The California sun was slowly disappearing behind the dark rain clouds. The day became very dark and gloomy. The thunder was so loud you would have thought that a space shuttle was taking off. The rain started slowly; it was barely enough to wet the ground. The lightening was so bright it was as if you were watching a light show. Jennifer was just lying there in her hospital bed; all she wanted to do was be home in her own bed. The chances of that happening were good if she got up and out of bed. She knew what she had to do, but she just did not feel like doing much. She rolled over and got out of the bed and looked out the window at the rain starting to come down. She put on the terry bathrobe that Jonathan had brought from the house. "What is the matter with me? Why was I so curt with Jonathan?" Jennifer knew that this was totally out of character for her. She knew that she could not shut him out; but she did not want to talk about it right now. She thought that if she did not talk about it then she would not have to deal with it or face the fact that she had lost the baby. Jennifer took a walk down the hall; she always did her best thinking when she was walking. "Why did this have to happen? What was the reason for this accident? Maybe we weren't supposed to have a family. Maybe our busy lives told us as much." She never thought of herself as the motherly type, maybe this was god's way of telling her that she was not meant to be a mom. She sat at the end of the hall thinking quietly to herself. She thought about her mom and what she would say to her if she were here. Would she have a different opinion or outlook if her own mother had lived? She had not really thought about her mom since her wedding day. She remembers asking her father to leave her alone before he walked her down the aisle. It was funny how sometimes the memory of her mom was so clear, and other times it was a blur. She was very much in focus the day she married Jonathan. Her father had given her the pearls that he had given to her mom on their wedding day. "Your mother always wanted you to wear these when you got married." Jennifer put them on, they looked great with the dress and it made her feel as if her mom was with her. Now she was hoping that her mom was with her baby. Looking after the young infant that died. Then it hit her she did not even know the sex of the baby. "How could I not even ask what the sex of the baby was? How could I be so selfish?" She thought to herself.

Jonathan sat in the hospital chapel. He knew that Jennifer did not mean what she had said. It wasn't her really talking, but rather the emotion of losing the baby. Maybe he really didn't know what she was going through, it was hard for any man to understand. He knew that he would not be on that plane to London. He knew that his wife, his marriage, were more important to him than any company. Just then he heard a noise and turned around.

"Stephen, you startled me"

"I am sorry Jonathan, I thought that I would stop in here before heading upstairs to see Jennifer. Have you seen her yet?"

"Yes I have, she wants me to go to London she says she needs time by herself. She wants to go to Maryland. She made it very clear that she does not want me there."

"Jonathan, what she said and what she means are two different things. She did not mean it, give her the day to think about it. We will not be flying anywhere tonight with the way the weather is now. Go home and come back this evening or tomorrow morning. I will talk to her. Once she has thought this through she will see it differently."

"I know that you are probably right Stephen but it so hard to see her like this. I know that she didn't mean anything she said but somehow I feel like I am being left out; like she is the only one who is suffering. It was my daughter too and I am suffering just as much as she is, but nobody seems to see that."

"It was a little girl? Oh Jonathan, I am sorry and you are right. You're going through just as much pain and suffering as she is and somehow we just don't realize that. I know that does not make it easier for you, I am always here to talk if you ever feel the need. Jennifer is not my only child. You are like a son to me and the day you married my daughter you became part of the family."

Jonathan knew that Stephen meant everything that he said. He had always had a great deal of respect for his father-in-law. The two men were much the same. They both had worked hard in life to reach their achievements and they both loved Jennifer.

"Thank-you Stephen, that means a lot to me and is very much appreciated. I have to head out and reschedule the plans for Lou and Stanley to go to London. Maybe we can talk over dinner. I have some questions that maybe you can answer."

"That would be fine. I will see you at dinner but now I am going to head up and see my favorite red head."

The two men got up and embraced. Jonathan needed someone to talk to although it surprised him that it was Stephen he was sharing his feelings with, it also made him feel good to know that he felt comfortable enough to share his feelings with him. Jonathan headed towards the parking lot and Stephen headed up stairs to see his daughter.

On the other side of the continent somewhere in London he sat. He was reading the L. A. Times out loud to himself. " Sadly while driving home from lunch with friends; Jennifer Hart, wife of Jonathan Hart, was hit head on by a drunk driver resulting in the loss of their unborn child. The driver; a man here on business from London was killed instantly. The name can not be released until the next of kin can be located and notified. Mrs. Hart is in stable condition and may be released from the hospital in a few days."

"On a business trip from London? It can't be him! He knows the policy I have set on drinking at lunch meetings. It is never done. If it's him imagine how it will look. Not only will I be responsible for the take over of Hart industries but I will also be responsible for the loss of his unborn child. I could not have planned it better. He will have lost everything. His company his child and eventually his wife. She will not stay with him once he had lost it all. Then I will get back what is rightfully mine. He will be sorry he ever did this to me, and my family. I feel bad that Jennifer had to experience this kind of loss but it was not meant to be that obvious. She needs a real man. One who loves her and has always loved her. He knew the minute he first saw her that he wanted to marry her. She would have been his wife if Jonathan Hart had not interfered. He took her away from him and know he was going to take her way from him and everything else he holds close to his heart."

Jennifer sat at the window just looking outside. She saw Jonathan running to his car, she wished she could open the window and call to him. Tell him how sorry she was, that she did not mean what she had said. Just then she smelled something very familiar. Old spice after shave and pipe tobacco. She turned and saw her dad standing there.

"Dad, what are you doing here?"

Steven could not believe how fragile she looked at that moment. The last time she seemed that fragile and vulnerable was when her mother had died. She just sat in her room or rode her horse. Steven could not wait for her to get back to school he figured it would be good for her to be around her friends. It was hard on her losing her mother at such a young age but it was more upsetting that it happened over the Christmas holidays. Steven had tried to make the holidays good for her, putting his own grieve aside. It did not work though. She said she never wanted to celebrate the holidays again. As she got older the visits lessened and eventually she never came home for the holidays. It was too hard for her. It was not until she met Jonathan that she started to enjoy the holidays again. Steven was grateful to him for that.

"I wanted to see the love of my life. I am so thankful that you are alive. I do not think I could have survived if I had lost you. You know how special you are to me don't you? I cannot believe I almost lost you the same way I lost your mother."

"I have been thinking a lot about her lately. What kind of Grandmother she would have made, if she would like Jonathan. What she would say to me if she were here now." She looked at her dad taking in the familiar smell. "I remember the Christmas before she died. We went shopping in town. I wanted to get you a bottle of old spice because I had seen it on a commercial and the guy reminded me of you. She just looked at me and said if you want it is your money but it is not your dad. I remember so perfectly how happy you were when you opened it. You immediately put it on. I was so happy it was the best Christmas I have ever had. It is such a comforting and familiar smell. I feel safe when you wear it like everything is going to be ok." She placed her head on her dad's shoulder and looked out the window.

After a few minutes her father broke the silence. "She would tell you to stop behaving like a child and call your husband and tell him that you love him and you are sorry for the things you said."

Jennifer sat up and looked at him. She was shocked at what she was hearing.

"You are my father you are suppose to be on my side."

Steven could not believe what he was hearing. "Your side. Jennifer, there are no sides in this. Both you and Jonathan have suffered a great loss. This was his child too and you have seemed to forgotten that. I didn't think you were this selfish." You can not just think about yourself. Yes you have suffered a great loss and yes you will not be able to have a child but you are alive, just think about that. I cannot believe I am hearing this. I thought I raised you better than that. I thought you were a lot like your mother, but I guess I was wrong. She always put her feelings second and yours and mine first. Maybe you should think about that for a while. I am heading back to the house. Jonathan wants to talk to me."

"It seems he already has. Enjoy your dinner."

Jonathan was going to the office but decided against it. He was not in the mood to talk to people and answer questions about Jennifer. So he headed home instead. He was thinking about the stock that was being bought up. "Who was behind this? Why were they not making themselves public? What was the big secret?" Then it hit him. "Oh my god! How could I have been so blind?" He immediately picked up the phone and called Deann.

"Good afternoon Jonathan Hart's office may I help you?"

"Deann, its Jonathan."

"Hi Mr. Hart. How is Mrs. Hart?"

"She is better, thank-you for answering. Deann I have a favor to ask. I want you to get a hold of Stanley and Lou. The trip to London has been postponed. I want then to find out everything they can on the man who hit Jennifer."

"Mr. Hart, are you sure? I mean the police have been investigating that."

"I know it seems odd Deann, but he was on a business trip from London maybe, just maybe he was here to get information on me and Hart Industries. Maybe he was the one who was buying up the stock for some one in London. I do not want them to go to London just now. They may be able to get more information without going. Besides this way they will not be too suspicious."

"Ok Mr. Hart, I will tell them. Will I be able to reach you at the hospital?"

"No I am on my way home. Jennifer needs some rest."

Jonathan hung up the phone. "Who are you and why are you doing this to me? Were you the reason my wife was hit and lost the baby?" He found it hard to believe that one person could be so cold hearted.

The mystery man had arrived home. He did not realize how late it was. He did not usually stay that late at the office. His maid had left a note. "Your supper is in the oven just turn to 350 for 20 minutes." He knew that if Jennifer were there he would have a reason to arrive home early. He took out his yearbook from his senior year. He flipped through the pages until he came to his favorite. Page 111 it was a picture of him and Jennifer. She had signed it. We are the perfect couple everybody says so. I will always love you. Yours always, Jenny. He loved he so much. He always had. He did not think he had a chance with her-- she was smart and rich. He was sent to the all boy boarding school because his parents were at a loss and they knew that he needed the discipline. He though it would be a bore until he found out there was an all girl school just up the street. He knew the moment he saw Jennifer walk by with her friends he was in love. Her friends said he was trouble. She told them they really did not know him. His dad ran a large company and his mother was out socializing with the A-crowd. There was not time for him so he was constantly getting in to trouble at school for his parents attention. He never though it would backfire. He was glad it did though. He was not born into money the way Jennifer was and that was the difference in them. He wondered how Jonathan would feel if he ever somehow found out he was her first. That he made love to his wife for her first time. It was both of theirs actually, he though they would be together forever. He loved the feeling of her skin against his and her soft sweet smell. He loved the way she nestled in his arms afterwards. He also liked the excitement of making love to her. They did it everywhere. In the dorm room, in the gym, the showers, the closets, once when they visited her father they did it in her room and in the kitchen. He could not believe how daring she was. He wondered if her sex life was as good with Jonathan as it was with him. Impossible! Soon she will be mine again.