Hannah stirred awake and blinked her eyes open, loosening her grip on Mr. Jingles, the purple teddy bear. She wasn't quite used to sleeping in a sleeping bag, and maybe that was what woke her up. Or maybe it was all the shouting outside.

She quickly sat up. Yes, there was shouting. Those were definitely Rey and Daddy's voices, though she could barely make out the words. Maybe because the tent was further away, but she was sure she heard her daddy say 'goddammit'. That was a bad word he only used when he was really angry.

She crawled out of her sleeping bag, hugging Mr. Jingles close to her chest as she unzipped the tent. She didn't like her mommy and daddy fighting. They were supposed to be having fun.

She came out just in time to see Daddy and Rey staring silently at each other. Daddy's shoulders were heaving, and he looked scared while Rey's eyes were wide like his, her mouth hanging open. They didn't even notice her come out of the tent.

"Daddy? Rey?" Hannah finally called out, and her parents turned to look at her. They both looked stunned. "Are you fighting?"

"We're okay, Sweetie," Rey said, walking over to kneel in front of her. Her mommy's fingers were cold, and they trembled when she reached out to cup her cheek. "Your daddy and I just had a bit of an argument. Nothing serious. Sorry we woke you."

"Yeah, it's nothing serious," Daddy said, though he didn't make a move to get closer. In fact, he took a few steps back. "Go back to sleep, Sweetheart. We uhm...Rey and I need to talk."

Rey quickly stood up. "You know what? Why don't we all go to sleep? It's been a tiring day." She patted Hannah's head before hurrying to her tent, walking past Daddy without so much as looking at him or saying good night.

"Rey, wait," Hannah called, stopping her mommy before she went inside her tent. "You forgot to give me a good night kiss."

"Oh. Sorry." Rey walked back to her, still not looking at Daddy as she bent down to kiss her forehead. "Goodnight, honey. Sweet dreams."

"Goodnight, Rey," Hannah replied, watching Rey turn around and quietly enter her tent.

Once Rey had zipped up her tent, Hannah turned to her daddy. He was looking down at his feet, his hands clenched at his sides. "Daddy?"

"Let's head to bed," he mumbled. He put out the campfire first then led her back to their tent, where he tucked her back into her sleeping bag with Mr. Jingles. Hannah noticed her daddy's eyes lingering on the bear before he turned off the camping lantern and slipped into his own sleeping bag across hers.

Holding the bear tight, she turned to her side to watch her daddy, who appeared to be staring at the roof of the tent. He still had his glasses on, which meant he was still awake. He only ever took them off when he was ready to sleep.

Hannah continued to quietly observe his strange behavior for half an hour before her eyes grew too heavy to stay awake.


It was the heat and the brightness that woke her up. Groaning, Hannah pawed around for her phone, and found that it was past eight in the morning.

She stretched and yawned before turning to her side. Daddy was still asleep, and weirdly enough, he still had his glasses on.

She let out a breath and crawled out of the sleeping bag, fanning herself with the lapel of her shirt. How Daddy could sleep through this heat, she didn't know, but she didn't want to wake him either. He must've stayed up very late and forgot to take his glasses off.

Suddenly feeling thirsty, she reached for her tumbler and found it empty. Maybe Rey had some water, she thought, as she took the tumbler with her and hurried out of the tent. The sun was definitely up, and she had to squint for a bit before she was able to see Rey, dismantling her tent.

"Rey?"

"Oh! Good morning, Sweetie," Rey said, turning to smile at her. She sounded tired, and there were bags under her eyes. "Did you have a good rest?"

"Yes." Hannah nodded, then swallowed to moisten her throat. "I'm thirsty."

"Of course. Let me get you some water." Rey stopped what she was doing and got the tumbler from Hannah so she could fill it up from the water jug. Hannah thanked her once it was done, and eagerly took several gulps.

"I'm sweating," Hannah said, wiping her brow with the back of her hand. "How come you're not sweating as much, Rey?"

"I'm used to the desert conditions," Rey explained, taking a hanky from the pocket of her jeans and leaning down to wipe the sweat from Hannah's face. "Coruscant is cooler, so it's only natural that you're not used to Jakku weather."

"Yeah. It's why I woke up." Hannah chewed on the inside of her cheek. "Daddy doesn't seem to mind the heat. He's still asleep. But maybe it's because he stayed up late."

Rey paused. "He did?"

"Yeah. He even forgot to take his glasses off."

Rey was silent for a bit, her hand with the handkerchief still patting along the sides of Hannah's face.

Then, Rey suddenly stood up, her eyes wide. This confused Hannah for a moment before she turned to look at where Rey was looking and found her daddy emerging from the tent, adjusting his glasses along the way.

"Good morning, Daddy," Hannah greeted.

"Good morning," Daddy greeted back, his voice a bit hoarse from sleep. His eyes turned to Rey and he stiffened. "Uhm. Good morning, Rey."

"Morning," Rey said quietly, making Hannah look up at her. She wasn't looking at Daddy. Instead, she was looking down at her hiking boots. "It's going to get really hot soon, so we should all pack up and leave. Have breakfast at my place."

Daddy nodded, then turned around to take down their tent. Hannah ran to help him while Rey walked back to continue taking down hers.

The whole time they were packing up was weird, Hannah thought. Daddy and Rey didn't seem comfortable, and neither of them spoke to each other except for mundane stuff-like if they left anything behind or if they got everything in the truck. And they didn't stand close to each other like they usually did. They must be standing twenty feet away from each other! Okay, maybe that was an exaggeration, but it felt like that to her.

She hoped things would change once they got in the truck. At least then they would be sitting close together, but she quickly found out she was wrong. Neither Rey nor Daddy would speak or look at each other, and the silence was so thick, she decided to cut through it.

"Dune sledding yesterday was so much fun, right Daddy? Rey?"

"Yeah, it was fun."

"It was so fun."

Her parents had both spoken at the same time, she was barely able to catch their words. They quickly grew quiet again. Hannah didn't like that one bit.

"And the smores were delicious too," she said, looking from one parent to the other for a reaction. "I've never had smores with chocolate syrup before."

This time, Rey did smile a little, her eyes still on the road. "My grandpa taught me that. He liked to experiment on food. Sometimes they fail, but most times, they don't."

Hannah nodded. "You have a lot of great memories with your grandpa."

"Yes, quite a lot." Rey made a turn to the main road. They should be back to the house very soon. "I bet you also have a lot of memories of your Grandpa Han."

"Yes, yes, I do." Hannah started bouncing on her seat enthusiastically. She liked talking about Grandpa Han. "He told me so many stories about his adventures with Uncle Chewie. They used to be truck drivers when they were young so they got to travel a lot. When he was alive, he took me and Grandma on as many trips as possible to see and experience everything he did when he was younger."

"I can understand your grandpa's sentiments," Rey said, a little lightness returning to her voice. "He wanted to share those experiences with you, just like I am. Having shared memories with your loved ones is priceless because unlike material things, those memories last a lifetime."

"Loved ones," Hannah murmured, tender feelings welling up in her chest. "Rey, does that mean you love us?"

Rey still had her eyes on the road, but her smile was bright. "Of course, I love you, Sweetie. I thought that was obvious by now."

Hannah giggled, feeling very much giddy. Rey loved her! She knew that already, but it was still wonderful to hear it spoken out loud. "And Daddy too? You love Daddy too, right?"

Rey didn't speak immediately, and instead, cleared her throat very loudly before she pointed out, "Oh, look. We're home. Now, let's get down so we can make breakfast. I'm starving!"

Hannah would have to agree. Her stomach had been grumbling for so long, and her mouth was already watering at the mere thought of food.

Rey stopped the engine and got off the truck, opening her arms to Hannah. She quickly scooted over so she could be carried by her mommy into the house. She was so distracted by her hunger that she barely noticed that Daddy hadn't gotten out of the truck at all. At least, not for a very long time.


She was wrong to think that things would change during breakfast and lunch at Rey's. It didn't. Daddy didn't even help with the cooking, and instead, went out to check on the car and get their stuff ready for when they leave for Coruscant later that afternoon. He also didn't join in when she and Rey played board games in the living room. He just stayed in the dining room with his laptop, which Hannah understood. He did bring it so he could work on the go. Daddy was a very, very busy man. She was just lucky he even had the time to make this trip to Jakku, though if she were to be honest, this trip would've been a whole lot better if he wasn't so suddenly distant.

When it came time to say goodbye, Rey hugged Hannah tighter and longer than any other times she hugged her. She kissed her forehead. "Be a good girl, alright? I'll see you again soon."

"Will you be going to Coruscant or will we be the ones to come here again?" Hannah asked. "I don't mind either way as long as we get to see you."

"Uhm…" For what seemed like the first time that day, Rey looked up at Daddy, though Hannah noticed it was a very quick glance before she turned to her again. "It's up to your father, Sweetie."

"We'll talk about it next week," Daddy said, his voice flat. "Let's get in the car, Hannah. We have to get back to Coruscant before nightfall."

He started to open the car door, but Hannah quickly tugged at his shirt. "Wait, Daddy. You forgot to give Rey a goodbye kiss."

Daddy seemed to freeze for a moment, his face turned away so Hannah couldn't see his expression. When he did turn around, he was...stone-faced. He wasn't smiling at all when he approached Rey, and Hannah's sharp eyes saw that they only bumped cheeks. No kisses, and it all happened very quickly.

Rey stepped back and did a small wave as she and Daddy got inside the car. Hannah didn't stop waving back at her even as Daddy drove the car further and further away until Rey was only a tiny speck in the distance.

"I miss Rey already," she said as she made herself comfortable in the backseat, pillows and Mr. Jingles ready. "Do you miss Rey too, Daddy?"

"Mmmhmm," was all he said in response.

Then, there was silence. Hannah tried to catch her daddy's eyes in the rearview mirror but naturally, he had his eyes on the road.

After a time, Hannah said, "You're very quiet today, Daddy."

"I just have a lot on my mind, that's all, sweetheart."

"About work?"

"Among other things, yes."

Hannah waited for him to elaborate, but he didn't. It made her fidgety, but when it became clear that he wasn't going to talk, she decided to lie down on the backseat, hugging Mr. Jingles to her. She was going to take a nap. Maybe things would be better once she woke up.


She thought it was just nothing. Daddy said it was nothing, so it must be true, right? Wrong. He and Rey were definitely not talking to each other. It was a shock to Hannah when he came home from work on a Monday night and told her that she should be the one to call Rey, because he would be using his laptop all night from now on and cannot be interrupted with any video calls.

Hannah frowned as Daddy sat behind his desk in the study, ready for an hour or so of working before dinner time. Normally, they would be talking together with Rey at this hour, but he seemed intent on working.

She was afraid to ask, mostly because she was scared of the answer, but she asked anyway. "Daddy, are you and Rey still fighting?"

He stopped typing and peered up from his laptop to look at her. His lips flattened into a fine line before he sighed and said, "We...had a little misunderstanding. That's normal with...friends. It's nothing to worry about."

There it was again. It was nothing. But Hannah knew it wasn't nothing. And so, she prodded again. "Are you two going to be alright?"

Daddy smiled, but it was a weird smile. Like it hurt him to do so. "Of course we will, Sweetheart. Now come here and give Daddy a hug. I need it right now."

Hannah was only too eager to throw her arms around her daddy's big shoulders, and she kissed his cheek before letting go.

"Thank you, Sweetheart." He patted her on the head, ruffling her hair a bit. "Now, off you go. Just call me if you want to have dinner, alright?"

Hannah nodded, walked out of the office and closed the door, but not before sneaking in a peek at her daddy. He didn't go back to work, and instead, stood up from his desk to stare out the window.

She bit her lip and stepped away from the door. The way her daddy was acting...how sad he looked...it was making her feel sad and scared at the same time. What if her mommy and daddy will never be friends again? It was a scary thought, and she decided to put off calling Rey until after she and Daddy cooked and had dinner together. She needed to be brave enough to ask her mommy the same questions too, and that was going to take a bit of time.


Once they had their dinner and put away the dishes, Daddy went straight back into his home office while Hannah dashed into her room to video call Rey on her phone while she was still brave enough to do so.

It only took a few rings before Rey answered. "Hannah, Sweetie. Hi!"

Rey sounded happy, excited even at the call, but Hannah could tell something was off. Maybe it was her mommy's smile. It didn't seem as radiant.

She decided to just go for it. "Rey, can I ask? Did you and Daddy have a fight when we were camping?"

She watched her mommy pause, eyes unblinking and mouth hanging open before she lowered her head. "You're Daddy and I...we're going to be fine, Honey. It's nothing."

Hannah scrunched up her nose. She was sounding just like Daddy. "If it's nothing, then why are you two not talking?"

Rey took a bit longer to answer, teeth sinking to her bottom lip. "It's just a misunderstanding, that's all. That happens with...friends."

"That's what Daddy said too," Hannah pointed out.

"And he's right," Rey answered quickly. "You have misunderstandings with your friends sometimes, don't you?"

"I guess," Hannah mumbled. "Bridgette and I had a fight earlier. She thought I stole her pencil with the little unicorn on it. It turns out we have the same pencil. We were okay after that."

"See, honey? That's how friendships are. They're not always sunshine and rainbows. Sometimes, friends fight even about little things," Rey said with a gentle but sad smile.

"Did you fight with Daddy about a little thing?" Hannah asked, her heart pounding when Rey didn't answer immediately. After a time, she asked, "It was a big thing, wasn't it?"

"It's...we're going to be fine," Rey assured her, but Hannah didn't feel reassured at all. "Still, no matter what happens, your daddy and I will always love you. We will always be your parents, and nothing is ever going to change that. Okay?"

Hannah blinked. No, it was not okay. Rey sounded like Bridgette's mom. Bridgette had told her about what her mom had told her when her parents went through a divorce. And now Rey was saying the same thing!

She started opening her mouth to speak, to point out what she knew about Bridgette's parents, but she stopped. It was stupid. Rey and Daddy weren't going through a divorce. They weren't even married! Well...she wanted them to be, but now that they were fighting, she felt as though that dream was floating away.

"Rey, will you talk to Daddy?" Hannah said in a small voice. "Please? I really want you two to be okay."

"We will. Eventually," Rey said, but it felt like she wasn't keen on the idea. "It's just that, these things take time. Anyway, let's move on to happier things. Tell me about school and about Bridgette."


It had seemed like forever since attorney-turned-senator Leia Organa set foot in Coruscant City. Well, not exactly set foot. She was in the Bentley after all, with her assistant Charles Threepio and the chauffeur Arthur Artoo. Threepio was still reminding her of the litany of things she will need to do once she got back to her office in a few days but she barely listened. She had been traveling overseas for months and had worked herself to the bone, which was why right now, work was the furthest thing from her mind. All she wanted to do was see her son and granddaughter again.

She felt renewed vigor at the thought of seeing Hannah. That girl always brought back a spark of youth in her, and she needed that kind of energy right now. She needed to hold her grandbaby in her arms and kiss her cheeks and talk to her the way she hadn't been able to do for the longest time.

One more turn and they reached the line of houses that led to Ben's place. She peered out the car window and saw him standing in front of the house with Hannah. She had informed Ben ahead of time of her arrival, but it surprised her nonetheless that he was home. She had expected the babysitter Rose to be the one to meet her at the house because Ben usually came home late. It was a nice change of pace.

"Grandma!" Hannah squealed once she had alighted the vehicle, and she bent down so she could hug the family's little princess. She didn't have to bend too much though. She wasn't exactly towering over people like her late husband and her son, and Hannah seemed to have grown taller.

"My, how you've grown!" Leia declared as she pulled back from the hug. "My little pumpkin isn't so little anymore."

Hannah giggled when Leia repeatedly kissed her cheeks. She turned to her son, and he leaned down so she could pull him into a quick hug. She smiled. They weren't always this warm towards each other. Having Hannah in their lives had made a world of difference.

"How are you, Mother?"

Mother. That was the only remnant of their distant relationship. She still would've preferred if he called her 'Mom', but it would be hard to break the habit now. "I'm a little tired from the journey. And you? You look tired yourself. I can see circles around your eyes."

"It's just been stressful at work. Nothing to worry about."

Leia tightened her lips. She wasn't so sure about that. There was a sadness about Ben that she couldn't ignore, and she resolved to talk to him later about it. "So, have you both prepared dinner yet? Because if not, we can order take out. I'd cook with you, but I'm exhausted."

"It's okay, Grandma. Daddy and I already cooked because he came home early." Hannah tugged at her hand. "Let's go eat and talk! Daddy and I have so much to tell you!"

"...and she added chocolate syrup to my smores. It was delicious!"

"Mmmm! I have to try that sometime." Leia wiped her mouth with a napkin. Her granddaughter had spent almost the entire dinner catching her up on Rey-from their first meeting, to the nightly video calls, and to their weekend visits. It seemed Hannah had definitely developed a close relationship with her biological mother in the span of a few months. With Ben too, if the little girl was to be believed, but Leia wasn't so certain about that. Whenever Hannah would try to get Ben included in the conversation or pointed out how he too had become close to Rey, Ben seemed to clam up. In fact, he was silent for most of the meal and only ever talked when necessary.

If his behavior wasn't strange enough, he was quick to excuse himself from the table after eating.

"I need to get back to work," he reasoned. "I still have a lot of reports to make for tomorrow."

"Alright, Son." Leia nodded and watched him walk out of the dining room.

"Daddy's sad," Hannah said once her father was out of earshot, and Leia turned to her in surprise. Then again, her granddaughter had always been quite perceptive.

"Why do you say that, Pumpkin?"

"He and Rey had a fight." Hannah twisted her lips. "Actually, they call it a misunderstanding. They haven't been talking since we were camping in the desert. And it's been days!"

"I see." Leia nodded. That would explain why Ben was acting the way he was. There was something else nagging her too-the way Hannah described Ben and Rey's initial closeness, how happy her Daddy was around her. It was a suspicion that took hold of her and wouldn't let go.

She ushered Hannah from the table so they could put the dishes in the dishwasher, her mind still on her son even as Hannah moved on to talk about a different topic. She wanted to be able to focus on her granddaughter, but she won't be able to do that until she got her son's situation sorted.

"Hannah, Pumpkin, go and play on your Swatch. I need to talk to your father for a bit but I'll be right back."

"It's called a Switch, Grandma," Hannah corrected with a laugh, but did as she was told and went to the entertainment room.

Once she was gone, Leia left for Ben's study, walking through the house until she reached his office door. She knocked softly. "Ben, can I come in?"

"Yes, Mother," Ben called from inside, and Leia went in to find him standing by the window beside his desk. "What can I do for you?"

He was still so formal with her, Leia thought, but she supposed that was no fault but her own. Years of schooling him on etiquette and propriety-something that had been passed on to her by her own parents-had indeed turned him into a prim and proper young man. Well...except for those few years of rebellion when he joined that rock band, but he changed after Hannah was born. Everything changed for all of them when Hannah was born, and it was a change for the better. They had a closer relationship now, but she still couldn't quite get past that barrier of formality between them.

"It's not what you can do for me. It's what I can do for you." Leia stepped further inside until she was sitting on the chair in front of his desk. "Ever since I got here, I noticed that you've been...how should I put it...off. Is there something bothering you?"

Ben paused for a bit before slowly sitting down on his swivel chair, one hand running across his dark hair. "How much did Hannah tell you?"

"Only that you and Rey had a misunderstanding and that you haven't talked in days," Leia said. She waited for her son to talk, but he didn't. He seemed to be contemplating though, and she added, "Ben, I know that I wasn't really the best mother-"

"Please don't say that," he protested. "You've been a great mother-"

"I was neglectful, Son. Let's not delude ourselves. And I'm the first to admit that your father and I should've given you more attention when you were growing up." She tightened her lips, regret seeping into her thoughts before she shook them away. "For what it's worth, I'm here for you now. And I hate seeing you so torn up. So please. Tell me what's wrong. Maybe I can help."

Ben grew quiet again. She watched him bury his face in his palms before running both his hands through his scalp, mussing up his otherwise perfectly combed hair.

He drew a breath, and Leia straightened in her seat.

"Hannah...she talked earlier about how close Rey and I had gotten, right?" he asked, and Leia nodded, her hands curling involuntarily on her long pencil skirt. She had an inkling of where this was going, and she felt her heart pound in anticipation. "It's...it's gotten to a point where I...I sort of...I mean I'm…"

He trailed off, absently running his forefinger across his lips as he stared off at nothing in particular.

Leia sighed and ventured, "You've fallen in love with her haven't you?"

Ben stopped rubbing his lips, his eyes locking with his mother's. After a time, his shoulders sagged and he nodded.

Leia looked away. She had to, if only to hide the smile that was beginning to form on her lips. She had never met this Rey. She had only talked to her on the phone once, and had only learned more about her from Hannah's constant chatter during dinner earlier. She sounded like a wonderful person, and to have her son admit that he had fallen in love-which she believed was for the first time ever in his life-was making her happier than she ever thought it would. Her mind was suddenly bombarded with images of children running up and down the stairs of this five-bedroom house, but she swiftly got herself back to the present.

"Does Rey know that you love her?"

Leia saw pain lance through her son's features, and she watched him take in a shaky breath.

"Mother...I...I fucked up." Ben froze from his use of profanity and apologized, but she stopped him.

"It's okay, Ben. But tell me. How did you...fuck up?"

She thought she could see just the faintest hint of a smile on her son's lips at her cursing. It was highly improper, but if it brought some levity to this otherwise oppressive atmosphere, then she would curse some more until he was bursting at the seams with laughter.

Thank goodness she didn't need to resort to that though, as Ben began telling her about what had happened in the desert. She listened with rapt attention in regards to Rey's work and financial situation as well as her emotional attachment to her late grandfather, both of which kept her tethered to her hometown.

"So I tried to convince her to leave Jakku. To come live with Hannah and me," Ben continued. "As you know from Hannah, Uncle Chewie already has a job waiting for her here. But she wouldn't budge. I got so frustrated that I started yelling at her and called her dense."

Leia winced. "Son, that wasn't...very nice."

"No, it wasn't," Ben agreed mournfully. "She started yelling back and the next thing I know, I...I blurted it out to her."

"Blurted what out to her?"

"That I loved her." Once again, Ben buried his face in his palms before running them up his hair and grabbing fistfuls of strands. "I didn't just blurt it out. I practically screamed at her and cursed at the same time."

Leia sucked in a breath through her teeth, hissing a little as though she had been stung. Her son really did fu...messed up. "And then what happened?"

"Hannah was apparently woken up by our fighting and got out of the tent to stop us." Ben leaned heavily against the backrest of his chair, as though his confession had knocked the wind out of him. "I can still remember the look of...of horror on Rey's face. We haven't talked since then. And even if I had the guts to call her, I wouldn't know what to say. I've completely ruined our friendship and all because I couldn't stop my stupid mouth."

"It wasn't your mouth, Son. It was your heart." Leia reached across the desk to put a hand over Ben's. "You've been holding back your feelings for her for so long. It was bound to come out one way or another."

"Yeah. I just wish it didn't have to come out like that." He turned his palm over so he could hold her hand properly, his eyes growing misty. "Mother...I don't know what to do. Do I just tell her that it was just a heat of the moment thing? That I didn't really mean it?"

Leia shook her head vigorously. "No, Son, no. That's going to make things worse. She'll think you're toying with her feelings."

"Then, I'm screwed." He sighed, and Leia tightened her hold of his hand. He was starting to talk more casually; less formal. She liked that, but there were other pressing matters to attend to. "I tried, Mother. I really tried to keep it in so I wouldn't ruin our friendship. So I wouldn't lose her. But now…"

"Son...maybe there's a chance for you just yet."

Ben looked up, and Leia smiled to give him reassurance.

"She never outright rejected you, did she?" she asked.

"Mother, you should've seen her face. She looked horrified. Disgusted even."

"You don't know that," Leia refuted gently. "You were in shock. Your perception could have been skewed. As long as she didn't say no or that she didn't feel the same way, you still have a chance."

"But…"

"Rey could very well have feelings for you too, but just doesn't realize it yet." She patted his hand with her other hand. "I should know. I didn't even realize I was in love with your father until he confessed to me."

"You didn't?" There was a glimmer of hope in Ben's voice.

Leia beamed. "I didn't. Though in retrospect, I was actually in denial. He wasn't exactly someone my parents would have approved of, and I didn't want to admit to myself that I was in love with such a scoundrel. But after his confession, everything clicked into place, and the same might be true for Rey."

"But what if she rejects me?" Ben asked, slipping his hand away from her grasp to comb through his hair again.

"You never know until you talk to her," Leia pointed out, then added, "In person."

Ben stopped running his hand over his hair. "You want me to talk to her? Like, face to face?"

Leia nodded. "It's more sincere that way. Bring her flowers while you're at it. Apologize to her, and then tell her you love her. Properly this time."

"I don't know, Mother," Ben said, lips flattening into a fine line. "Our relationship is already so complicated as it is. Rey did tell me once that love gets in the way of friendship. It's getting in the way of ours now."

"True, it can get in the way, or it could enrich it. Make it blossom into something more beautiful," Leia noted. "Ben, there's no going back to what you had said. The only way to go from here is forward. Take a leap of faith. If she loves you back, then that's absolutely wonderful. If she doesn't...then at least you know you tried."

Ben seemed to consider this for a moment before he let out a sharp breath. "Even if I did confess to Rey again, there's still Hannah to consider. I can't be selfish. If Rey rejects me, it would be too awkward for all of us, especially for Hannah. She really wants Rey and me to be together."

"Sure, it may be uncomfortable at first," Leia acknowledged, "but eventually, it'll pass as long as both of you are determined to make it work for Hannah. There are more than enough divorced couples who are able to co-parent their children and maintain a civil relationship. Not saying you're going through a divorce, but it's the closest analogy I could think of."

Ben lowered his gaze, and Leia waited patiently for him to take it all in. Finally, he looked at her, his face brightening. "Thank you, Mother. I really needed this."

Leia smiled from ear to ear. She could feel tears prickle at the corners of her eyes. It always brought her such joy to be able to help others, even more so with her family. With her son.

She stood up and opened her arms. Ben was quick to walk around his desk and hug her, nearly folding himself in half to do so.

She patted his back, and not so formally, said, "Go get her, tiger."


This was madness. Absolute madness.

Here he was, driving across quiet roads in the dead of night, hands trembling on the steering wheel as he constantly checked on the passenger's seat to make sure the bouquet of Rey's favorite flower-daisies-was still there, as though it would just disappear into thin air.

He was going insane. He had to be. What sane man would just up and leave at night, beg the closest flower shop to open for him, then drive to the middle of nowhere to confess to the woman he loves? At least he wasn't crazy enough to leave his daughter alone. His mother was with her, and had given him her blessing to travel the three hours it would take to get to Jakku. Well, two hours, now that there wasn't much traffic.

It still didn't make his impulse decision to go that very same night any less nuts, but Ben knew he had to. His talk with his mother had given him just enough courage to go, and he had to before he changed his mind.

He called Rey first, of course. He wasn't an idiot. But she kept ending the call. He tried three more times before his calls led to voicemail. She must've switched off her phone. She clearly didn't want to talk to him, but he was already halfway there, and soon, he passed by the now familiar, dilapidated sign that welcomed motorists to the small town of Jakku. He had arrived. No turning back now.

He drove off the road, checking his GPS to make sure he was heading the right way, all the while passing far between houses. It was almost eleven in the evening, so most of the houses already had their lights out. The streetlamps were on to guide him though, until he saw Rey's house in the distance.

He drove closer and closer, his eyes so fixated on the wooden bungalow that he almost crashed into the car parked in front of Rey's house. He stopped behind the car and frowned. He'd never seen this car before, and he knew Rey only owned that Chevy from her grandfather. Did that mean she had a visitor? At this hour? Was that...was that why she wouldn't answer his calls? Because someone was with her?

A peal of laughter echoed from the house. He turned just in time to see Rey, leading a man out of the door and into the dimly lit porch, his heart stopping when he saw her pull the man into her arms, their shadowed faces angled into what could only be an intimate kiss.