"Go play with Ava," I order Teddy once we arrive at the house. I'm shuddering, expecting Christian to be chasing me and Elliot. I feel like I'm on the lamb, I feel cold chills running down my spine.

My heart is thundering in my chest. Elliot unlocks the door, his movement is limp, he is clearly shaken.

Teddy sprints into the house eagerly, I carry Phoebe inside.

"TEDDY!" Ava beams upon seeing Teddy. Ava skips out of the dining room with a wide smile. The two toddler embraces each other tightly. The two children are peas in the pod. Teddy showcases his tablet and the two go into the living room to play on it.

Elliot's cell phone is blaring. Elliot is fidgety, alarmed by the sudden ring. He pulls out his phone. "It's Christian." He whispers at me with an uneasy look.

He doesn't answer it and texts him a message. I stand there motionlessly, trepidation falls over me. All of the madness that occurred in the house flashed in my mind.

I recollect the moment I saw that red-headed woman. She was unexpected, I never saw Christian having sex with a redhead. She was clothed, in a plain shirt and pants, and allowed to go to the bathroom. Perhaps she is a defiant sub that Christian will train to be obedient.

I shake my head to erase my thoughts on this woman. The only thing that matters is my children and all of the hardship coming at me.

It is a rainy morning when the divorce papers finally come, the skies are embattled within a thundering storm. I hear the joyous laughter of all of the children playing downstairs. I have been in a mellow mood, from all of the madness, I didn't expect to feel this much bliss. Ava is having a blast with her two new playmates. Phoebe is becoming as hyper as Teddy, running throughout the house with Teddy.

Teddy hasn't spoken about Christian, he is often playing with Ava or Phoebe or on his tablet. Having my little ones back just feels me with hope. I feel like I can do anything.

Four days have passed since the confrontation at the Grey house. Bizarrely, Christian has not tried to contact me. Of course, I blocked him. Christian only called Elliot once. But it was only about how he signed the papers, agrees with the Plans, and that's it.

I'm in my bedroom, typing on my laptop, I further research the local mental health center I have long contacted. On May 6th, I will have a therapy session with a female therapist named Debra Browning.

"ANA!" Kate pounds her fists on my door, her voice is ebullient and bright. "ANA, IT'S HERE! COME OUT!" She squeals. You would think she had found the Fountain of Youth from her enthusiasm.

Kate doesn't wait, she barges into my bedroom with a stack of papers in her hands. "You're free!" She rejoices.

In her other hand is a pen. She tosses the pen onto my bed. "Sign it! Sign it!" She encourages. I take the pen and I feel the heavy weight of it.

Time seems to slow down. This is finally happening. I could feel my soul etching out of my body, all of my emotions overflowing, tears swell up in my eyes. Every single nerve inside of me is electrifying. I am doing this. This is the day. This is D-day. I feel my stomach doing somersaults when Kate hands the papers to me.

Oh yes, these are the divorce papers. This is happening. My heart impulses as I make my fateful decision. My mind races through time and space as I touch the tip of the pen on the signature section. I feel like there are two sides inside of me. A side that is wishing to be free from marriage, a side that wishes to be liberated and single. The other side rejects the notion of divorce, desperately begging me to run to Christian. To be his dutiful wife and work through our marital problems.

I sign the papers, my throat dries. "I did it." I breathe in disbelief. A cold sweat drenches my back. Kate's smile is ear to ear. She seemingly reverted into a bubbly high school girl. "YES! AWESOME!" She bounces up and down out of joy. Once I am completely finished, Kate snatches the papers away. "I'll mail this for you," Kate gives me a curious look. "Are you still going to therapy?" She inquires.

I nod. "Yes." My voice is barely audible. I feel all of my energy draining out of me. I feel so light.

"I haven't heard from Christian." Kate points out. "Elliot even said he was waiting for Christian to blast his cell phone, but it's been silent for a long time." I sigh heavily. I'm disturbed by this fact. I fully expected Christian to find me. Perhaps I scared him off?

I doubt it. But I will see. I glance at the papers and I wonder if I should still meet up with Mr. Hudson. Reportedly, Elliot managed to convince his brother to agree with my plan and the papers are signed. I resolve that Mr. Hudson should be put on the backburner. I don't think I need to meet him anymore. This divorce is uncontested and the Parenting Plan terms have been agreed upon. All I have to do now is find a paying job, a home of my own, and in the meantime, go to therapy. That's all that matters.

I feel like my world is falling down. I feel so dumb for allowing myself to date Christian Grey. For so long, I thought his abusive ways was a unique coping mechanism. I recollect the moment he told me his darkest secret. He liked to whip brunettes who resemble his Mother.

How did all of this happen? Then I remember how.

Louis.

From merely thinking of him, I feel a liberating sensation. I contemplate what is this emotion is exactly. He is blessed with enthralling looks. I admire his good natured personality. His kindness to me when I was low. He was different from all of the men I have encountered. I want to get to know him. Now that I have signed away from my marriage and I am no longer committed, I wanted to see if a relationship with him would be wise. As I ponder, I resolved myself to befriend him first, see if he is compatible at all. I feel so secure where I am now, all I want now is a healthy sense of mutual love.

"Kate," I start. Kate is almost out of the bedroom, she whirls around to face me. "What?"

I flush, embarrassed by my emotions. "I'm thinking about dating."

Kate's eyes widens with shock. "Already?" She gasp. Curiosity paints her face. "With who, exactly?"

I open my mouth, but only air came out. Kate walks over to me and sits on the edge of the bed. "You're not going to online date, aren't you?" She demands.

I shake my head. "No. Of course not." I object. Kate takes a sigh of relief. I'm not shocked by this from Kate. She had many terrible experiences with online dating.

"Louis." I breathe. Kate's eyes widens with shock.

"Seriously? Why him?" She questions.

My cheeks flush. "I'm not sure. He just makes me feel different. Shy and weird. I want to get to know him." I admit. Kate gives me a supportive look. "Well if anything, you should wait. Wait until the divorce is finalized and everything is settled."

I find that reasonable. Perhaps I should befriend Louis. "I'm not planning on dating him. I just want to see how compatible he is. You know, I want to see what happens." I explain.

Kate smiles faintly. "Well as long as you're happy." She mutters. "So any facts about this man? You seem to really like him. Huh?"

I nod. "Well, he's kind." I say swiftly. "Very kind. I don't know, he invited me to eat with him and his family one night. He and I were just talking and the kids were well behaved."

"How many kids does he have again?"

"Four." I say precisely.

Kate's mouth drops. "FOUR? A single man with four kids! Where's the Mom?" She probes, her Kavanaugh interrogation skills kicking in.

I shrug. "Not sure." I admit.

"How old are they?"

I think about that question. Sydney looks to be either twelve or eleven, Olive looks to be ten, and the twins are four.

"I think the oldest is 11 or 12, I'm not sure about the other ones," I reveal.

"Ana, you may want to be careful. The last thing you need right now is baggage." Kate says bluntly. I nod. "That's why I want to get to know him." I insist. "He's different."

Kate nods, she clutches the papers. "Well, you know what, you're a free woman!" She exclaims happily. "The faster these papers are mailed the better!" Kate chirps. With that, she hurries out of my bedroom.

I look forward to my therapy session next month, but for now, I search for jobs. It's been a full week since I left Christian's house, I begin a job application for a job at Fairbook Publishing. It is in Seattle, nine miles away from Grey company. I finish submitting my detailed resume to the site and I decide to go out for coffee and I agreed to go to on an errand for Kate. It is 12pm in the afternoon, the little ones are all taking naps. I take Kate's car and I drive down to the Seattle. I feel so free, no Christian is looking down my neck. I remember Ms. Jones, Taylor, and Sawyer. I do miss them. I wonder how they are dealing with this. As I cautiously drive down the street, I see people going on with their lives. There is a giggling couple that are holding hands walking down the curb. The lady is madly blushing and the man is cracking jokes as they scroll. When Christian Grey enters my mind, I feel sick. I do my best to stop thinking of him, but it is overwhelming. I swear I could hear Grey yelling at me. All of our terrible moments reflects in my mind. The spanking, the arguing, the stalking, the controlling, the insults, the belittling. All of those moments I overlooked and believed it just came with the Christian's package. I was so wrong. I was completely wrong about him. I pass by Starbucks when I see the Baking Corner. As if the universe is taunting me, I see Louis talking to a young man at the counter. He looks so handsome in his uniform. He is broadly smiling, working diligently to get this young man to buy something.

I want to see him now. To be honest, I had no plans to see him today, but the world is giving me a sign and I want to take it. I park six blocks away from the bakery. Then a wave of shyness hits me like a tidal wave when I take one step to the bakery. I feel my face heating. Heavy hesitation washes over me. I did not want to say anything dumb, making a fool of myself. I put my idea of interacting with Louis on the backburner. I retreat to the local Starbuck to regain my composure.

I buy myself a cup of hot coffee with a swirl of whipped cream. I sit down near the window, taking a sip of my coffee. I ponder to myself about all of my turmoil. I feel a pang of positivity flowing through me. I have my darling children back, I am on the road of getting a job, the papers are signed, and now I'm on the road of a free life.

It is surreal not having Christian breathing down my neck. For so long, I have had Christian in my corner.

I think of Louis and I am overcome with shyness.

I drink my coffee, doing my best to increase my confidence. I wish I had his phone number so I could contact him. Come, Ana! Stop being a chicken! I bark at myself in my head. A simple little talk will not hurt anyone. I continue to give myself this pep talk for a full minute. Get this over with! I get out of my chair, drinking all of my coffee. I manage to summon enough confidence to walk out of the cafe to march to the Baking Corner. Every footstep feels heavy, my heart thunders in my chest. When I approach the Baking Corner door, I see Louis chattering with his coworkers as he hands a cake to the same young man. I push the door with both of one hand, the sweet air hits my nostrils. The Bakery isn't crowded, most of the customers buys their treats and leaves.

Louis turns his head to the door and our eyes meet. I open my mouth to say something, but I couldn't find my voice. I feel my cheeks flushed hot, and my stomach is twisting. My heart quickens in my chest, threatening to burst.

"Wow, he's taking my breath away." I think in awe. I have heard this line before and I never thought much of it until now. His eyes has a softness to them, there is something so welcoming in his innocent blue pools.

I do my best to find my voice, digging deep within me. "Hi, Louis.." I flush. I pray that he doesn't notice my shy demeanor.

He gives me a friendly wave. "Hi, Ana. It's nice to see you again." He says.

I smile, his voice sends heat into my veins. "It's nice to see you too, Louis." Curiosity overwhelms me. "When's your lunch break?"

"In five minutes." Louis answers precisely. He arch an eyebrow at me, an unreadable emotions flashes in his eyes. He is confused to why I am asking this.

I feel my mind spinning. "Well, I was thinking, on your lunchbreak, we could go out for a drink. There's a few coffee shops around here. Just a little outing." I say softly. I brace for his rejection.

"Oh. Really?" Louis appears perplexed. There is still a unreadable emotion in his eyes. My words spill out of my mouth. "You don't have to worry about my husband, we're getting a divorce." I say.

Louis awkwardly chuckles, his cheeks blush. He is taken aback. "Oh, I wasn't really thinking about that...I was.." His voice trails off. Louis quickly composes himself and he gives me a small grin. "A little coffee break sounds fun. Mind if it's the closest shop?" He asks.

I nod quickly. "Sure!" My voice is slightly high pitched. I sit down at a table, feeling surreal. I actually did it. When lunchbreak arrives, me and Louis walks side by side out of the shop. I can't help my hot cheeks. I want to tell him about my strange feelings for him, but I'm too shy.

Louis is the one that initiates the conservation. "So are things for you?" He ask casually. We walk slowly down the street, both enjoying each other company.

"Fine," I didn't want to go straight into my divorce and custody battle. "I just submitted an application for Fairbrook Publishing." Louis's eyes brightens with interest. "Awesome, my sister is interning there." He remarks. "Any job in mind?"

"I'm thinking about Editor Assistant."

Louis arches an eyebrow, a somber look takes over. "I heard Grey fired you." He says.

I frown, not wishing to relive that memory. Louis sees this and apologizes. "Sorry, I didn't mean to offend you. I was just wondering what happened? It was in the news for a while."

I sigh. I usually do my best to avoid press. Of course, my firing would be exclusive on the news. I wasn't offended, just surprised by Louis's statement.

"It's fine. I rather not talk about it."

Louis smiles faintly. "No problem, I shouldn't have asked." We make it to cafe, Louis is courteous and opens the door for me.

"Thank you." I chirp. Once I'm in, Louis is behind me. I walk up to the counter to order myself a cup of sweet hot chocolate. Louis buys himself a cup of cappuccino and one chocolate chip cookie.

We sit down at a round table in front of the window. I catch a glance of Louis taking one look at his wristwatch. The hot chocolate is as rich as it is dark. I drop one sugar cube into it. Louis sips on his drink, his blue eyes shimmering from the sweetness.

"I heard Fairbrook is a great place to work at. They like to hire the best of the best." He says brightly. I arch an eyebrow at this, my lips curling. "So what do you think of my chances?" Humors rolls into my voice.

"Pretty high in my opinion. I mean you ran a business yourself!" His tone is genuine. He glances at his wristwatch.

I think of the Baking Corner. "So what's it like to run your business?" I feel so relaxed, the shyness has washed away from me. Louis smiles, he sits upright in his chair, beaming with subtle confidence. "It's great. I have a hardworking staff and business is booming." He exclaims. I think of his previous job, the job I got him fired from. "Sorry about making you lose your job." I apologize remorsefully. Louis isn't upset. "It's fine. Thing happens, thankfully I managed to get back on my feet quickly."

"Kinda have to, since you have little ones at home." I comment gently.

Louis broadly smiles at that. "Of course. They're the light of my life." He says this with great affection. For a second, I want ask him personal questions. Why are you a single Father? Why did your wife leave? But I hold back because of how inappropriate those questions are.

Easy, Steele. You're just having coffee with him during his lunchbreak. You are not on a date. I scold myself. I wonder why he accepted my request to go get coffee. Surely this is not a date with him, I'm just a pitiful woman with no friends. Perhaps that why he came, not of attraction, but out of pity. That thought dampens my mood. It makes sense, with Louis's good looks and likable personality, he can get any woman he wants. So why would he waste time dating someone as plain as me?

Louis's body language becomes casual, he is flashing me a charming grin. "So…" He pulls out his cookie, glancing his watch. "What do you like to do for fun?"

I smile. Beforehand, what I did for fun was have mindblowing sex with Christian and go on lavish vacations. I did enjoy reading, but I do that very little nowadays. I personally didn't have hobbies out of my marriage. I feel embarrassed by this truth.

"I love reading books."

"Favorite genre?"

"Romance." I bite my lower lip. Louis finishes his drink and takes a bite out of his cookie. I'm enjoying the nice moment between us. I feel more and more curious about this man. "You?" I ask.

"I'm not a bookworm honestly, I'm more into the mainstream media and sports," Louis admits. "I like to go fishing and play kickball with my girls."

"Wow," I think of all of his four daughters. "It must be interesting to have all four." For a brief second, I'm worried I'm overstepping, but Louis isn't fazed.

"It's never a dull day, I'll tell you that." He exclaims. I beam at him.

Then Louis looks down at his watch, this time, his eyes widen. "Oh, I have to go." He says urgently. Louis gets out of his chair, he gives me a sunny smile. "It was nice having coffee with you, Ana. We should do this again."

His smile is infectious, despite my dismay, my spirits are lifted. "We should." I quip. I finish my hot chocolate as Louis heads out of the shop.

I sit at the table, shuddering on the inside. So many emotions are rushing through me. I know at this point, I am attracted to Louis Reed. I feel something blooming inside of me. Whether it is love or lust, I'm not sure. But the sensation he gives me is wonderful.

I decide to go on with my day after that. I go to the local grocery store, getting all of Kate's requested items. I buy additional items, such as diapers for Phoebe and snacks for Teddy. It begins to lightly drizzle when I exit the store. My car is still walking distance and I hobble down the street. When I take a sharp turn, I find Christian Grey. He is walking out of a florist shop with a bouquet of flowers. I freeze in my tracks. Oh crap! No! All of the positive emotions I feel disappears instantly. I'm seconds away from running around the corner to escape him. But Christian is too fast, he sees me. "ANA!" He comes to me. He is wearing his formal suit, his expression is hardened stoically. I didn't want to make a scene. No, I do not want to see him. I pretended I didn't notice him and I hurry to my car. Christian stands there motionlessly like a statute. His menacing eyes are keen on my movement. I pass him, there is a chill cold between us that makes me shiver. There are no words between us, our eyes meet for a fraction of a second.

All I see is rage, betrayal, and pain in his silver eyes.

I break the exchange and I hurry to my car to be with my children.

Next chapter will come soon. Currently writing my other stories, so check them out. Reviews and thoughts.