Hi, everyone! Just a quick note before we get into the story. I just wanted to tell y'all that our model for Ryan is Austin Butler, while Sophie is Summer Fontana. Happy reading!
Alena parked her bug in front of the daycare. She sang the final lyrics of Lady GaGa's "You and I".
"It's been a long time since I came around – been a long time, but I'm back in town. This time, I'm not leaving without you."
Once she unhooked her phone from Bluetooth, she switched the radio over to the Disney CD.
She couldn't help the giggle that escaped as "Just Can't Wait to Be King" filled her car.
"I suppose if I were going to grow tired of it, I would have by now."
She giggled once more before she shut off her car and headed inside. She spied Natalie leaned against the wall beside the main playroom – a man stood next to her running his fingers over her knuckles.
He lightly kissed them as Natalie beamed. She then gently pulled her hand away before she told him, "Let me get Sophie for you."
He hummed before Alena cleared her throat, causing him and Natalie both to jump. The blonde apologized, "I'm sorry. I wasn't trying to, uh, interrupt – but I wanted to let you know I was here so you could tell the girls."
"Oh, you weren't. Not really," Natalie reassured her with a smile. She then gestured behind her. "I'll get Emma and Lily, too."
"Oh, you must be Alena. Natalie's told me about you and the twins," the man surmised with a wave of his hand.
With a nod, she replied, "I am. And you must be the special guy Natalie met at the masquerade," a slightly teasing smile making its way across her face.
They both blushed before he rubbed the back of his head. He then took a breath. "Yeah, I am. I'm Ryan – it's nice to meet you."
"You too." She then smiled as the two of them shook hands. He returned it as Natalie looked on with a smile of her own.
She then ran her fingers along the ends of her dark hair. She then offered, "You two should probably get to know each other a little better – the girls have all become inseparable."
She then turned and headed into the playroom.
Alena and Ryan both chuckled. He then told her, "Sophie can be a little shy, and I think Emma and Lily's excitement helped break her out of her shell."
"They really do make friends with everyone. And they love meeting new people."
"Yeah, I can tell. And it's been really good for Sophie – maybe we could arrange a playdate sometime?"
"Oh, the girls would absolutely love that! We should set something up one day." Alena then tilted her head, a thoughtful look appearing across her features.
"I am pretty busy with work at the moment, but I can always make time for something like this."
A small smile enveloped his features before he ducked his head. He then cleared his throat and shared, "That, uh, won't be a problem for me. The company I worked for sold, so I'm working as a server to make ends meet."
He then gestured around the daycare. "I had to let go of my nanny, so Natalie's helping me out."
"That's sweet of her." Sympathy then crossed Alena's features. "And I'm so sorry about your job. But I'm sure something will turn up."
"Thank you." He ran his fingers through his blonde hair as a sigh escaped his lips.
"But I don't know if I'll be lucky enough to find the job I had. I really loved working within the community to help it grow – being COO was really just a bonus."
Alena's eyes widened. "Did you say you were COO? Of a real estate company?"
Ryan furrowed his eyebrows. "Yeah. Why do you ask?"
"Well, I may have some good news for you," she began – a smile blooming across her face, "I worked for Victoria Belfry of Belfry Towers, but I'm starting my own company. And I happen to be in need of a COO."
His green eyes widened. "Wait, really? Is this a serious offer?"
She nodded. "I'm still working through all the paperwork, and the building isn't quite finished. But everything will be settled in a couple more weeks – we can make it official then."
A bright smile broke out across Ryan's face. "I don't even know what to say other than thank you. Thank you so much."
"Of course! I'm so happy to help you and Sophie." Her smile only grew as she added, "And it also helps me to have people I can really count on working for me."
He offered a nod, his smile remaining. He then released a breath. "And I feel like I already know you from how much Natalie talks about you – but I would like to know you a little better since we'll be working together. And more about the company. Maybe the playdate can double as a business meeting?"
"I was just about to suggest the same thing – I would like to make sure you're a good fit for the company."
"Great! So maybe we can make some plans for later this week?" "Sounds good to me."
Natalie then brought the girls into the room. Emma and Lily ran to their mother, both squealing unintelligibly.
Alena laughed. "Girls, Mommy can't understand what you two are saying. What is it?" They only pointed toward Sophie.
She whispered in her father's ear as he bent down next to her. He then took her by the shoulders and gently explained, "She's really nice, sweetie. Just ask her."
The little girl looked back and forth between her father and Alena. He ran his fingers through her hair while Natalie rubbed her arm.
Sophie then made her way over to Alena. The blonde bent down next to her and offered an encouraging smile.
"Hey, sweetheart. What is it you want to ask me?"
She stared at her for a moment. With big blue eyes, she asked, "Can Emma and Lily come to a sleepover with me and Natalie?"
"Pease, Mommy!" Emma shouted, followed by Lily: "So much fun!"
Alena shared a look with Ryan and Natalie. They both nodded. She then released a breath and turned her attention back to the three little girls.
"Well, I think it'll be fun, too. So, yes, you three can have your sleepover."
Three sets of arms flew around her. She chuckled as she hugged them back. When they pulled away, all three girls commenced squealing with excitement.
When Alena rose to her feet, she turned to Natalie. "Thank you for offering this. I know the girls will have so much fun."
"No problem! I was already keeping Sophie for Ryan, and I thought it would be fun for her to have her "bestest" friends over."
Alena - and Ryan - smiled. Her attention pulled away when Lily asked, "Go now, Mommy? Ready!"
She smiled and shook her head. She then bent down and explained, "First, we're going to go see Sabine's food truck. Remember?"
The girls nodded excitedly. "See Sabine!" Emma then exclaimed as her sister clapped her hands.
"That's right. I know she'll be excited to see us, too." She then rose to her feet and turned back to Natalie and Ryan.
"Were you guys going to go to the food fair?"
Ryan bobbed his head. "Yeah, it does sound like it'll be really fun. I'm looking forward to trying all the food."
"Will they have tacos, Daddy?" Sophie then questioned as she looked up at him. Before he could answer, Lily piped in: "Me love taco!"
The adults all shared a laugh. Alena then offered, "I think maybe we should all head over. I'll just grab the girls' things and see you all there."
"Yeah, we'll see you guys there," Natalie offered as she smiled at the three of them. The girls smiled back before they sprinted toward the door.
"Go see Sabine!" "Eat good food!"
Alena shook her head before she rushed after them. She waved over her shoulder as she pushed open the door – only for Emma and Lily to run back inside.
"Bye Sophie!" they both shouted. She waved as she offered a bright smile.
The twins then grabbed their mother's hands and sprinted toward the car. Alena gently stopped them and bent down in front of them.
"Slow down, you two. Sabine's food truck isn't going anywhere, okay?" "Otay, Mommy."
Alena grabbed their hands once more and led them to the car. She strapped them in their booster seats before she got in the driver's side and headed to their apartment.
"Here, Tili, hold it like this."
Alena then helped her daughter hold her taco with both hands. The little girl then took a bite.
In between mouthfuls, she exclaimed, "Good taco!" She then started to cough.
"Lily sick!" Emma yelled, her brown eyes wide. She then shoved juice at her.
"She's okay," Alena began as she took the juice. As Lily sipped on it, she continued, "Sweetie, I've told you not to talk with food in your mouth."
She nodded. Once she swallowed, she said, "I sorry, Mommy."
"It's okay, Tili." She then kissed her forehead. Lily resumed eating her taco.
Emma licked barbecue sauce off her fingers before she asked, "Where Sabine?"
"Want been-yay!" Lily then added.
Alena couldn't help but chuckle. She then ruffled their hair. "Sure! Just let Mommy finish my slider and chicken wings."
They nodded before they sipped on their juice. Their brown eyes then widened as they shouted and pointed, "Nick!"
Alena followed their movement and spied him. He laughed along with a couple other guys – the sound rocked her to her very core.
She then took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. She then found two sets of brown eyes staring up at her.
"Go see him, Mommy!" "He friend, Mommy."
She exhaled once more. Seeing him was like a knife to the heart – a wound that always healed itself the moment she locked eyes with his.
She bent down on their level. "We can go see him – I'm sure he'd love to see you two."
The girls cheered. They then ran over to him, with Alena following close behind. He immediately spotted them, a smile breaking out across his face.
He bent down on their level, and they ran into his arms. "Hey, Nick!" they both shouted.
"Hey, you two. Are you having fun?"
"So much fun!" Lily stated. Emma nodded before she spoke, "Good food!"
His smile grew. "I'm glad you guys are having a good time." His gaze then flitted up to Alena.
"How about you? Are you having as much fun as these two?"
He then ruffled the girls' hair, making them giggle. Alena couldn't help but chuckle.
He then rose to his feet. She told him, "I am having a great time. The food's amazing, and the atmosphere is really fun."
"Yeah, it is. I'm glad I decided to come."
Alena furrowed her eyebrows. "Was there a question if you were?"
Nick rubbed the back of his head. "I knew you would be here for Sabine and J, and things are still a little weird between us. I didn't want you to be uncomfortable."
She couldn't help but smile. She then pointed out, "We did make it through a business meeting intact."
Before he could answer, the twins sucked down the last of their juice. Emma then asked, "What eat, Nick?"
He squatted down as he feigned a thoughtful look. He then smiled.
"I was thinking about getting some pizza. You guys want some?"
"Pizza!"
He - and Alena - both chuckled. He then surmised, "I guess I have my answer," as he rose to his feet.
Emma and Lily then looked around the fair. "Where pizza?" "Don't see it."
"Let's see," Alena began as she bent down on their level, her eyes following theirs. She soon spotted it, a smile breaking out across her face.
"It's right there. Do you see it?"
The girls followed their mom's finger. Two squeals rang out.
"Let's go!" Emma shouted before she grabbed Alena's hand. Lily nodded before she placed her hand in Nick's.
His gaze found Alena's before he curled his hand around the little girl's. The four of them then set off toward the pizza truck.
Alena stared down at her food. With a tilt of her head, she brought the red and white paper basket up to her mouth.
Nick laughed. "Do you need an extra hand?"
"Something like that." She then broke out into a giggle before they came upon the line for the pizza truck.
Alena then let go of her little girl's hand – only for her to look up with big brown eyes. "What doing, Mommy? Why let go?"
"Well, sweetie, I wanted to be able to eat my food, okay?" "Oh! Otay, Mommy."
Emma's gaze then landed on her sister. Her brown eyes then widened. "Punzel bracelet!"
Lily jumped. She then looked down at her wrist before she waved it toward her twin. "Wear it cause special."
"Special?"
"See Sabine truck!"
"Oh!"
Emma looked at the bracelet again - a wide smile then broke out across her features. "Sing song!"
Lily nodded excitedly. She then furrowed her eyebrows. "What song sing?" Her sister only shrugged.
Alena - and Nick - watched their interaction with a smile. His faded when two sets of brown eyes looked up at him.
"What song sing?" "What you like?"
The blonde couldn't help but chuckle at her little girls. Nick then brought his eyes to hers, a question in them.
She mouthed, "I See the Light". He offered a grateful nod before he bent down on the girls' level.
"How about "I See the Light"? Do you two know that one?" They nodded excitedly as he smiled at them.
They then launched into the song. "I see light. Fog lifted. I see light. Sky new. Warm and bright. Now I see you!"
They giggled when they finished. Nick's smile only grew as he told them, "That was so good, you guys. I loved it."
"Tank you!" Emma shouted, followed by Lily: "Fave song! Good." Before he could say anything else, they resumed singing.
Nick then rose to his feet. He found himself humming along with the twins – he then let out a chuckle.
"Wow. I can't say I ever thought I'd be humming something from Disney."
Alena wiped at her eyes before she joined him. "Believe me, I know. But you get used to it after a while – I even hum it at work sometimes."
He laughed as she finished off her food. He then gestured toward the carton. "Want me to throw that away for you?"
"Sure. Thank you," she replied with a smile. He smiled back in return.
He grabbed the carton before he glanced around the fair. He spied a trash can and walked toward it.
Alena found herself watching him. She forced herself to look away when she heard her daughters' voices.
"Mommy, where Nick go?" "Posed to eat pizza!"
"He's coming right back. He's just throwing something away for Mommy."
They nodded before they moved up in the line and reached the counter. The girls stood on their tiptoes.
"Want pizza pease!" "Love pizza!"
Alena chuckled before she addressed the young man manning the counter. "Let me please have four slices of pepperoni."
He nodded before he prepared the order. He then handed it to them as she passed him the tickets.
"Thank you for the pizza." "Of course! I hope you guys enjoy." Alena then offered him a nod before they stepped away.
Nick then strolled back over. "This looks delicious - and thank you." She smiled at him before she pointed toward a bench.
"Shall we sit?" "Yeah, sounds good."
Alena then turned her attention to the girls, who currently munched on the melted cheese and pepperoni. She couldn't help but smile.
"Come on, girls, we're going to go sit, okay?"
"Otay, Mommy." Their simultaneous answers were punctuated by the food still in their mouths. Alena only shook her head.
She - and Nick - then led them over to the bench. They both sat down before the girls crawled in their laps.
Emma then took another bite of pizza, pulling away with sauce all over her face. She went in for another bite as Nick grabbed a napkin from the stack in between him and Alena.
"Here, Emma, let me wipe your face." She squirmed as he ran the napkin over her mouth, chin, and cheeks. He managed to get it all clean.
"There you go. You can eat more now," he offered as he ruffled her hair. She nodded before she resumed eating.
Lily then exclaimed, "More juice, Mommy!" as she shook her sippy cup. Alena moved her head out of the way as she chuckled.
"Okay, sweetie. Let me get a juice box."
She then reached into her bag and grabbed some apple juice. Nick tilted his head as he watched her.
"You keep juice in your purse?"
"It comes with the territory of raising three-year-olds." She then poked the straw through the juice box and handed it to her daughter.
She sipped on it. "Tank you, Mommy!" The little girl then ate some more of her pizza. "You're welcome, sweetie," she replied before she kissed her head.
She then turned her attention to Emma. "Do you need any more juice?" She shook her sippy cup at her – the liquid sloshed around on the inside.
"Still have juice, Mommy."
Alena smiled and shook her head. "Okay, sweetheart. Thank you for telling me – you can finish your pizza now."
She bobbed her head before she took another bite. Her blonde hair then fell in her face – and kept doing so despite her efforts to move it.
She grunted and crossed her arms. Alena grabbed a ponytail from her bag.
"Here, sweetie, let Mommy help."
"I can do it if you want," Nick offered as he wiped his hands on a napkin. Alena tilted her head.
With a nod, she then passed him the ponytail. He took it between his fingers.
"Hey, Emma, you think you can sit still for me?"
"Otay, Nick."
He then carded his fingers through her hair, gathering it into a ponytail. He then took the hair tie and wound it in her hair.
Even as Alena's heart swelled with love, she covered her mouth to keep from laughing. A few long strands missed the ponytail, and the ponytail itself sat sideways on her head.
Nick then tilted his head. "That's not quite right, is it?" She shook her head, still trying not to laugh.
She then took a breath. "No, it's not. But I appreciate the effort."
He let out a chuckle. He then ran his fingers through his hair. "Yeah – I can't really say I know anything about fixing hair."
Alena only chuckled. Lily then exclaimed, "Mommy! Finish pizza!" as she held up the crust to her mother's face.
She gently moved her daughter's hand. "Okay, let's go find a trash can." She rose her feet when Emma interrupted, "Me finish, too!"
"Okay, sweetie. We'll throw yours away, too."
Emma then climbed down from Nick's lap – only to lose her footing and fall on the ground. She grunted as she stood.
"Are you alright?" Alena asked as she bent down next to her. Nick brushed off the back of her legs.
"I otay, Mommy." She then continued sipping on her juice. Alena couldn't help but smile as she ran her fingers along one of the loose strands.
As she stood, her phone then beeped in her pocket. She grabbed it and sighed. "It's the contractor for the building – I really have to take this."
"Find trash, Mommy," Lily stated, followed by Emma, "No more food."
Nick rose from the bench before he offered, "I'm finished, too – I can take the girls if you want."
The phone continued to ring. Alena released a breath. "That would be really great if you don't mind."
He smiled at her. "Of course not." He then added, "I was gonna get another drink, too, before I head home."
"Leave, Nick?" "Can't leave - see Sabine!" The girls' brown eyes filled with disappointment.
Alena opened her mouth to say something when her phone ceased ringing. She sighed before Nick placed a reassuring hand on her arm.
"I really do have this if you want to call back – I know it's important."
His hand lingered a little too long. Alena forced herself to pull away, releasing a breath as she did so.
"I really do need to – so I'd greatly appreciate it."
He nodded as she stepped away. He then bent down on the girls' level. Emma's arms were crossed while Lily glanced downward.
"I know you guys want me to stay – but I do have to go, okay? But I promise we can hang out again soon."
"Really?" came the simultaneous response. He nodded - and smiled - at them.
"Yeah, we can. And we still have a little time – you two can sing another song for me."
The girls cheered before they babbled about which song to sing. Nick then stood and took each of them by the hand.
"Pick song!"
"Not know what song."
"Have sing for Nick."
"Me know!"
Both of them then looked up at him. "What song you like, Nick?" Emma then questioned as her twin nodded.
His eyes widened. He stammered, "Uh, well, there's lots of songs." The girls continued to stare at him.
He then took a deep breath. "But I always liked the movie Peter Pan. You guys know any songs from that movie?"
The girls nodded excitedly. They then belted out, "Think Christmas. Think Snow. Here go! You fly - you fly - you fly!"
Nick chuckled. "You two did so good. Really, really good."
"Tank you!" they both shouted. Lily then asked him, "Oter movies?"
He tilted his head in thought. "Let's see, I do like The Lion King. And Robin Hood."
"Fun movies!" Lily exclaimed. Her mouth then formed an "o". "Color Lion King!"
Emma nodded. "Color good piture! Mommy love it."
They arrived at the trash can. Nick then bent down on their level. "Okay, guys, throw all your trash into the can."
They did so before Lily tugged on his sleeve. He turned his attention to her. "What is it, Lily?"
"Want piture? Like color one."
He smiled. "I would love it if you guys colored me a picture." She smiled back at him before she turned to her sister.
"What piture color, Emma?" The little girl only shrugged – she then released a giggle as Nick stood.
"Us play Lion King!" She then looked back up at Nick. "You play too!"
He furrowed his eyebrows. "How do I play?" Instead of answering, the girls started running, giggling all the while.
Nick shook his head before he chased off after them. "Me Nala!" Emma shouted, followed by Lily, "Me Simba!"
They then both looked at Nick. "You Zazu!" They then continued to run – only for him to soon catch up to them.
He scooped them both in his arms, a laugh escaping his lips. "You two are the best little lions." They both giggled.
Alena then strolled over to them – her smile barely concealing the tears in her eyes. She quickly wiped them and asked, "Are you two having fun with Nick?"
They nodded excitedly, another giggle escaping. "We best lions, Mommy!"
She smiled at them. "I'm sure you are." She then turned to Nick, her smile remained - if a little brighter.
"Thanks for watching them – I know it was only a few minutes, but it means a lot to me."
"Of course – I didn't mind at all."
Nick then ran his fingers through his hair. "Well, I know you guys are excited to see Sabine, so I'm just gonna grab that drink and head out."
Emma and Lily wrapped their arms around his legs. "Bye, Nick!" "So much fun!" He bent down beside them.
He wrapped his arms around their small frames, holding them close. He blinked a few times before he pulled away.
"I had fun with you guys, too. I'll see you guys soon, okay?"
They both nodded before he turned his attention to Alena. "And I'll see you, too," a smile breaking out across his features.
She ignored the butterflies in her stomach. "I know what I said earlier – and I really would like that, but…" "I know, I know," he interjected.
He then released a breath. "But you were right – I do think we can make it as friends. And I promise I won't make this any harder on you - at least not on purpose."
"I know you won't." She then took a breath, a teasing grin sliding on her face. "Maybe you can learn how to actually tie a ponytail."
He laughed. "I wouldn't count on it." He then took a breath as well. "Well, I am gonna go now, so I'll see you guys around."
With a final wave, he then headed away from and over to one of the food trucks. Alena took a deep breath as she watched his retreating form.
Sabine and Jacinda's words flashed in her mind – gods, she knew this was a bad idea, but she loved the time she spent with him. The twins loved spending time with him. And the feelings were very much reciprocated.
Could she really deny them that?
She then shook her head. "That's a problem for another day." Alena then managed a smile as she bent down on the girls' level.
"Are you guys ready to see Sabine?"
They jumped up and down and clapped their hands together. "Go Mommy!" "Go see Sabine!"
She ruffled their hair as her smile grew. She then stood and took them by the hands – she soon spotted the yellow and blue truck, and the three of them made their way over.
Hi again. Just another quick note for you guys. As I'm sure you've noticed, the episode didn't end there. There is still more story to tell, and you guys will see it tomorrow! :)