Throughout her life, Laura knew she'd had more than a few highlights. Besides meeting Rob and eventually marrying him, there was the birth of her son. Watching him grow up was an unforgettable experience. These were memories Laura cherished. And now, there was another one she could add to the list. She'd had to teach several classes that day, but all she could think of was Charlotte. It was unbelievable that, just a few days ago, she'd had no idea about any of this. Life sure had a way of surprising her.

These thoughts went through Laura's mind as she pulled into the familiar driveway of her New Rochelle home. Her pulse quickened as she realized Rob was inside, and she would tell him about what had happened today. She wanted to pinch herself. How was she so lucky? It was a question she would probably never be able to answer.

As Laura reached the door, she couldn't keep the smile off her face. When Rob opened it, he could immediately see something was different. "Well, how was your day?" he asked, grinning.

"It was better than I expected! Charlotte and her mother showed up. And Charlotte did really well! She's officially enrolled. I can hardly believe it!"

"That's amazing," Rob said, kissing her. "I knew it would work out."

"Well, I'll admit I wasn't so sure. But I'm so glad to be wrong!"

"I know you weren't sure, but I never doubted you for a second." Once again, Rob kissed her. He'd never been prouder of her, in all the years they'd been married.

Laura knew Rob was telling the truth. She loved him for it. Some men might have been uncomfortable with the idea of their wives having interests outside the home. But Rob had supported her from the beginning. In a way, he was as responsible for today's events as she was. She kissed him this time, a bit longer. "How can I ever thank you?"

"For what?" Rob asked, laughing a bit. "I didn't do anything."

Laura shook her head. "You believed in me. I would have never had the courage to even try something like this if I hadn't known that. And I don't just mean today. I mean this whole dance school idea. It was such a change from anything I've ever done before…"

Rob touched her cheek. He felt himself falling for her all over again. For a second, he saw her as she'd looked all those years ago, back when he'd proposed to her in a Jeep. She'd only gotten more beautiful since then. "Oh, Laura….all these years I've known you….I've seen how you raised Rich, even when I wasn't always around like I should've been. I still don't know how you did that! When you told me you wanted to start teaching dance, I knew you'd be amazing at it."

Laura knew she couldn't speak; the lump in her throat was too great. Instead, she put her arms around Rob, holding him like that for several moments.

The silence was abruptly broken when Rob's cellphone rang. He hadn't wanted to get one, but Richie had insisted, wanting a way to contact his parents in case of emergency. Rob managed to get his phone from his pocket and check the caller ID. "Oh! It's Rich!"

"Really?" Laura asked. They'd just been thinking of their son. How coincidental was that?

Rob pushed a button to answer the call. He quickly put the phone on speaker so Laura could hear. "Son!"

"Hi, Dad," Richie said. Even from so far away, he loved hearing from his parents.

"How are you?" Laura asked.

"Oh, I'm OK. You know, the normal stuff when you're directing a hit TV show." He laughed.

"I know, it's not easy sometimes," Rob agreed, remembering the years he'd spent dealing with Alan and all of his demands. "But you'll get through it, you always do."

"Yeah," Richie agreed, though he didn't sound sure.

Laura decided she could hold back her news no longer. "Richie, guess what? I enrolled a new student at the dance school today. A little girl who has some physical problems. Her mom wasn't even sure she'd be able to do it, but she amazed us both! I was just telling your father. I think it's the most amazing thing I've seen since I started teaching."

Richie could hardly believe what he was hearing. He'd understood why his mother felt the need to find some other purpose for her life once she'd finished raising him. He'd thought it was a good fit, but never thought much beyond that. It had never seemed like a big deal to him. But this was something he'd never imagined. "Wow, Mom. That's incredible!"

Rob nodded. "That's what I think. Your mom wasn't too sure in the beginning, but of course, I never doubted her." Even though Rob was speaking to his son, his eyes were locked on Laura's.

Suddenly, the lump in Laura's throat was back again. She'd always known that Rob and Richie loved her; they'd both told her so countless times. But hearing what she'd just heard was quite another thing. Laura knew without a doubt this entire experience was something she'd remember for the rest of her life.

The End