Ten

Before I head over to Ava's, I go home first, to make sure I am no longer being followed. I haven't seen anything suspicious since I spoke with my mother, and made sure to tell Amber to make herself seen when she entered my office building earlier, so in case my mother was still spying on me, she saw that little bit, and gave her a bit of reassurance, to call off her dog.

I arrive at my house with no cars trailing behind me, and quickly run upstairs to shower and pack a small bag for the night, knowing I would be leaving for the office first thing in the morning, to meet my mother with the contract. The mere thought hung a shadow of dread over me, but I try and shake it off as I climb back in my car, a different one just in case, and head over to her place.

My heart is hammering the entire way, until her tall apartment building comes into view. I all but flew out of my car and into the elevator, pressing the button to her floor frantically, slightly startling the elderly woman standing with me.

"Eager to see someone?" she asks once the doors close. I see she hasn't pressed any buttons, and only the one I touched is glowing. Where is she going?

"In fact, yes I am. I'm going to stay the night over at my girlfriends for the first time." I don't know why I feel so comfortable talking to this woman. She smiles sweetly at me.

"It wouldn't by chance, be that nice woman, with the little girl, now would it?" she asks, and gives me a knowing glint in her eyes.

I give her a shocked look. "Uh, yes, it is. How did you know?"

"My granddaughter visited her store the other day, she told me a story of how a handsome young man rejected her friend, and made a clear display of his affections for that beautiful woman." She stops and smiles mischievously at me. "I also happened to see you sneaking out of here last night."

We share a laugh, just as the doors open. I help her to her door, and we say our good-byes, before I bound up to Ava's door and knock gently, trying to contain my excitement. I hear her call out for me to hold on, before the heavy locks unbolt, and the door swings open to reveal her glowing face.

Her lips spread into a sweet smile, lighting up her face even more, and making my heart swell. I love her smile, so much it hurts.

"That was fast," she said, and steps aside to let me in. I drop my bag and she places it on the small chair by the door, helping me put my jacket in the closet. When she finally turns around, I wrap my arms around her waist and capture her lips under mine in a sweet, desperate kiss.

I hadn't realized how much I missed her, until she is right in front of me, and I can touch and kiss her all I want.

"I told you I can never stay away from you for long," I whisper in her ear, laying a kiss on her shoulder. She smiles and blushes slightly, leading me into the living room, where Emily is already in her play corner, a doll in each hand as she seems to act out some sort of scenario between them.

I listen to her slight gibberish, as Ava pulls me onto the couch, and flips the television on. As she scrolls through the channels, I slip an arm around her waist and pull her into my side, nuzzling my nose into the crook of her neck. I stay there, so completely contempt, my body feels weightless.

Her skin is irresistible. Her smell is delicious. Her presence is overpowering.

Everything about her, and this moment, is beyond perfect.

I sneak a peek down at her face, her eyes glued to the television, but her mind seems to be elsewhere. "What are you thinking about?" I ask quietly, laying a kiss above her ear.

"It's been so peaceful, I'm afraid I'm waiting for something to ruin it," she whispers. She presses her lips into a firm line, and looks up at me with shining green eyes. "For the past few days, everything has been perfect, better than I could've thought. With the way things have gone in my life in the past, nothing ever stays this good for long, and I'm scared it's going to be taken away."

My heart stops at her confession. She shares the same fears I do. Since the moment I found her, I have been afraid to lose her, but also to afraid to share that with her.

"Nothing will take you away from me again," I say, but mainly to myself, with hard determination in my voice. We're interrupted by a light squeal, and see Emily has knocked over her Barbie house, and there are bits and pieces all over the floor.

Ava smiles gently at her, and softly goes up to her to tell her it's alright, before the tears start rolling down her chubby cheeks. I watch as Emily immediately joins her mother to clean up the mess, not needing to be told even once, and puts everything back the exact way she has it. A thought appears in my head.

"Have you ever considered, if Emily has a photographic memory?" I ask Ava. She stops and gives me a curious look.

"What makes you think that?"

I think about it, all the hints I have seen in the past few days since meeting her.

"When I first came over, she was able to turn the television on, and go directly to her cartoons, and even as a young kid who may watch the same cartoons on the same channel, I still don't remember being able to remember what the remote was, let alone how to use it at her young age. And the highchair," I say and point to the kitchen. "She showed me exactly how to tie all her straps in and buckles, without any hints or pushes."

"I suppose yes, but those are all things I have taught her myself, and made sure she understood the slightest."

"Alright, well what about her dollhouse?" I ask and point at it, back in perfect structure, set up the same way as before, right down to the tiny bathroom accessories. "Did you teach her the specific way she continuously sets up her dollhouse? Even though there is no specific way to set it up, that's the whole point of a child's dollhouse, isn't it? To turn it into whatever you want, with the little furniture pieces?" I smile at her as a bit of realization dawns on her.

"I guess you might be right, there's a possibility she could have a photographic memory, it would explain how she's learning at such a rapid rate for her age, I almost feel she is ready for kindergarten, though she is still a year too young for any of the programs around here."

I always thought the same thing. Emily seems much smarter than most children I have met her age, and seems to be able to pertain and hold onto information a lot easier as well.

"Mummy, I'm tired," Emily comes up between us, laying her head in Ava's lap.

"Okay, honey, time for bed," Ava says and lifted the little girl, who is already falling asleep by the time her head hits Ava's shoulder. I follow them into Emily's room, where Ava walks over to her small toddler bed and tucks her in, before sitting on the edge and placing her hand on Emily's head, running a soothing hand through her dark hair.

I'm taken back when she starts singing to her, and I realize it's the first time I have ever heard Ava sing. Ever. I had no idea she could even sing.

Her voice is mesmerizing; it draws me closer to her. I walk up and stop just behind her, leaning on the wall, the soothing lullaby drifting through my ears, almost lulling me to sleep. It's another thing I'll need to add to my already long list of amazing things I love about her.

Seeing her be a mother, and how wonderful of a mother she really is, is the greatest love I have ever had, besides the love I have for the two beautiful girls before me. If I had known this is the feeling I would get, from having a child, let alone with the girl of my dreams, I would've done so many things differently in the past.

I had never imagined myself as a father, or even a good one. The idea of kids and marriage never excited me, never something I detested, but was never a goal or dream in my life. I truly believe, if I had never met Ava, to this day it still never would have been. She makes me want to be a better man, a more ambitious man. She makes me want to run around, stressfully trying on tuxedo's and cake tasting until my tongue turns to icing, just to get to see her walk down that aisle, straight into my arms, where she will always belong.

When she is done, Ava leads me back to the living room and brings out a bottle of white wine and two glasses. She pours us each one, and flips the television back on, but doesn't seem interested in it. She taps her glass awkwardly, which only makes me smile, seeing how adorable she looks.

"You don't have to look so nervous around me," I chuckle. She glares at me, her lips stretching into a playful smile. I bring her closer again, letting her lean her head against my shoulder, as we sip our drinks quietly, just enjoying the comfort, at least I am.

"I'm sorry, this is all still just so…unreal, to me. I never thought I would be here, though I had imagined the day you might come back into my life many times, I still wasn't prepared for the fact that you're here again. It's been three years, so much has happened, and could have happened, I almost started thinking you might have moved on, and possibly married someone else."

"Never," I say instantly, lifting her eyes to meet my intense gaze. "Ava, I can't say for the last three years, I have been a pure man, but I can say that no woman has ever replaced you in my heart, and never has been able too. I've never been able to move on, and I never wanted too. I never tried."

"W-what? You never even tried dating again?"

Is she really that shocked?

"How could I? I'm so in love with you, Ava, it wouldn't have been fair to any other girl. They could never hold a candle in comparison to you. No one has ever struck me down with their beauty, grace and kindness, like you have. I have never craved the presence of someone like I have craved you since the day I took you, not truly knowing how much I wanted to keep you."

I'm taken back when her eyes start to glaze over with tears, and I'm afraid I said something wrong. I look at her in silence, slightly panicked, until she smiles gently at me, a few tears falling down her cheeks. My hands instantly go up and capture them with my index finger, wiping them away.

"Why are you crying, love?" I ask her quietly, feeling as if I were to talk too loud, she will break apart.

"I thought I was making the right decision, to not seek you out and tell you about Emily, once I was away from my parents. I wasn't sure if you would still want me, want us. I was so afraid that you wouldn't want her, and would reject us. I-I had no idea, how much–" she is cut off by a hiccup, the tears now streaming down her face.

I run my hand on her back, trying to soothe her trembling, kissing her shoulder and cheeks lightly every chance I get. What she is saying is killing me, I had no idea she was capable of thinking that, but I am more happy that she is finally opening up to me, no matter how bad it is.

"I had no idea how much you would love her, before you even really knew her. I feel so guilty, like I took away a part of your life, without giving you the chance to have it. I was just so afraid of your family, and your possible rejection, I just kept it all in and tried to start a new life, forget everything and hope things would work out," she hiccups again, and buries her face in my chest to muffle her cries. My arms circle around her, pressing her into me as close as possible, still placing butterfly kisses all over her soft skin.

"I could never reject you, my sweet Ava, or the beautiful little girl we have made. Life may not have worked out the way we wanted it to, but it still worked out. Fate has brought you back to me, and I'm determined to make sure you never leave. You can reject me as many times as you want, I will always come back."

She pulls away from me, her tears seized, but her eyes still glazed over with fear and guilt.

"Do you promise?" she whispers, so quiet I barely hear. "Do you promise, to never leave me again? No matter what happens, you will always be with me?"

My heart melts at how innocent and child-like she sounds.

I bring her close once again and kiss her softly. "I promise, in this life and the next, I will always find you."

Before I can breathe, she slams her lips on mine, almost knocking us both back. I quickly set our wine glasses down, grasping her legs after and swinging her onto my lap, our lips never leaving each other. The kiss quickly heats up, and I feel her hands start to play with the buttons on my shirt, telling me exactly what she wants.

I pull back to look into her eyes, seeing the lust and want that probably matches mine, blazing back at me through her green eyes. Without a second thought, I undo the buttons on my shirt and rip it off, capturing her lips in another hungry kiss.

Suddenly remembering the tiny girl sleeping just down the hall, I swiftly pick Ava up, and try to remember my way to her bedroom. When I feel the door, I kick it open slightly, before lightly kicking it closed again, finding my way to the bed, to throw her back onto.

She lets out a squeal of delight, a broad grin on her face, lighting up her gorgeous eyes. I don't give her a chance to react, before I claim my spot on top of her, quickly removing her shirt and all but ripping her pants off. I take a few seconds to sit back and marvel at the gorgeous being in front of me.

Her skin is just as smooth and flawless as I remembered from that night, just as tempting. I run my hands up her stomach, feeling her muscles contort under my hand as her back arcs towards me. I hear her panting slightly, only making me want to go slower.

But the need for her is too strong, and I tear the remainder of my clothes and hers off, before positioning myself back on top, and easing myself in, not knowing how long it has been since she was last with any one.

I didn't want to think of that. I just want to think of the glorious feeling of her.

And how oh so fucking perfect everything is right now.