The minute Renee stepped into her apartment she kicked her shoes off her aching feet. At the sound of them crashing to the floor, Jake knew almost instinctively that his mother was home. He charged from the living room to the front door and jumped into Renee's open arms. She scooped him up and pressed a kiss against his cheek. Letting him rest upon her hip, his arms wrapped around her neck, she carried him into the kitchen. He filled her in on the events of the day as they walked.

"Where's your dad?" Renee asked when Jake finally stopped talking. Jake pointed shyly towards the living room. She glanced in the direction Jake instructed and found Garret entering the kitchen. Jake saw him too and wiggled in his mother's arms. She put him on the ground and he took off running into the next room. Renee saw Garret smile sheepishly as the boy passed him on his way.

"Hey," she said, recognizing instantly that Jake had been less than welcoming towards his father today. "How'd it go?" she asked, as she flipped through the mail on the counter.

"I don't know," Garret admitted quietly, standing at the counter beside her now. "He was quiet. It'll take him a while to get used to me, I guess." Renee nodded and turned to Garret. She took inventory of the hurt that was written on his face and placed a reassuring hand on his forearm.

"Don't worry," she said, "give him couple days and he'll be fine."

"You think he'll remember?" Garret asked suddenly.

"Remember what?"

"That I wasn't here for those first three years." Renee sighed. It was her fault that he wasn't there and it pained her to think about it.

"He'll remember that you're here now," she said honestly. Garret shrugged his shoulders and smiled half-heartedly.

"I better go," he announced, heading for the door. Renee followed him through the hall. "See ya tomorrow, Renee," he said before calling goodbye to his son. Jake didn't answer. Renee watched as Garret's face fell once more. Shutting the door behind him Renee wondered how much longer she could take seeing that hurt in his eyes. The fact that all that pain had started with her was almost more that she could take.

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The following day when Garret picked his son up from daycare, Jake greeted him with a smile. It warmed Garret's heart to see the boy try to bridge the gap between them. The next day Jake had jabbered about his day the entire way home. The day after that, Jake hugged his father before he left for home. Garret couldn't be happier. Jake was warming up to him faster than he had ever expected. His plan for Jake's care was working out well. He loved to spend time with the boy but it grated on him that he couldn't be with him all the time.

In the next weeks, Garret stayed later and later at Renee's apartment after she had come home from work. Increasingly she asked him to stay for dinner, and at Jake's instance he stayed. Night after night he and Renee talked and laughed over meals and then retired to the sofa and Jake played at their feet. By all appearances, they were a regular family. But still, every night, after they had put Jake to bed, Garret headed for home. Habitually, Renee followed him to the door and bade him goodnight. Lately he had taken to kissing her cheek before he made his exit. He couldn't remember exactly when he had started doing it or precisely why, but it had nonetheless, become another part of their routine.

Naturally the morgue's rumour mill was pumping out story after story about what was going on between Garret and Renee. Garret had caught wind of a few of the stories and none of them painted Renee in a particularly pleasant light. Dr. Stiles too, had heard the news and wondered up into Garret's office for a chat. Annoyed that his present situation was attracting so much attention, Garret had snapped at Howard. He protested that all he wanted to do was be with his son. He argued that was no reason to be visited by the morgue's resident psychologist. He was fine with the situation; it was everyone else that was having a hard time accepting it. When Garret finished his tirade, he looked out the window and noticed his staff huddled around each other, pretending not to be listening to him. He flung open his door and barked orders at each of them. After that the gossip slowed and finally stopped.

Even Abby was starting to come around. Jake knew now that Abby was his sister and was asking after her more and more. She had joined her father and her brother on a few outings on the days Garret had Jake all day long, but had still to talk to Renee since Jake's paternity had been revealed. Garret hated that these two parts of his life couldn't harmonize. He knew Renee missed Abby. She had tried to call his daughter and set things straight. He too had tried to talk to her about the situation. Abby told him that she couldn't understand why Renee didn't tell him and why he wasn't as angry as she was. He'd explained to her on countless occasions that any anger he still felt about the situation had to be swept under the rug. He couldn't let it get in his way and she shouldn't ether. After weeks of trying to settle things, Garret finally convinced his daughter, to come for dinner one Tuesday in December.

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Renee was home late that night and when she didn't hear Jake run after she kicked her shoes she felt guilty for not being home before his bedtime. As the door clicked shut, Garret called to her from the living room. Renee sighed deeply and followed his voice. When she reached the doorway of the living room it erupted with sound.

"Surprise!" Jake shouted with is father. Renee smiled as she took in the room. It wasn't an elaborate party, just a cake with four glowing candles; no guests, just Jake and Garret and as Renee looked passed them she saw Abby sitting on the couch behind her father. Renee's heart swelled in her chest as she pushed past Garret and wrapped Abby in her arms. She told her over and over again how sorry she was and Abby assured her it was okay, that it was in the past.

"Mom, blow out your candles!" Jake yelled suddenly. Renee turned to her son.

"Okay, okay," she laughed, seeing Jake hover over her cake.

"You hafta make a wish," Jake protested. Renee stared at the glowing flames atop her cake for a moment and tired to think of something she wanted. She couldn't think of a thing. Everything she wanted and everything she loved was already surrounding her. She couldn't ask for anything more. She smiled, bowed her head and blew out her candles.

They spent the rest of the evening talking and laughing and eating cake. Jake was excited to have his family all in one place and after he had eaten a piece of cake that was far too big for such a small child, he could hardly sit still. When Jake finally started to settle down Garret gathered him in his arms and slung him over his shoulder. Jake squealed in laughter and swatted at his father's back to get Garret to put him down. He knew where his father was taking him and he wasn't going without a fight.

"Bed time," Garret announced.

"Two more minutes?" Jake whined.

"Say good night to your sister," Garret instructed. Jake lifted his head from where it hung against Garret's back.

"G'night Abby," he groaned.

"G'night Jakey," Abby called back.

"And your mum," Garret pushed.

"Night mom,"

"I'll be in a minute," Renee assured him. Renee smiled as she watched them head off to Jake's room. She sighed as a wave of contentment washed over her. For the first time in a long time, she was happy.