Chapter 17

Homecoming

Three years later.

It had been three years since she saw him for the last time. He had moved to Chicago and married Molly shortly after. Aaron had told Molly about his relationship with Emma and as a result, Emma wasn't invited to their wedding. Not that Emma wanted to attend it anyway, it was better this way. She couldn't bear the thought of the man he had loved marrying another woman. Out of her consciousness, she had sent Molly a letter, showing how sorry she was for everything and how she hoped the best for her and Aaron which she got no reply as she already expected. She had never talked to the two of them anymore since.

Twenty-five years old Emma was a much stronger and talented woman. She resigned from her old job and now was opening her own law firm that she co-owned together with her cousin's fiancé, Lucas Miller. They called it 'Geller & Miller Environmental Law Firm'. It even had a ring to it, much to Emma's delight. It has been six months since they had opened their small office in an office complex somewhere in downtown New York.

Things had been hectic for a few days, they were now responsible for a big case involving a certain pharmacy company vs. a small town just outskirt New York they represented. She was so busy, she barely spent her day at home. She was now living with Lily as soon as Erica moved out to live with her fiancé. She was more than happy for Erica, but yet she felt slightly jealous for her. Her one and a half year younger cousin was getting married and she had no one. She hadn't had a serious relationship after Aaron. The longest one probably lasted up to six months, the guy named Justin, a friend of Lucas, but they broke up after a few disagreements and she realized they both wanted different things. He wanted to pursue his career, as a top lawyer, but she wanted to start a family before she turned thirty. So, yeah, it didn't work for them, probably for the best. She had a few dates after with some guys, but none lasted. Her busy schedule wasn't helping either. She barely found time to sleep, let alone finding a new guy to date with. No, she didn't have time for that.

This morning, Emma strolled around the neighborhood to grab a cup of her morning coffee. It was her daily routine before she had to go to work.

"One cafe latte to go, please." She ordered her drink at a local Starbucks and paid for it.

She then moved into a stool nearby, waiting for her coffee, while checking her phone for emails and texts. She chuckled at the picture of her two and a half years old nephew, Louis, the son of Ben and Hailee. Louis was enjoying his watermelon and had his face covered in red. Being the first grandson of the Green-Gellers, Louis undoubtedly became the center of attention in the entire family, especially from Ross and Rachel. Ross and Rachel had flown numerous times to Boston ever since Hailee gave birth to Louis. They adored him so much. After sending a comment about how cute Louis was, she heard her name being called. To her surprise it wasn't the barista who was calling her name. It was a man who stood up a few feet away from her. He was wearing a neat navy suit and a pair of glasses. She gulped after she realized who the man was.

"Emma?" He asked with the biggest smile on his face.

She looked up and found him staring at him, she couldn't help but smile. She had missed him so much it drove her crazy sometimes.

"Hey, Aaron.. What are you doing in New York?"

"Wow. You look great." He said, noticing her hair was shorter than the last time he saw her. She was even more beautiful than before if that was even possible, he thought.

"Thanks." She blushed. "Uhm, so.. What brings you to New York?"

"Work, I guess. I recently got transferred back to New York." He explained.

"Really?" She asked and he nodded. "So, how's the twins and Molly?" She finally asked something that had been on her mind since she saw him.

Just before he could answer her coffee was ready and she went to pick it up.

"Hey, I was wondering if you had time for lunch today?" He asked timidly.

She frowned. It's not that she wanted to decline it, it's just she had to go to the court today, she had no time for lunch.

"I can't. Sorry."

He looked down, disappointed.

She noticed his disappointment and quickly added, "I have a trial to represent today and tomorrow. I don't think I have time for that."

He somewhat felt relief. At least she wasn't avoiding him, he thought.

"It's okay." He gave her a smile.

She took out a business card from her purse and handed it to him, "Call me. Maybe we'll figure something out this weekend." He smiled and nodded. She then took a look at her watch and gasped, "Look, I'm sorry but I'm late for work. Just give me a call, okay?"

He smiled, "Sure."

He couldn't take his eyes away from her until she disappeared on the corner of the street. He smiled as she read her business card. She owned her own law firm. He was so proud of her. He then grabbed his cup of coffee and left for his first day at work, smiling. It was probably one of the happiest days of the past three years of his life, except for the birth of his twin daughters, Claire and Clara. He took his coffee and smiled as he left the coffee shop. It was going to be an interesting week for him. Absentmindedly he hummed a love song on his way to work, smiling the whole time.

...

As expected the trial consumed much more time than Emma had expected. It was eleven pm and she was still in her office, brainstorming ideas with her coworkers. Her mind was elsewhere throughout the entire day, it surprised her that she hadn't made a mistake during the trial. She was thinking about him, obviously, the whole time. She couldn't help but wonder about a lot of things. Is he still married to Molly? Are Molly and their kids living in New York now? Is he gonna call?

Much to her disappointment he didn't call or text her yet. Suddenly a new text message brightened up her entire lousy day. It was him. She smiled genuinely for the first time that day.

She was engrossed with her phone, she didn't even notice being called by Lucas for the third time that night.

"Emma?" Lucas' loud voice brought her up from her musing.

"Huh?"

Lucas shook his head. He wondered what was gotten into Emma's mind today, she had been particularly quiet today. "What do you think of Amber's idea?"

The whole room looked at Emma expectantly, she gulped, and then she scanned the room and found one of her closest coworkers, Jordan, gave her a thumb up. She made a mental note to thank him later.

She cleared her throat, "I think that's a great idea." She finished with a smile.

Lucas nodded his head, pleased with Emma's comment, "Alright, then it's settled. Let's wrap it up for today. I'll see you tomorrow moning." Lucas clasped his hands together as he finished the meeting.

Emma was cleaning up her desk, gathering her stuff, when Lucas called him, "Hey, Ems. Can I talk to you for a second?"

Emma looked up at Lucas and nodded, "Sure. What is it?"

"Uhm, I was hoping you can help me pick a tux for me next Saturday. I can use some advice from you, you know?"

"For the wedding?" She asked and he nodded and grinned.

"Yeah, that will be great."

He smiled. "Great!" He gave her a hug. "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!"

Emma giggled, "God, I cannot believe you guys are going to marry in two weeks!"

"I know, right! I'm so excited!"

"Knowing my aunt, I figured everything has been taken care of?"

Lucas chuckled as he remembered his earlier meeting with his future mother-in-law at the wedding venue. "You bet. We went for a cake tasting last Sunday. Other than that, everything has been taken care of." He beamed at the thought of his wedding.

Emma smiled, "We're going to be cousin-in-law!" She yelled excitedly and Lucas laughed at her excitement.

"Thank you so much, really. For helping us with the wedding, especially for helping Erica."

Emma nodded, "That's what a maid-of-honor for. Don't worry. Everything is going to be perfect!"

"I hope so." He looked at his watch and murmured something Emma couldn't catch. "Shit. I'm supposed to take Erica to her parent's today. See you later, Ems."

Lucas rushed out from the office as Emma yelled, "See ya!"

She sighed as he left the office. Wedding and her single life didn't sit well with her. Knowing some of her nosy relatives, they'd be questioning her about a boyfriend. She scoffed. She didn't even have a proper date in the last six months, let alone a boyfriend. If only she had someone to attend the wedding with, maybe everything would be better. She thought.

She took a look at her phone as it vibrates once more. She smiled unknowingly. Maybe fate just got her another chance of love.

...

Sunday

She carefully stepped inside the coffee shop, and scanned the room. She then spotted a man sitting by the window with his glasses on, reading a book and sipping his coffee. She smiled. She ordered her drink and made her way toward him.

"Hey, strangers." She greeted as she took a seat in front of him.

He looked up and their eyes met, "Oh.. Hey.."

"What are you reading?"

He quickly put his book inside his bag and scratched his head nervously, "Nothing, just some work-related stuff."

She raised her eyebrows but chose not to question it, "Uhm, okay."

He cleared his throat, "So.. How are you doing?"

"Great. I resigned from my old job and opened my own law firm with a friend of mine, Lucas." She said and then sipped her coffee.

"Lucas, huh? The name does sound familiar."

She smiled, "We spent a night in his cabin in Vermont? Erica's boyfriend?"

"Oh, right! No wonder the name sounds familiar" He chuckled. "So how are they doing? Are they still together?"

"Yes, they are. Although, he is more like her fiance now. They're getting married in two weeks, actually."

He raised his eyebrows, "Really?" She nodded. "Well, that's great. Please send my regards to both of them."

"Sure." She paused. "So, how are you?" She finally asked a question she had been wanting to ask since the first time she saw him that day.

"Great." He sipped his coffee. "My daughters are almost three, they're such an angel." His face beamed as he talked about his daughters, it made Emma smile. "Do you wanna see their picture?" He offered.

"I'd like to."

He took out his phone and showed her some pictures.

"Gosh. They're so adorable!" Emma gushed over the twins. The twins had Aaron's dark hair and his blue eyes. "What are their names?"

Aaron smiled. "Clara and Claire. The one with a bang is Clara and the one with a ponytail is Claire. They're a handful, but I couldn't imagine my life without them." She nodded and smiled. "Hey, do you want to meet them?"

Emma who was sipping her coffee almost choked at his offer. "Uhm, huh?"

"I'm sure they will be glad to meet you. They live with me a couple blocks from here."

"I don't think it's a good idea." He frowned which didn't go unnoticed by Emma. "Not that I don't want to see them. It's just." She paused. "I mean I don't think Molly will appreciate that."

He giggled, realizing that he hadn't talked about a detail from his life.

She tilted her head, bewildered by his demeanour. "What?" She asked.

"Molly and I are no longer married." She was stunned for a moment. "Yeah, we filed for divorce about a year ago." He groggily scratched his head.

"Oh my gosh. I-I'm so sorry to hear that." She said wholeheartedly.

"Yeah, it wasn't meant to be. Molly and me. It was a marriage without love, it surprised me we even lasted for almost two years." He said softly.

"What. Uhm. So.. Where is she now?"

"She's been living in Barcelona for almost seven months now, pursuing her music's career. She visits once in a few months for our daughters, but they're living with me. For the best, probably."

"Oh"

"I'm happy for her, actually. She finally found something she truly loves and she's been happier now than I've ever seen her." Emma smiled. "And guess what?"

"What?" She asked timidly.

"She's the one who keeps encouraging me to find you."

"She did?" Emma was left speechless. She always thought Molly hated her guts, but why would she encourage Aaron to find her? She thought.

He nodded shyly.

"Why?" She asked.

He shrugged, he honestly didn't know why she did that. "I don't know." He started. "She said that as we bid our goodbye after we left the courthouse. By then we realized we weren't happy with the marriage and we wished each other happiness. At least our marriage ended on good terms, that's the best thing we could do for the girls." He sighed. "Believe me. We tried our best to stay married, but at one point, both of us were tired trying. We were tired of pretending to be happily married when we both knew we were miserable. We fought all the time during our last few months together and let me tell you, it wasn't a pretty sight to see, especially in front of our daughters. And then one day, she talked to me and asked for a divorce." He hung his head down, somewhat feeling like a failure, which didn't go unnoticed by Emma.

She stroked his hand gently, "I'm so sorry."

He looked up and shook his head, "No, it's okay." He paused. "It's for the best. It's only a matter of time until one of us was brave enough to ask for a divorce. It wasn't meant to be from the beginning. The marriage itself started for a wrong reason. We were married because it's what the society expected you to do after she got pregnant with our kids." He explained softly.

She squeezed his hand and he smiled in return. "Gosh. Everything was much simpler when we were a kid, huh?" She joked which earned her a small smile from him.

"Yeah.." He smiled wider. "Back then we wereso careless about the world. So innocent. Sometimes I missed it." He paused and she smiled. "I missed the younger version of us."

She nodded, agreeing with his words. "I know." She sighed. "Remember when we used to play bride and groom in my backyards?"

He grinned as he reminisced about the past. "Of course, I did. You forced me to do that." He laughed which earned him a glare from her. "I remember you stole your mom's veil from her closet and wore it."

She smiled at the memory, "Yeah, and I also remember I got an earful for it after."

They both giggled for a few moments and then at some point their gaze met and they stopped laughing. Their gaze locked for a few seconds until she averted her gaze into her coffee and sipped it. They talked for hours, talking about the life they had missed from being apart with each other.

He cleared his throat and looked at his watch, "Anyway.." He started and she looked up to him. "It's getting late now. Can you believe we just spent three hours in this place?"

She smiled, "It's nice catching up with you."

He reciprocated her smile, "Same goes with me." He sighed. "I'm sorry, but I have to go now." He said as he gathered his belongings. "The twins' nanny shift is supposed to be over in half an hour." He explained.

"Oh." She said with a hint of sadness which didn't go unnoticed by him.

He stopped and smiled. "Hey.." She looked up. "Uhm.. I was wondering if maybe you would like to watch a movie with me sometimes." He groggily asked.

She smiled and nodded, "Okay." She answered softly.

He grinned at her answer, "How about next Saturday at six pm?"

She nodded, still smiling. "Sounds good to me."

"Great." He paused as they looked into each other's eyes. "It's a date."

Her smile grew wider at those words, "It's a date." She confirmed.

...

Two weeks later

Today was the wedding day of Erica Bing and Lucas Miller. Being the maid-of-honor made Emma busy lately. Thankfully, her boss who was also the groom, cut her some slack at her work so that she could focus on the wedding preparation. Emma, together with other bridesmaids- Ashley Tribbiani and Lily Hannigan, the bride's mother- Monica, Rachel, Judy Geller, and her younger sister- Ella were all gathered around the beautiful bride, Erica Bing.

"You look so beautiful, honey." Rachel commented as Erica stood in front of a full-size mirror.

Monica teared up at the scene, "I can't believe it." She started with a shaky voice. "My baby girl is getting married."

Rachel patted her sister-in-law's back softly and handed her a tissue.

Erica smiled at her mom, "Thank you, mom."

Monica burst into tears and hugged her, "Wait until your dad sees you. He's gonna cry an ocean for this." She joked which earned a chuckle from Erica.

Chandler showed up at the door and gasped, "Wow." He managed to say after staring at his daughter for a few good seconds.

Erica, who was tearing up at this point smiled and offered him a hug by stretching her arms. Chandler smiled and walked toward Erica.

"You look so gorgeous." He tearfully said as they hugged.

"Thanks, dad." Erica murmured.

Emma hated to break the moment, but if they wanted to start the wedding on time, they better hurry.

Emma cleared her throat to gain their attention, "Sorry to bother you guys. But it's time."

With that the whole party went outside, leaving the bride with her dad.

"Good luck." Emma smiled and gave Erica a hug.

"Thanks, Ems." Erica smiled thankfully.

Not long after, the wedding started. The wedding was held in a garden decorated with a rustic touch with white flowers surrounding the whole venue. It was beautiful. As Emma reached the altar as the maid-of-honor, she could spot him sitting in the crowd, sitting at the back seat. He gave her a smile which was quickly returned by her.

Things with Aaron had been going well lately. They had taken things slowly this time, just enjoying the time they had lost by being apart with each other. It turned out being apart with each other brought them good things. They both came out more mature than before. They were also more stable at their work.

Their first date went really great. Things weren't as awkward as she expected it to be. They talked, they laughed, and most importantly they enjoyed each other's company. They clicked almost immediately. Just like these past few years they've never been apart. They had only met a couple times after due to their busy schedule, but it didn't stop them from catching up with each other. Their constant texts and calls made these past two weeks pass by in a bliss. They were so happy together. Emma decided to ask Aaron as a date for the wedding after their last date and he happily agreed.

During the wedding ceremony, Emma's gaze fixed into his as the groom and the bride said their vows. Joey Tribbiani was officiating the wedding as requested from Chandler. Chandler, as expected, was crying an ocean during the ceremony. As the groom and the bride shared a kiss for the first time as a married couple, Emma clapped her hands together with the guests and she shed happy tears. She was glad that Erica found a great husband figure, well mostly thanks to her. The wedding ceremony ended beautifully as the newlywed exited the venue.

The wedding reception started soon after. Emma managed to squeeze Aaron to their table she shared with her family- her parents, Emmery, Ella, Ben, Hailee, and little Louis. Emma had told her entire family about Aaron and all of them were happy for her, except for Ross who remained skeptical at every boyfriend his daughter brought. The DJ caught their attention when he announced that the newlywed would have their first dance. Emma stared at Erica and Lucas and smiled. She was genuinely happy for the couple. With that she averted her gaze into the man sitting next to her and she smiled. If things went well with them, this time it might be it.

At some point, people started to gather around the dancing floor, swaying along the songs, including her parents, and her brothers with their partners. Joey came and asked Ella, who was left alone, for a dance which Ella gladly accepted, leaving Emma and Aaron alone at the table.

"May I have this dance?" Aaron stood up and offered her his hand.

She smiled as she remembered the similar things that happened a few years ago at her brother's wedding.

She nodded and placed her hand into his, "Sure."

With that, the couple went into the dance floor. Aaron rested his hand around her waist securely, while Emma encircled her hand in his neck as they stared into each other's eyes and swayed with the music.

A few moments after, the music changed. Emma gasped at the music selection. It was too perfect to be a coincidence. It was the same song they had shared a dance with that night. She looked around and found Erica smiling at them and winked. Emma laughed and shook her head. She made a mental note to thank Erica later.

When the rain is blowin' in your face

And the whole world is on your case

I could offer you a warm embrace

To make you feel my love

"Hey.. this is our song." He pointed it out at some point.

She chuckled and nodded, "It is."

They continued to dance with a knowing smile on their face.

When the evenin' shadows and the stars appear

And there is no one there to dry your tears

I could hold you for a million years

To make you feel my love

"Do you regret it?" She suddenly asked.

He tilted his head, bewildered. "Huh? About what?"

"Coming to me that day in Boston." She started and he remained quiet, letting her continue. She sighed. "I mean, maybe if you didn't come that day, everything would be better for you and her."

He frowned. Did he not make it clear to her that he didn't love Molly anymore? He fell out of love with Molly not only because of her, but also because they had drifted apart, way before Emma walked into his life again. He thought Emma would know it by now.

He sighed. "No." He stated firmly. "Because what we have is special. I'll do it the same way all over again if I have a chance." He paused. "Through the short months we've shared together, I discovered something." He brushed her hair aside, "I discovered us."

She leaned in and rested her head into his chest and sighed in content.

I know you haven't made your mind up yet

But I would never do you wrong

I've known it from the moment that we met

No doubt in my mind where you belong

"What about you?" He asked after a few moments.

She looked up, smiled, and shook her head. "Not even a single regret."

"Great." He smiled wider.

I could make you happy, make your dreams come true

Nothing that I wouldn't do

Go to the ends of the earth for you

To make you feel my love

To make you feel my love

"Hey.." He said softly. "Have I told you that you look stunning tonight?"

She blushed under his praise. She shook her head lightly, "No. Not yet."

"Well, in that case. I have to say it." He stared into her eyes. "You look incredibly stunning tonight."

"Thanks." She murmured before she brushed her lips softly against him.

The storms are raging on the rollin' sea

And on the highway of regret

The winds of change are blowin' wild and free

You ain't seen nothing like me yet

"This feels great." She murmured as she rested her head back into his chest.

"It does." He started. "Hey, I was wondering about something."

She held her chin up and looked at him, "About what?"

"I was wondering if you would come to the twin's birthday party next month." He shyly asked.

She smiled, "Really?" He nodded. "Do you think we're ready?"

He planted a kiss in her forehead, "I think we do. Besides, the girls are going to like you."

She raised her eyebrows skeptically, "You think so?" He nodded again. "Are you sure they're not going to hate me?"

He chuckled at her worries. If his daughters were anything like him, which he was sure of, they were going to love Emma. No doubt about that.

"They're going to love you."

Her lips curved into a smile, but suddenly disappeared when she thought about something. Or someone, to be exact.

"What?" He asked, noticing her sudden change of expression.

She stopped dancing and pulled away from him, crossing her arms into her chest and frowned. "What about Molly?"

He took her hands into his, "I've talked to her about us." She remained silent, allowing him to continue. "She was fine with you coming. In fact, she would bring her boyfriend too."

She bit her lips nervously, "Really?"

He brought her closer, "Mm-hmm.." He planted another kiss on her forehead. "Everything is going to be okay."

With that she smiled and they enjoyed the rest of their dance together as the future await them.

I'd go hungry, I'd go black and blue

I'd go crawlin' down the avenue

No, there's nothing that I wouldn't do

To make you feel my love