November 2004 (Sophie is 23, Michael is 46)

"Bye, sweetie, love you," Sophie said kissing her two year old son Blanket.

"Mommy, why do we have to go to Grandma's house?" Blanket asked, still in Sophie's arms.

"Because your daddy's having a rough time and we need to be alone for a while," Sophie said.

"How long?" Blanket asked with tears surfacing.

"A few months, but listen, I'll talk to you every day, and we'll see each other often, alright?"

At the sight of Blanket's tears Sophie's own tears surfaced, she put Blanket down, and he went to say goodbye to Michael.

Michael helped his father load the kids luggage in the car, then hugged the kids and his mom, and went to stand by Sophie on the steps.

Michael put his arm around Sophie's waist and they both stood there waving to them as they drove away.

When they pulled out of the gates, Michael left Sophie's side and went to the kitchen.

Sophie followed him and saw him leaning over the sink shaking, she apporched him and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Michael, its alright. Your mom can bring them anytime for dinner, they can come back and stay one night," she said watching Michael's tears fall in the sink.

He turned around, "Why did it have to come to this? Why did my own kids have to leave?"

Sophie wrapped her arms around him, as he cried into her hair, "Michael, it was your idea. These next couple of months are going to be hard. And you said yourself that you would be too stressed to pay attention to your kids. This is for the better, and we'll see them a lot, I promise."

Michael stepped back and kissed Sophie, "Thank you so much. I think I need something to drink."

Michael went to the cabinet and got two big wine glasses down, he got the red wine out of the pantry, and poured some in the two glasses.

He handed one glass to Sophie and took his glass and the wine bottle and headed to the den.

Michael sat the wine glass and bottle down and turned on the fireplace and turned out the lights.

He sat down on the couch and motioned for Sophie to join him, she did.

Sophie took a drink and snuggled against Michael, "What's the whole bottle for?"

"We're troubled," Michael chugged down his glass and poured him another.

"Michael, your not thinking about getting drunk, are you?" Sophie asked staring at Michael's face, which was glowing in the firelight.

Michael took another swig, "Why not?"

"Well, you always told me you never got drunk anymore," Sophie said.

"Sophie, I lied. I just can't because the kids are here everynight."

Michael poured himself another glass, chugged it down and stood up.

Sophie poured herself another glass, "Where you going?"

"To pee, be right back," Michael walked out of the room.

Sophie now sat all alone and couldn't help but think why Michael was facing his problems this way.

Michael came back a few minutes later with another bottle of wine.

Before long they had gulped down almost the entire two bottles.

"Want some more, there's enough for you to have one more glass," Michael slurred his speech and his hands shook as he fumbled getting the wine poured in his glass.

"Yeah, I'll take some more," Sophie said handing Michael her glass.

They drank the last of the wine and Michael leaned his head back with a sigh.

Sophie climbed on Michael with her legs wrapped around him, facing him.

She thrusted her hips back and forth to get situated on him and started trailing kisses up his neck.

"Oh, Sophie, I love you so much," Michael said running his hands up her back.

Sophie started to unbotton his shirt, planting a kiss on every inch of new exposed skin.

She slid his shirt back over his shoulders and starting rubbing him down.

Michael shivered with each touch of Sophie's cold hands on his body.

Michael slid Sophie's shirt off her and placed his hands on her butt.

She looked down and undid the botton and zipper on Michael's pants, he did the same to her jeans.

When they were both down to their underwear, Michael got up picking Sophie up with him.

He fumbled up the stairs and through the hallways, kissing Sophie the whole time.

When he got to their bedroom, he undid her bra and threw her on the bed, he sat down beside her.

"Sophie?" Michael said eyeing her legs.

"Uh," Sophie's breath smelled of wine and so did Michael's.

"Let's make a baby," he said.

Sophie stripped down and she stripped Michael too and climbed on top of him, "Sounds great to me."

The next morning Sophie and Michael woke up tangled together on the window seat, unaware of how they got there.

"Morning," Michael said drawing circles on her stomach.

"Don't talk that loud," Sophie said getting up.

Sophie slipped her underwear back on and put on one of Michael's shirts and left the room.

Michael slipped his underwear on and followed her down to the kitchen.

Sophie put on some coffee and sat down and the table, "You do know that we didn't escape our problems at all."

"We escaped them for a little while," Michael said sitting down next to her and rubbing her back.

"I wish I didn't have this headache, then I would actually be hungry for some breakfast," Sophie said getting up and pouring two cups of coffee.

"I want to tell you how grateful I am of you. I know that you are going to help me through this like no other person could," Michael said staring into Sophie's blue eyes.

"Michael, you know that I have no regrets, I don't care what people say. I love you and I know for a fact that you are innocent."

Micahael kissed Sophie and sat with her the whole morning sipping coffee.

April 2005 (Sophie is 24, Michael is 46)

The trials were well under way and Sophie woke up staring at the ceiling.

Michael's tried eyes fluttered open and he turned his neck over to look at Sophie.

She smiled at him and he attemped to get up, screaming in the process.

He stood by the bed and tried to take a few steps, he fell to the ground.

A now six month pregnant Sophie flew to his side, "Michael, what's wrong?"

"Its my back. Get off the floor your pregnant," Michael said with concern in his voice.

"Michael, I'm fine. Can you stand up so I can take you to the car?" Sophie asked.

Michael had a history of back problems, but they had begun acting up when he got so stressed.

Michael got up slowly wincing with pain and sat up straight on the edge of the bed.

Sophie ran and got cleaned up for the trial that day, when she came back Michael was standing by the door in his pajama pants and white shirt holding a sports coat, a brush, and his aviator sunglasses.

Sophie helped him down the steps and into her SUV.

Sophie called his security and his mom, she pulled into the hospital.

"Sophie, I'm gonna be late for the trial," Michael said.

"Your manager is calling the court house. This is a medical reason they'll have to understand," she said helping him out of the car.

They got done at the hospital and drove to the trial.

After the trial was over Sophie and Michael arrived back home and walked in the front door.

Sophie was met with excurtiating pain in her lower stomach, like cramps but much more severe.

She screamed with pain and doubled over, blood ran down her legs.

"Sophie!" Michael yelled as he saw a puddle of blood on the floor.

He rushed her to the hospital and they learned that Sophie had lost the baby.

The car ride home was silent and Sophie and Michael feared what the verdict was going to be, which was coming in less than two months.