A/N: As always, thanks for reading and reviewing!

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On Sunday, he woke with a grin on his face as the sunlight hit his eyelids. Well, it wasn't the sunlight that earned his grin. As he let his eyes flutter open, he saw a bundle of dark hair splayed over his chest. His gorgeous wife, in her favorite Bears sleeper, was draped over him with one of her arms wrapped around him and her head lying atop of his chest.

He moved her hair a bit, gently tucking it behind her ear so that he could take in her sleeping form a bit better. At some time during the night, she must've decided she desired this proximity to her husband. He wondered, perhaps with a bit of vanity and pride, if his wife found comfort and ease in him that made her sleep so peacefully because she was out cold.

Barely moving so as not to disturb her, he reached for his phone. He meant to just check his messages and the morning headlines, but he felt a sudden burst of inspiration. He snapped a photo of them as he held a sleeping Teresa on his chest.

She must have sensed his movement because she started to stir. "Good morning, my love."

"Mmmhmm."

That she grumbled out sleepily and made no attempt to move suggested that she wasn't yet fully awake. He just kissed the top of her head and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, holding her onto his body. She could use the extra sleep, and they had no immediate plans this morning. Thinking of how there was no place he would rather be, he also fell into a peaceful slumber.

A little later, a knock on the door woke both of them. "When are we going to have breakfast?"

Shifting, she looked up into his eyes. He grinned as he tightened the grip around her shoulders a bit. Pushing her hair behind her ears, she half yelled out. "In just a bit. Give me a minute please."

"Did you sleep well?"

"Of course." That sense of pride hit him again as she placed a chaste kiss onto his lips before pushing herself up.

Rolling over, he reached for her arm and kissed her hand. "Hey, why don't we just go get breakfast burritos this morning? Annie loves those."

From the twinkle in her eye, he could tell he had her. "Breakfast burritos sound great."

"Hey Annie!"

"Yes?" The little girl answered quickly, so he figured she must be right outside their door.

"Get dressed. We're going out for breakfast this morning." She looked at him. "I need a shower."

"Me too. I say we hop in together so we can make this quick." She rolled her eyes at him. "What? We shower together all the time? I'm just proposing we do it without the sex to streamline this breakfast process. I can tell you're hungry!"

Once again, her eyes gave her away, clearly indicating that even if sex were on his mind, that was a nonstarter. "Fine, but no funny business, mister!"

"Well, you know all about funny business, don't you?"

She threw a towel at him before he jumped to chase her to the shower.

Unfortunately, they did not arrive at the restaurant in time to beat the Sunday morning rush, so they had to wait a bit to be seated. As he sat holding Teresa's hand on a bench outside and Annie played on some playground equipment nearby, the wait didn't matter too much to him. Though, he grinned to himself when he heard her stomach growl and heard her grumble about people taking too damn long to eat. He only hoped that she never got tired of sharing these little moments with him.

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After breakfast, they got the house ready for game night. The house came equipped with a game room, so he took it upon himself to get the room ready for their game nights while she was away this week.

One afternoon this week, he left work early to let the furniture delivery people in to place the new reclining furniture in the room. He also had a 73 inch tv delivered and mounted that day. In the center of the room was the whole thing that brought this idea to life: the antique poker table. The week before, they were out and Teresa saw it. He could tell she liked it, so he doubled back and bought it. Really, that's where the whole idea started.

Of course, he did it to surprise her, knowing full well she'd probably protest against it if she knew in advance. He wanted to do something nice for her and have somewhere for their guests to be comfortable. He was going to surprise her on Friday night, but when she told him about game night, he decided to hold off.

"Honey, where's our card table?" He grinned to himself. Show time.

"Oh, I put it in the game room." He motioned toward the room. "Want to help me get it out?"

She raised her eyebrows. "Sure."

He paused when they got to the door. "Lady CBI Agents first."

She laughed as she opened the door and he followed her in. "Where…"

Her sentence tapered off as she silently let her eyes danced around the room, stopping at the antique poker table in the middle of the room. She was quite literally at a loss for words, so he closed the distance between them, wrapped his arm around her waist, and kissed her neck.

"Well, I think you found it. Surprise!"

She chuckled softly. "What is this?"

"Our new and improved game room. I figured when we host, it would be nice to have a place to sit, watch games, and play cards. No set up required."

"That's a big ass tv."

"I know it is. Wouldn't want the love of my life straining her eyes to see the plays."

She started to speak but stopped abruptly. Admittedly, it made him a bit anxious. He expected some pushback from her on this because he had dropped some money on it, but he hoped she didn't genuinely dislike it. He settled in and waited for the lecture on spending money.

She turned quickly, wrapping her arms around his back and placing a kiss on his lips. She smiled as she pulled back. "I love it, honey. Thank you."

That made him smile. "I'm glad you like it."

"I will go get the snacks and bring them in here!"

A little while later, their guests arrived. If he hadn't been clear on her genuinely liking what he'd done with the space, he was now.

"Guys, check out our new game room!" Grace, Wayne, and Kimball followed her to the room, and all three of them were staring in marvel at it as well. She was practically gushing when she reached for his hand. "Patrick just surprised me with this, but check this out!"

"Just wanted to make use of the space we have!"

"I'd say so. I bet you could stream high quality movies on that. Almost like having a movie theatre." Wayne rubbed his chin as he gazed at the tv. He had a feeling that hanging with the guys a bit more might be something in his immediate future.

He just clapped Wayne on the shoulder. "If you're ever in the mood for a movie, you bring the popcorn and we'll watch a movie."

"Don't let him choose movies." Grace laughed at Kimball's well placed remark. He could see Wayne having a more eclectic movie taste that the rest of the group wouldn't appreciate.

"That's not fair! How was I supposed to know that movie was bad? And I still don't think it was that bad!"

"It's called a review, Wayne." Not missing the chance to tease her boyfriend, Grace got in on the fun as she rubbed her belly.

"It wasn't that…"

He saw Teresa nodded vigorously next to him. "Oh, but it was that bad."

"Oh man. What movie did you make them watch?"

When Wayne averted his eyes in shame like a little boy, he knew it was bad. "Suicide Squad."

"Oof!" He turned to look at Grace. "And you stuck with him? That takes guts. You have my sympathy."

They all laughed at Wayne's expense, but he took it in stride with a little laughter of his own. "I learned a lesson about reviews...and how snobby you all are."

"Alright. Well, let's get you a beer, my man. We'll make those memories go away." Wayne laughed as Annie made her way into the game room.

"Hi everybody." She gave Grace a hug before coming over to lean into his side. "Did mommy like it?"

"She loved it!"

"Can I go play?"

He found Teresa's eyes and she nodded. "Of course, you can. Stay inside though. We're just going to watch the game here. So you can come in and out. The food will be here soon."

And with that, Annie was off. The guys came to the kitchen with him to get their drinks situated. When he returned, Teresa and Grace were sitting on the couch in deep conversation.

"I hope you girls aren't talking about poor Wayne still. I can tell he really is sorry about the movie choice...or at least that he embarrassed himself. Hard to tell which really." That earned him a round of laughs as he handed Teresa her water before sitting next to her.

Wayne scoffed as Kimball said, "Not sorry enough."

"I was just telling Lisbon that I got my limited duty paperwork submitted to HR on Friday before I left."

He furrowed his eyebrows. "Limited duty? What's that?"

Grace looked at Teresa for her approval before answering. "Basically, I'm still working full time, but I will be working out of the Sacramento Office indefinitely."

"Oh. I didn't know that was something you could do!" Teresa hadn't mentioned that in their conversation about her time in the field. He wondered when she would put in for her limited duty.

She smiled. "Yes, I was just ready to be out of the field. I don't want to risk it."

Teresa guffawed. "Sitting in police stations in rural California is hardly field work, but I'm glad you're on limited duty. Someone needs to keep us informed on office gossip!"

"It might not be field work, but it does keep you out in rural California all week. It would be nice to have you at home."

Teresa turned to him with a reproachful gaze. "Being in rural California when necessary is what the job calls for."

"I know that, but do you really want to keep going out to the field as you get further along?"

She rolled her eyes at him. "I'm barely out of my first trimester, and I don't really know that now's the time to discuss this."

"Fair enough." He just kissed her and let the conversation flow. She seemed bothered by his assertion. He didn't want to fight, and that's where they were headed if he continued on this path.

To her, it probably seemed like he was questioning her in front of their friends-her team. He did want to talk to her about this more. He didn't want to clip her wings or anything of that nature, but it would make him feel better if she were relegated to their Sacramento office for now. She could handle anything, and maybe it was the protective husband and father in him, but he didn't want her to have to handle anything.

As they were cleaning up the kitchen that night, he brought it up again. "So when do you think you will start limited duty?"

She shook her head. "I'm not entirely sure. I thought you trusted me to make decisions about when I would go off field duty."

"I do, but I didn't realize you had this option. I just thought…" She glared at him, and he knew he should choose his next words carefully. "Look, I'll be straight with you. If there's an option that you can work from the Sacramento office exclusively, I'd prefer you take it."

"You'd prefer I take it?"

"Yes. I've always known what your job is and what it entails. I have no problem with that. I just don't want to think of my pregnant wife chasing down murderers out in some small town, and I would prefer to have you at home right now. Just...my preference of course."

She huffed. "Like I said, all I do is sit in police stations anymore! The guys handle the field work. You have nothing to worry about!"

"Teresa, I worry about you everyday when you go to work. Pregnant or not. Your job is life-threatening."

"You could get hit by a car on your lot. It's not that much different."

"Ok, you don't even believe that. I worry about you when you go to work. Your work is part of who you are, and I love all of you. I'm not-nor would I ever-ask that you change that."

"Good. While we're at it, I also don't need you criticizing my choices in front of my team. I don't need them thinking my head isn't in the game when we are on the job!"

"I didn't criticize your choices. I was asking questions about something you obviously didn't think I should know was even an option."

She threw the dish towel down. "Well, I'm sorry, Patrick. Would you like a copy of the CBI HR manual?"

"No. I'm just asking that you start thinking about winding down for a bit for our family. Besides, we miss you when you leave, and I know you miss us too. If anything, it's a nice reason for all of us to be in the same place for several months. I know you like that idea too, so I don't know why you're so resistant to shifting your duties. Our priorities are changing."

"I know our priorities are changing! I don't need you to tell me what I want, especially when you don't understand what a big change this is for me! Everything is changing: my life, my body, everything! I don't even know if I'll be able to keep my team. They'll probably take it from me-but not too overtly so as to look like pregnancy discrimination. And it doesn't help that my husband is indicating that he doesn't think I am fit for the job!"

"I never said that, Teresa. You're putting words in my mouth! I would never say you're not fit for your job, but family is a bit of sacrifice."

"Seriously? Patrick, all I've ever done for my family is sacrifice!"

"Teresa, I realize…"

"No, you don't! You don't realize shit! If you did, you could just let me do this in my own time and respect my choices like you said you did!"

"I realize that you have a long history of sacrificing for your family. Again, it's one of the things that make you, you. I mean that in terms of our family-us and our two kids-we both have to make sacrifices. I'm willing to make sacrifices."

"I just told you that I didn't know if they'd let me keep my team, and you're talking to me about sacrifice!" Phrased that way, it didn't sound good.

"Baby, I'm sorry. I didn't mean that. Not that way. I don't want to fight with you, but this isn't something we can put off forever."

He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her shoulder. She shrugged him off, so he backed away. She needed space. He could tell he struck a nerve, but he meant what he said. He'd never ask her to leave her job or anything like that, but the past week was extraordinarily stressful for him. And he could tell from their phone calls that she wasn't exactly enjoying the time apart either. Why was she so standoffish about this when they both wanted more time together?

They finished clean-up in silence, and then, he hit the shower. He kept thinking about their conversation. Did she think he was trying to mold her into something he wanted her to be? Worst: was she having second thoughts about starting their family? They'd discussed this and had agreed this is what they both wanted. Well, not exactly. They'd discussed getting pregnant in the future. Was she not ready? Did she feel like he was pushing her to do something she wasn't ready for? Was he pushing her because this was something he wanted? Did she resent him for that?

He did his best to shake those nagging doubts. After he toweled off, he slid into bed. She was still silent as she read something on her phone.

"Are you ready for me to turn off the light?"

She shrugged. "Yeah."

Without a word, they both slid down under the covers. Should he say something? Maybe he should just wait until the morning. Let cooler heads prevail. It's not like she was sleeping in a guest bedroom or something. It was only a slight disagreement, right?

Suddenly, she shifted over and leaned up on her elbow. "Patrick?"

"Hmm?"

"I wasn't trying to be dodgy."

"I know."

"I just...I am concerned about work stuff."

"I can tell. Are you having second thoughts?"

"Second thoughts?"

"About our family."

"No! Of course not!"

"When we talked about a baby, we talked about having some time. It just seems that maybe you're not ready for the changes so quickly."

"Patrick, I love you. Of course, I'm ready for our family! If I've ever implied otherwise, I'm sorry." She reached for his hand, placing her fingers inside of his. "If I ever made you feel like I don't want you or our family, I'm sorry. I would never...I don't think that!"

He squeezed her hand as she grew more tearful. He hadn't meant for his fears to make her anxious. "Shh. It's ok. I don't mean to upset you."

"I love you, and I want this! There's just some fear in the back of my mind that the CBI will decide they've made too many exceptions for me and just take my team. Maybe it's irrational, but my job has always been important to me."

"I know you're facing big changes, and I hope you know that I'm here for you. Your team is here for you."

"I know, but sometimes, it feels like my life is splitting in half. You make me so happy, but it's like this other version of me-the woman I was-is melting away, and I'm becoming someone else. I don't hate her, but you're right. It's a change."

He leaned up on his elbow and met her face to face. "I can assure you that she's not melting away. She's right in front of me."

"But I'm a wife and a mother now, not someone focused on the job."

"You're still a cop."

"Not above a wife and mother."

"I'm not asking you to prioritize who you are. You can be many things at one time. I love you because you are a special woman, not because of who I want you to be. And you're special because of all of the things you are-to all of the people. You're a package deal, baby."

She laughed softly. "It's good to know you think I'm a package deal."

"I do."

She exhaled. "I promise I won't do anything dangerous in the meantime, but Madeleine should be shuffling over to our team in the next few weeks. Let me get her aboard first."

"Ok. And for the record, when I mentioned sacrifice in the kitchen, I was talking about myself."

"What do you mean?"

"I've been thinking about it, and I think I'd like to transition to a more hands off management of the dealership. I could promote Maya and let her run the day to day operations. That way, I could stay at home with the baby and Annie when she's on breaks from school."

She furrowed her brow. "You want to be a stay at home dad?"

He shrugged slightly. "Yeah. It makes more sense for me to transition to working from home and letting Maya handle the day to day."

"Yes, but we could always consider daycare. This is something you want to do? Seriously?"

"It's just something that I've been thinking about. I want to be a hands on father. If owning my own business and being set financially means anything, it has to mean being able to spend time with my family on my terms."

"If you want to do that, I think that's a great idea. We could still take a look at some daycare options though."

"Why? So that when I'm freaking out two weeks in, we have a backup option?"

She cackled. "That's not what I meant. Isn't it common for some stay at home parents to still use daycare to take care of errands, have some time to themselves, and stuff like that?"

"Sure, but I don't know. I'd like to think I can handle our kids."

"Alright. I didn't mean anything by that. I'm sure you can."

He leaned in and kissed her. "I thank you for your faith in my abilities."

"I have great faith in your abilities as a ringleader." She giggled as he pulled them down.

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Later that week, he had a conversation with Maya about his future at the dealership.

"Hey Maya!"

"Patrick, what's new?"

"Not a lot. I want to talk to you about something."

"Sure." He paused for a bit. As certain as he was about wanting to make this transition, it was still like giving away his first child. He'd put so much work into this business, but now it was time to leave the operations in someone else's capable hands.

"You've been with me a very long time, and you're one of my best sales people. You understand the business and you get the people. Things are changing around here."

She looked at him in uncertainty. "Are you firing me?"

"No. I'm offering you a promotion."

"A promotion? To what?"

"Manager."

"But that's what you do."

He nodded. "For now. Teresa is pregnant, and I'm wanting to transition to working from home and maybe just becoming completely hands off and letting you manage the business. I think we have that kind of relationship and that you've shown you are more than capable of handling this work. Obviously, we're talking about a pay raise as well. I'm willing to negotiate an offer with you."

"Wow."

"Take some time to decide. We can start training. My plan is to fade to the background gradually."

Thankfully, she accepted the offer the next day. Now, that meant he was working on training her to handle all of the paperwork and work with the more difficult clients and suppliers. She already knew most of it anyway, but he could sense it was of comfort to her to go through everything.

Now, two weeks later, he was nearing the end of that training. He determined that next week, he would only be in the office three days. Teresa was planning to take a few days off next week around her doctor's appointment. A little bit of alone time while Annie was in school would be welcome.

Right now, he was getting his office in order and making sure no paperwork was lingering. Annie was over in the playroom, playing with Maya's daughter, Willa. She was a bit bummed to learn that they wouldn't be coming here that often after today.

"But does that mean I can't play with Willa anymore?" She enjoyed her after school play dates for sure. She got along well with other kids.

"No, we can invite her to come over and play some time. She might like to go swimming with you and play soccer in the backyard. We just have to ask her mom."

That-and the fact that they got some play dates on the calendar-seemed to appease Annie. She was also invited to her birthday party next weekend, which he was growing more excited about. Never in a million years did he expect he would so thoroughly enjoy organizing a child's birthday party, but he knew how to make it special and told Teresa he would handle everything.

While he was thinking about whether he should call the baker and expand the order because he wasn't sure if he'd accounted for all of the children and adults, there was a tap on his door.

"Hey, stranger."

He knew the voice and what that particular voice meant. He swallowed thickly before looking up. "Angela. What are you doing here?"

She never came here much when they were married. She said she hated the smell. Did she need a new car or something?

She smiled widely. "I wanted to introduce you to someone."

She walked backward, before turning and pushing a stroller into his office. Admittedly, he was too stunned to speak as he watched her unfasten the baby and lift the newborn swaddled in a light blue blanket in her arms.

"Paddy, this is Daniel." Daniel. She named him after her brother.

"Ok."

"Do you want to hold him?"

"Why would I want to hold him?"

"Because he's a special little boy in need of a daddy. I know you're still upset with me, but I was thinking that…"

"Oh no. You need to leave." He wanted to shout at her to get the hell out of his office, but he was afraid he might startle the otherwise peaceful baby.

"Paddy, just hear me out please. I know how much you want kids and to have a family of your own. Daniel is a sweet little boy. Look at him. He even looks like you a bit."

"Because he's blond?"

"If you want to come home and be a family, a father to this little boy, we can work this out. If you want more kids, we can do that too. I realize what I made mistakes, but I think we can work through this. What do you say?"

She was seriously dangling her child-another man's baby-in front of him in an attempt to get him to come back.

"Your son...is adorable. But do you honestly think I am desperate enough to forget everything you've done-without an ounce of remorse, I might add-drop my entire life, and come running back to you to raise another man's child?"

"Paddy…"

"Honestly, I don't want to hear it. You can go!"

"But he's so sweet. Look at him! This is everything you've ever wanted."

"No, everything I've ever wanted was to be loved and appreciated! I wanted a family, not made to feel like garbage that could be used and thrown out. I don't owe you anything else, not even this conversation. Please. Just take your son and go." Was he going to have to get her removed?

"Paddy, he needs a father. You wouldn't let a little boy grow up all alone in the world, would you? You remember what that loneliness is like."

"Are you seriously going to go down that road?"

She was trying to manipulate him, and not for the first time, he wondered how much of their life had been a manipulation. He was good at the con, but she was better. He would give her that.

"He doesn't have to know that you're not his biological father. No one does. Weren't you the one always saying that blood ties don't always matter?"

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Indeed, he had said that blood ties do not matter. Thinking of his own father, which was exactly what she wanted him to do, he knew that those ties didn't always build and nurture good relationships. For his father, he was a cash cow. He remembered the last time he saw him before he walked out of his life.

"Come on, Paddy. Just do this. It's what you're good at. Use your skills, son!"

Searching for his father's love and approval one last time, he agreed to help. Looking at the old woman, he told her what she wanted to hear: a crystal would cure her ailing grandchild. Of course, that crystal would cost her a fortune. Of course, his father was excited that they could help the old woman.

Once he had the cash in hand and gave his son, the one with the skill to carry the con, an abysmal cut, he was gone. Meanwhile, he sat there feeling every last drop of shame he could muster as he leaned his head on Angela's shoulder.

He wept. "I gotta get out of here, Angie."

"Me too!"

"I can't do this anymore. This life isn't for me."

"Oh, of course it's not!" She ran her hand through his hair.

"That girl. She's gonna die...and they think I've saved her." He'd have to live with that forever.

"They'll be fine. You'll find a way to make a living for us."

His father took his cash and left. Angela stayed and made hers. Perhaps it was a cold outlook on years spent in a relationship where he benefited from her comfort at times, but things looked a lot differently on this side when he could see her manipulations more clearly. Even if he felt guilty for the things he'd done in the past to appease his father, he also felt how bad a con could feel from this side.

Reflecting on things, he knew now that he and Angela didn't care about the same things. Maybe she'd always seen him as just a tenderhearted boy-one who wanted to be loved, one who wanted to please her, and one who would bend to her will for the return. That wasn't him, not anymore.

Instead of the feeling of guilt and a longing to be better than his own father that Angela intended he conjure, he thought of Teresa. Teresa already broke that mold with a love that tied them together and a family with Annie and a child yet to take its first breath. Annie's parents in name only right now, they would soon be her legal parents. Annie was the daily reminder of what Angela wanted him to think about: sometimes, families find us.

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However, the ways he'd grown and the family he'd found was not Angela's business. He didn't belong to her anymore and he certainly owed her nothing more than the monthly reminder from his bank statement that he had been conned. As cruel as it might sound, Angela's problems were not his to handle anymore.

"Not my problem. Go find your boyfriend."

"Why are you being so cold to me? I hoped that if you saw Daniel and see that he could be our son that you'd be willing…"

"I'd be willing to what? Angela, I got married."

"Married?"

"Yes, Teresa and I married over the holidays."

She blinked rapidly. "You married that woman?"

"Yeah, I did. See, here's one of our wedding photos. It's a good one don't you think?" He made a show of grabbing the photo on his desk with his left hand and flipping it around. She was pissed, shaking her head back and forth like she would when she regaled him for not meeting one of her demands.

"Don't you think that was a little fast?"

"Not at all. Fast was when you moved Thomas into our home and planned a life with him-with MY money-so that he could leave you high and dry."

She rolled her eyes. "I hope you got a prenup! She probably only wants you for your money! Of course, you're playing right into her hands!"

He actually laughed at that. "Now, that's a good one coming from you."

"I made mistakes! You threw everything away because you're so stubborn and bullheaded that you can't…"

"Daddy?" He looked over to see a rather concerned looking Annie standing in the doorway. He wasn't sure how long she'd been there or what she'd heard.

"Hey, sweetie. What is it?" Looking at Angela with wariness, she crossed the room. When she reached him at his desk, she wrapped her arms around him. Tight. She was worried.

"Are you busy? Ms. Maya said you weren't talking to anyone important. Can we go home now?"

His head shot up to his office window where he saw Maya standing with a smirk on her face, waving at him coyly. He smirked at her, while silently cursing her. Annie didn't need to be in this room with Angela. He didn't want any part of his new life touched by Angela.

"In just a bit, Annie. Why don't you go back to the playroom for now? Let me finish up here." She just shook her head, tightening her grip on him.

Angela was practically fuming as she shifted her son in her arms. "You are raising that trashy whore's kid?"

He felt Annie tense immediately. Not only was he pissed that she dared speak of Teresa that way, but doing so in front of their daughter only added insult to injury.

"Hey! Not only are there children present, but you will NOT speak about my wife like that. Any problems you have, you can find someone else to take them up with!" He felt only a slight remorse at the fact that Daniel became slightly fussy and Annie shrank a bit when he raised his voice, but he didn't care. The audacity she had to come in here and speak about his wife that way!

"I am your wife. You promised to take care of me!"

"You were my wife until you decided to insert other people into our marriage and try to trade up. Angela, I am beyond tired of this conversation! Find someone else to manipulate into taking care of you. I'm done."

"I can't do this alone!"

"You made that choice."

"But what did she do…"

"Angela, my life is none of your business. You're making my daughter uncomfortable."

"YOUR daughter? Unless there's something I don't know, you're not her father. You just decided to raise another woman's child-a woman you'd made no promises to previously-to spite me."

He chuckled. "Oh no. I made promises to Teresa. I can assure you none of them had anything to do with you. You're just unhappy that you can't get your way, so now you want to make it seem like you're the victim here. Take your ass out of my office and leave my family alone. You have no business here."

"Family? You're raising another woman's brat!"

Deciding she'd had enough, Annie chimed in, sounding like a miniature Teresa. "I'm not a brat! What's your problem, lady?"

He saw Maya in his doorway, motioning toward her phone. At the raised voices, she was ready to call the cops and get Angela out of there. As pissed as he was at her, he'd rather she leave of her own accord with her son.

Instead, he'd try to diffuse the situation. "Annie, why don't you go wait with Ms. Maya?"

"Daddy, she's being mean, and I don't like her!"

Annie's anxiety rolled off of her in waves as he rubbed her shoulders. "Ok, but I can handle this."

She sat in his lap, bringing her body to cover his chest. "I'm not leaving you here alone with her."

He raised his eyebrows at that. She was determined to stay here and defend him. It was a sweet gesture, but he didn't need a five year old to fight his battles.

"Lovely! What con are you running? Hmm?"

Annie chimed in before he could tell her to fuck off. "Leave my mommy and daddy alone!"

"He's not your father! I know your trashy mom probably didn't teach you manners…"

"Leave my mommy and daddy alone! You're not going to take them from me, you mean woman!"

He squeezed the little girl. "Annie, that's enough. Angela, you need to leave. Not only do I not want you in my office ever again, but you will not insult my family. This is absolutely inappropriate."

"This woman is trying to trap you."

"Final warning before I call the cops." If the cops came, Teresa would be pissed.

"I was hoping to talk to you calmly, but I can see that's not going to go anywhere."

"You're literally hurling insults at my family and distressing an already traumatized five year old over an issue that was dead on arrival. Get out!"

She huffed as she placed Daniel back into the stroller. "I can't believe this!"

Angela hurried her way out of the dealership. What a fucking mess! He and Annie were still holding onto each other.

"Who was that?"

"She was my first wife. We broke up before I met Teresa."

"You're not leaving us, are you?" She was trying her hardest to bite back her tears. He could almost feel Annie's terror at the idea that she might lose him.

His voice was barely above a whisper. "Never, sweetheart. I'm never leaving you or Teresa. We're your parents now. We're a family."

"Can we go home now?"

"Sure."

When they got home, some of Annie's anxiety seemed to slip away as she got outside with her soccer ball. However, Teresa hit the roof as he expected.

"She did WHAT?!"

For a brief moment, he considered not mentioning what happened today to Teresa. Then, he realized that Annie was there and the experience frightened her. She might need to talk about it later, and he would never ask her to hide or lie about anything. He also remembered the last time Angela tried to wedge herself between them. In that experience, his silence almost cost him his chance with Teresa. Of all things, he never imagined he had married a woman who could double as a soap opera villain.

"She wanted me to come back and help her raise her son."

"Did you tell her you're married?"

"I did. I even showed her our wedding photo."

"Well, you know those vows mean nothing to her."

"I just wanted you to know because Annie was there. She startled her by making her believe I might leave. I assured Annie that I would never leave."

Teresa sucked her teeth. "If I didn't like my job or my freedom, I'd go burn her fucking house down because she literally wants to come in and fuck with our lives."

"Well, I only ask for your love, not felonies."

He winked at her to lessen the tension a bit, earning a smile in return. He placed his hands on top of her shoulders.

"Well, remember: you got a package deal. That comes with a dash of Lisbon crazy."

"I wouldn't let anything come between us, baby. My family is my entire world. I love you, and I'm sorry this has happened."

"Honey...it's not your fault. I don't blame you. You don't have to assure me. I know you're a good man, and I know your intentions. I'm just pissed off about her latest attempt at manipulation. You've always deserved better."

"I have better." He chuckled a bit. "And besides, Annie came to my defense. She was looking like a real mini-Teresa out there."

"Oh yeah?"

He brought his hand to her jaw and started to caress her jaw. "Yeah. Had her own dash of Lisbon crazy about her. I love my girls. You mean the world to me."

"We might need to put that in a paper or wherever Angela gets her news."

He laughed as she squeezed him into a tight embrace, her slightly swollen belly pressing against him.

She whispered into his chest. "I love my blue eyed boy."

"And what would my world be without my green eyed girl?"

He pressed a kiss to the top of her head as he held her, swaying to a song that wasn't even playing. He thought of the last time Angela tried to intrude in their lives. Like he told Teresa then, they really were stronger than ever.