Legal: I own nothing but the idea.

This fic is dedicated to Christlove88 for her birthday so Happy Birthday!

All the important things to know before reading:

*this is a one shot!

*Adam never died and he broke up with Becky. Drew never dated Becky because that's just wrong and the show writers are dumb!

*Clare broke up with Eli senior year and dated Drew for a short time but they decided they were better as friends and he got back together with Bianca. Clare remained friends with both of them.

*Clare moved to Chicago for school as did Adam and they share an apartment.

*That does it I think the rest is explained in the shot but it's also pretty long so get comfy.

I Should've Known

(OWEN)

I was walking through Harold Washington Park; it's one of my favorite parks in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Chicago where I live. I was recruited by the Chicago Bears out of U of T and last season was my first. I did well and got a bonus and a renewed contract for five years. I was happy to be home and settled, have some time for myself and I just closed on a house in Hyde Park and a block from here because I loved it here. I also loved this park, it was the first place I'd come with Clare for an actual date, and the only one we went on.

After I was recruited I moved out for training and ran into Clare at a media event. We actually talked and maybe it was the wine but we got along and ended up back at my hotel room that night. The next morning I took her to breakfast and we came walking through this park. I haven't seen her since but the season started just a few weeks later and I was busy with training and then gone or playing. Clare never was one for sports and I hadn't seen her in almost a year.

I was sure she was still in Chicago since she was attending the University of Chicago along with Adam. Her first choice had been Columbia but after chemo and everything Columbia was out but she applied to University of Chicago with Adam, not only did she get in but she got a full ride. She was on the paper and that's why she was at the media event last November.

I'd thought about Clare all year, I'd thought about calling her but my year was so crazy it just never happened. I asked my manager to find her number, he gave me a number I tried calling but it was disconnected. I thought that she was just busy or maybe she had a guy. I knew she wasn't dating Adam, he was her best friend and Clare told me he was dating Jenna who was going to Andrews University in Berrien Springs Michigan. It's an hour and a half from Adam but they were making it work. Far as I knew they still were so I had to assume that Clare either regretted the one night stand or had a new guy. And then I see her, sitting on a bench looking out at Lake Michigan. I know it's her just by the back of her head; those curls of hers are a dead giveaway.

"Clare," I call to her.

She turns her head and looks right at me then looks away quickly. Okay maybe she hates me for the one night stand, but she was happy the next morning. Maybe she hates me for not calling her? I did try but her number was disconnected, or it was a wrong number. I walk over to where she's sitting to explain.

"Clare look I'm sor…" I stop dead in my tracks when I see a stroller in front of her. A stroller with a new born in it, maybe a couple months old with dark hair just like mine, with a forehead like mine and a jaw, lips and cheeks just like Clare. She has gray blue eyes that sparkle as soon as I see her. She's a little human that's this perfect little blend of me and Clare wrapped in a pink blanket so I assume it's a girl. I've never been so afraid and so happy in my entire life. "Is that…is she my daughter?" I question without a breath in my body at the possibility.

"Of course it's yours despite what happened with us I don't just go sleeping around," she snaps at me and turns away as I sit down next to her.

"Why didn't you tell me?" I question.

"I tried and the last I heard you wanted nothing to do with me or the baby," Clare spits back with venom in her tone.

"Clare what are you talking about I never even knew you were pregnant," I tell her but I'm unable to look away from this tiny perfect creature that we made. My daughter is cooing and flailing, I want to hold her and never let her go I've never felt so much love.

"Of course you did and you didn't want to ruin your career so you denied that she was yours or that anything had happened between us. I did everything I could to get in touch with you and tell you I was pregnant you are the dad. I figured you deserved some say in what happened and maybe to be involved but you wanted nothing to do with us," Clare says and her tone is dripping with venom.

Now I look up at her, taking one of her hands in mine and gently cupping her chin with the other, "Clare I swear to you I had no idea you were even pregnant. I haven't heard from you since that night."

She studies my face, when she bites her lip I know she's thinking about it but she still doesn't seem to believe me. She closes her eyes and turns away, taking her hand from mine and standing up.

"I have to get her home for a nap," Clare says taking a step but I catch her arm.

"Can I come with you? Help you put her down? Please Clare I swear to you that I had no idea you were pregnant and I just found out I have a daughter. An amazing beautiful and perfect baby girl and I want to get to know her and hear everything. Please Clare," I beg.

She bites her lip and sighs slightly, "Fine you can come our apartment isn't far."

She let's me push the stroller and the apartment she shares with Adam is only a couple of blocks away. We walk in silence but I'm spending most of the time watching my gorgeous daughter coo and look at the world. She is the most amazing thing I've ever seen and she's a part of me!

Clare opens the door to her apartment and we go in, it's fairly small but it's nice. I see touches of her and Adam everywhere and the baby. Clare takes our daughter from the stroller with one arm and is trying to fold the stroller with the other arm.

"Can I hold her?" I request holding out my arms. Clare looks at me a second and then gives her to me. Taking my daughter in my arms her eyes lock onto mine and I've never felt such a sensation. I would do anything for this little being; I love her more than I ever thought was possible. "I don't even know her name," I realize as Clare gets the stroller folded up.

"Caeli Varanese Edwards," she tells me putting the stroller in the closet, "Caeli means heavens and Varanese means like an angel."

"She's as beautiful as an angel," I smile at my daughter, "just like her mom," I say looking up at Clare and see her blush.

"I need to put her down, if her schedule is thrown off it throws everything off," Clare tells me taking Caeli from me.

I follow her back to the washroom and watch as she changes Caeli's diaper, then into Clare's room where there's a bassinet. She heats a bottle in a bottle warmer and when she sits down to feed Caeli I take her back and feed her myself. When she falls asleep I set her in the bassinet. Clare turns on a baby monitor and we go out to the living room sitting on the sofa.

"When did you find out you were pregnant?" I question.

"Just after New Year's, you were gone but I tried to get in touch with you. I didn't have your number or anything, I even called Drew to get your number but he didn't have your new one," she tells me.

Clare and Drew dated during senior year after she broke up with Eli, it didn't last long and they decided they were better as friends. I did hear Drew was back with Bianca and they were re-engaged.

"Clare I really had no idea, I thought about you all year if I had known anything at all I would have been here for you," I assert.

"I got your press kit but it only had your manager's number and he told me you wanted nothing to do with us. He wouldn't let me see you and he told me you denied we'd ever even slept together," she informs me getting up and walking to a desk in the living room getting out a few pieces of paper. "These are the letters I got from him, threatening to sue me for slander if I told anyone about us or that I was pregnant with your child. With the last letter he included a cashier's check for fifty thousand dollars; he said it was for keeping my mouth shut and staying away from you. In the letter he says it's what you want and now you're telling me you had no idea. I took the money but I haven't touched it, I set up an account for Caeli for emergencies and college but you can have the money back if y…"

"I don't want the money back," I tell her cutting her off as I look through letters I didn't even know about. It appears my manager has been keeping a lot from me, he's obviously fired. These letters are nasty, accusing Clare of being a gold digging media whore and other such things all of which I know to be untrue. I'm horrified just looking at these letters and thinking how she must have felt, being pregnant and alone and thinking really awful things about me. "I've never seen these I had no idea Danny was doing this, he never told me anything and he's fired as of now! Clare you have to believe me if I'd known I'd have been around, I would have seen you every time I was in town I would have come back for the birth of my daughter I would have provided for you. I can't even imagine how hard it's been for you and I'm sorry for everything. I'll pay child support, I'll do anything but please Clare let me be a part of your lives, let me know my daughter and you. I haven't stopped thinking about you for a year and knowing we have a child together makes me want to be with you all the more."

(CLARE)

Seeing Owen again is hard, our night together was brief but we connected. Previously to finding out I was pregnant I was actually thinking about going out with Owen again, or at all since we hadn't actually gone out that night. I worried about dating a pro football player though, he's gone so many weeks a year and training when he is here. Not to mention fans and media and professional cheerleaders. Then I found out I was pregnant and I knew it was his, I knew because I hadn't slept with anyone else since. I tried everything to get a hold of Owen and when I finally did get in touch with his manager he accused me of trying to get attention and was convinced I was just trying to get money and ruin Owen. I never heard from Owen directly but his manager told me Owen denied everything and wanted nothing to do with us because it would jeopardize his career.

Now Owen sits next to me, pleading to be a part of our lives and swearing to me that he had no idea about any of this. He did seem genuinely surprised when he saw Caeli and I watched him with her he was happy, he loves her already. He seems genuine and I'm weighing letting him in, a part of me wants to but whether Owen knew or not his manager put me through hell. I think the pregnancy was harder than it should've been because of what his manager did. If not for Adam and Jenna it could have been a lot worse, even Drew and Bianca came to help out just after Caeli was born. Still Owen is her father and he seems to be telling the truth, he really does seem to want to be part of our lives and Caeli deserves to know him. I open my mouth to answer when the front door opens and Adam comes home. He shuts the door and immediately goes stiff when he sees Owen, dropping his keys on the floor and rushing over.

"WHAT IN THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE?!" Adam yells. "Clare what is he doing here?!"

"Caeli's sleeping don't yell Adam," I scold him as Owen stands up and Adam gets ready to swing at him so I grab his arm.

"You stay away from both of them, you have no business being here after the way you treated Clare and what you put her through," Adam growls angrily getting between me and Owen. He stands tall and looks menacing; the testosterone he's taking have really built his muscle up.

"I know why you're mad but I swear to you I had no idea that Clare was even pregnant. My manager never told me and I had no knowledge of those letters at all. I just found out I even have a daughter when I saw them in the park and I'm going to fire my manager as soon as I see him," Owen says in his defense.

"Adam I believe him I don't think he had any idea. He wants to be in our lives he's offered to pay child support and everything," I tell my best friend putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Even so you never called her again or even tried to get in touch with her. She was just a one night stand to you and I don't think my God daughter needs to know you," Adam snarls.

Adam was the one that held me when I cried after receiving each letter from Owen's manager. He's the one that stayed up with me when I couldn't sleep, made me tea when I was nauseas and rubbed my feet because they ached and I was so pregnant I couldn't see my feet. He took care of me, being far more than a best friend more of a surrogate boyfriend. Jenna helped out when she was here and Drew and Bianca too but Adam did most of it, he saw what I went through so his anger and unwillingness to forgive Owen is understandable. I'm not entirely sure I've forgiven Owen yet.

"Adam he didn't know and we're just talking, I haven't decided on anything yet but he is Caeli's father," I point out and Adam relaxes just slightly.

"Fine but I'll be here if you need me," Adam says and goes into the kitchen to make some food. Owen looks at me while we sit on the sofa again; he looks at Adam before looking back at me.

"He's just protective, he was the only with me throughout the pregnancy," I explain.

"I would have been there, if I'd known I would have been there," Owen tells me.

"I want to believe you but I haven't heard from you in over a year. I came to terms with the fact that you wanted nothing to do with us. I prepared for a life of raising Caeli on my own, well with the help of Adam and some of my other friends. You're manager, whether you knew it or not, put me through hell when I was trying to get in touch with you. He was sure that I was faking the whole thing just to get money and attention. He made me feel terrible Owen and I was so stressed, I spent the last trimester on bed rest after going into labor at 28 weeks and I almost lost Caeli. She was born on June 21st at 34 weeks and I was in the hospital for a week because of the difficulty of the birth and she was born with the cord around her neck," I inform Owen.

"I'm sorry Clare, I had no idea and Danny is fired if I don't kill him for this. He kept me from you and from my child. I even asked him to find your number and he gave me one that was disconnected, he must have done it to keep me from finding out. I would have been here every chance I had if I knew. I can never get that time back but I don't want to lose any more time. I will do anything, anything you ask of me. How can I prove it to you, how can I show you that I'm sincere and I didn't know what Danny did?" Owen asks with a begging tone.

I bite my lip, I don't know what to say, there is a part of me that's so tempted and another part that is so scared. I can feel Adam watching us from the kitchen, I can feel Owen's eyes on me awaiting an answer and I don't have one. I get saved by Caeli crying and I stand up to get her.

"I'll get Caeli why don't you two go out for an early dinner and keep talking," Adam suggests.

"Are you sure?" Owen asks before I can.

"I'm sure I can take care of Caeli and I'm sure despite Clare's insistence that she hasn't that she's thought about you in the last eleven months. I'm sure you're Caeli's dad and if you mean what you say it will be good for both of them to have you involved. And I know if you hurt Clare again I will kill you," Adam tells Owen before going into my room to get Caeli.

I grab my purse and we walk a couple of blocks to a restaurant near the apartment. Owen and I get a table in the back and sit down; we look at the menu, order and sit there in silence.

"I'm glad you had Adam, and Jenna and Drew and Bianca, and anyone else that helped but I'd have given anything to be there with both of you. I will pay child support, hire you a nanny anything you need. I just bought a house in Hyde Park you can move in, there's plenty of space Caeli can have her own room, and so can you. I'm not going to lie I'd like there to be a romantic relationship with you but if you don't after what you were put through I'd understand. I'll do anything to know my daughter, to raise her and hold her and be there for the important moments. Come back and see the house, it's near your school and Harold Washington Park, Adam will still be close. You can even come with me when I fire Danny just tell me what you want Clare, tell me what you need I will do anything," Owen beseeches.

"We had sex one night almost a year ago, breakfast and a walk in the park but before that we hardly knew each other and now you want us to move in?" I ask.

"I know but you know that night meant something and from it we were given the gift of a daughter. We can share the house, live together I can help you take care of Caeli," Owen says.

"I'll come see the house, Jenna and Adam swear that we're not in the way but they're getting more serious and Jenna's even looking at transferring schools and moving in with Adam," I inform him.

"So then it's perfect timing," Owen grins and his smile makes me smile.

"I just said I'd come see the house I didn't say we were going to move in," I remind him.

Our food comes and Owen asks a lot questions about Caeli and the pregnancy, her birth and what my family knows while we eat. Owen pays for dinner and we take a cab back to his house, it's a large two story brick house with a yard. He opens the door and I see that it's sparsely furnished and currently set up for a bachelor.

"I only moved in a couple of days ago, I'll get more furniture you can pick it out even. There's plenty of space and a room down here I was going to make into an office but it could be a playroom for Caeli," Owen says smiling and his voice has this air of excitement as he talks. I can almost see the pictures in his head of the future he's envisioning. "Come upstairs there's four more bedrooms, you can take the master and keep Caeli in here until she's old enough to have her own room and then we can put her in here," Owen says showing me a bedroom roughly the size of mine and then a large master with its own washroom. "I can take the bedroom at the end of the hall so I'm out of the way. Caeli will have her own washroom and we can get toys for the yard and baby proof everything. We even have a guestroom so your parents, or Jake can come and stay or anyone you want. So what do you think?" Owen inquires after showing me all the bedrooms and washrooms up here.

"I want to and I think it would be good for Caeli and me too but I still have some concerns," I tell him.

"What concerns?" Owen asks as we walk back to the living room and sit on the sofa.

"You'll be on the road again soon what happens then?" I question.

"I will come home every chance I have and not all the games are away games, when I'm home I'll be here with the two of you. When I'm on the road I'll hire a full time nanny to help out so it's not all on you. I'll set you up on my accounts or set up an account specifically for you and Caeli so you can buy the necessities and whatever you need," Owen assures me and as he talks he writes it all down.

"That sounds good but what about relationships? You have fans and cheerleaders, you can't be bringing home women I don't want that around Caeli," I assert.

"Understood and I wouldn't do that but the same goes for you, if we want to date other people we do it outside the home," Owen says writing it down and then looks up at me. "For the record I don't want to date anyone else I've been thinking about you all year," he tells me and I blush, smiling and biting my lip. "Anything else, I'll agree to anything you want just say the word," Owen tells me.

"I can't think of anything else, not right now anyway," I reply and Owen writes in that I can make changes to it at any time. He signs it and then gives it to me to sign and I do.

"Okay we'll move in but there's a lot to be done before it will be ready," I tell him and he gets a huge grin on his lips.

"I'll take you shopping tomorrow, you can pick out furniture or curtains or anything else you want," Owen assures me practically jumping up and down over the fact that we're moving in.

"Are you sure you can afford it?" I question.

"I signed a contract, I just got a huge bonus and an endorsement deal for a sports drink money isn't a problem," Owen enlightens me. "Plus we're about to save my managers fee, can you make one more stop before I take you home?" Owen questions and I nod.

We leave the house and take his car to the loop; I follow him into a building and up to the 9th floor. We go down the hall to the offices of Kline Management Firm, it's early evening so there aren't too many people but there are a few. Owen goes his manager's office walking in while Danny is on the phone but he hangs up when he sees us.

"Owen whatever she told you is a lie, I was protecting you, protecting your career," Danny says standing up.

"Shut the hell up," Owen responds before punching him across the face sending Danny careening into his desk! "You're fired and I'm going to make sure everyone knows what you did, I'm also going to sue you for keeping the information of my daughter from me," Owen informs him and I admit I get a gloating smile watching this.

"I was protecting your career she was just…"

"Pregnant with my daughter," Owen cuts him off, "and you not only kept it from me but put her through hell! Now you're going to pay for it I'll be in touch with your boss and your commission from my contract I want it back, all of it."

Owen takes my hand and we walk out of the office with a bunch of people whispering and watching us. We get back to Owen's car but before he opens the door to get in I stop him, putting my hand on his shoulder and giving him a chaste kiss.

"Thanks for doing that and for wanting us to move in. I spent almost the last year thinking that you were a cold hearted jerk who slept with me and then wanted nothing to do with me. After our time together, as short as it was, I didn't want to believe it was true but I didn't know what else to believe. Now I know that's not the case and you're moving mountains to prove it to me," I smile.

"I care about you Clare and I love our daughter, from the very minute I laid eyes on her. I know I have a lot to make up for, even if my manager did it without my knowledge but I will make it up to you," Owen says and we get in his car.

He takes me back to my place and I kiss him again, a little longer this time. When I pull away he's smiling and my heart is racing, this is what I felt that first night with Owen. Like I might be falling in love again, of course then he left and I found out I was pregnant and everything crumbled but that won't happen this time. I say goodnight and he says he'll be over tomorrow to pick me up so we can go shopping for things we need for the house. I go upstairs and find Adam feeding Caeli on the sofa.

"I take it by the smile that things went well?" Adam comments more than asks when I join them.

"Really well, he is a good guy Adam and he just bought a house in Hyde Park, it's only a few blocks from here. Caeli and I are going to move in with him," I inform Adam.

"What?! Clare are you nuts? What happens when he's on the road? I know what he said but how can you trust him?" Adam demands. I spend the next two hours telling Adam about my evening and everything I was feeling, everything Owen said and did. Ending with our goodnight kiss and my heart racing, how I know in my heart it's right. "I still have my doubts but I understand just remember I'm only a couple blocks away if you need me," Adam says.

"How could I ever forget that," I smile kissing his cheek and taking Caeli from him. "Now Jenna can move in and we won't be in the way," I remind him.

"Clare you and Caeli were never in the way but I can't lie having the apartment to ourselves will be nice," Adam grins.

"I'm going to give her a bath and you should call Jenna," I suggest.

Adam kisses Caeli's head and goes into his room, I tell Caeli we're moving in with her daddy and she coos happily in response.

(OWEN)

I park in front of our house and Tris gets his niece out of the car, he was thrilled when he found out about Caeli. He and Maya came down to help us get the house set up, so did Drew and Bianca, it took a couple of weeks and Caeli is almost 3 months old now but it was worth it. Everyone is still here and I banned Clare from the house last week so I could put in the finishing touches which I'm surprising her with today, it's officially move in day. We spent a lot of time together getting the house ready and doing things with Caeli even Adam said he thought we were good together. The original plan was for Clare to take the master as her own room but now we're sharing it and giving a relationship a try. I know it's only been a couple of weeks since I've had her back in my life but I truly am in love with her.

Clare gets out of the car and I run over covering her eyes with my hands, she laughs and puts her hands over mine. Tris walks behind us and I guide Clare to the front door, Adam opens it as we approach and as soon as we're in I take my hands from Clare's eyes.

"SURPRISE!" Everyone yells and it startles Caeli who starts crying while Clare gasps happily.

"Oh come to Daddy," I say taking Caeli and holding her, bouncing her gently to get her to stop crying.

"This amazing I can't believe you guys did all of this," Clare smiles hugging Adam and then everyone else.

"It was all Owen's plan," Maya tells her and Clare smiles at me.

"This is incredible thank you," she says giving me a kiss and Caeli stops crying now.

"I want Caeli to be safe and you to have everything," I reply as she looks around the great room. The whole thing has been baby proofed; I had a breakfast counter put in and some work done on the kitchen to make it more of a family kitchen. Caeli's high chair is already in here and there's a baby swing in the living room. "Come on there's more, I set up her playroom down here," I tell Clare putting my arm around her and walking her to the bedroom on the first floor. It's been fully converted to a playroom and filled with books and toys, a little reading area and right now all soft furniture and baby toys but it can grow with Caeli. I put her down on a blanket with buttons and squeaky toys and Caeli is entertained, smiling when the blanket lights up.

"We'll watch Caeli you show Clare the rest of the house," Jenna says so I take Clare upstairs.

"Here's the guestroom I told everyone downstairs they're welcome any time and so is anyone else you'd like to have stay," I tell her opening the second door. "When Caeli moves into the nursery this will be her room, since it's separated from our room by a washroom noise shouldn't be a problem but I also set it up with a video baby monitor that goes to our phones," I inform Clare.

"It looks great Owen and we can start putting her in a crib very soon," Clare says with a big smile on her lips and a happy sparkle in her eyes that makes me smile.

"Now come see our room, you picked everything out but come see the finished product," I comment taking her to the master.

"It looks fabulous, I love it and it already feels like home," she grins and kisses me.

"And there's one more room you haven't seen," I remind her taking her hand I lead her to the room behind the stairs, the one that would have been my room if we hadn't started a relationship. "This is your office, a quiet place to do homework or write or just get away from me," I comment and she giggles.

"I love it this all amazing thank you Owen," she says taking my lips again.

"I have a couple more surprises, I got back the commission from Danny and a formal apology from the firm, he's also been fired. I have a new manager too, I think you know him Peter Stone," I say and Clare's mouth drops open.

"Peter's in sports management?" She asks.

"Yeah and he mostly works out of New York but he heard our story and he called me. I know he won't do us wrong and he's flying out in a couple of days to meet with me. He wants to see you and meet Caeli," I tell her.

"I'd love to see Peter again," she smiles.

"After all the hard work everyone did I promised them dinner but we should probably get your stuff out of the moving van and get that back to the rental place," I remark.

We go back downstairs and Clare thanks everyone for the hard work, there isn't all that much to move in still since we got almost all of it. Maya stays with Caeli while the rest of us move in the few boxes and baby things left in the van. Drew and I return the van and then I order all of us dinner; Caeli goes down for a nap just before the food comes and the rest of us eat. Drew and Bianca are staying the night but Tris and Maya are flying back to Toronto tonight, we say goodbye to them and Adam and Jenna take them to the airport. After Clare puts Caeli down for the night and turns on the baby monitor the four of us go downstairs.

"I never would have thought you two would end up together," Drew remarks.

"No one thought you and I would ever date either," Clare shoots back.

"True but we didn't last very long," Drew says.

"I still have a lot to prove and I know that," I speak up.

"You're doing great so far," Clare smiles giving me a soft kiss.

"And I'll keep doing so every day for the rest of our lives," I tell her taking her hand.

"That sounds like a marriage proposal," Bianca comments and Clare blushes.

"Uh we just started officially dating let's see how that goes first," she says.

We spend a couple of hours talking with Drew and Bianca before going upstairs to the bedrooms. Drew and Bianca say goodnight and Clare and I go into the master bedroom. I turn on the room lights but Caeli wakes up, Clare starts to get her from the bassinet but I take Clare's arm.

"I'll get her, you get ready for bed," I tell Clare.

She smiles and kisses me, she goes into the washroom and I get Caeli rocking her back to sleep. I start getting ready for bed and turn out the lights when I get in bed with Clare. She's on the other side of the bed from me so I pull her into my arms and she nuzzles into me.

"The house is perfect thanks for everything, I am so grateful that all that stuff was from your manager and you had no idea," Clare says taking my hand and interlacing our fingers.

"I didn't I wish I did but we'll make up for lost time and I do know one thing," I reply.

"What's that?" She asks with a yawn.

"That I am falling deeply in love with you," I whisper in her ear and she turns her head to kiss me.

We stay locked in the kiss for a long minute and when she pulls out of it she falls asleep almost instantly. Caeli wakes up once that night and I get her, feed her and put her back to sleep not allowing Clare to get out of the bed. Caeli wakes up again at six for breakfast and I feed her, change her and get back in bed laying Caeli between me and Clare, who wakes up when she feels Caeli.

"Morning Sweet Girl," Clare smiles at Caeli kissing her head and then looks up at me, "Morning Dad," she says leaning over to take my lips.

We break the kiss when Caeli makes a coo and we look down to see her smiling at us.

"I have a beautiful family," I grin and lean over to kiss Clare again.

(CLARE)

"No! Daddy," Caeli says stubbornly which means she wants Owen to get her dressed she is most definitely Daddy's little girl and he dotes on her.

Owen and I have been living together and dating for nine months and today is Caeli's first birthday. Owen's entire family, my entire family which includes Darcy flying all the way in from Africa, the Torres brothers and their girls, Maya, Peter, a good portion of Owen's team and some of my friends from school are all coming. There's so many guests we had to rent a ballroom at The Drake.

"I'll get her dressed you finish getting ready," Owen says kissing my temple and taking Caeli's dress from me.

I leave him to get her dressed and go upstairs taking my new dress from the closet. Owen played another great season and he's one of the star players on the team. He has three endorsement deals and he put me in charge of finances, he's also been insisting on putting money into a separate account for me and Caeli in case something should happen to him or he and I end things. Not that I see that happening because we are very much in love and very happy together. Knowing however that a pro football career won't last more than a few years and Owen could be injured I've been putting money away and investing wisely. If he was grievously injured tomorrow and could never play again we could live comfortably for the rest of our lives. Of course this year I finish school and I'll be working but it's nice not having to worry.

"Wow you look incredible," Owen grins when I come down the stairs ready for the party. "Doesn't Mommy look amazing Caeli?" He says and she claps her hands reaching for me.

Her very first word was Daddy, then she learned no and she just recently learned Mama. Owen was on the road a lot last season but he video chatted every day and flew home every chance he got. Peter has been a great manager; Adam and Jenna have of course been very supportive, as has Drew and Bianca, my family and Owen's.

"We should go," I point out grabbing my purse and Caeli's bag.

Owen grabs me for a kiss before we leave the house and we go out to his car driving to the hotel. My family meets us at the entrance my mom takes Caeli and we go in. Greeting Owen's family and Maya, everything's already set up so we just wait for the guests. We have a live band playing music, adult music since this is all adults Caeli already had a smaller party with her friends from day care and play group. The room quickly fills up with guests and the table of presents gets stacked higher and higher. When they bring out Caeli's cake she gets very excited jumping from Adam's arms to get to it but Owen swoops her up. Darcy cuts the cake and people sit down to eat, Owen's mom takes Caeli so Owen and I sit together. When I finish the cake Owen takes my hand leading me to where the band is, he whispers something to the lead singer and I think he's asking them to play something we can dance to but then Owen come to the microphone.

"I want to thank you all for coming to Caeli Varanese Edwards-Milligan's first birthday," Owen says as the band starts playing "Birthday" by The Beatles and Owen keeps talking. "One year ago my amazing, beautiful and delightful daughter was born and I wasn't there. I am very grateful to Adam and Jenna for being there for Clare and Caeli when I wasn't. I may not have known about Caeli yet but I never stopped thinking of Clare and I've spent the last ten months falling in love with Clare. I have never been happier but there is one thing Clare can do to make me even happier," Owen says looking at me.

"What?" I ask cautiously and suddenly Owen gets down on one knee and produces a ring.

"Clare Diana Edwards will you marry me?"

The band starts playing the wedding march, my heart skips a beat and happy tears flood my eyes, a breath hitching in my throat and I can't seem to speak for a second. When I hear Caeli clapping I laugh and nod my head vigorously.

"Yes, yes Owen I will marry you," I grin.

Owen smiles bigger than I've ever seen; slipping the ring on my finger and then standing he takes me in his arms. I link my arms around his neck as our lips collide in an incredibly blissful kiss. I feel Caeli's hand and we open our arms taking her from Owen's mom and holding her together. Everyone in the room is clapping and cheering, Caeli kisses my cheek with lips covered in chocolate frosting making me giggle and Owen licks the frosting off with a lascivious grin. Caeli giggles and Owen kisses me again and then kisses Caeli's nose.

"I love my girls," Owen says and we both smile.

"And we love you," I reply.

A year ago I gave birth to a beautiful daughter thinking her father was a heartless monster and she would never know him. Now I'm in love, Owen couldn't be happier and Caeli loves her daddy and soon Owen and I will be married!