk who was mean to her mom and she realizes now that Michael is the only real father she's ever known. Michael tells Allison about the accident and her mother's condition. He has to pull over so he can sob in her arms. Like his other daughters, Allison harbors no ill feelings against Michael. We all make mistakes. Everyone is waiting to welcome Allison back with open arms. She finds Emily in her sickbed. Mother and daughter fall on each others necks and weep.
Later, it finally occurs to Emily that now might be the appropriate time to share that dream she had in chapter 14 of the last book with Michael. She couldn't tell him about it then because Michael needed to understand the temple endowment first (and perhaps view a copy of Saturday's Warrior). In her dream, Emily saw herself, Michael and Ryan in the pre-mortal existence preparing to come to earth. Michael declares his undying love for Emily which God did smile upon and approve until pointing out Ryan would be needing a strong and faithful woman by his side in order to return to Him. Could Michael possibly spare Emily for a short season on Earth? In return for their sacrifice, Michael and Emily would be blessed beyond comprehension with all eternity to spend together if they would accept this rather unusual plan of soulmates God wanted them to follow.
Encouraged by Emily's odd, fairy tale-like dream, Michael renews his temple recommend and attends with Emily's blessing. He finds Sean waiting for him in the celestial room where they talk more about faith. Returning home, Michael presents Emily with a dozen red roses and they share a tender kiss. He's feeling better already.
Chapter 18- Emily's time is very near and Michael is lying in bed one moonlit night sharing a special moment with the two unborn babies who are awake and very active under his gently probing hand while Emily sleeps soundly. Emily's water breaks several hours later and Michael easily lifts her into his arms and carries her to the car. He gives her a priesthood blessing while Allison drives. At the hospital, the contractions are like a nightmare for Emily who has to be reminded of Lamaze breathing. She's in so much pain she prays aloud for God to take it from her and immediately relaxes. She can push with ease now. Emma is born first. Then Tyson, who is not expected to live long due to a heart defect. Now Emily understands her Alexa dream in which she was told Alexa would be caring for this baby until Emily could raise it in the next life. Sean arrives and he and Michael give baby Tyson a name and a blessing. He dies the next day.
Michael attends the temple a few days later, sitting in the celestial room longer than he ever has in his life, pondering over everything he's learned and experienced over the last few months. That's when he has his epiphany and everything clicks. Of course! It all makes sense now! He and Emily are going to be together forever. That sealing really is just a minor technicality. Ryan will take care of himself in the eternities while he will live happily ever after with his very own wife and their eternal posterity. Emily has and always will belong to HIM. *facepalm*
Michael enters the house and makes a spectacle of himself celebrating his new testimony by grabbing his young children for a quick tickle romp on the carpet, kissing Allison, dancing LeNay around the kitchen, and pouncing on Emily in her bed, smothering her with kisses before pausing to admire little Emma, asleep in her arms. Aren't eternal families wonderful? Group hug!
Six months later, Emily graduates from BYU with her masters degree. Joined by Sean, the entire family visits the Grand Canyon where Allison tells her parents she'd like to serve a mission (lucky for her, the church won't "raise the bar" until 2002). Just a few days before the family will sell the house and move back to Australia, Michael surprises Emily with a candlelit dinner, soft music and dancing in the living room while all the children, including baby Emma, are with a sitter. Life is good and Emily and Michael intend to live happily ever after, now and forever.
THE END
Chapter 9- Emily has a heart to heart with her daughter who is confused about real love and doesn't believe her mom and stepdad have it. Emily tells her she's wrong. Michael has a recurring nightmare about losing Emily and being left all alone. Emily presses him to talk but he refuses. Attending church that Sunday only makes the issue worse as the lesson is on temple sealings. Michael gets a taste of what it's like for single, never married women in the church as he points out to the young, newly married, male Sunday school teacher, that not all temple marriages will take place in this life yet, somehow, God is going to magically work everything out. Michael excuses himself and leaves the room.
Christmas comes and goes, Sean leaves for his mission and Emily's due date is approaching. One day, she catches her young son, James, before he falls off the kitchen countertop and accidentally induces labor. She's hemorrhaging. Allison calls the ambulance. Michael follows it to the hospital, fighting panic. Emily is okay but lost the baby, a little girl, which shocks Emily because, in her dream from Chapter 2, Alexa was holding a baby boy. Michael mourns with her but, secretly, he's just glad her heart is still beating.
Chapter 10- Emily recovers after losing the baby but the grief lingers. Michael holds her late one night as she cries. Their kissing leads to the bedroom where they make whoopee. After the passion subsides, Allison crashes the party. Literally. By driving the Geo while intoxicated into a tree in the front yard. She's not hurt but Michael and Emily can't understand her indifference since her own father was killed by a teenage drunk driver. Allison admits tonight's actions were triggered by the fact she might be pregnant. It turns out to be a false alarm but Michael and Emily did consider the possibility of adoption. Since she's not pregnant, Allison runs away instead, leaving a note behind: Love you, not your fault, tell Michael I'm sorry I had to "borrow" his emergency stash of money, I'm off to see the world!
Emily is devastated. Luckily, she has Michael to lean on. They sit and talk one day in the car about the post-traumatic time in his life when Emily rejected him, not once but twice and while he's grateful to have found the gospel, it doesn't mean a darn thing without an eternal companion or family to share it with. Blessing or no blessing, he'll be withholding sex from Emily for her own good. If she gets pregnant and dies, it won't be his fault.
Chapter 11- Two years have passed. No word from Allison. Sean is back. Melissa also left to serve her own mission and is now returned. Everyone is anticipating an announcement any day. Emily is almost done with school and will graduate soon with a Masters degree. Penny and Bret are fine as Bret has been cancer free for some time and is now bishop of their neighborhood ward. Emily's marriage to Michael is as wonderful as ever, the only dark cloud is her desire to have another baby which Michael is against. The doctor informs Emily she's hit menopause at 44 and her childbearing years are over. She tells Michael who breaks down and sobs in his wife's arms. It's been three and a half years since the initial pregnancy that nearly killed Emily and now he's feeling guilty about that blessing he gave her. He's a bad husband who let himself become addicted to
Chapter 12- The situation doesn't improve much the next day as Mrs. Hall reminds Amee and Alexa that thanks to temple marriage, they belong to her son, Ryan, while poor Jess and James will be subservient. Unable to take any more of this, Michael intervenes and tells this woman off. As long as they remain faithful and obedient, they will be an eternal family. Emily backs him up while Mrs. Hall chokes and stammers on her indignation. (Obstinate, headstrong girl!) Micheal is so upset he has to leave the room. Later, after the company has departed, Michael has a spectacular emotional breakdown hurling the glass temple knickknack at the wall and cursing temple marriage before storming out of the house. Emily jumps in the car in time to join Michael for another round of reckless driving, except they aren't in the Australian outback this time. Emily reminds Michael he has always been the best husband and father any woman or child could ever want and insists again that they WILL be together forever. The words are hardly out of her mouth when Michael, driving way past the legal speed limit, is forced to veer off the canyon road to avoid hitting a slow moving farm truck and slams into a power pole. Michael slowly regains consciousness to realize Emily is badly injured and not breathing. He gives her a priesthood blessing as the emergency responders arrive at the scene.
Chapter 13- Michael has a broken leg while Emily is in the ICU barely clinging to life. He gets a nurse to wheel him into the room where Emily's first whispered words to him is that she wants to be with him forever. Sean is there when Michael wakes up in his own room. He lectures Michael on reckless behavior; he knows all about suffering the consequences of bad choices. He also admits he proposed to Melissa who refused him and their relationship is on hold. Bret also visits and joins the team in urging Michael to open up and talk. Bret considers himself Michael's friend as well as his bishop. Michael finally breaks down and pours out the whole story. Bret repeats what Emily has been saying to Michael the entire book: he's a righteous priesthood holder, devoted husband and father who always puts his family first. That sealing is just a minor technicality. Everything is going to work out in their favor but Michael fears it's too late.
Chapter 14- Amee and Alexa come to visit Michael; hugging, kissing and crying their relief that Mom and Dad are still alive and quick to tell Michael not to feel bad about causing the accident. To them, he'll always be the World's Greatest Dad (and they'll get him a t-shirt to prove it). Next day, LeNay walks into Emily's room while Michael is there holding her sleeping hand. She helps him back to his room and gives Michael a stern lecture on finding the faith and humility to face up to his fears and let God and others help him. She didn't fly halfway around the world to attend a funeral. Michael returns to Emily's bedside to kiss her and promise they'll talk as soon as she's released. He's beginning to believe in miracles again.
Chapter 15- After being released from the hospital, Michael spends every waking hour visiting Emily, sobbing in her lap while she rests in bed, stroking his hair. Emily has to keep reassuring him she's not bitter or angry. On the contrary, she's the luckiest woman on earth to be so loved and cherished by a man. It takes three weeks of recovery before the doctors allow her to go home along with the shocking news that she's pregnant. Michael proves he's learned his lesson as he's completely accepting and promises Emily he will wait on her hand and foot as she'll be spending the next nine months on her back as her fragile, broken body is in no condition to give birth. Melissa stops by one evening seeking Emily's advice about turning down a marriage proposal for a career. She's been offered her dream job in California but fears she'll break Sean's heart if she accepts. Emily tells her to fast and pray about it.
Chapter 16- Emily is carrying twins, as revealed during the ultrasound. They will name them Emma and Tyson after Michael's grandmother and her twin brother. LeNay is only too glad to extend her visit and keep the house in order while the younger kids are equally excited about the new arrivals. The complications from this pregnancy are discouraging as Emily must lay around all day in bed. Sean comes over, upset, because Melissa took Emily's advice, dumped him, and left for California. Emily explains and Sean understands.
Later that same evening, the phone rings. It's Allison! She's calling from Las Vegas, the prodigal daughter wants to come home. Michael is already backing out of the driveway to meet her in St. George because that was the cheapest bus ticket she could afford. He is shocked at Allison's humble appearance and attitude. He gets a motel room so she can change and clean up and they share a pizza before checking back out and hitting the road. Somewhere around Beaver, Allison opens up, spilling the whole, sad, story to the man she's referring to as "Dad" from now on. A guy invited her to join him in moving to Vegas where Allison set herself up in an apartment with other girls, rejecting prostitution as their preferred choice of income to pay the rent, choosing instead to take a job caring for the residents in a nursing home (without a CNA licence?) until she decided to break up with the guy she was dating who tracked her down at work and started beating her up. This resulted in her termination. Then one of her roommates decided to move out and skip town, taking all of Allison's money with her which resulted in her eviction from the apartment. She spent one night on the streets before breaking down and calling her parents. She is ready to come back, repent, and be called their daughter again.
Chapter 17- The bonding and healing continue as Allison shares new insights about Ryan. She never loved her biological dad because he was a jerk who was mean to her mom and she realizes now that Michael is the only real father she's ever known. Michael tells Allison about the accident and her mother's condition. He has to pull over so he can sob in her arms. Like his other daughters, Allison harbors no ill feelings against Michael. We all make mistakes. Everyone is waiting to welcome Allison back with open arms. She finds Emily in her sickbed. Mother and daughter fall on each others necks and weep.
Later, it finally occurs to Emily that now might be the appropriate time to share that dream she had in chapter 14 of the last book with Michael. She couldn't tell him about it then because Michael needed to understand the temple endowment first (and perhaps view a copy of Saturday's Warrior). In her dream, Emily saw herself, Michael and Ryan in the pre-mortal existence preparing to come to earth. Michael declares his undying love for Emily which God did smile upon and approve until pointing out Ryan would be needing a strong and faithful woman by his side in order to return to Him. Could Michael possibly spare Emily for a short season on Earth? In return for their sacrifice, Michael and Emily would be blessed beyond comprehension with all eternity to spend together if they would accept this rather unusual plan of soulmates God wanted them to follow.
Encouraged by Emily's odd, fairy tale-like dream, Michael renews his temple recommend and attends with Emily's blessing. He finds Sean waiting for him in the celestial room where they talk more about faith. Returning home, Michael presents Emily with a dozen red roses and they share a tender kiss. He's feeling better already.
Chapter 18- Emily's time is very near and Michael is lying in bed one moonlit night sharing a special moment with the two unborn babies who are awake and very active under his gently probing hand while Emily sleeps soundly. Emily's water breaks several hours later and Michael easily lifts her into his arms and carries her to the car. He gives her a priesthood blessing while Allison drives. At the hospital, the contractions are like a nightmare for Emily who has to be reminded of Lamaze breathing. She's in so much pain she prays aloud for God to take it from her and immediately relaxes. She can push with ease now. Emma is born first. Then Tyson, who is not expected to live long due to a heart defect. Now Emily understands her Alexa dream in which she was told Alexa would be caring for this baby until Emily could raise it in the next life. Sean arrives and he and Michael give baby Tyson a name and a blessing. He dies the next day.
Michael attends the temple a few days later, sitting in the celestial room longer than he ever has in his life, pondering over everything he's learned and experienced over the last few months. That's when he has his epiphany and everything clicks. Of course! It all makes sense now! He and Emily are going to be together forever. That sealing really is just a minor technicality. Ryan will take care of himself in the eternities while he will live happily ever after with his very own wife and their eternal posterity. Emily has and always will belong to HIM. *facepalm*
Michael enters the house and makes a spectacle of himself celebrating his new testimony by grabbing his young children for a quick tickle romp on the carpet, kissing Allison, dancing LeNay around the kitchen, and pouncing on Emily in her bed, smothering her with kisses before pausing to admire little Emma, asleep in her arms. Aren't eternal families wonderful? Group hug!
Six months later, Emily graduates from BYU with her masters degree. Joined by Sean, the entire family visits the Grand Canyon where Allison tells her parents she'd like to serve a mission (lucky for her, the church won't "raise the bar" until 2002). Just a few days before the family will sell the house and move back to Australia, Michael surprises Emily with a candlelit dinner, soft music and dancing in the living room while all the children, including baby Emma, are with a sitter. Life is good and Emily and Michael intend to live happily ever after, now and forever.
THE END
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