Rain

"It sounds like an excellent idea. Brian bought a lovely bottle in France several years ago and he never had cause to open it. Its been just aging and waiting for a good cause," Angus said. "I'll go get it." He disappeared downstairs to the wine cellar and brought up the prized bottle of champagne. He called to Robert.

"Robert, do you still remember how to do saber service?" Angus asked.

"Yes, but its been years since I've done it. And I don't exactly have a saber with me," he said.

"Sabers we have," Angus laughed. "Do you mind?"

"No, but I believe I'll do it outside," Robert said. Angus brought a large antique sword from its place on the wall of Brian's office. Robert doublechecked it. "Should do," he answered. He took the sword in its sheath and the bottle.

"Come watch," Khaat said to everyone. "I've only seen Daddy do this once."

Everyone else followed outside. Angus picked up Dakota, and Brian picked up Abbey and made sure the girls got to go out with them. Robert took the wire and foil off the top of the bottle and made sure he was holding the bottle in the proper direction. He laid the edge of the saber at a precise angle against the lower lip of the bottle to give him an idea of where he needed to aim and tried to get the stroke fixed in his head. He made sure no one was too close. He didn't want anyone hit with a flying glass shard.

He double checked everything, and taking a rather deep breath to calm and steady himself, he took one large, dramatic and forceful stroke against the lower lip of the bottle, just below the bottom edge of the cork. The cork, still in the glass neck of the severed off bottle shot off into the distance. Robert quickly righted the bottle so the champagne would not all shoot out of the bottle.

"Oh, well done!" Kate applauded him. Michael and the others joined in the applause.

"I knew you could still do it," Michael smiled. "You'd better let them know that you won't be serving them broken glass in their drinks."

"Oh, well, yes. That's true," Robert said. "The saber service cuts the bottle in such a way that there are no glass shards to end up in your glass. Its perfectly safe. It is, though, a rather nice way to open a bottle."

"I'll take that and serve it," Kate said, going to him and taking the bottle inside to find the glasses. He dried the blade of the saber and sheathed it.

"Thank you, Daddy," Khaat said.

"You're very welcome," he smiled.

"My pleasure," Robert smiled. He poured the glasses, and was sure to include a glass for Khaat. "Just one for the mom-to-be, but its not fair that she not get any on her first child's first birthday. Even I'm not that hard hearted." He smiled at Jess. "But she doesn't get more than that. As a matter of fact..." He took the first elegant crystal champagne glass and handed it to Khaat. "Here, my dear. This certainly beats where we were last year this time of the day."

He was right. Last year this time, her life and Abbey's had hung by a thread as slender as a spider's web. She didn't regret Abbey. Not for one moment. But she would rather be here than doing that again. She looked at her father. "You do realize we will be doing that again, right?"

"Not like that we won't," he laughed. "I refuse. We're doing to do it a whole lot healthier this time. No lives at risk if we can prevent that." he returned and helped Jess pass out the rest of the glasses to everyone. Once the glasses were distributed, he looked at Brian. "This toast should be yours, Son."

"Oh," Brian said, unprepared. "Well, alright. To my gorgeous fiancee and my beautiful daughter. I can't think of any place else I'd rather be or anyone else I'd rather be with. Thank you both for making my life so worthwhile. And to Abbey, a very happy birthday, may you have at least a hundred more." He kissed Khaat and Abbey both softly on the cheek and raised his glass.

"And now, let's all enjoy that birthday lunch," Robert said, motioning them to the dining room. He led the way where everything was laid out beautifully.

"Thank you, Jess and Angus," Khaat smiled. "It is absolutely beautiful. I hope someone is going to take pictures of this beautiful feast before we demolish it."

"I hadn't thought about it," Brian said. "I'd only thought about eating it." He put Abbey in her high chair as Angus put Dakota in hers. Both babies smelled food and began to get excited and chatter loudly.

"I think they're hungry," Angus laughed.

"So am I," Brian replied. "If we taking pictures, lets hurry up while the babies are still happy about it. Jess? You still got that camera handy, by any chance?"

"Make a wish," Brian said to Khaat softly. She looked at Brian, closed her eyes for a moment, making a wish for Abbey. She and Brian blew out the single candle on the cake together. "What did you wish for?" Brian asked, as they sat down together.

"I wished for Abbey to have the sort of peaceful happy life that every parent wants for their child," Khaat smiled. Brian laughed.

"What's so funny?" Khaat asked.

"I wished for the same thing. That and lots of grandkids and great grandkids,"he laughed.

"One generation at a time, please," Robert laughed. Angus put new pretty printed baby bowls in front of the girls with their lunches. Abbey saw the noodles in her bowl and got excited. Brian laughed as she picked up the macaronis one at a time to eat them with her fingers. Dakota was about to throw hers but Brian looked at her and said to her, pretending to be firm, "No, no, no. No throwing. Eat it." She stuck out her bottom lip at him, pouting. Robert roared with laughter.

"Who in the world taught her how to manipulate her father like that?" Robert was laughing so hard he could hardly talk.

"It only counts as manipulation if it works," Brian laughed. "So far, its cute, but its not working."