At times, there is little logic can do when matters of the heart ignite. This was the exact situation Emery found herself in ever since their co-parenting plan was set in motion.

Deep down, she wanted to hate Miles Dekker for his past transgression. At least that would have given her a more tangible reason to out-rule her feelings for the man and move on with her life.

But with every passing moment she spent with him and their daughter, she witnessed a new part of him that only made the emotional need of giving in stronger.

She was not going to lie, being with Dekker felt right. It always had since their very first encounter. And Heavens knew she still loved the man, but it was easy for her to get caught up in the fear that she was setting herself up for extra heartbreak.

“It's the way I'm feeling I just can't deny but I've gotta let it go. We found love in a hopeless place. We found love in a hopeless place-”

Emery scoffed at the interruption when the song changed, alerting her of a call, but her annoyed expression morphed into a smile when her friend's jolly voice filled the silence of her car.

‘Before you say anything, I know I've been a bad girlfriend and I'm sorry for not checking up on you girls but Hawaii is so beautiful!’

Emery tried her best not to laugh as she maneuvered her way through the rush hour.

“Girl, you don't need to apologize. It's your honeymoon, and seriously I would be concerned if you ditched my brother to keep in touch with me all the time.”

“You always know what to say to make me feel guiltless don't you?”

‘I'm your guilt-free conscience, remember?’

Emery could only visualize the famous eye roll. The line went quiet for a second and from their previous conversations, she knew what was coming before her friend even voiced the words.

‘So how are you girls holding up with big daddy?’

Emery would have facepalmed if she wasn't driving. Leave it to her friend to crack a joke over grim matters. “Christ, stop calling him that.”

Natalia chuckled 'But on a more serious note, are you okay?'

“Yeah... I guess. I mean he turned out to be a great dad and an understanding co-parent so yeah I’m good. We are all good.”

‘Glad to hear that… but girl come on, I've seen his comments on your IG posts so don't keep a sister hanging.’

Emery scoffed. “Well what can I say? We've made our peace...”

‘And?’

Emery sighed. “You know, he is a great father and all but... well nothing is going on between us. I may have forgiven him, but there are still some things that I can't forget about. At least not now… and until I can freely let it go, I don't think it's healthy for us to delve into anything right now.”

‘Like I said before, no one can ever understand your pain cause you alone went through it. But Em, love forgives. However, If it can't be fixed just let him know so he wouldn't get his hopes up. But, if you truly want him back, then sis, go grab your man cause life is too short for you to live in the past.’

“You are really out of your element today, what did you take?” Emery teased.

‘Bitch I am your true conscience. But I guess the tequila is now kicking in.’

Emery burst into laughter. “You know what, let me call you back. I'm pulling up at his place to pick up Jae.”

‘Alright. But we have a lot of catching up to do when I get back.’

“See you guys tomorrow. Say hi to Chris for me.”

‘Sure. A thousand kisses to my little muffin. Love you boo!’

“Love you too, my great conscience.”

Once Emery pulled into the parking lot of the complex, she laxed back in her seat for a second to put her rising thoughts in place.

Seeing as they had not made any weekend visitation plans, it felt a bit awkward to just waltz in and out. It might seem as if he was being reduced to the role of a second parent who was only there to render a helping hand.

But guess they would have to come up with something when he voices the need for a weekend visitation. Emery pried off her seatbelt and stepped out of the car, locking it after her.

Lost in her thoughts, she forgot to take off her rings as she always does after work.

· · • • • ✤ • • • · ·

Miles had a whole new level of appreciation for parents, especially his own after becoming one himself.

He was still adjusting to the wavering flow of fatherhood and was very much grateful for how humbling it was to be a father, but that did not strike out the fact that parenting was immensely a life-altering duty.

‘Aww she has the most beautiful smile ever. I know she got it from Emery cause you, my son, are a grump.’

Miles tilted his laptop away from the bassinet and gave his mother an unamused look. “Don't let that smile fool you. She is just as grumpy as her father.”

‘I still can't believe you're a father... no I can't believe I lived to see this. I'm so proud of you, son.’

Miles rolled his eyes at his mom's theatrics. He zipped the diaper bag after making sure he had packed everything, and set it on the coffee table.

‘Now you be a good man and take good care of them, you hear me?’

“Yes ma'am.” He gave his mom a playful salute and the latter rolled her eyes.

‘I have to go get your dad. It's almost 10:50 PM here and he is still in his study doing God knows what instead of resting... you Dekker men are such a headache! I will call you tomorrow, love. Don't forget what we talked about.’

“Sure. Say hi to dad for me.” Miles ended the call and turned his attention back to his princess who was kicking her little limbs in her bassinet.

“I will miss you more Princess.” He smiled when his little angel held onto his finger and cooed in return. He would surely miss her and her funny noises.

Saying goodbye was getting harder by the day.

He would have loved to visit them during the weekend as well, but they just started co-parenting and he felt as if the weekend was solely for mother and daughter to bond.

Moreover, he did not want to overwhelm a certain woman with his presence since she always finds ways to disassociate herself whenever he is around.

“Daddy loves you and mommy Okay?”

Miles relieved a deep sigh and slouched back into the couch. The time on his phone read 5:54 PM so he knew she would be there anytime soon.

Emery. The girl was really dancing around his heart. But Miles could bet his life that she still had feelings for him. That flicker was still there. He was sure of that.

As corny as it had seemed to him months ago, he had wanted to do everything right for the woman who managed to tame his wild heart. And if possible, be her definition of Mr. Right.

But would he ever be what Emery needs in a man?

A knock sounded on the door and Miles knew it was time for him to relinquish his duties. He rose from the couch and went for the door.

“Hi.” She gave him that professional smile again and Miles almost rolled his eyes out of annoyance.

It was either she gave him a genuine smile or saved her modified expression for her clients.

“Hey. Jae is in the living room.”

Miles shut the door and marched off to the kitchen for who knows what. Probably a bottle of water to quench his sudden thirst.

Heavens knew he had been curbing his emotions whenever she was around. But they sure had a way of coming back up at inconvenient times.

“Hey sweetie, I miss you so much. Did you miss mama?”

While sipping on his bottle of water, Miles listened in on mother and daughter as they exchanged their usual reunion greetings.

Maybe this was not the right time but he had been putting off the conversation since he came back, and he could not hold it in any longer.

He wanted to know her stance on their relationship. If it was strictly about their daughter, fine. That would surely stink but he would learn to live with it. Somehow.

When Miles walked back to the living room, she was hastily tugging off her rings but stopped immediately upon seeing him.

What was her deal with that ring anyway? From their numerous FaceTime, he knew she wears it to work so he saw no reason why she should hide it from him. Which she does a lot.

“We are good to go I guess?” the question was directed at him yet she was avoiding his gaze.

Miles regarded her for a second and said, “Can we talk?”

That surely got her attention as she looked up at him. “Uh… yeah. Is everything alright?”

“That's what I'm trying to find out.” Miles mumbled under his breath and motioned to the kitchen.

They were not going to do this in front of their daughter regardless of her age. He noticed her conflicted look but she nodded and trailed after him to the kitchen.

“What is this about?”

Miles leaned against the counter and turned his sole attention on her. “Us.”

“Us?” She asked hesitantly as if she knew where this conversation was already headed.

“Yes. Us.”

“What about us?” she asked, her tone skeptical.

“Everything about us, Em. Or are you still going to pretend that we are strangers?”

“What are you even talking about?” There was an edge to her voice now.

But her pretend ignorance of the matter at hand was much more annoying.

“You've been ignoring me. In person and on social media. I mean why are you treating me as if I'm invisible?”

“And how do you want me to treat you on social media?” She raised a brow. “Don't tell me you want preferential treatment cause you're my alleged husband.”

Miles sighed. “I'm not asking for any special treatment, Emery but can you please stop treating me as if I don't exist?”

“I don't even know what that means... but I know we wouldn't be in this situation if you had been open about the status of our relationship from the onset.”

This was supposed to be a talk but there she was, ripping off the band-aid. Guess it was about time, Miles thought to himself. “Does the status repulse you that much?”

The true meaning of his words hit her when she traced his gaze to the rings adorning her finger. And the fury in her eyes when she looked back at him told Miles that hell was going to break loose on him.

“Don't get it twisted. These pieces of metal are just to confirm the name on that so-called marriage certificate after I was stripped of my own name, and not my acceptance of a deceitful union.” she intoned haughtily.

Maybe it was time they vented out the stored anger and got it out of their system because it sure looked like she wanted to get some things off her chest.

“We all keep secrets at a point in our lives, Em but that doesn't make our reasons justifiable or irrelevant. How am I supposed to make amends for my mistakes when you won't give me a chance to-”

“What chance do you want again?” Miles swallowed his reply at her outburst. “Tell me what chance you want cause the last time I checked, I handed everything to you on a silver platter. Everything...”

Miles's heart broke a thousand times when he saw the tears in her eyes. He backed away from the counter and strode over to her.

“Em-”

“Don't.” She shrugged his hands off.

“Just hear me out, please...”

“I trusted you.” She turned away from him and furiously wiped off the tears streaming down her face. “Like the naive girl I was, I fucking trusted you but what did you do? You used me just to get your precious foundation back.”

Seeing her like this made his heart ache and he desperately wanted to comfort her but was afraid of riling her up by touching her.

“I did you wrong, Em and you have every right not to trust me again... every right not to want us again but I swear on my life if it even worth anything, I am not the same man I used to be...”

Miles stood before her and held her chin up so she would at least look at him. And when she did, he dabbed at her face with his fingers until there were no traces of tears.

“I made the mistake of walking away once but I don't intend to do that again...please stop punishing me for my past cause even I don't want to live there anymore... please.”

A painstaking silence passed between them as they stood in the middle of the kitchen, lost in their own inner battles. And to Miles, it seemed like all was lost and there was nothing more he could do but to bottle up his emotions and respect whatever decisions she would make regarding their relationship.

But Miles had the surprise of his life when she nodded. Albeit hesitantly but was that a yes to a second chance? His heart leaped and relaxed in an instant and without delay, he pulled her into his arms and placed a lasting kiss on her temple.

“I'm sorry...” He mumbled once again.

There was no need for any words of comfort or reassurance again because it was all there in the way they held onto each other. And Lord knows they both needed that. That was until she said...

“Don't overthink it, I just needed something to wipe my face with and you look like you could use a hug so...”

Miles chuckled, the sound vibration off his chest. She pulled back a bit and met his gaze keenly. And whatever she sought for, she might have found it because he saw a familiar glint in her eyes, and his heart had never flipped like it did at that moment.

“You ruined my shirt...” he mused just to lighten the mood.

“You ruined my makeup so I guess we're even.”

He shook his head in amusement and pulled her back into his arms, drawing in a whiff of her soothing scent.

“I love you, Em... I hope you know that.”

She hugged him tighter. “I know.”

Miles sighed. “God, I miss you.” He squeezed her gently.

That made her chuckle and Miles couldn't have been more proud of himself for bringing that heartfelt smile back again.

Leaning his head against hers, he stared back at her in equal content. This was truly home.

“I miss you too.” Her lips brushed against his nose and inched lower ever so gently, but before they could get swept into their own blissful world again they heard soft whimpers from the living room.

Oh come on, Princess.

“That's our cue. Come on before she starts screaming those little lungs.”

Miles relieved an exaggerated sigh when she stepped back, but she only shook her head in amusement and dragged him gently by the wrist to the living room.

As they stood over their beautiful bundle of joy, they both knew this was what they had always wanted and would ever need. Their little family.