"It looks like the surgery was a success," the doctor told Samara as he looked at her charts which monitored her progress from the past two weeks. "But I don't want you to get your hopes up. Its still too early to tell if it was a total success or not. I'm going to release you into the care of your normal doctor and he's going to keep me updated on your condition."

"Thank you so much, Doctor Jacques," Samara said, silently praying that everything was going to start going back to normal now. "Will you send Joey in please?"

The doctor nodded his head before clasping her hand, giving it a slight squeeze of reassurance. Samara rested her head against the feather pillow and looked around at all the flowers that were spread out around her room. Joey had sent her roses every day that they had been in Paris along with most of the other guys. But the one thing that had touched her the most was a pink and blue stuffed butterfly that Katherine had picked from the gift shop in the lobby of the hospital. Just knowing that it came from her daughter made it stand above all the rest.

"Samara?" Joey cautiously said as he stuck his head into the room. "Can I come in?"

"I sent for you, didn't I?"

He laughed before walking over to her bed and sitting down on the stool that he had sat on every day she had been in the hospital. "So the doctor is releasing you in a few hours?"

She nodded her head before reaching for his hand. "That's what he said..did he talk to you?"

Joey nodded his head before a bright smile broke out on his lips. "He thinks it worked."

She reached over with her free hand and let her index finger trail over his lips. "Don't get your hopes up just yet. It could be months before we know for sure. I hate playing this game of waiting, Joe..I want to know now if I'm going to have the rest of my life to spend with my daughter, or if I'm going to have to start planning on leaving her."

"You're going to have your whole life ahead of you to spend with Katherine," Joey said stubbornly before chuckling and standing up. "She's here by the way and wants to see her mommy."

Samara laughed as she watched Joey skip over to the door and opening it. No sooner had he gotten the door open, Katherine came running in the door and stopped at the side of the bed Samara was laying in. "MOMMY!"

"Sweetie," Samara said as Joey picked her up and put her in bed with her mother. "You gotta keep your voice down. There are some very sick people here."

"Are you all better now?" Katherine said as she reached up and played with a strand of Samara's hair.

"I don't know yet, sweetheart."

"Where is your boo boo? I'll kiss it and make it better," Katherine said as her eyes sparkled at her mother. Samara laughed before reaching up and pushing the little girl's hair behind her ears.

"You don't have to do that. Now go with your daddy so I can get dressed and we can leave."

"OK," Katherine said before reaching over and kissing Samara's right cheek. "Bye mommy."

"Bye sweetie..I'll see you in a few minutes, Joe," she said as she watched the two of them leave the room. Once the door was shut, she pushed the cover back and reached for the bag that held her clothes, wanting to change out of the thin gown into something warmer and conservative. Once she had dressed herself, she made her way over towards the small bathroom in her private room, her arms holding onto the furniture that was spread throughout the room. Her body was only beginning to regain its strength causing every step that she took to be slow.

After she had finished getting ready, she got back up in bed and waited on the doctor to release her. Once she was back in the US, back in her own house, she knew that she'd be able to start recuperating. It was going to take things going back to normal for her to get through this.

"It feels good to be home," Samara said as she leaned against Joey for support as the couple made their way into their home. The plane ride had worn both of them out, Samara more than Joey.

"I have to agree with you on that one," Joey said as he tossed his keys on the kitchen counter. "I say we go to bed. I'm ready for some sleep."

"Don't you think we should call Justin and make sure Katherine is OK?"

"Justin was the one that insisted Katherine come home with him, I'm sure that the both of them are fine."

"I don't really like leaving Katherine with anyone, Joe," Samara said, biting her lower lip as she made her way towards the stairs, dreading having to climb the those stairs that seemed to go on forever.

Joey noticed her stare before reaching over and scooping her up into his arms as she squealed. "I haven't done this in forever."

"If only you weren't doing this when I were sick..it would be romantic," she joked as she slid her arms around his neck.

He laughed as he began to climb the stairs, her body bouncing against his as he made his way towards their room. "Well...I promise that in a couple of weeks, we'll send Katherine back to Justin's and we'll have a romantic evening of just me climbing the stairs with you in my arms, how does that sound?"

"Do I even have to say what you are?" she asked as they walked into the bedroom. He shook his head as he laid her down on the bed, soon joining her.

"I know dear..I'm a dork and a smartass but you know you love it."

She snuggled close to him before closing her eyes as her tired body began to rest. "I have to agree with you there, Joe..I love it more than you know."