Al sat on the bench at Crystal Pier in Pacific Beach, overlooking the unusually calm ocean, waiting for Sami to arrive. He was pleasantly surprised when she called and asked him if they could meet. What pleased him even more was the fact that she had suggested they meet where he first revealed his love for her. Was this a good sign? He sat nervously, his eyes focused on the boardwalk.

The marine layer was thick this morning. The sun hadn’t yet burned through the stubborn clouds. But the air was still warm. Al believed that what happened today would reshape his life in a profound way. Whether he walked away holding her hand or shuffled along by himself, rejected and beaten, today would redefine who he was.

Lost in his thoughts, he didn’t notice Sami approaching until she stood five feet away.

He bolted up like a boot-camp corporal, ready to salute his drill sergeant, and moved toward her, hoping she would welcome his hug. She didn’t back away, but the hug was more perfunctory than intimate.

“Thanks for meeting me, Al.”

“I should be thanking you.”

They sat together on the bench, but she kept her distance.

“Would you like a cup of coffee or something to drink?” Al asked. “I can run over to Starbucks.”

“Thank you, but no. My stomach’s on another rampage.” Sami paused for a minute and looked out at the ocean. She shared with him the details of McKenzie O’Neill’s transplant and her favorable prognosis. “Sometimes I think God speaks to us through miracles but we don’t hear Him.”

“I think we’ve witnessed a lot of miracles over the last thirty days,” Al said.

“How so?”

“First off, my sister survived a car crash and your mother survived a heart attack and bypass surgery. Then, Emily came along as a gift from heaven to care for your mother and Angelina.”

“I guess I took those things for granted,” Sami said. “Closing the investigation on the Resuscitator ranks up there as well.” Sami briefed Al on Dr. Youngblood’s research grant and his presumed motivation for the surgical experiments. No one could answer questions about the sexual assaults. Sami guessed that the reasons were put to rest along with Youngblood and would forever remain a mystery.

“And let’s not minimize your promotion, Sergeant Rizzo.”

She laughed. “Now that’s a miracle.”

They sat quietly for a few minutes, enjoying the peacefulness of the ocean air.

“I have something to tell you, Al.”

He had a feeling that she hadn’t met him to talk about McKenzie O’Neill. “Before you say anything, can I get something off my chest?”

“If you must.”

“I’m not going to beat a dead horse because there’s nothing I can say that I haven’t said already. You know that I love you and also that I deeply regret what I did. The thought of losing you has opened my mind and made me realize that I never really proved to you how deeply I love you.”

Al stood up, pulled a small box out of his pocket, and dropped to one knee. He opened the velvet box and showed Sami the princess-cut engagement ring. A small crowd of curious onlookers stopped in their tracks and watched.

“Make me the happiest man in the world, Samantha Marie, and agree to be my wife. I promise to spend the rest of my life proving my love for you.”

Sami desperately wanted to say yes, but not until she revealed her secret. If this didn’t scare him away, then she’d know for certain that it was meant to be.

“There’s no easy way for me to say this, so I’ll cut to the chase. You know that my stomach has been out of sorts for a long time, and that when I’m stressed, I occasionally miss a period and my whole body goes on a rampage. Well, when I missed two periods in a row and puked nearly every morning, I finally went to the doctor.”

She could see his face tighten and his eyes narrow suspiciously.

“I’m pregnant, Al.”

His face lit up like a Christmas tree. “I’m going to be a father?”

Sami nodded. “I guess that’s just another miracle.”

Lost in his thoughts, Al stood speechless.

“I’ve got a great idea,” Sami said. “Why don’t we head home, pick up the clan, and go to Sunday services at Saint John’s Church?”

Al thought about that for a minute. “Okay. But I must warn you: the foundation of the church might shake when I walk in the door.”

“I’ll take my chances.”

Al leaned toward Sami and they kissed. There was little doubt in Sami’s mind that Alberto Diaz and Samantha Marie Rizzo would soon walk down the aisle as husband and wife. Sami had no unrealistic expectations. All might not be rosy. But in a fairytale kind of way, she felt in her heart that love could conquer almost any obstacle. And those difficulties beyond love’s healing power, she would pass on to God.