Chapter 23 - Seattle

Christian's POV

"Hey, I just talked to the dean," Elliot's voice rings through my phone.

"And what did he say?" I already know what he said. I talked to him about Elliot finishing his degree at Yale via online classes. I didn't want Carrick to get upset at Elliot for dropping out like I did.

"He said I could take online classes for a year, and I'd still get my degree," Elliot says with excitement in his voice, "Isn't that great?"

"Yeah, that's great El. So when are you thinking of telling mom and dad?"

"I was thinking Sunday dinner. I'll need you and Ana to back me up."

"I think that's a good idea. Kate just got here yesterday. Do you want to invite her?"

"Hell, no dude. I don't think that's smart. Hell, she wants nothing to do with the child. I don't want her around our parents."

"She's staying with Ana and me. I want to get rid of her."

"Shit dude, sounds like a problem."

"It wouldn't be a fucking problem if you didn't knock her up!" I exclaim.

"What do you want me to do? Invite her to stay with me? Because that sure as hell doesn't sound like a good idea. And if you want her gone so bad, just kick her out."

"Ana's the one who invited her to stay with us. She'd have my balls if I kicked her out," I reason.

Elliot laughs, "Can't Kate stay with her parents? They live in Seattle, right?"

"Ana told me that Kate's parents cut her off after she got kicked out of Brown. Apparently, Kate's not talking to them and doesn't even want to tell them she's pregnant. If she did she'd just be more on the outs with her family," I reply.

"There's got to be something you can do, man. Like rent her an apartment or something. You're richer than shit, I'm sure you can afford it."

"It's not about the money, El. Ana wants to make sure Kate has a healthy and happy pregnancy for the sake of your child."

"Shit, if that's the case then I owe you guys one."

"Don't worry about it. I may not like it, but it's for you so…" I trail off.

"Just come out and say it C, you love me," he teases.

"Don't get too far ahead of yourself," I chuckle, "Just get your ass to Seattle. I'll see you tomorrow."

"See you soon, bro."

I end the call and sigh. This is going to be a long nine months.

Ana's POV

"Grace! It's so good to see you," I exclaim and give her a hug, "Christian wanted to be here, but he had to take care of something last minute at the new GEH building."

"Oh, don't you worry about him. I'm sure that boy will make an appearance eventually. I'm so glad you two are back for good."

"I am too," I gush. "Is Mia still at school?"

"She should be home soon. She just got her driver's license and Christian sent her his old Audi, so I'm assuming she's taking the scenic route home." So that's where Christian's old R8 went.

"I hope she'll be here soon. I brought something to show you guys." I pull out my sketchbook from my purse.

"Oh, dear," Grace squeals, "I've been waiting to see these."

Grace and I sit down over some tea and pastries while she looks over my designs.

"You did these all by yourself?" she asks.

"Mostly," I answer, "But I did have some help from Tamara Ralph. She's been such an inspiration to me lately."

"They're really all wonderful."

"Thank you. I'm planning on getting production started on some of the pieces next week. Which reminds me, you should come see my new office. It's absolutely stunning."

"Christian already showed me some pictures to make sure you would like it. But I'd love to see it in person."

"Sounds like a plan," I smile.

I hear the sound of heels clicking on the marble floors and a deafening scream.

"Ana! Ana! Ana!" Mia comes barreling towards me almost causing me to spill my cup of tea.

"Mia!"

"I can't believe you're really here! And back for good. We can go on weekly shopping trips now."

"Yes, weekly shopping trips are a must," I giggle.

"Yay!" Her eyes turn to my sketchbook in Grace's hands. "Oh my gosh! Are these yours?"

"Yeah, they are."

She takes the book out of her mother's hands and flips through it.

"I can so see this on a runway show. Paris, Milan, New York. Oh my God! Can I be a model?"

"I don't see why not," I smile. I'd love to have Mia involved in any way she wants. "If you want, you can come to my new office after school and help with the pre-production. I know you have such a keen eye for fashion."

"Yes, yes, yes! A thousand times yes!"

'Thank you,' Grace mouths to me.

"Can you stay for dinner?" Grace asks me when Mia goes upstairs to change out of her school uniform.

"Of course, Grace. Should I ask Christian to come over as well? He should be finishing up his work by now. And the poor man needs a break."

"Please, do. we all miss him dearly. Especially Carrick. Have you asked Christian if he's returned his call."

Shit! I know I forgot to do something. "Sorry, Grace. I completely forgot. I'll tell Christian to get his ass over here tonight. They need to work things out."

Christian's POV

Ana: Come to your parent's house for dinner tonight.

Christian: Is my dad going to be home?

Ana: Yes, and you two need to talk.

I need an excuse.

Christian: I have work.

Ana: You can finish it tomorrow.

Christian: Ana, please…

Ana: You can't avoid your father forever.

Christian: Try me.

Ana: I wasn't asking.

Christian: Neither was I.

Ana: If you come, I'll let sir show me who's boss tonight.

Christian: Fine. I'll be there by 6.

Ana: Love you.

Christian: Love you too.

Damn it, that girl always gets what she wants.

"Taylor!" I shout.

"Yes, Mr. Grey," he answers immediately, opening the door of my new office.

"We need to be at my parents' house soon. We'll leave in five minutes."

"I'll have the car ready, sir."

He closes the door, leaving me alone with my thoughts. I really don't want to talk to my father. I know I can't avoid him forever. I don't want to hear his apologies about how he treated me when I dropped out of Harvard or for how he offended my wife when we got married. All I want to hear him say is that he's proud of me. I'm the CEO of a multi-million, soon to be multi-billion dollar company, and he hasn't said once that he's proud of me. I married the love of my life, a beautiful, smart, intelligent woman, and all he had to say was that I should've gotten a prenup. He didn't tell me that he was happy for me. He didn't tell me that he was proud of me.

Taylor's driving me to my parents' house. I'm sitting in the back of the Audi going through work emails in comfortable silence. The ten missed calls from my father within the last few weeks do not go unnoticed.

"Um, Taylor…" I call, getting his attention.

"Yes, Mr. Grey?"

I take myself by surprise when I ask him a personal question. "Do you… Are you close to your father?"

It's funny. I spend all day with this man but barely know him. I'm sure Anastasia has taken the time to ask Sawyer and Ryan all sorts of questions about their personal lives. But me on the other hand… Well, let's just say this is the first time I've asked Taylor anything remotely personal.

He looks surprised by my question but doesn't flinch when he replies, "Yeah, I am. I'm close with both my parents actually. But it wasn't always that way."

"What do you mean?"

"My father was upset when I decided to enlist in the army instead of going to college. We didn't talk for about four years while I in and out of Afghanistan. But then he got really sick, sir. We realized we were both being stubborn and petty. It took us a while, but we eventually made up."

"And how is he doing now?"

"He's doing much better, Mr. Grey. We were lucky."

"Good, I'm glad." I pause for a minute before continuing, "Taylor… Do you think I'm making a mistake not talking to my father?"

"I'd say every relationship is different. But in my opinion, holding a grudge is never ideal, especially if that person is family… Was what he did unforgivable?"

I think about Carrick's two major missteps. While he may have said stupid, irrational, and hurtful things… He's still my father. It doesn't erase everything he's done for me my whole life. Saving me. Adopting me. Giving me food. A home. A brother. An annoying baby sister. A whole family.

"No," I admit.

"Then I think you know what you should do, Mr. Grey."

When I get to my parent's house, Ana greets me at the door with a kiss.

"Hi handsome," she smiles, "I missed you today."

"I missed you too, baby."

"You're mom's finishing up dinner…"

"Christian!" Mia screams from across the foyer.

"Go say hi to your sister first," Ana whispers.

I sigh, "Fine."

We're all gathered in the kitchen now. The smell of mom's delicious home cooked meal is filling the air. She's making my favorite mac & cheese. It's the same one Ana always makes for me when I'm stressed out after a day of work. She's the one who gave Ana the recipe.

"Christian," Mia babbles, "Ana said I could help at her workshop after school. Isn't that so cool? I can tell all my friends that I'm working on the next big fashion line. Oh my God, you have no idea how excited I am. I'm thinking classy but sassy. Like Chanel and Oscar de la Renta had a baby."

"That's great, Mia. We're all so lucky to be graced with your talent," I say dryly.

Mia rolls her eyes at me. It seems that all the women in my family like to do that to me.

"Christian," my mother gets my attention, "Your father is finishing up some work in his study. I know he'd like to speak with you."

Ana gives me a stare, telling me everything her words don't. She wants me to go talk to him. My mother wants me to go talk to him. Hell, even I want to go talk to him. However, I don't think Mia even knows what's going on.

"Go," Ana mouths to me.

Without saying a word, I get out of my seat and walk up the stairs. It's a familiar walk. I remember countless times having to walk up here as a teenager to be reprimanded by Carrick. I was so fucking out of control until I met Ana. If that were my son… Hell, I don't have a fucking clue how I would've handled it. I have to give Carrick some credit for that.

As always, I knock on the door. However, for the first time, when I come up here, I don't feel like a scared, fucked up little boy. I'm a man now. A successful one, a happy one. For the first time in my whole life, I'm not nervous to step into his office. He's the one who owes me an apology, not the other way around.

"Come in," I hear my father's booming voice through the thick wood of the door.

I open the door slowly and cautiously. My father looks taken aback when he sees me.

"Uh… Christian," he stutters, managing a smile, "I didn't expect you here."

"Didn't mom tell you I was coming?" I ask.

"No, she didn't."

I stand there awkwardly in the doorway.

"Please, Christian," he says eagerly, "Take a seat. I know we have a lot to talk about."

I tentatively walk across the room and sit in the plush leather chair directly across from his desk.

"Look, dad…"

"Christian, I'm…"

We both stutter at the same time.

"You first," I direct him.

"Okay," he begins, "I want to start off by telling you how sorry I am. About the college thing. And about the things I said about Ana. I truly didn't mean them. I'm so grateful for her. She brings out the best in you. And I don't know why I said it. I think I was just lashing out at you. I was so mad at you for dropping out of Harvard. And…"

"Dad, really, it's fine."

"No, no. Let me say my piece, son," he interjects, "Look, when Elliot chose Yale over Harvard I was crushed. I always wanted one of my kids to follow in my footsteps. But your brother wanted to blaze his own trail, I guess. And well, you weren't exactly a good kid. I mean, you were an outstanding student, but I just didn't think you could get your act together with all the drinking and the fighting. I never thought Harvard was an option for you. But then, when you met Ana, you became driven. You became a better person. You spent more time with your family. And you opened up to us a bit more. It was like you were finally coming out of your shell after all these years. Anyways, I remember you both talking about college. Harvard was Ana's goal, and it soon became yours. I just thought… Well, I just thought that my dream of having one of my kids attend college at my alma mater would become a reality. And I know I shouldn't have projected my hopes and dreams on you. That wasn't fair of me. You're allowed to make your own decisions. And your decision to drop out, it was one of the most ballsy, bold decisions you've ever made. And it damn sure paid off son."

Wow, I never thought I'd see the day that Carrick Grey got all soft on me.

"Thank you for saying that, dad. And I have to apologize too. For not taking your calls when I should have. We're not perfect. But we are family. And you always have Mia to carry on your torch."

He laughs, "I love Mia. But she's definitely not cut out for college. Let alone Harvard."

"You might have a point there…"

My father gives me a warm smile. "I want you to have something," he declares. He opens a drawer on the bottom right of his desk and pulls out an old velvet box. "This used to be your grandfather's. He gave it to me after I graduated from law school. And now I'm giving it to you."

I open the lid. At first glance, it's just an old watch. But I know better.

"That watch was made in the '40s. Rolex only made twelve of them, and your grandfather was lucky enough to be the recipient of one."

I look carefully at the extraordinary timepiece in front of me, amazed at how it's stood the test of time. Most people who look at this would just see an old watch. But after buying my fair share of overpriced watches, I know this one would top the list of the most expensive watches I own. I'd have to get my insurance guy to appraise it, but I'm thinking this could easily be world $1.5 million now. No doubt.

Shouldn't my dad be giving this gift to Elliot? As someone who's going to graduate college and achieve that major milestone in his life.

"Dad… this is… I mean, shouldn't you be giving this to Elliot?"

He scoffs, "He wouldn't appreciate it like you would, son. Elliot would much rather receive a shiny new Piaget on his graduation day than this old thing. And even so, I really wanted you to have this. I know I never say this to you, but I want you to know I'm proud of you. I've always been proud of you."

He's proud of me. He's proud of me. He's proud of me. Four words I've been waiting to here for… Forever. I can feel a tear threatening to pool out of my eye. Don't cry, Grey. Don't cry, Grey. Don't cry, Grey.

Before I start crying like an idiot, I get out of my seat and give my old man a hug. At first, my dad is stunned. I've never allowed anyone but Ana to touch me like this. I just couldn't bear it. But after years of Ana healing me, I finally think I'm ready to let my family in. To let my father in. My dad reciprocates the hug. It feels odd, but it doesn't burn. We may not have fully healed, but it's a step forward.

"Maybe one day you'll pass it down to your own son."

"I hope so, dad."

Throughout dinner, my dad asks me every question he can think of about the business. And I enjoy answering every single one of his questions. I tell him about the plans for the new Seattle office, and my plans for the future. I tell him about my plans to open offices in New York City and Los Angeles by the end of the year. And I even tell him about starting a philanthropic wing of GEH. A mission to feed the world's hungry. A mission to provide cutting edge technology to the third world. Hell, I haven't even told Ana some of this stuff yet. But when I look at her, she gives me a beaming smile of approval. She's happy that my father and I have finally made up. My mom looks happy too.

"Have you spoken to Elliot recently?" Grace asks when she brings dessert to the table, "He said he was coming to visit soon."

"Yeah, didn't his semester just start?" Carrick asks, "He surely can't have a break already."

"I think Elliot has some big news for you guys," I reveal.

"What kind of news?" Mia asks intrusively.

I'm ready to say something snarky back to my sister before Ana interrupts, "I think Elliot would be upset if he couldn't tell you all himself."

"Let's pray to God he doesn't drop out of college," Carrick jokes.

"He's not dad. Don't worry," I say.

"So you know why Elliot's coming back?" he asks.

"Yes, Ana and I both know. But he really wants to tell you guys himself. He's planning on telling you at Sunday dinner."

"Oh!" Grace squeals, "All my beautiful children will be back together again. This is great!"

Little does she know, a bombshell is about to be dropped on her.

Ana's POV

Taylor is currently driving Christian and me home. Taylor and Sawyer are going to pick up my car tomorrow morning.

Christian looks relaxed. Tired, but relaxed. And judging from the pleasant dinner we just had, he must have had a good conversation with his father.

"How did the talk with your father go?" I ask in a whisper.

"Better than I thought it would. He apologized. I apologized. We hugged it out."

Woah, back up. Christian Grey apologized? That's a development. I'm happy that he could find it in his heart to forgive his father. And a hug? Christian only ever allows me to touch him. That must have been hard for him to let someone else in. I wrap my arms around him, trying to support him in any way I can.

"I'm glad, Christian. Grace was beside herself."

"I know that now. I was being petty and stupid. I should've answered one of his many calls before. But everything's good now."

He rolls up his shirt sleeve and holds out his wrist so I can see. Gone is the shiny new watch I bought him, and in its place is an old one. Beautiful, but very old.

"My dad gave this to me," he recounts, "It was his father's. And now it's mine."

I wrap my arms around him. I know all Christian's ever wanted was to gain approval from his parents, his dad especially. And this watch symbolizes that.

"And you'll pass it down to our son someday?" I ask. With Kate expecting, I might have a little baby fever.

"Yes, I will."

Christian's POV

"This is your new place," I say handing Elliot the keys. "A maid service will be here twice a week to pick up your shit, but please try to keep it clean."

Elliot's apartment is in downtown Seattle, a short drive from the GEH building. The apartment is totally child-friendly, and I made sure there was enough space for a playroom and a nursery.

"Shit bro, this is fucking nice. Does it come with a chef too?"

"No you fucking idiot. I don't even have a chef. What makes you think I'd get you one."

"You have Ana. She's so much fucking better than a personal chef. I'm going to starve."

I laugh, "You're a big boy. I'm sure you know how to order takeout. And also, watch your fucking mouth, bro. You don't want your child talking like that."

He scoffs, "I've got what… eight to nine months before you'll have to wash out my mouth with soap."

"I'll actually do it. Don't test me," I say with a serious tone in my voice.

"Whatever, C. But in all honesty, thank you. This place is great."

"Good... And you've got everything settled with your online classes?"

"Yep. I'll have to go to UW once a week to meet with an academic advisor to make sure all my work's done. But otherwise, I'll be a Yale graduate next year."

"That's great, El. And before I forget, dinner's at 6. Don't be late."

"You didn't tell them yet, did you?"

"Of course, I didn't," I reply, "But they do know that you have an announcement to make."

"Fuck, I'm nervous as hell, dude. How do you think dad is going to react?"

"I see two options. Either he goes nuclear or he gives you a look of disapproval that would be a thousand times worse."

"Wow, thanks for the reassurance, C."

"Hey, I'm just telling you the truth. But I'm sure he'll come to terms with it eventually. And I wouldn't be too worried about how mom is going to react."

"I'm not worried about mom. It's dad I'm worried about. Some people still need their trust fund."

"I'll tell you what. If he really cuts you off, which I doubt he is, I'll give you mine."

"Rich bastard."

Ana's POV

Christian went to go show Elliot the apartment, Kate's still sleeping, and I'm making my famous apple pie for the family dinner tonight.

"Mrs. Grey," Sawyer says, seemingly appearing in front of me out of thin air. It frightens me how stealthy these guys are, "You have a visitor. She's not on the approved list, but she's very insistent. She says that you're not answering your cell."

Shit, I left my phone upstairs in the bedroom. Christian always gets on my case when I leave my phone everywhere. His mind goes in a million different directions when I don't answer the damn thing. Now that he has Sawyer and Reynolds watching me like a hawk, his stress levels have gone down considerably.

"Did she give a name, Sawyer?"

"Miss Tamara Ralph."

"Let her up."

"Right away, Mrs. Grey."

I put the pie crust back in the fridge to prepare for Tamara's arrival. I'm surprised that she's here, but nevertheless, I am so excited to see her.

She comes out of the elevator with a large Louis Vuitton trunk and a Ralph & Russo shopping bag.

I take off my apron and go to greet her. "What are you doing here?"

"Surprise!" she squeals, "And I come bearing gifts."

She hands me the large shopping bag and continues, "Those are just a few of our new pieces. I thought since you just opened your new office, that you deserved some chic business attire."

"Thank you so, much," I reply, placing the bag on the counter. "I'll have to try these on later. I'm making apple pie right now."

"It smells delicious in here. I didn't know you were a baker," she laughs.

"It's one of my hidden talents," I giggle, "I'm having dinner with Christian's family tonight, so I wanted to make my favorite apple pie. Christian's brother has some pretty big news to reveal to everybody."

She raises an eyebrow. "Do I want to know?"

"The short answer… No. But I definitely need to know something," I say looking at the large trunk, "What's in there?"

"This is your real surprise. I was in LA sourcing some fabric for your wedding gown, so I thought I'd make a quick stop to Seattle to show you."

I fix us up some tea and some pastries that were delivered this morning. I really need to hire a housekeeper and cook soon to take care of this kind of stuff for when we have guests over.

We take a seat in the spacious living room. Whoever the interior designer was, they really outdid themselves. Without being gaudy, the apartment is decorated to perfection. There's a stunning fireplace that brings the whole living room together. The bookshelves are filled with all of my favorite books: the classics, all first-edition of course, various fashion books ranging from Vogue to the history of Louis Vuitton, photo books of every place Christian and I have visited. And that's not to forget the elegant family photos and portraits thrown in there too.

Tamara opens the clasps of the trunk to reveal a beautiful sea of white lace and fabric embroidered with the finest gems.

"The lace was handmade in Paris by the finest artisans. They've been doing this kind of lace for over a hundred years."

She hands me a piece of the intricate lace. "I was thinking we could use this to outline the veil depending on the length."

"Nothing too long," I state, "But nothing too short either."

"Got it, boss," she laughs.

She then hands me a piece of crisp white silk. "This is mulberry silk," she explains, "I'm thinking we could use this for the inside lining of the dress. It's extremely soft, so you'll be comfortable."

I touch the fabric. She's right. It's really soft. I was looking in mulberry silk for some of my designs, but it's outrageously expensive, and definitely not cost effective for my brand. Although I'm planning on doing haute couture, it's not realistic for a fledgling company to pour all their starting capital on fabrics. It's really more about the look at first.

"This one is a definite yes," I state.

"Oh, perfect. I'm so glad you like it. It was a bitch trying to source. Anyway, this is the last one." She hands me a piece of chiffon with intricate embroidery work. "This is with no doubt the star of the show. I had my people working on it non-stop for weeks." The gems are sewn on in an elaborate floral pattern. It's a thing of beauty. "Those are real diamonds too, as per your request."

"Wow, Tamara. This is better than anything I could have imagined. You've really outdone yourself." I find myself tearing up. I know Christian and I are already married, but it feels like with the big wedding, our bond will be made official. Before, the wedding seemed so intangible, like it was so far away, despite only being five months away. Seeing the fabric for my dress has made it all feel real.

"Don't you get all sentimental now. You haven't even seen the dress yet."

I quickly wipe the tears out of my eyes. "I really can't wait to see what you'll come up with."

"It'll be a showstopper. I guarantee it. Now enough wedding details, how's Anastasia Grey Designs doing?"

"Christian and GEH are our only investors. I'm going to need to hire some people. A lot of people actually, but I haven't gotten the ball rolling on that yet."

"If you don't mind, I know tons of talented people in Los Angeles, who would gladly make the move to Seattle."

"Can you send me some of their résumés?"

"I'll have my assistant send them over. And by the way, you should get an assistant soon. Your life will be a whole lot easier."

"I know," I admit, "I need to get working on that. After I get all the creative people on board, that will be my priority. But as of now, I think I'm managing myself pretty well."

"Let me know how you're feeling in a few weeks when you finally get the company off the ground," she chuckles, "Now enough of the business talk, don't we have apple pies to make?"

Tamara surprisingly is a big help as my sous chef. We finish the first apple pie in record time and are now working on another pie. This one is experimental. We're trying out strawberry and rhubarb.

The ding of the elevator signals Christian's arrival. As always, Taylor is right beside him. Christian greets me with a kiss and gives Tamara a friendly hug.

While Tamara is busy rolling out the pie dough, I ask Christian, "How did Elliot like the place?"

"He liked it. He'd be crazy not to. That's a piece of prime real estate."

"Does he want to change the décor? I can have the decorator on standby."

"I don't think Elliot cares much about that. Save your army of interior designers for our next piece of real estate."

"Our next piece of real estate?" I smirk and raise my eyebrow at him.

"I was thinking of buying a place in New York and Los Angeles. My people are telling me I need to diversify my portfolio. But we can save that discussion for later. Where's Kate by the way?"

"Still sleeping," I shrug, looking at the clock on the oven. It's almost 12 pm. Someone needs to tell that girl to wake up.

Christian rolls his eyes. Before I can chastise him, Tamara calls, "Hey Ana! Get over here. I need your help. Sorry to steal your wife, Christian, but we're too busy trying to be Betty Crocker."

"Duty calls," I giggle.

"Wait, one last kiss," he begs.

"Okay," I smile and give him a peck on the lips. Then, it's back to pie duty.

We couldn't help it. Tamara and I are now digging into one of the many apple pies we made. The strawberry and rhubarb pie turned out to be a mess, so we made five more apple pies. It sounds like a lot, but with Christian and Elliot's combined appetite, I'm sure they'll be gone in a few days.

After eating our fair share of pie, Tamara leaves, having to catch her flight back to London. I then wrap up the pies to bring to Grace's house. By the time I'm done, it's almost 4 pm, and Kate still hasn't made an appearance. I'm sure she's fine, but I should definitely go check on her and bring her some food. She must be starving.

I quickly toss a kale salad together and add all of Kate's favorite toppings: tomatoes, avocadoes, cucumbers, red onions, and chicken.

When I go upstairs, I see Kate still lying in bed on her pajamas. She looks miserable scrolling through her phone.

"Hey, I brought you some food. How are you feeling?" I ask.

"I'm so exhausted, Ana," she replies, "I really don't want to get up right now."

"Don't worry about it. I brought you some food. You need to eat." I lay the tray down on the bed and take a seat next to her. She immediately picks up the salad.

"Are you going to be okay by yourself tonight?" I ask her, "Christian and I are going to dinner at his parent's house."

"I'll be fine."

"If you need anything, please call me okay?"

"I will, Ana. And thank you so much again for letting me crash here with you guys. I know I'm not Christian's favorite person at the moment."

"No need to thank me…"

She gives me a warm smile. "I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow. If you… Maybe you'd like to…"

She doesn't get to finish her sentence before I interrupt, "I'd love to come with you." I then broach a touchy subject, "I also should let you know that Elliot's back in town permanently now. I think he'd love to accompany you to the doctor's as well. I mean, if that's alright with you."

She sighs, appearing to think heavily about my question. She puts on a brave face and says, "Sure. I don't see why not."

"Maybe it will give you guys a chance to get to know each other better." I'm secretly hoping that Kate will come to her senses and want to be in the child's life.

"Ana, that sounds like a bad idea. It could get… messy."

"We're already in a huge mess." I sigh, "But if you really don't want Elliot there, just tell me."

She closes her eyes as if she's thinking really hard. "He can come, I just don't want to spend any more time with him than I have to."