No more excuses

3 years later

This is it. Kylo knew that for now, this would be the last time he would see Rey as his dentist. In his next appointment, he would probably be dealing with Dr. Finn or Dr. Rose again.

"Ever since this thing happened between us, it just kept on ballooning until we didn't have sex anymore," spoke Kylo, grateful that the assistant didn't make a fuss when he asked her to leave them alone. He wanted to talk to Rey about her work. He wanted to convince her to stop working at his mother's clinic.

"I'm sorry it had to be that way," Rey said, reaching for the light handle and directing its beam to Kylo's mouth.

For a moment, Kylo couldn't see Rey. The light blinded him. "Yeah me too."

Rey grabbed the ultrasonic scaler and worked it on Kylo's mouth.

After a while of uneasy silence, Kylo raised his left hand. Rey stopped, heeding the patient's signal and removed her hands from inside Kylo's mouth, then she pressed a button for the chair's backrest to move upright.

But Kylo did not wait for the chair to move. He sat upright and turned to face Rey. "You don't have to work here anymore since this is awkward, maybe even difficult...for you. I can just imagine."

"Your mom said I can continue working here as long as I want to...You can stop coming here if you're uncomfortable seeing me still working here."

"Don't worry, I will." Kylo leaned back on the chair and Rey pushed a button to put the dental chair back to its supine position.

"I can't believe you come here...I don't want a fight, Kylo."

"I already said, I won't come again."

Rey leant lower so she could reach Kylo's upper teeth on the left side.

"Aww! You don't have to poke me!" accused Kylo.

"I did not poke you."

"You're still angry because I was irresponsible, because I caused this…" Kylo grumbled. "Six months ago, you were shouting at me for letting this happen...and you're right, it was my fault. I should have taken better care of you but I did not."

"Gosh, it's been six months, Kylo. Of course, I'm not angry anymore. I've move on from blaming you. I'm really happy now." Rey frowned. "You are too, right?"

"Of course, of course, I'm happy," Kylo rushed to reassure.

"Good. Happy to hear that," Rey replied with a derisive tone.

"I know it was my fault for not being careful, that I hurt you that we ended up this way." Kylo raised himself up again from the chair so he could swivel around and face Rey. "I didn't planned it but I'm happy that the next thing I knew...I have someone else I love. I'm truly happy, excited in this next chapter of my life."

Rey's eyes moistened. "Do you even remember what it was like making love to me?"

"That's a subject I try not to think about." Kylo appeared discomfited, laying back down on the chair.

"Having her is worth it."

"Of course." Kylo smiled. The smile reached his eyes and Rey could never doubt that he is happy.

Rey glanced at Kylo's hand. On his fourth finger on his left hand, his wedding ring glistened. She drew a deep breath. She shouldn't have looked at the band of precious metal she knew he sported. It just made her sad. It reminded her she doesn't wear any ring.

"Feeling awkward is not a problem for me," grumbled Rey. "Working here is not difficult either."

"Am I forgiven?"

"Kylo...I already said ages ago that you are forgiven."

"Then why did you poke me again?"

"Again," retorted Rey, "I did not,"

"I can feel you slapping my face."

"Kylo, I swear to God, if you get up again!...Will you just sit still so I can finish cleaning your teeth?!"

"You know this is really awkward. I can just imagine your other patients thinking you are slapping them."

Rey took a fortifying breath. A procedure that only takes about fifteen minutes is now going on thirty. Biting each word, Rey spoke slowly as if to a child, "Well, first of all, my other patients are not as jumpy as you are that a little jab from my stomach startles them. Second, I tell them beforehand that I'm incubating a big baby who takes after its dad who likes to kick other people. And third, I don't stick this close to other patients because other patient's doesn't have their long arm trying to pull me close. It's not my fault you keep putting your face beside my big stomach."

"But you really need to stop working." Kylo argued, "Your hands are swollen, you can't even wear your wedding ring. Doesn't your fingers hurt while you work?"

"Kylo, I'm fine."

"I know the baby's unplanned. That you wanted to work on a career—"

"Kylo, stop feeling guilty. I want this child too." Rey tried to lean down but her stomach got in the way. "Can you move up so we could kiss. I can't seem to bend down."

"Say Please first."

Rey bristled. "Forget it."

"Oh sweetheart, forget? You ask for the impossible."

—oOo—

~2 25 18 AF P 2 26 18~