"I'm in here, David."

Ever since she had first seen Dillion standing in her doorway Leona had honestly wanted to keep a good amount of space between them, knowing it was necessary, especially since she still only knew him as the very physical man she had fallen in love with when she was young. It also made it easier to entertain the idea that maybe this wasn’t real, even though she knew damn well that this was all very real. Now, though, as he came toward her, cautiously embracing her, Leona was thankful. If she hadn’t been so caught up in fighting back her tears she might have noticed the tenderness of his touch over her sides, the pressure of the counter on her back as he practically pinned her, but she didn’t. Not right now, at least. When he pulled her arms up around his neck she willingly obliged, standing a bit on her toes as she buried her face in his shoulder, allowing herself to silently cry in his arms.

It felt good to hold him again. Unlike Dillion Leona was still in a very platonic state of mind. Of course she remembered those old feelings, those old desires, but right now Dillion was not only her ex lover, he was also the father of her children, and the person that was comforting her now, even if she felt she didn’t deserve it. He was someone she loved and who was important to her, though all thoughts of romance were not exactly at the top of her list right now. Understandably, though. You’d probably have a lot more pressing issues on your mind if you were in her shoes, after all.

She hadn’t cried like this in a long time, and it was strange to her, almost foreign. Why was it that she was always like this around him? What was it about them that made her open up so much that she couldn’t help but fall apart? She felt guilty for crying, wishing he wasn’t seeing her like this. She didn’t want him to think that he was making her cry, at least not the way he use to. No, this was different. Yes, the emotions were in part because of him, but not caused by him. She wished she could distinguish that more in her own head, but she was far too distracted for that.

The crying stopped after a few deep breaths, and seeing the smile on Dillion’s face certainly helped. He wiped away her tears, comforting her in a way that only he ever could. She managed to smile as well when he mentioned how bright Audrey and Karen were, making her even laugh a little. It was true, they were rather bright. They were sneaky little brats sometimes, but she loved them more than anything else in this world. When he referred to them as “Our girls,” Leona worried she might cry again, and while her eyes were still filled with tears, none of them fell. A large smile fell over her lips. She had no idea how things were going to turn out now, her whole world had just been flipped upside down, but somehow she knew that it would be okay. Somehow things would work out. And somehow, finally, her daughters would have their real father.

The smile faded abruptly though, and Leona jumped a little, pulling away and looking toward the door behind her, though still holding on to Dillion. She heard the sound that had grabbed her attention for a second time now, and turned a bit more to face the doorway. Suddenly a few small giggles and the sound of bare feet not so quietly dashing across the wooden floor of the foyer were easily heard, echoing off the kitchen walls.

Leona laughed softly, wiping her eyes on the back of her hand.

Suddenly she heard the door open, followed instantly by another man’s voice. It was kind and strong, and the giggling in the hall seemed to fade, the footsteps stopping.

“What are we giggling about?” Leona jumped again, this time forcing herself away from Dillion. She cast him a sorry look, running her hands through her hair and trying to fix her appearance, putting on a happy face that she knew wasn’t going to fool anyone, but at least it made her feel a little better. She moved around the counter, putting more distance between her and Dillion. She hadn’t done anything and there was nothing to feel guilty about, but she knew that this was going to be awkward and just as difficult as the rest of her morning had been.

“I’m in here, David,” she said as calmly as she could, hearing the sound of his work shoes on the wooden floor, practically holding her breath.