A Second Chance

House hunting

After lunch, Danny took Jessica back to work.

"Thank you for lunch, baby. You didn't have to walk me back.. I mean, you can barely walk!"

"I have to be a gentleman and walk my pretty lady in."

Jessica smiles and kisses his lips.

"Today was good.. This is so exciting.  We're gonna live together!"

"I know!  This feels good." Danny smiles.

"This is right." Jessica nods.

"It is."

"Now for the hard part... Telling the boys.."

"Yeah.."

*Sighs* "Tonight I'm making them their favorite for dinner.. I'll tell them after that."

"Good luck, baby."

"Thanks."

"Call me and let me know how it goes."

"I will."

***

After dinner.

"Oh I'm stuffed!" Michael says.

"Me too. Thanks for dinner, mom." James kisses her head.

"Oh you're welcome! I'm glad you enjoyed it."

The boys start taking their dishes to the sink, and Jessica stops them.

"Boys wait! Can I talk to you for a second?"

"Sure."

"Let's go sit in the living room."

They all take a seat on the couch and Jessica puts Grayson on her lap.

"Boys.." Jessica swallows.

"Is everything okay, mom?" Sam asks.

"Yeah.. Yeah, I just have something to tell you."

"You're pregnant?" Sam's eyes widen.

"No! Oh God, no! Heh! Definitely not!"

"Good! What is it?"

Jessica takes a deep breath and says, "Danny and I our moving in together."

"Oh! Is that all? Mom, you had me worried!" James chuckles.

"Yeah, me too!" Michael says.

"We're buying a place of our own.. It would be your home too of course!"

"What? You're selling dad's house?" Sam says.

"Baby, I have to! I-I can't--"

"You can't what? This is our home, mom!"

"I know that sweetie but--"

"Mom, dad worked so hard for this place. This is our home!! We played outside with him.. He cooked meals in that kitchen! You both tucked us in at night, he told us scary stories, we camped out in the back yard, we had fun here, we cried here! We were a family here! Dad.. Dad took his last breath here." Sam's voice becomes shaky

Jessica starts crying and says, "Baby, I have done a lot of praying about this and I've made my decision.

There are too many memories here.. Many many great memories, and I will always love this place. Your father and I worked so hard for it.

But baby, I want this house to only hold our memories.. The Shepard's and that's it.

I'm with Daniel now and I have to think about us.. We're a couple and we want to live together. I won't do it if you boys don't want me too.. But I love him and I hope that you boys are supportive of my decision."