Ulrich walked in front of the cell and saw Yumi siting on a bench alone. Looking up when she heard footsteps she smiled, the saw on his face he knew why she was there.

"Selena isn't pressing charges, and they're willing to shred the police report," Ulrich said as an officer opened the door and Yumi grabbed her jacket and left with him.

"We need to talk," Ulrich said as the walked out of the police station and down the steps toward his car.

"Where to start, lot of ground to cover," Yumi said and opened the car door as Ulrich opened his.

"Let's start with you punching my pregnant wife in the face," Ulrich said, leaning over the top of the car, "What the fuck Yumi?"

"She provoked me."

"You say it as if you're not easy to provoke. Even if she did, you still punched a pregnant woman in the face. Do who or why really matter?"

Yumi sighed and just shrugged, "What the hell do you want me to say?"

"I...I don't know honestly," Ulrich said and sat down in the seat, shutting his car door, a moment later Yumi doing the same.

Ulrich started the car and saw Yumi staring down at her lap. Looking at her told him she had something to ask him.

"What Yumi?" Ulrich asked.

"Selena said I dropped Aleta when she was a baby. I was so drunk I dropped by best friends baby," Yumi said and Ulrich sighed.

"It happened," Ulrich said to confirm and Yumi started to cry.

"What the fuck is wrong with me?"

"Would you believe me if I said nothing?" Ulrich asked and Yumi put her face in her palms.


Selena sat on Aelita's couch with Aleta's ear on her belly and Aelita sitting next to her.

"Why didn't you want kids?" Aelita asked and Selena shrugged.

"Never seemed like the right time."

"There is never a good time," Aelita said with a smile, "You just go with it."

"I'm going with it," Selena said and smiled back.

"I felt it!" Aleta suddenly shout when she felt the kick that made Selena grunt.

"So did I, nice to be reminded daddy used to play futball. I think he just corner kicked my freakin kidney," Selena said and Aelita laughed, making her laugh as well.

"Welcome to my world," Aelita said the moment before her baby kicked, "I've done this four times, bring it on."

"When you said you considered it," Selena asked and Aelita nodded, "How much did you consider it?"

"I immediately called Jeremie, and we talked about it, and we decided to have her. It was an option, but we didn't humor it for very long."

"I was sitting in the waiting room," Selena said and Aelita was shocked, "I told you I thought about it. Then I thought about what if I did save my marriage, and I bring that up later. I'd lose him, I know I would.

"Ulrich changed schools for me. He moved where I wanted to live. We bought the car I wanted. In our relationship, there was a lot of me, and the only thing he ever really wanted from me was kids. I was still thinking about myself, that's why I lost my husband. I pushed him away, and he in return retreated into something to occupy himself. Neither of us are blameless, so if I wanted to save my marriage, I needed to stop passing blame, and accept some."

"I encouraged Yumi," Aelita said and shrugged, "I'm sorry, I was still mad at you. You cheated on my best friend, and Yumi was back, and he was open again, kind of. I forgot who my best friend really was. Yumi is still my friend, always will be. But she didn't drive me to the hospital when I had a baby.

"She's not the one who watched my kids when Jeremie's dad died, and I didn't want them to see him like that. You were there at Christmas, and dressed up for Halloween and braved haunted houses and carved pumpkins. You are my best friend, and you're their godmother."

"I'm their godmother?"

"Yeah," Aelita said and laughed, "That's why I need you and Ulrich to figure it out."

Ulrich and Yumi came through the door and Yumi saw Selena on the couch.

"Before we say anything," Yumi said and walked over to Selena, "I'm sorry."

"I know, I asked them not to arrest you."

"I saw, but it's hard to claim context for punching a pregnant lady," Yumi said and saw Aleta.

Aleta jumped off the couch and ran over to Yumi, wrapping herself around Yumi's legs. Yumi touched her head and had to stop herself from crying.

"I love you," Yumi said and Aleta squeezed tighter.

"I love you too aunt Yumi," Aleta said smiled up at her.

"I should be going," Selena said and Ulrich helped her off the couch, "Thanks, we'll talk later."

Selena exited the house and left in her car a minute later. Aelita made up an excuse to get the kids out of the room so took them to the backyard. Yumi sat on the back of the couch as Ulrich leaned against the wall.

"One hell of a weekend," Yumi said, Ulrich nodding, "When are you getting the papers?"

"She brought them, I already put them back in her purse," Ulrich said and Yumi smiled.

"So it's over?"

"Yeah," Ulrich said and she closed the distance and tried to kiss him but he didn't let her, "What?"

"I didn't sign them," Ulrich said and Yumi took a step back as her stomach sank, "We're still married."

"That's what we were waiting for...she pulled a me," Yumi said and Ulrich raised his eyebrows, "She sees you with another woman, bats eyelashes, says how much she loves you and puts you through another wringer."

"She's not pulling a you, you are pulling a you," Ulrich said and Yumi took another step.

"I understand your natural impulse is to stay married for the baby. I get that, I respect it even. You are not a deadbeat dad, and you won't be if you get divorced. You don't need to stay for the baby."

"'I'm not, I'm staying for my wife," Ulrich said and Yumi calves hit the couch.

"She cheated on you."

"I know, and I cheated on her, I guess that makes us even."

"That was a technicality."

"No it wasn't. It was a coincidence. If you showed up again the day after I found out, I'd have done it then too. Selena knew she messed up. She literally called me every day since that day, just to talk, just to have her word in. To fight for our marriage."

"She's the reason it was fucked up in the first place."

"I put her on the back burner, I have a part to play in this too. It doesn't excuse her, but I can't deny I created the environment."

"What about us, I might be pregnant," Yumi said and Ulrich nodded.

"I know, and we'll have to cross that bridge when we get there. I thought I had another chance with you, and I rushed right into that. I can't keep doing that, I have to be the one to walk away this time."

"You're the love of my life Ulrich, nothing but you ever felt right."

"Then why do you only love me when I'm off limits?" Ulrich asked and Yumi sat down on the armrest "It's taken me thirteen years to figure out what kind of girl you are. You're the girl who just wants what you can't have, and the moment you have it, you're bored."

"That was seventeen year old Yumi. I've changed."

"Into the girl who punches pregnant women in the face?" Ulrich asked, "You haven't changed as much as you think you have. You're so stuck in high school drama you literally turned it into a profession."

Yumi opened her mouth to retort, but didn't. She had been writing Daisy's Diary for so long for one reason. She could never make Daisy and Sven feel organic and real. The love seemed very superficial. Did a seven year old girl figure it out before she did? Daisy and Sven didn't mix no matter how hard she tried to force it. Maybe the reason her and Ulrich didn't work was because they didn't mix either.

Yumi looked at him and they both knew it. They didn't work.

"I um...I'm going to go," Yumi said, tears in her eyes as she walked passed him and up the stairs. Going to her room she packed her bag and was back down stairs less than five minutes later where Ulrich was still leaning against the wall.

"I'll tell you if...you know," Yumi said, Ulrich nodding as she walked passed him again and out of the door.


Selena pulled over to the side of the road and looked at her purse in the passenger seat. Seeing the envelope sticking out she let out a breath and pulled it out. Unraveling the string she pulled it opened and reached in but didn't touch paper. Pushing the sides to widen the opening she saw the papers had been torn up and placed back in. She smiled and started to cry as she found her phone in the purse and fumbled it.

Calming herself she called Ulrich and placed it to her ear.

"Hey."

"You didn't sign," Selena said and continued to cry, "Why?"

"Because I think we can get passed it, and I want to give this another try. I'm not ready to give up yet. Yumi just left, if you want to finish the week here with the kids."

"I'd love to, and I could use the practice," Selena said and ended the call.

Selena turned her car around and arrived back at the house fifteen minutes later. Ulrich stepped onto the porch as Selena walked through their gate and she grabbed onto him and started to cry into his chest. Ulrich stroked her hair as she leaned up and started to kiss him.

"I'm so sorry," Selena said when she stopped kissing him, "I missed you so much."

"I'm sorry, you're sorry, let's stop being sorry and just be happy."