Her eyes danced as she watched her daughter giggling enthusiastically in Ryan's arms. He was such a good father. Everything came naturally to him, it scared Theresa at times. She knew that maternal instinct would take over after Ella was born, and it did. It was wonderful, the sense of connection to another living being. It was overwhelming. Each time she looked at Ella's wide blue Atwood eyes, Theresa saw nothing but love. She couldn't stop loving Ella, she'd rather die. It was the mother in her.

But she had counted on that. She expected the maternal connection. Never did she even think about the Daddy-Daughter connection. And you had to be blind, deaf and unfeeling if you didn't notice the Daddy-Daughter connection from the very start.

It was everywhere. It was even more apparent and perhaps stronger than Theresa's mother-offspring connection. Ryan used to walk into the nursery two seconds before Ella started to cry. He stood waiting with open arms as she took her first steps. He'd get her apple juice ready before she tugged at his sleeve. He just knew.

It was kind of like the way he used to know Theresa.

He knew her from up to down and inside out and back again. At least the way he used to know her. Now, she kept things from him. It wasn't so much because she wanted to but because she needed to. Ryan, despite what he thought of himself, was very fragile. And telling him things like she was working instead of going to school at night would only hurt him. And hurt was the last thing he needed.

"Mamma!" Ella called out signaling for her mother to snap back into reality.

"Hey baby," she placed a delicate kiss atop her daughter's head. "You and Daddy have fun this weekend alright? Mamma's got lots of work to do. Be good for Daddy, okay Ella?" Her fingers traced the roundness of the child's face.

"Okay Mamma," Ella promised. "I love you!"

===========X=========X===========

Summer got out of Newport as fast as she could when graduation was over. She thought that the cap and gown thing would make her sentimental and regret her decision to move. But it didn't. Listening to P.J. Macken give his rendition of a good valedictorian speech just brought on the will to run. Run away from Newport and all the phony goodness that came with it. Father and stepmom included.

San Francisco was everything she wanted. Change.

She hung out with everyone there, all previous class issues cast aside. And truth be told, she had the most fun in her life. Castro street was probably the only place where her lost little girl self came out and was taken care of.

But now, college was over. It was goodbye Stanford mall, B.A.R.T rides to downtown and the hot cocoa at Ghiradelli square. And here she was, back in the O.C.

In all the scenarios of her homecoming, the mall was always her first destination. Seeing Ryan (best friend of Seth Cohen) Atwood, however, was never in those scenarios. But there he was now. With an angelic little girl in his arms and a very tired looking woman speaking animatedly to him.

"Don't let her finagle you in buying any juegetes. She doesn't really need anything right now, except maybe zapatillas. But I can get those later because I'm sure she'll get you to buy more than she needs." The little girl must be a little shopper. Her mom had to hide "toys" and "shoes" from her. Theresa used Spanish to keep secrets from the child. Summer's mom used to do that, except in French. It was just as Summer remembered her mother that it hit her. Theresa was a mom. Ryan was a father.

It was kind of creepy. They were her age and she couldn't even fathom having to care for someone other than herself.

But as the scene unfolded before her, she noticed the details. The details, like the way Theresa's hand rubbed ever so gently on the little girl's shoulder and the way the little one sat perfectly on the crook of Ryan's arm. Summer turned invisible for a moment, blending into the walls and watching. She watched the little family in awe.

How she envied them.

==========X=========X===========

"We'll be fine," Ryan insisted as Theresa continued to list of a dozen reminders about Ella. He knew that she was always nervous when their daughter was with him, but he knew that she was aware of how much he loved Ella. She knew how well Ryan and Ella got along.

"Um..." It was obvious that the mother was hesitant to leave the child. "Okay then. 'Bye Ry." She smiled sheepishly, still the same old smile. He never thought of her beauty as fascinating or extraordinary. It was just simple, like home. He leaned in and gave her a quick peck on the cheek. She smiled again and turned to leave.

His eyes stayed with her until she turned the corner, it wasn't that she captivated him, he just wanted to make sure she was okay. That was his life now, constantly worrying about his daughter and her mother. Funny how his best friend turned into his "baby-mama". They were still friends. Close friends. Best friends. But Ella was the priority.

"Daddy, I'm hungry." She announced, tilting her head slightly as she spoke. Those large blue eyes were impossible to resist.

"Okay honey, let me just grab your stuff." He set her down for a moment and picked up the small backpack Theresa had left behind. She probably put in some extra clothes, a baggie of animal crackers and some apple juice boxes. Ryan knew that that the clothes weren't needed, he had lots of Ella's clothes at his place. He also knew that he would be the one eating the animal crackers and apple juice later. It took less than a minute for Ella to convince him that a Happy Meal was the only way to make her happy.

"You're pretty," he heard his daughter say. For some reason, he knew immediately that she wasn't talking to him. He turned and saw Summer crouched down and smiling at his daughter.

He had completely forgotten Summer was there.

Looking at his old friend crouched down, tan legs contrasting the red of the brick floor, he was floored by how much she'd changed. Sure, she was the same dark haired, large eyed short little rich girl from before. It's just that, he could tell she wasn't.

Something softened on her touch, breakable exterior. What had college done to her? He looked on intently for a moment. His baby girl was giggling with someone he didn't even really know, but the possessive paranoid father instincts didn't click on.

How cute. The beautiful dark haired woman with his beautiful blue eyed baby.