When Wednesday night rolled around Zoe was more than ready for the holidays to be over with, for this past week to have never happened. Wade wasn't taking to her. Seemed he spent his free time either with his dad or in Bluebell. Jesse on the other hand she couldn't get rid of. She liked having him there for Abel; she could never grow tired of seeing the smile on his face put there by his father. As for her mom, she liked having her around, it was the comments she made about Wade she didn't like. And the second Zoe asked her what she meant Candice waved it off. Zoe knew from the time that she had spent with Wade that he was nothing like Jesse so those little comments were driving her nuts.

"I'm just saying that you need to be careful. At first glance Wade is sweet and the type of guy to keep around but Jesse is his brother," Candice stated over a cup of coffee while Abel was hanging out with Jesse.

"Wade is nothing like Jesse. Wade could never do what his brother has done," Zoe stressed.

"You can't be sure," Candice said patting her daughter's hand lightly. "I was talking about how complicated this thing is. Think about it. If things go the long haul and you and Wade have a kid, that the kid's father is going to be Abel's uncle and vice versa when it comes to Jesse."

"No one is saying that I'm riding off into the sunset with Wade tomorrow and that next week there will be a baby. And yes I understand how messed up it will be for Abel but I can't let that be the judging factor in anything," she countered right back.

"I'm not saying you have to dear. Just be cautious that's all I'm saying," Candice said with a sigh. "I want to give Wade the benefit of the doubt here, I do but after I saw what you went through with Jesse and learning that Wade is related to him. I don't want to see you so tore up, that broke my heart, Zoe."

"Wade has already proved that he's better than Jesse could ever be. But," Zoe quickly added cutting her mom off from saying anything. "I'll be careful."

"That's all I ask because I know that I can't force you to break it off with him." Zoe nodded her head; she was old enough to decide what she wanted and who she wanted to spend her time with. "You have your own life here and there's nothing more I can say to change anything in your life, just be careful, sweetie," Candice said, getting up to dump out her now cold coffee.

Looking out the window like she often does to look at Wade's house, Zoe could see that Wade had just gotten home. "I'll be back later," Zoe stated as she headed for the door. It was time to talk to Wade and figure things out, being left in the dark until after Jesse left, that wasn't going to work for her, besides she wasn't totally sure Jesse was going to be taking off. From the look of things Jesse seemed to be content. She had decided that it wouldn't be all that bad for Jesse to stick around for a few months for Abel. Her son's happiness meant more to her than her own happiness.

Approaching Wade's house she looked up to see him sitting on his back porch his eyes trained on her. Hobs lifted his head to see who was bothering his nap; upon seeing Zoe he waged his tail making it thump against the porch. Zoe gave his head a scratch and with a yawn he let his head fall back down to the wooden porch. Zoe smiled at the dogs antics sitting in the chair next to Wade.

"If I knew how to fix this I would," Zoe told him after hearing enough of the world around them going on without a care in the world.

"There is no way to fix any of this," he told her with a sigh. "And that's the problem. We can't change the past and I hate what my brother did to you and what he does to Abel. I hate that he got you first and I hate that he had something special and he didn't know it, he got to go through so many things that I have yet to experience and he doesn't even care, I hate that," he ranted, only stopping when he felt Zoe's soft palm against the back of his hand.

"You can hate him for all those reasons, I can't stop you but you should be thankful for those reasons because if I would have never met him I wouldn't be here today because Abel wouldn't have been born making me stay in New York. Hate him, Wade, I hate him most days. Those select days I love him because he gave me Abel and my son is my life and now I can be thankful for what I went through with Jesse because I have you in my life and those are things I could never change," she told him. "The thing about Jesse he can be an amazing father when he wants to be and Wade you're just an amazing person all around. And you should know that I don't want Jesse in my life other than him being Abel's father. I need a guy I can count on, I need you," she assured him.

"Looking at it that way he did do me one favor, he brought you to me," Wade chuckled, turning his hand over his fingers sliding through hers. "I didn't mean to hurt you, Zo," he told her, looking out over the yard a few cars going by. "It's just everything to do with Jesse," he sighed.

"Oh believe me, Wade, I know this whole thing isn't easy on you, it's not easy on any of us," she told him. "The thing that hurt the most is you just walked away and that reminded me so much of Jesse, because he wouldn't talk things through, he'd just walk away and when he did come back around the topic would be forgotten about because I was happy he was back and I don't want that to be the case here because I know you're nothing like Jesse and I want us to be able to talk about the things that are bugging us, to have it all out in the open," she told him honestly.

"I want that as well. I do happen to find this whole situation funny. If either one of us would have had pictures with Jesse in it, we would have known," Wade said.

"We would have but if we did, I don't think we would be together, because Jesse would have kept us apart. I wouldn't have taken the time to get to know you because I would just assume that you were like him and I'm sure you wouldn't have wanted anything to do with your brother's ex-wife," she told him.

"I wouldn't have but now I can't stay away, these last few days have been hell on me," he admitted. "I'm sorry for not coming to you sooner," he apologized, his thumb caressing the soft skin on her hand.

"You needed time and as much as I hated you freezing me out of your life, it is understandable. As long as it's okay now," she told him with a hopeful smile on her face.

"If you can overlook the jerk I was being to you," he told her. Zoe let his hand go, moving to sit on his lap. Wade wrapped his arms around her.

"I think I can overlook that if you stop talking and just kiss me already," she whispered against his lips. The soft chuckle that wanted to escape his lips was cut off when he closed the small distance taking her mouth into a searing hot kiss.

Jesse and Abel were walking to the back door the same time Wade and Zoe started there little make out session on his porch. "You sure you're okay with that?" Jesse asked, nodding across the yard.

"Wade is pretty cool, Dad. More importantly he makes mom happy, like super happy. I'm more than okay with it. After learning he was my uncle it was weird but that shouldn't bother me not if he treats mom right and he does. He's a pretty helpful guy," Abel said vanishing inside the house.

Jesse sighed turning on his heel to walk off. His son's words had made him feel pretty crappy. If he would have done things differently than he would still have Zoe in his life the way Wade had her now. He had treated her like the gum stuck to the bottom of his shoe. Getting to his car he cringed slightly hearing the laughter ring out from his ex and his little brother. There were plenty of things he could have done differently but it was too late for that. He made a promise to himself right then and there that he would make amends with all his family members. And maybe just maybe Wade was better for her than he could ever be.