House sat at his sturdy kitchen table contemplating anxiously. It was 10 o'clock and Etta had been put to sleep hours ago. When he came home Etta was playing with Dominica on the living room floor, but as soon as she saw him she reached her arms out for House. Picking her up was the highlight of a long day. The summer sun had only just set as though it tried to prevent the evening darkness from falling. But surely enough the night prevailed and time ticked agonizingly on. She will be here soon, House thought.

A part of him felt happiness and another felt bitterness towards his impending visitor. He had no predictions of how this evening would pan out, he just hoped it wouldn't act out too badly or awkwardly. House poured himself a small glass of bourbon whiskey and swallowed the half a glass full of liquid courage. The sound of the clock ticking filled the kitchen as House sat on the kitchen chair rubbing his leg soothingly. House sighed longingly which was disturbed by the quiet tapping at the door. Cortisol and other stress hormones flooded through Houses system as his ears were heightened to the sound.

Maybe its not to late to back out of all this, House joked inside his head in an attempt to break his growing apprehension. He rose from his chair and limped from the kitchen to the front door.

"Hey." The visitor softly said as smiled, gripping her purse strap between her hands nervously.

House nodded without expression as he widened the door to allow her entry. The slender woman stepped through the arch of the door and into the living room, her medium length dark hair shimmering under the light of Houses apartment. House scrutinized her body as she walked past him and stood by the couch awaiting permission to sit. You would not of guessed she had only had a baby five months ago. Her soft blue, cotton cardigan hanging loosely on her frame contrasting her tight fitting black business pants.

"I just came from work," she stated trying to break the stuffy atmosphere as House approached the couch to seat himself. They both sat silently in one anothers company, both perspiring slightly from the awkwardness. "So..." She said as she tried to initiate conversation but ultimately failed.

House cleared his throat, "What have you been up too?" House asked. He hoped mundane small talk may make them feel more comfortable and at ease. They had to begin somewhere.

The woman chuckled gently, "this is what it's come too? Small talk?" She joked as she sussed House. From the little time he had spent with her, he knew small talk was a pet hate both of them shared along with several undesirable traits. Wittiness being one of them. "Although I guess it is needed," she continued "a lot has come out of our activities-"

"Orgasms? Baby?"House said sarkily cutting her off. He couldn't help but be sarcastic if he was going to survive tonight.

"-So maybe small talk isn't a bad place to begin," she finished as she adjusted her white shirt nervously. It was almost as if she was in lock step with Houses thoughts like they had been before.

"Maybe its not," House replied. The conversation was quickly beginning to run dry which did not bode well for the rest of the evening. House felt the collar of his casual black t-shirt begin to pull and tighten slightly, choking him dry for words.

"How have you been?" She questioned. Her thick eyelashes framing the perimeter of her gentle, round eyes that examined Houses facial features as she gave him her undivided attention. Interested in what had happened since she last saw him.

"Great- How's your husband?" He replied quickly. Defensively deflecting her inquiry, how did she think he was doing? She could probably figure that out as she was far from idiotic.

"I was hoping he wouldn't come up tonight."

"Well it would be stupid not to mention the elephant in the room," House said humorously. "I mean I'm hoping he isn't an elephant nor am I hoping he is in the room but..." He trailed off.

The woman nodded understandingly."He's fine."

"Only because he doesn't know your here," House commented and knew he had hit the nail right on the head. He knew his former flings husband must of been one of the most naive men on the planet because the woman who was placed on his couch wasn't a very good liar and nor did she like doing it. Alike to Cameron she was one of those people who were annoyingly and consistently honest in which ever situation they were in. However unlike Cameron, her moral compass was not as dead straight as she believed or wanted it to be. Instead of lying she just avoided and neglected to admit the truth.

"No he does not. He is expecting me to be back at 12 tonight."

House studied the expressions that played through on her face and he noticed Etta shared them same red, plump lips as her mother. "So anyway how have you been?" House interrogated, "you split pretty quickly after the birth. Literally left the room for a couple minutes and you had gone."

A long awaited exhale came from the mouth of the woman as she rolled her head back onto the couch, as if relived from the tension that had built up to this question. She knew she had a lot to answer and she knew he deserved to know each answer to them, no matter how agonizing or painful she found them to respond too. She did care about House. "I know, I'm sorry. I just never expected something to come out of our fling. Never thought I'd get pregnant."

House scoffed inwardly as he listened. Neither did he.