In just three days, Zoe was going to board a plane that would take her out of Chicago, away from the kids and away from the events from the past month. She needed to clear her head, she needed to get her feelings in order and figure out what she was going to do. She had no idea whether she should just move on with her life after Marcos, consider a relationship with Dan or just ditch the idea of anything with Dan, they could always just be partners the rest of their lives. She knew that after turning down Marcos she knew he'd be out of her life forever. It saddened her to think of it that way, but it would be too awkward any other way.


Feeling an urgency to be with someone, Dan jumped from his couch in his lonely apartment and grabbed his car keys. It may have been nearly 10pm, but something was telling him to go to Zoe's house. Was it his heart or was it something else? Whatever it was it led him in front of her house, then to the front door. Was it the cold air or something more that made him shiver as he reached for the doorbell? He didn't know, but when she opened the door, her smile radiated warmth and the shivering stopped. He smiled his boyish smile as she welcomed him inside.

"What are you doing here?" She asked.

"I don't know. I just felt this need to come here." He said, honestly.

She smiled again as she wiped a strand of hair behind her ear. "Well, can I get you something to drink? A Diet Coke or something?"

"Sure, that would be great." He said, as they made their way to the kitchen.

"Are you excited about your trip?" Dan asked, taking a seat on a stool as Zoe retrieved two drinks.

"I'm going to miss the kids, but I really think I need to get away." Zoe said, taking a seat opposite of Dan.

"The office will surely be quieter without you for five days. So that's either a good thing or a bad thing." Dan laughed as Zoe playfully smacked his arm. "So, when does your plane take off?"

"Noon on Friday." She said. "Why? Do you plan on seeing me off? I'm not even having the kids come."

"Quite possibly yes." He said.

"Well, if you do decide to see me off, I'm on flight 639 to Minneapolis."