Regrets Chapter 9
"I'm waiting To hear your voice again And lighten up this heart I'm holding on to stupid memories But I see you in every little thing." – Hurricane
Her head is spinning from thinking, again and again. Going back to when she and I seemed so happy despite the chaos that was surrounding them at that time. It might have been wrong at that time but it felt so right. It has always felt so right with him.
Their relationship was never easy, even from the very start. She could not recall the time he worked for her mother, but apparently, he did. He remembered, and he told her, the very first time he ever saw her.
It was a sunny day in April, when he first saw her. They were at Yale, FBI Agent Aaron Hotcher, accompanied Ambassador Elizabeth Prentiss and her husband Jim, to visit their 18 year old daughter Emily Prentiss, before she was to for Greece.
He had seen Emily's pictures all over her mother's office. She was a beautiful young woman, there was no denying that with a smile that could light up any room.
Aaron saw Emily talking to a group of fellow students, laughing. She seemed like a very vibrant person. He could see the joy on her face when she saw her parents waving her over to the car. Emily excused herself from the group and ran straight to the car.
"Mom, Dad what are you doing here?"
"We wanted to see you before we went to Greece. We bought you a plane ticket to come visit us when you can."
"Thank you, Mom and Daddy. I will definitely do that when school is done in a couple of months."
"By the way Emily, this Agent Aaron Hotchner, with the FBI, he's doing security detail for me."
"Nice to meet you Sir."
"It was nice to meet you, Miss Prentiss."
"Oh, please call me Emily. Anyway, maybe I will see you in a few years. I plan to work for the FBI once I am done with college. After, my Masters of course, since I promise Mom that I will do that."
"Oh, I didn't know that you want to work for the FBI."
"I do. But I am not sure yet, which department."
"Sorry to interrupt you, beanie, but your mother and I has a flight to catch"
"Oh, Daddy, don't call me that in front of Agent Hotchner. It's embarrassing."
"You know, no matter how old you are, you will always be my beanie."
"I know Daddy."
"Well, we better go Emmy."
Years later, Aaron told her that he never forgotten that day they met.
As she watches her daughter, sleep, holding a teddy bear Aaron had given her. Emma is also wearing the clothes that Aaron had bought for her. Their daughter, is truly so beautiful,
For months now, Aaron bought his daughter stuff he thought she would need. He bought them online and had them sent to Emily's place. Although, he knew that Emily would not talk to him, he wanted her to know that he loves their daughter. That he would keep trying and he would wait.
It had been two weeks since she spoke to Dave about Aaron talking to her parents. She knew that she has to talk to Aaron. They can't keep going like this. If there is really no chance for them, she needed to tell him. But if they were to be together, they needed to start now. Their daughter is just a little over three months now.
She kisses her daughter goodnight before heading to the living room to make a phone call.
"Hello Aaron."
"Emily."
"We need to talk…"
"Do you want me to come over?"
"If it's not too late."
"It's not. Have you had dinner yet?"
"No."
"I'll stop by the Thai place. I'll get the usual?"
"Yes, please."
"I'll see you soon."
"Okay."
Emily prayed that what she was about to do is the right thing. Not only for her, but for Emma, for Aaron and for the team.
She sighed heavily as she thought about the team. How will they react? What would they think of Aaron?
But she can't think about that now. She needed for her and Aaron to talk first and then, go on from there.
She heard the door bell and slowly made her way to the door.
She opens the door, to see a face, a stranger for the past months to her and yet, so familiar and a face that she has missed so much.
"Hi."
"Hi."
"Can I come in?"
"Yes. Let me take that from you. Sit down and I will bring the food in the living room."
"Okay. You need me to help with the plates?"
"I got it, Aaron."
"Okay."
Aaron looked around and sat nervously.
They ate in silence. Unsure who should start.
Aaron, thought to himself, it's now or never.
"Emily."
"Aaron.
"Can we talk now?"
"I thought about all the things I wanted to say to you. But I wanted to wait until I no longer felt angry. We had said so many hurtful words and what I had become in those months, I don't ever want to be that person again. I don't ever want to be that angry. I read all your letters and listened to all your messages. For months, I didn't want to believe your sincerity in those words you wrote and said. It wasn't until you spoke to my parents that I knew how sorry you truly were. I forgive you Aaron."
A smile appeared on Aaron's face and tears began to fall.
"You really forgive me, Emily/"
"I do. I really do forgive you, Aaron."
"I love you, Emily. And I do promise, I will make it up to you."
"Aaron, I need for you to just be yourself. I can't have you walking on egg shells around me and Emma. I don't want you to do things because you need to make it up to us. I need you to be who you are with me and Emma in this moment. When I decided to forgive you, to let you back in to my life and for you to be in Emma's life, I needed to make sure that I no longer felt any resentment and anger in my heart. I needed to just feel the love I have always felt for you. And I do."
They were both crying now. Aaron reached over and pulled her to him. He inhaled her familiar sweet scent. He felt the warmth he had missed so much and for the first time in so long, her felt whole again. He felt that he is finally home.
"Sweetheart, can I see her?"
"Yes. She is in my room asleep."
They walked hand in hand to her room, not making any noise so that they don't wake their daughter up.
But as if Emma had sense their presence she opened her eyes and smiled as she saw two faces watching her.
Even though she had never seen her father's face, he somehow felt familiar to him. She reached out both her arms, waiting to be picked up from her crib.
"May I?"
"Go pick her up Aaron. You daughter has missed you. I'll go clean up. There's her bottle, it's time for her to be fed."
"Thank you."
"She's your daughter too, Aaron. If you notice, she has your dimples and that frown."
Aaron chuckled and pulled Emily closer to him and Emma.
He closed his eyes and thanked his lucky stars and the man above that Emily had given him a chance.
.
