Intuition (Interlude)

Friday morning, instead of texting Miranda, he called just wanting to hear her voice. "Hello," she said and it sent the butterflies in his stomach flying.

"Hey, babe," he responded. He took a few seconds to figure out what to say next. "Um, you're leaving today, right?"

"Huh?"

"To go back home?"

Miranda chuckled. "Right. Right."

"Do you need a ride to the airport?"

"No, no, um… I have one. Thanks."

Despite them having talked about everything, she was still being so weird and it was infuriating him. He pulled the phone away from his mouth to clear his throat. "Good. Well, let me know if anything changes."

"Okay. I will. I love you."

"I love you, too." Throughout the day, he tried to piece together his last talks with Miranda. They'd never been so awkward. He had half a mind to go to wherever she was because it was freaking him out. Before he could decide on a plan, she called back. "Something changed that quickly?" He teased.

"Benjamin."

"Yes?"

"I do… love you, you know that, right?"

He jerked his head back. He was the one who usually confessed love first. So to hear her say it shocked him. "I know."

"Good," she said quietly.

He exhaled, "But I gotta know."

"What's that?"

"Did I do something?"

Miranda laughed in his ear and he sank in his bed more forgetting that he had to be at work soon. "No, you're great, sweetie."

"Oh okay. Well, tell your parents I said 'hello'."

"I will. They really can't wait to meet you."

"The sentiment is mutual," he responded. She said something to Tuck in the background and the boy began whining. Ben chuckled. He knew the scene well. Had witnessed it himself more than a few times. "What's wrong with my buddy?"

His girlfriend scoffed. "Your buddy is about to have a problem with his mother."

"Put him on." Miranda started to object, but he just repeated: "Put him on, Miranda."

"Fine. Come here, Tuck, Ben wants to talk to you," Miranda told her son. "Say hi."

The phone exchanged hands. "Hi?" Tuck's small voice warmed his heart.

"Hey, bud," Ben said.

"Hi."

"What's going on?"

The boy sniffled. "I don't know."

"Want to talk about it?"

There was quiet on both ends. "I want to play drums."

"You can play them later. When I come over, we'll play them together, okay?"

"Okay." The agitation in Tuck's voice disappeared.

Even though Tucker didn't care for him in the boy's life, Ben really enjoyed being friends with Tuck. They had a lot in common. And he knew how important it was for him and Tuck to get along. "And I'm probably going to be better than you."

The four-year-old giggled. "No! I'm the best!"

"We'll see," Ben said sparking the competitive side of the child.

"I am!" The two of them laughed and the very familiar sound of Miranda cracking up in the background made their mixed sounds that much better.

"Alright, say bye to Ben, baby."

"Bye, Ben!"

"Bye, buddy. Be good for your mom, alright?"

"Okay."

Miranda got back on the phone. "Thank you."

"It's no problem. At all."

"Text me later?"

"Of course," he promised. They said goodbye and Ben felt a little bit better. He never wanted to push Miranda, but if she saw a future with him, didn't it make sense that he met her parents? But his lower back pinched when he thought about everything. Miscommunication wasn't really their thing. They could talk about anything. Walking out of the hospital that night, Justin asked if Ben could watch Ava for the weekend at the same time Paige was texting him telling him that she was on her way to his house drop the girl off. He showed the text to his best friend who just shrugged.

"That's my wife," he offered as a concession. The friends chuckled. "Thanks for babysitting."

"It's no big thing."

"No plans with Miranda?"

"She's going home this weekend."

Justin gave him a look, a smile in his blue eyes. "Don't you know where she lives?"

"Home… like Baltimore. To see her parents."

"And you're not going with her?"

Ben inhaled wanting to drop this subject. It was a sore spot for him. He'd wanted to hint to Miranda that maybe he could join her, but he'd decided not to. "Clearly not if your daughter will be with me this weekend." He knew his tone was sharp, but he ignored it. "Apparently, I can't even give her a ride to the airport."

"Maybe because she knew you were at work."

Ben shook his head quickly. "She knows I'll always make time for her. That's not it."

"Well, did you offer?"

"Yeah, man..." He thought back to his exchange with Miranda. He hadn't exactly offered, but she'd known what he was getting at. To add insult to injury, he didn't even know when her plane was leaving or when she'd be getting back. He was 0-2. "Shit."

Justin made a face before rubbing his eyes. "I can see I struck a nerve, so I'm going to say goodnight." The two of them shook hands. "Oh, and thanks," Justin called over his shoulder.

"You're welcome," Ben said beneath his breath. On his way home, he stopped get some food because he definitely didn't feel like cooking or even ordering. Getting to his house, he saw Paige's car. She got out, pulling Ava from the backseat, letting her run to him.

"Uncle Ben!"

"Yes, my darling!" He said picking her up easily, tossing her into the air a little before catching her. The girl squealed capturing his heart.

Paige walked over to them and kissed his cheek. "She already ate and everything she needs in these," she said handing him a backpack and a small duffel bag. The woman's belly peeked through her jacket and he felt a pang in his chest.

"How's the littlest Knox?"

"They're good. It feels weird to be pregnant again after five years, but also… familiar." Ben nodded. So wrapped up in his own drama, he almost forgot the fact that his friends were expecting, nearly to the end. "So, um, don't call us. We're on vacation," she told him. "She is yours for the weekend. And if you need her passport, then you're probably doing a little too much."

Ben raised both his brows, smiling. "Alright. Now remember he's an old man. Don't break him."

"I'll try," she said going over to her daughter. "Mommy will see you later, pumpkin, okay?" The girl nodded and touched her mother's face, pulling her in for a kiss. "I love you."

"I love you, too," Ava responded before trailing a firefly on the huge lawn of his building.

His friend stared at him. "Ben, take care of my baby."

"No doubt. We're going to have a great time. Right, baby girl?"

"Yes!" Ava looked over at them and when she turned back the bug was gone and she grunted, jogging to find another one.

Paige watched her for a little while. Ben could sense the anxiety in the usually stoic woman. "Ava will be fine. I promise."

With a wave, she got into her car and was heading down the street. "Okay, little one. Let's go inside, shall we?" He held out his hand and she ran to him, her braids swinging behind her. The girl chattered while going to his apartment. Inside, he put on the TV for her while he did a onceover to make sure everything was safe, which he already knew it was because he made sure it was that way for when Miranda came over with Tuck. A few minutes later, he sat down next to her pulling a burger from the fast-food paper bag taking a big bite chasing it with fries. His goddaughter turned to him. "Yes?"

Ava climbed up on the sofa next to him. "Can I have some?"

He grinned and pulled another burger from the bag, unwrapping it and putting some fries on the paper. "Here you go."

"Thank you!" She said chomping into the food. When they finished eating, he noticed that the girl could barely keep her eyes open. Lifting her, he took her to his spare bedroom, pulling off her shoes and lying her on the bed. Ben watched her for a second, entranced. If he had a mini-me, he hoped they'd be just like Ava or Tuck. Both kids were great. It was funny, he'd always wanted kids, but had never really seen himself as a dad, but now—now he couldn't stop thinking about it. Would he and Miranda have any? One, two or more?

Thinking of his lady, he realized he hadn't heard from her in a while. In his room, he left the door open in case Ava needed him. Dialing Miranda's number, he took a deep breath expecting it to go to voicemail. "I was wondering when you'd call," she said.

"You could have called me."

"Yeah, but I like when you call," she said.

He hated that he was blushing and he exhaled. "Uh, how are your parents?"

"They're good."

"And Tuck?"

"Sleeping… finally," she laughed. "Paige told me that she dropped Ava off with you while they went to the mountains."

"How did you know they were going to the mountains? I didn't even know that."

Miranda laughed. "Paige and I text. We're friends."

"Really?"

Another laugh was her confirmation. "Our significant others are friends."

"Doesn't mean you two have to be friends."

"But it helps, right?"

He nodded and scratched his chest. "It does. I wonder whose side she'd take if something happened to us."

"Probably yours," Ben said while Miranda was saying: "Mine, definitely."

The two of them cracked up. It was moments like this that squelched any apprehension he had about their relationship. They were too good together. "I'd take your side, too," he told her sincerely.

"So, how's Ava?"

"She's asleep, too." He cleared his throat. "I miss you." When she didn't respond, he almost backtracked. "I know it's weird, but it's true."

"It's not weird at all. I miss you, too." She yawned and he knew their call was coming to a close. "So…"

"So?"

"Don't you have a birthday coming up?"

He burst into a fit of laughter, holding his belly and trying to quiet himself before Ava woke up. "I do. The big three-oh, yep." His birthday was coming up in one month. And he already knew the drill. Justin and Paige would bring him cupcakes and some kind of art doohickey that Ava had made in school. Angela would force him to "do it big!" and go out—which he really didn't feel like doing. Especially since there was nothing for him at those bars anymore. He had everything he needed in Miranda Bailey. And while grateful that he was able to see another year, he wasn't that big on celebrating his birthday. Ben told Miranda all of this while taking his socks off using only his feet.

"Me either," she replied. "But! I'm going to have fun celebrating yours."

He started to tell her not to do too much, but he knew it was useless. "I can't wait, babe."

"It bugs me that I'm a year older than you," she whined.

"I know, but that just means you're wiser and more beautiful."

"You think I'm beautiful?" She asked and he couldn't tell if he was just tired or if he actually heard a real question in her voice.

"Come off it, woman. You're fucking gorgeous," he said licking his bottom lip before biting it. How he wished to be lying next to her right now, holding her soft body, kissing her even softer lips. Ben moaned a little.

She spoke in a low tone, "What do you want for your birthday?"

"You," he answered quickly.

"How predic—"

"Dressed in nothing but chocolate and whipped cream. And cherries." He played with the hair on his stomach and it took everything in him not to start stroking himself. "That's what I really want."

It was Miranda's turn to laugh. "You're so damn goofy, boy."

"I know." The dialogue between them flattened and soon he heard the familiar sounds of her sleeping, breathing softly and snoring lightly. Pulling the comforter up over his head, he fell asleep, too.

The next morning, he was so happy that Ava didn't wake up until almost 10 o'clock. That gave him time to work out a little and put a load of clothes into the washing machine. When she finally stumbled from the guest room, the pitter-patter of her little feet on the hardwood told him that she checked his room first before finding him at the table reading articles on his phone. "Good morning, Ava."

"Morning," she mumbled. Ben smiled as she climbed into the chair next to him that was already set up with a bowl full of Apple Jacks. He poured her some milk.

"What do you say?"

"Thank you," she said pushing her spoon into the bowl.

He watched her for a second before turning his attention back to his phone. "What do you want to do today?" Ava shrugged. "Want to go to movies?" He suggested.

She stuffed her mouth full of the orange and green cereal. "Can we go to the park?"

He made a face. "We have the whole weekend and you want to go to the park? Like the one at your school?"

The five-year-old shook her head. "The one with the rides!"

"Ohhh! You mean an amusement park?" Ben thought for a second. The sun was already heating up his apartment, it was going to be a really beautiful day. "I think I know just the place; I'll get tickets today and we can go tomorrow. How's that?"

"Okay," Ava nodded and continued to eat her cereal, wiggling in her seat with excitement.

While the girl took a bath, Ben texted Miranda: "Though it's not technically morning, good morning anyway."

Her response was swift: "Your text is late. I'm disappointed, Benjamin Warren."

Clenching his jaw, he typed out: "Forgive me."

"I'll think about it. If…"

Wanting to hear the other end of her request, he called her. "If what?"

"I'll let you know."

He suppressed a groan. "What are you doing today?" He asked.

"I was just about to ask you that question."

He shrugged. "We'll probably just relax today, maybe go to the park, maybe to the movies or something, we haven't fleshed it out yet."

"That sounds fun." That was a truth. The two of them were going to have a really good time. "Want some company?"

"I'd love some," he said going to into the bathroom to make sure Ava was doing okay. "Know anybody?"

"What if we joined you?"

"We who? And wait… how are you going to join me if you're across the country. I mean, I love you very much, but I'm not holding a phone the entire day." He grinned. "I'm lying. I would hold the phone all day."

She laughed. "No, uh, me and Tuck… and my parents."

Did this woman just say her parents? "What are you talking about, Miranda?"

"We stayed in town. I had my parents fly out here instead."

Ben damn near dropped the phone. "You did what?"

"I've decided that you meeting them is something that needs to happen. And…" He heard her take a deep breath and he did the same. This was a lot. "And it's something that I want to happen. Plus, they want to meet you."

He distracted himself momentarily by laying out some clothes for his niece. "Let me get this straight, your parents are here? In Seattle? And you want them to meet me?"

"I'm nodding."

"Babe…"

"Yes?" She answered sweetly, but he knew there was nothing sweet behind it.

He chuckled. "You've got me chasing my tail for the last two days making me think that you weren't ready for me to meet your parents and now they're actually here?"

"Yes, baby."

"Don't 'baby' me. You're going to give me a heart attack, Miranda."

The couple laughed again and she apologized. "I was just trying to—"

"Terrify me."

"Uncle Ben!"

"Coming. Hold on a second." In the bathroom, he grabbed a towel and swaddled Ava before the water ran out of the tub. After drying her off, they walked into the guestroom and she began to get dressed. Ben shook his head thinking about Miranda. "Uh, where were we?"

"You were pissed and ranting." He sighed and didn't say anything else. "I can explain."

A simple smile stumbled from his lip. "Oh, I cannot wait to hear this."