JC walked over and sat next to her on the bed and desperately wanted to wrap his arm around her should to comfort her, but he just couldn't do it. Laura slowly opened up the envelope and took out the letter and began to read it aloud:

My Dearest Daughter,

By now, you have grown into the most amazing woman I had always dreamed you'd be. Probably even more so than I could ever imagine. I write this letter to you today to tell you that Daddy only wishes he was as strong as you saw him. I look at you everyday and know that there is at least one thing that I did right in my life. I can only hope that you will forgive me for leaving you and your mother the way I did. I don't want either one of you to think that this was your fault. It was of my own doing. I know that in my life I caused so many people so much pain and grief. I felt this was the only way that I would be able to free myself and others from the mess I have caused. I don't expect you to understand. I don't even expect you to forgive me. I just hope that you will look back at all the wonderful days you, your mother, and I spent together and smile. Because those were the days that I was truly happy in life. Thoughts of you and your mother were the only things that would keep me going each day. I was a coward.

I am hoping that on this, your 25th birthday, you are sitting around with your husband and your own daughter celebrating life and all the joys it can bring.

Laura was so stricken with emotions that she couldn't read anymore. JC picked up the paper, cleared his throat, and began to read:

And if you aren't you will find this family I speak of soon enough. Do you remember when we used to practice together in my studio? You told daddy that when you grew up, you were going to marry a man just like me. Someone who loved music just as much as us. I'm sure he is around there somewhere if you haven't found him already...Tapping away on the piano day and night...Just like you and I used to do.

I am hoping that what I have done has not kept you from following your dreams with music. I can never imagine what pain I have caused you but I am hoping that you are still that incredibly strong girl that I tucked into bed every night when you were little. I am praying that this will only make you that much stronger, make you work a little harder to control your own destiny and not let anyone else determine it for you. I am also praying that this will make your skin a little bit thicker, and make you that much wiser not only to the world but to the industry in which I gave up my life for. I wasn't a fighter, but I am hoping that somewhere in there, I have instilled that champion in you, my dear. In fact...I know I have.

There is nothing I could ever say or write to you that would express how sorry I am for what I've done. I leave you these gifts, praying you will keep them close to your heart. I am hoping that you will have ten times this many throughout your life.

JC continued to read as Laura looked down at the four Grammy awards lying on the bed as she listened. I would give you the world if I could, but I remember nights when you and I would crawl up in front of the tv and watch people receiving these, and it seemed to be the most incredible thing you had ever seen.

JC cleared his throat again and continued to read. You would say, "It's so shiny, Daddy. If I could get one of those I would be happy forever!"

JC looked towards Laura once he noticed that she had said the same thing at the same moment without even looking at the letter. JC stopped reading and watched Laura wipe the tears from her eyes. She asked him to continue.

When I received these, I dedicated each and every one of them to you...My beautiful little girl. Now that you are older, I felt it only right that you have them. This is as close as I could come to giving you the world, baby. I hope you will look at these and remember all the wonderful times we shared together. I love you my darling princess. I pray that this birthday is only one of the many incredible days that I hope you have in life.

With all my love,

Daddy

The room was silent.  Ten minutes went by before JC decided to ask, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah...Surprisingly I'm okay...I just never knew my father ever won these."

"You need me to stay or do you need some time alone?"

"No. I'm okay." she smiled as she wiped her eyes. "It's just a surprise is all." Laura took a deep breath and wiped her face.

"No you don't need me stay? Or no you don't need time alone?"

Laura looked up at him and wanted desperately to tell him that she would beg him to stay forever if it would make a difference. "Ummm...Either. You seemed to be in a rush when you came by. I didn't mean to keep you for as long as I did."

"No..It's not that. I just didn't want to stay too long and get into another fight with you."

"Oh...Well, after last night, I don't think that I would be up for a fight with you." she joked.

"Yeah. Speaking of that..." JC got up from the bed and walked over to the dresser before turning around to face her. "I was ummm..."

Laura jumped in to stop him. "I was drunk off my ass last night and I was feeling very lonely, extremely jealous, very angry, and very vulnerable. I was trying my best to not look at the two of you together. And I won't lie....I was trying my damndest to make you jealous."

"I knew you were drunk. I was more worried that he was taking advantage than anything else." JC couldn't even keep a straight face.

Laura laughed at his response. "Right."

"Yeah well I am not going to give you the advantage of knowing that you got the best of me last night." he stated as he played with different items on the dresser.

Laura looked down at the floor and said, "Did you tell her everything?"

"Yeah. Mostly. She doesn't need to know everything that went on. But she got the gist."

Laura perked up just a bit more and asked, "What did she say?"

"Nothing. She just nodded her head and went to her room for the rest of the night."

"I have to go and apologize to her brother later before he leaves town. I feel terrible."

"Terrible because you tried to beat up a friend? Or terrible because you tried to beat up your future brother-in-law?" she asked.

JC quickly looked up at her. "I feel terrible period. I don't get into fights."

Laura was trying to dig, but knew it was pointless. She looked up at JC and softly said, "Not that it matters much...But I'm sorry."

"It was just a bad night, Laura. Emotions had been running all day."

"Yeah well hopefully soon, we'll both not have to worry about that anymore once we finish this project." she said as she stood up to grab the last two boxes.

JC noticed his gift sitting on her bed and felt he should leave before she opened it. "I better get going."

"Okay." she said as she started to walk him out the door.

"Just let me know when you have gone through that cd."

"I will." she said as she watched him walk away.