I pushed around the food on my plate while staring off into a distance.

"Didn't like the food?" Kaleb questioned.

"I'm sorry, I just don't have an appetite."

"You didn't have one last night. Have you eaten, Athena?" He questioned. I shrugged. "Look, I know you don't want to talk about him, but you can't torture yourself by not eating."

I sighed while placing down the fork. "Did you talk to him?"

"He called me."

"What did he say? Did he mention me?" I questioned.

"He just asked for the menu this week."

"So that means he's coming home right?"

"Athena." Kaleb crossed his arms.

"Just tell me." I sighed. "Please."

"He didn't say." Kaleb said. "But you need to eat."

I shook my head. "I need to get to work. I have paperwork to fill out and meetings. If he comes, please let me know."

I heard my phone buzz and quickly looked at the screen.

Anteros
Good morning!

I sighed before placing it back down.

"Bye Kaleb."

I checked my phone. Over and over again. No text from him. I sighed while putting my phone in the drawer and picking up my pen.

"Are you done with those reports?" Valeria walked in.

"I'm not. I'm sorry." I sighed while sitting up straight. "Give me twenty more minutes please."

"What's wrong?" Valeria questioned.

"A lot but honestly, I don't want to get into it."

"Okay, baby. Let me know if you need to talk, okay? I'll be in my office."

I nodded. Valeria walked out and I began clicking my pen. I wanted to finish these reports but my mind was consumed by guilt.

Why did I say those things? I was embarrassed. I couldn't get anything done. Sleeping without Tobias for the time in a while was weird.

I couldn't sleep. I stayed in his bed holding close a shirt that smelled like him. I'd always fall asleep easy with him.

My phone buzzed and I quickly looked at it.

BiaRose
Don't forget lunch with Kaelyn today!

I finished up the reports before walking to Valeria's office.

"Hey, I finished the reports. I'm going on lunch, want me to bring anything back?" I questioned. She shook her head.

"Eros and I are grabbing lunch at the cafe down the street."

I smiled. "Tell me how it goes."

She nodded.

~

"Don't be nervous," I said while stirring my straw in the water.

"I'm trying. I just have so many questions and I'm nervous about how she'll respond. I mean, I don't know her, but she's my biological mom and-"

"Sorry, I'm late darlings." She sat down at the table.

"Nothing new." I shrugged.

"It's nice to see you in high spirits since the dinner. Bia Rose, aren't you the exact copy of your sister." She slid off her shades. "I'm glad you girls have been getting along."

"It's nice meeting you." Bia softly smiled.

"You as well darling. I know that I haven't been a mother to either of you girls and that I robbed you the opportunity of having a mother, but my love has never stopped for you two."

I looked away.

Bia smiled while playing with her fingers. I rolled my eyes while shaking my head. She was feeding her with the same bullshit she gave me.

"So why so late? Why now decide to come back to the public eye? Was it because of your love for us? What's your motive mom?"

She looked at me before clearing her throat. "I scheduled this lunch so I could get to know my daughters, not to discuss business."

"So you did show back up for business?"

"Your putting words in my mouth child."

I remained quiet while shaking my head.

"How's the charade that you and Tobias are putting on? Looks like the public is catching on." She grabbed my glass of water before taking a sip.

"What charade?" Bia looked at me.

"The agreement of marriage."

"Yeah, the one you signed nearly two decades ago."

"Tobias and Athena are in love. It's clear to see." Bia looked at mom. She looked back at me confused.

"Child, it's an act."

"Stop calling me that." Bia crossed her arms.

"It started as an agreement, but it's different now. Our relationship isn't your business." I cleared my throat.

"Really? I spoke with Eros last night. Your fiancé was there."

"Please excuse me." I stood up while grabbing my purse. "I'm running to the bathroom."

"I have to go too." Bia followed after me. I went to the bathroom and sighed. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I forgot honestly." I looked around the bathroom. "We can't talk about this in public."

She nodded.

"I didn't know she had a London accent. It caught me off guard." Bia started. "I don't think I like her."

"You don't?"

"She's rude to you and I don't like that." Bia shook her head. "You're the nicest person I know and she's cruel."

"You don't have to hate her because of me."

"Yes, I do. You reached out to me, she didn't. She hid me from the world. I thought meeting her would have given me closure, but it didn't." Bia shook her head. "My entire life I wanted to meet my birth mother, but this..."

She sighed.

"She's not what I expected."

"I understand what you're saying. For my entire life, I imagined me reuniting with her. I thought she would pull me in a hug and express how much she loved me." I shook my head. "Yeah, didn't happen."

Bia nodded.

"Is- is Vince different?" Bia questioned.

"He can be." I smiled to myself. "He can be so loving. I always felt like the only girl in the world with him."

Bia smiled.

"He knew me like the back of his hand. When I was upset he knew how to cheer me up. He'd sing this stupid song, it was so stupid I couldn't help but laugh. Then he would take me for ice cream and let me get whatever I want." I said.

"My adoptive dad never treated me like his. Do you think he would?"

"I honestly don't know."

Bia nodded.

My phone buzzed I looked at it.

Tobias
Staying at Eros again tonight. Just letting you know.

I sighed. "Bia, you're younger than me but wiser. How do you know that you're in love?"

"Well, you find it hard to be away from someone and you find yourself going crazy over them. You know that you're in love when you find yourself copying traits and phrases they do. It's easy to go off in a daze of what they could be doing. You make up a million scenarios and you just want to know every detail about what they are doing."Bia smiled to herself. "And lastly."

She cleared her throat.

"Lastly, you know that you're in love when everything feels right." She said. "When you could just sit with them in peace and everything feels in order."

"You been in love before?"

"No, but Valeria sends me rom-com suggestions and I watch them."

I laughed. I pulled out my phone.

Could you meet me at Central Park? 8:00?

~

It was dark out. I paced around a bench before checking my watch. I was nervous. I sat down before checking my phone, no text.

I looked around before standing back up to continue my pacing.

"You shouldn't be out here alone." I heard the familiar voice.

My heart began to beat fast and I turned around. "Tobias."

He remained quiet while looking at the ground.

"What's this?" He questioned.

"I shouldn't have said those things to you." I shook my head. "And I've beaten myself up about it because I know that I hurt you."

He looked at me with those striking blue eyes.

"I never thought of myself having children and truth be told, it's because I'm scared. It's always been my fear that I'd treat my kids the way I was treated. I don't know one thing about being a mother because I never had that example and it scared me. My mom was forced to have me and truly, she never loved me. I don't want to do the same to an innocent child. I triggered myself and took it out on you. You didn't deserve that."

He looked away.

"You're nothing like your father at all. I truly believe that and I'm deeply sorry for implying that." I shook my head. "I know that you're loving and I know that you go through life with the purest intentions."

He looked back at me.

"And this short amount of time that we've been apart, my heart has been breaking. Tobias, I love you so much. I love you more than words can express and it's never my intention to hurt you. I don't even know what love is but I find myself not being able to live without you. When you aren't near, my heart aches. When I'm not going to bed without you, my heart feels like a black hole. You make me so happy. So fucking happy." I cried.

I wiped away the tears.

"I can't eat, I can't sleep, I can't think knowing that you weren't near. Tobias, you have my heart and soul and usually, that scares me, but with you, I don't mind. I don't mind at all." I shook my head. "I can't escape the way that I love you and to be honest I don't want to. It's consumed my heart so bad that I can't breathe. I love you."

Tobias cracked a soft smile before pulling me in a hug. "I love you too."

"Please tell me you're coming home."

"I'm coming, home baby." He mumbled.

I pulled away before kissing him. "I'm sorry. I really am."

"I know." He pulled me back in.