Aria took a shakey breath, then snapped her phone shut and shoved it into her purse.
She tried to wipe away the tears of both happiness and anger. This was the moment of truth. the first time in nearly two years that she would see her daughter. Ariua watched as the door to the room opened and a small dark haired girl walked throught the door holding Mrs. Hastings hand. Aria's tears started all over again. The little girl looked up from under her bangs and finally spotted Aria, "Mommy!" she yelled, yanking her hand away from Mrs. Hastings and running into Aria's arms. aria took her daughter in and held her tight.
"Sweetheart," She wispered, gently stroking young Aria's hair.
Young Aria pulled back a little to see her mother's face, "Mommy, why are you crying?" Aria pouted in the most adorable way that only a four year old girl can.
Aria wiped tears away from her face and laughed, "Because I'm happy. I'm so happy..." Aria just stared at her daughter's face.
Aria lay her head on her mother's chest and closed her eyes. Aria wiped the tears away from her fa e and adjusted her daughter to be seated more comfortably in her arms, then looked up to see Noel standing politely in the corner, "Noel," she greeted him.
He bowed his head in greeting, "Aria," and took a step forward.
Aria smiled at him for a second then turned to Mrs. Hastings, "Could I speak to them privately for a moment?'
Mrs. Hastings nodded and left the room.
There was a beat of silence before Noel spoke, "She's missed you," He took a step forward, "Even though sdhe was so young when you were separated, she still knows who you are."
Aria bit he lip, "How did this happen?"
"What?"
"I thought it was nearly impossible for a single man to get custody of a child, even tempararily."
"Who said I was single," Noel joked, taking yet another step forward.
"But you are," Aria returned, a guess."
Nole took a deep breath, "Yes, I am."
"Then why? Why work so hard to get custody of my child?"
"Aria," Noel took another step closer to the two Arias, "I now what happened, with . i mean who in this town doesn't, but still. That day when we were stuck in the school because of the storm. When we were about to kiss, you wouldn't have cared if any other teacher had caught us. But him, you felt you were betraying him."
Ariua just bit her lip and nodded.
"Can I ask you a question?" Aria didn't respond, but Noel went on after a beat of silence anyway, "Did you already know? About her?" He nodded to the young Aria who could have been mistaken for being asleep at this point, "When'd you find out?"
Aria bit her lip harder and took a deep breath, "I didn't know. Not til weeks after," Aria felt odd confessing this to him, and she could guess what his next question would be.
"Then why did you stand me up on our first date? If you didn't know?"
Aria nodded, it was what she'd expected, "Because, I had a conversation with Ezra that thursday. I was naive. We both were. I couldn't let go, and it ended up being the end of me. If i'd stayed away. If I'd gone on that date, I could have pretended i didn't know who the father was. we could have both been a part of her life from the beginning. If you had been willing..."
Noel nodded, "You know, I never blamed you. No matter what I saw on the news, I never judged you. When I heard that you're daughter had been taken by Child protective services I... I guess I saw it as a second chance to try and win you over, because what you did was amazing, telling the truth. You did move on Aria. So I did everything I could to get custody of her. I promise you she's been in good hands."
Aria smiled, "I don't doubt it."
Noel's smiled suddenly changed. He seemed solomn, "Will he want to see her?"
Aria's expressiom transformed too, "He will, but its not my decision to let him. I doubt the courts will allow it."
"Do you want me to try? To request it? For her."
"I don't think its in her best intrest," Aria said looking down at her duaghter's face who's eyes were now wide open and staring.
"Is it not in her best intrest, or not in yours?" Noel questioned taking one last step up[ to Aria's side.
"What?" She asked looking up at him.
"is it not in her best intrest to meet her father, or are you afraid to have him in her life?"
Aria bit her lip. She couldn't answer that question. not because she wasn't capable, but because she knew she wouldn't like the answer.
"Daddy what do you mean?" Little aria asked looking up at Noel.
It was his turn to bite his lip.
Aria swalloed, "She calls you daddy?"
He licked his lip and looked down, "Yes..."
She tried to wipe away the tears of both happiness and anger. This was the moment of truth. the first time in nearly two years that she would see her daughter. Ariua watched as the door to the room opened and a small dark haired girl walked throught the door holding Mrs. Hastings hand. Aria's tears started all over again. The little girl looked up from under her bangs and finally spotted Aria, "Mommy!" she yelled, yanking her hand away from Mrs. Hastings and running into Aria's arms. aria took her daughter in and held her tight.
"Sweetheart," She wispered, gently stroking young Aria's hair.
Young Aria pulled back a little to see her mother's face, "Mommy, why are you crying?" Aria pouted in the most adorable way that only a four year old girl can.
Aria wiped tears away from her face and laughed, "Because I'm happy. I'm so happy..." Aria just stared at her daughter's face.
Aria lay her head on her mother's chest and closed her eyes. Aria wiped the tears away from her fa e and adjusted her daughter to be seated more comfortably in her arms, then looked up to see Noel standing politely in the corner, "Noel," she greeted him.
He bowed his head in greeting, "Aria," and took a step forward.
Aria smiled at him for a second then turned to Mrs. Hastings, "Could I speak to them privately for a moment?'
Mrs. Hastings nodded and left the room.
There was a beat of silence before Noel spoke, "She's missed you," He took a step forward, "Even though sdhe was so young when you were separated, she still knows who you are."
Aria bit he lip, "How did this happen?"
"What?"
"I thought it was nearly impossible for a single man to get custody of a child, even tempararily."
"Who said I was single," Noel joked, taking yet another step forward.
"But you are," Aria returned, a guess."
Nole took a deep breath, "Yes, I am."
"Then why? Why work so hard to get custody of my child?"
"Aria," Noel took another step closer to the two Arias, "I now what happened, with . i mean who in this town doesn't, but still. That day when we were stuck in the school because of the storm. When we were about to kiss, you wouldn't have cared if any other teacher had caught us. But him, you felt you were betraying him."
Ariua just bit her lip and nodded.
"Can I ask you a question?" Aria didn't respond, but Noel went on after a beat of silence anyway, "Did you already know? About her?" He nodded to the young Aria who could have been mistaken for being asleep at this point, "When'd you find out?"
Aria bit her lip harder and took a deep breath, "I didn't know. Not til weeks after," Aria felt odd confessing this to him, and she could guess what his next question would be.
"Then why did you stand me up on our first date? If you didn't know?"
Aria nodded, it was what she'd expected, "Because, I had a conversation with Ezra that thursday. I was naive. We both were. I couldn't let go, and it ended up being the end of me. If i'd stayed away. If I'd gone on that date, I could have pretended i didn't know who the father was. we could have both been a part of her life from the beginning. If you had been willing..."
Noel nodded, "You know, I never blamed you. No matter what I saw on the news, I never judged you. When I heard that you're daughter had been taken by Child protective services I... I guess I saw it as a second chance to try and win you over, because what you did was amazing, telling the truth. You did move on Aria. So I did everything I could to get custody of her. I promise you she's been in good hands."
Aria smiled, "I don't doubt it."
Noel's smiled suddenly changed. He seemed solomn, "Will he want to see her?"
Aria's expressiom transformed too, "He will, but its not my decision to let him. I doubt the courts will allow it."
"Do you want me to try? To request it? For her."
"I don't think its in her best intrest," Aria said looking down at her duaghter's face who's eyes were now wide open and staring.
"Is it not in her best intrest, or not in yours?" Noel questioned taking one last step up[ to Aria's side.
"What?" She asked looking up at him.
"is it not in her best intrest to meet her father, or are you afraid to have him in her life?"
Aria bit her lip. She couldn't answer that question. not because she wasn't capable, but because she knew she wouldn't like the answer.
"Daddy what do you mean?" Little aria asked looking up at Noel.
It was his turn to bite his lip.
Aria swalloed, "She calls you daddy?"
He licked his lip and looked down, "Yes..."