When I looked beside me where you should've been, I started drifting.

"Is that any way to talk to your mother?" Greta Bennett asked frostily. Her husband, Lyle Bennett, stood behind her with luggage around him. He wore an apologetic expression.

"Ma?" Lee said stupidly. "Dad? What're you doing here?"

"We heard about Charlie," Greta said simply. "And we wanted to give our support, so here we are."

"Here you are," Lee echoed.

"I don't know why we had to hear about it from your sister," Greta went on, reaching to push back her hair, which was a mixture of grey and blonde and curled around her ears. "You could have told us." Her blue/green eyes bored into his soul accusingly.

"I...erm..." Lee couldn't say why he hadn't told her. It was because he knew she'd show up, and he wasn't in the best place to handle her on top of this new role he was doing. "Sorry, Ma."

"Well? Are you gonna let us in?" Greta asked, sounding annoyed. Lee had no choice but to step back and let her in. He felt almost disconnected from his body as he did this simple motion; his brain couldn't seem to keep up.

His parents were here.

"Did Barney forget something?" Emily asked, coming to see what was going on. She paused upon seeing Greta and Lyle. "Oh. Um...hello?"

"Is this your girlfriend?" Greta asked Lee after giving Emily a onceover. "You could have told me you were dating someone."

"I'm not," Lee clarified. "This is Monica's friend, Emily. She's the co-parent of Teddy and Jenna."

"I don't understand," Greta said. Lyle heaved a sigh then.

"They were left to care for the children, darling," he said. "They're not a couple."

"Well that's silly. How are two strangers going to raise children together?"

"Lee?" Emily asked, still having no idea who these two people were in front of her.

"These are my parents," Lee said to her. "Greta and Lyle."

"And you are?" Greta asked her.

"Emily," Emily said faintly. Lee knew exactly how she felt.

"Pretty little thing," Greta said appreciatively. "Lee, don't muck it up and ask her out already."

"Ma!"

"Oh, we're keeping it platonic," Emily said, somehow managing to keep the nervousness out of her voice. Lee wanted to die of embarrassment. Why the hell did his parents have to come here? He was still trying to understand it.

"We're staying for a week or more," Greta announced. "I hope that's alright."

"I told her to call," Lyle said tiredly. "Sorry, Son."

"Uh, okay," Lee said, trying to process all of this. "Erm..."

"Just direct us to the guest room and we'll set up," Greta said now, looking at him.

Fudge.

"Well, that's the thing," Lee started. "There isn't room here."

"What do you mean? This house is huge," Greta said, scoffing. "Surely there is a guest room."

"Yes, but Emily is in there."

"So shack up with her for a while and we'll take the master bedroom."

"No," Lee said sharply, making his mother flinch. "No, you're not staying in there."

"Why ever not? If it's empty, we need a place to sleep," Greta said logically.

Lee felt so aggravated towards his mother in this moment. He always wondered how she could be so tactless, so blind, in obvious situations.

"Because it's Monica and Charlie's room, and we haven't even gone through it to pack it up," Emily said now, making Greta look at her. "We haven't felt it was time to do that yet. The kids go in there to be close to their parents sometimes, and we felt that when they stop doing that, then we'll tidy it up."

Lee couldn't have said it any better, and he saw his mother's face soften.

"Of course," Greta said. "How thoughtless of me. I apologize."

"It's quite alright," Emily replied. "I can vacate the guest room and sleep in the office."

"Nonsense. Lee can sleep there. Surely he can give up wherever it is he's sleeping for you," Greta said, looking at him.

"I was planning to, thanks," Lee muttered, irritated that his mother would think he was that rude. As if he wouldn't give up his bed for her. If Emily wasn't going to let him sleep on that stupid couch in the office, then he wasn't letting her either. He'd rather suffer than her.

"Good, lad. Okay, point the way," Greta said. Lyle picked up their bags again.

"Can you give me a few minutes to just clear it out and tidy up?" Emily asked. "I'll change the sheets too."

"Of course. Thank you."

"Uncle Lee," Teddy said now, joining them. He looked at Greta and Lyle with a confused expression. "Who are they?"

"We are his mummy and daddy," Greta said, bending down to Teddy's level. "We met a long time ago, sweetheart. It's nice to see you again."

Teddy looked confused, so Lee decided to intervene.

"They came to visit," he explained to the boy. "Just for a bit. They liked your father and knew him from being my friend."

"So...are they like my adoptive grandparents?" Teddy asked.

"Well...not quite," Lee started.

"I love that!" Greta gushed, clapping her hands together. "Yes! Think of us as your adoptive grandparents. We'd love to be that for you."

"More like foster grandparents for now," Lee corrected, feeling like this was all getting away from him too quickly.

"I've always wanted more grandparents," Teddy said, sounding thrilled. "This is awesome!"

Lee knew Trent had been the only grandparent, and Teddy had been about four when he died, so he didn't get a lot of time with him. Greta hugged Teddy tightly, and Lyle shook the boy's hand after before getting a hug from Teddy anyway. He wore an expression on his face that Lee couldn't quite decipher...it was almost like longing. Had he always wanted a grandchild? Lee was beginning to think so. Then Greta went to see Jenna and gushed and fawned all over her. Lee stood in the foyer trying to get his wits back about him when Emily returned with a duffel bag she'd packed from her room. He had no idea she could change sheets and pack so quickly.

"I'm sorry," he said to her. "I had no idea..."

"Clearly," she teased, giving him a slight nudge. "It's okay. We'll make do."

"I know my mother is a bit much..." he started.

"Don't worry about it," she interrupted. "I'm just happy I'm going to get to see a whole different side of you." She smiled at him and went to continue with supper while Lyle carried their suitcases upstairs. Lee assisted, and he got his father alone in the guest room once Greta had finished telling him where to put everything and had gone to help cook.

"Why did you really come?" Lee asked, and his father sighed.

"Your mother is worried about you," he answered. "You weren't answering her calls or messages, and she wanted to see for herself what was going on after your sister told us about Charlie and Monica."

"I'm fine," Lee insisted.

"Just let her have this," Lyle said back. Something in his voice made Lee pause and wonder what was really going on.

"Is she sick?" he asked. His father shifted uncomfortably and cleared his throat. "Dad?"

"You didn't hear it from me," Lyle said. "She's got breast cancer, but they found it early and are starting treatment soon. They say she'll be just fine."

So that was why she'd come. Lee could see it now. His mother felt scared and wanted to be with her family. He wondered if his sister knew.

"Claire knows," Lyle said, reading his mind. "She's coming by soon. She's just wrapping up a big case."

Lee nodded. His sister was a detective in New York. It didn't surprise him that she was throwing herself into her work to distract herself from their mother's illness. He felt bad for not visiting with her more or even telling her he was in the same city. He just hadn't wanted to deal with her trying to make him feel better, but he also knew she distanced from him because of his job. She wanted deniability.

"Shall I prepare tea for supper?" Greta asked now, sticking her head around the corner.

"Uh, no, it's okay," Lee answered. He couldn't remember the last time he'd had a cup of tea; it wasn't really his thing.

"You don't drink tea?" his mother asked, incredulous.

"Ma..."

"It's just the strangest thing," she went on, "you move to America and suddenly you're too good for tea? Did I not raise you right?"

Lee looked at his father, trying to comprehend why his mother was making such a fuss about tea of all things. Lyle was of no help whatsoever. He just shrugged.

"Um..." Lee tried.

"I've put the pot on, Mrs. Bennett," Emily said, coming to put a hand on her shoulder. "Come pick out what tea bags you'd like."

"Oh, now here's someone who's normal," Greta said to Lee, giving him a look.

"I just don't like it," he said weakly.

"Have you got any tea biscuits?" Lyle asked him now, making Lee stare back in return.

"No..."

"Oh boy. You're in for a tongue lashing," Lyle said with a chuckle.

"I can't believe this is a big deal," Lee spluttered.

"It's your mother," Lyle retorted with a knowing look. Lee felt a bit of despair in that moment. Despite his mother being sick, she still had the tendency to treat him like a child, and it irked him.

They sat for supper, and he stayed quiet as his mother fired question after question at Emily. It wasn't really anything that she definitely needed answers for; she was just being nosy. He gave Emily an apologetic look during a pause while his mother took a breath, and she just smiled back. She was a real gem, putting up with all of this. He wished he could pay her back somehow.

"Alright, let's get cleaned up, shall we?" Emily said, wiping Jenna's hands with the cloth and then her face.

"I can take care of the dishes," Greta said, taking plates to the sink.

"I got it, Ma," Lee tried.

"Nonsense. I'm happy to help." She waved him off, and Lyle patted his shoulder before assisting her. Teddy was playing in the living room now, so Lee stood there feeling like an idiot. After Emily plopped Jenna into her playpen, she caught Lee by the sleeve and hauled him down to the office, shutting the door behind them.

"Can you please tell me what just happened?" she asked.

"I'm still trying to figure it out," he admitted.

"You have a sister? In New York?" Emily lifted a brow at him, crossing her arms.

"Yea."

"She's a police officer? How did we not see her when we were at the station?"

"She was undercover," Lee answered. He'd gotten that information discreetly. Somehow, though, Claire had found out about Charlie and had alerted his parents. Clearly, she'd thought he needed the help.

"Why didn't you tell your family about Charlie and that you were living here?"

"To avoid this very thing from happening," he replied. "I knew my mother would be on the first plane out here if she knew."

"Okay," Emily said, pinching the bridge of her nose, "well, then we just deal with it. I don't like being scrutinized, though."

"It's her way of showing she cares," Lee advised. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay. I haven't had a proper mother in a very long time, so this should be interesting," Emily said with a small smile. She noticed his face then, and her smile faltered. "You okay?"

"She's sick," he blurted, clenching his right hand.

"Oh, Lee," Emily said, moving to hug him. He put his arms around her instinctively, feeling emotion rising in his throat suddenly.

"I can see it despite her trying to hide it," he told her as her hand smoothed his back slowly. "She's scared but trying to act tough."

"How bad?"

"Dad says they caught it early; she'll be doing treatment soon."

"Cancer?"

"Yea. Breast cancer."

"I'm so sorry, Lee."

He swallowed and pulled back from her a moment later. She looked sad for him, and he hadn't wanted that. He hated making her sad.

"She's a fighter. It'll be fine," he said, trying to convince himself more than her.

"If you need to talk about it, I'm here," she promised. He nodded, and she looked like she was going to say something else when Teddy knocked on the door and asked if Lee could help him pick a movie.

"Thanks," Lee said to her, going to open the door and let Teddy distract him for a bit.

...

Emily found Lyle outside smoking later that evening after Teddy and Jenna were put to bed, and he immediately looked sheepish and stamped it out. Then he coughed and waved his hand to rid of the smoke.

"Hi," he said.

"Hey," Emily said back.

"Stupid, I know," he sighed. "My wife has cancer and I'm out here sucking back smoke."

"It's okay," Emily advised. He looked startled then, as if he just realized what he said. He went to open his mouth and speak when she held up a hand to stop him. "Lee told me, but don't worry, I won't let on I know."

"Thank you," he said, relieved. "She's not really up for telling people just yet."

"Understandable."

"So, how are you doing?" Lyle asked, sitting down on a deck chair. Emily joined him, discovering that she liked him and felt comfortable around him. He reminded her of Lee at times already, and he hadn't been there that long. He even had a shaved head, just like his son, and hazel eyes. He was a bit taller, though.

"I'm okay," Emily answered.

"It must have been a big adjustment, moving into here and becoming a mother so quickly."

"It was," she agreed, her eyes pricking with tears suddenly. Lyle reached to pat her hand comfortingly.

"It's a very noble thing you're doing. Your friend would be very grateful to you."

"I know she is. I just sometimes feel like I'm letting her down, you know? I have no idea how to raise kids, and I'm winging it most of the time..."

Lyle burst out laughing, slapping his knee. "Oh, luv, every parent just wings it a lot of the time. It's a learning experience for everyone, and we make mistakes, but when we do, we apologize for them and move on. Nobody's perfect."

"I keep hearing that, but I still feel bad," she insisted.

"It'll pass," Lyle promised. "You know, I accidentally left Lee in a store when he was eight years old. Totally forgot about him until someone ran after me and hollered."

"Oh my gosh," Emily said, bursting into a fit of giggles.

"He was completely oblivious," Lyle chortled. "He'd gotten too immersed in watching the fish in the tanks."

"Aww."

"Greta found the two little idiots up to their elbows in honey because Claire had convinced Lee to cover her in it to attract 'Winnie-the-Pooh,' and naturally, Lee wanted to as well."

Emily howled in laughter now, and Lyle joined her. She could picture it clearly.

"So you see," Lyle went on, once he'd calmed down, "children can bring you great joy or be a pain in your arse, but they keep you on your toes and teach you lessons you'd never have learned otherwise. I feel they're more of a blessing than anything, and I don't regret it for a moment."

"Honestly? I don't know what I'd do without Jenna and Teddy," Emily advised. "I've only been here a few months, but they're a part of me now even if I do feel like I'm messing things up."

"They're wonderful kids," Lyle said. "And you and Lee will do a wonderful job raising them." She held his gaze, and she nodded slowly. She believed that. She just couldn't stop wondering about the "what if" about her relationship with Lee.

"He's a good man," she said, referring to Lee.

"That he is. Have the two of you...?"

"Oh, no," Emily replied quickly. "We're just friends and co-parents. I've been seeing someone else."

"Ah. Well, that's probably good then. Wouldn't want to make things harder for the kids if you tried and it didn't work out."

"That's...yea," Emily said, switching gears. She had almost revealed that it was the conclusion she and Lee had come to, but that would mean confirming they'd felt something for each other, and she didn't want another person trying to make her rethink it.

"Lyle? Will you put that damn thing out already and come to bed?" Greta hollered. Emily suppressed a smirk as he grew a guilty expression on his face.

"I guess she knows me pretty well still," he said with a sigh.

"Old habits die hard."

"You're right. Well...thank you for talking with me. It was nice."

"It was," Emily agreed. He smiled at her and reached to pat her shoulder fondly before going inside. Emily paced the yard, hugging herself. She looked up at the guest bedroom window and saw Lyle joking with Greta, who initially didn't look impressed. Then they were slow dancing, and Lyle was saying something while Greta started to cry. Emily looked away, feeling as though she'd intruded on a tender, personal moment. She went back inside and found Lee getting set up in the office on the couch.

"I'm sorry," she said, and he looked at her.

"I've slept on much worse, trust me," he said, offering a smile.

"I'm willing to trade off if you can't stand it."

"Thanks, but I'll be fine," he promised. He noticed her face change then. "You okay?"

"Yea. I'm just...I feel bad for you and your family," Emily answered.

"One day at a time," Lee said. "It's all we can do."

She nodded, and he watched her for a moment until she turned to leave him to it. She went to the living room and curled up on the chair, trying to get immersed into a book. It wasn't working.

Lee came out and saw her there, and he stalled on his way to the kitchen.

"Movie?" he asked, and she met his eyes. He just knew what she needed without her even saying it. How often did that happen in a guy?

"Actually, yea," she answered. "That'd be nice."

"Alright. Be back in a sec. You want anything?"

"A beer," she answered. It just seemed like the right beverage to have in this moment. Lee nodded and disappeared before returning and handing her and open one while cracking his open next. He sank down onto the couch and released a groan/sigh.

"You pick," he stated. "I won't torture you with anything scary."

"I appreciate that." Emily got up and scanned the selection, choosing something that was a happy medium for both of their tastes. She put it in and went to sit on the chair when Lee gestured her to join him on the couch. She hesitated but then suddenly wanted to be close to someone. She obliged, and she wondered if she was sending him mixed signals when she rested her head on his shoulder a moment later.

...

Date her, don't touch her.

Lee was remembering his conversation with Tool very clearly...and the smacks. Maybe it was wrong for her to rest into him like this with her head on his shoulder, but he was allowing it. Any touch from her was craved. He felt like this fell into friends territory and that if he just bided his time, things would eventually happen. Lee could sense her wavering inside, and he knew not to push, to let her come to it on her own. He'd be there, waiting.

He'd wait forever for her.

Hell, he'd been waiting for years already. Ever since the first time he saw her, he'd known they were meant to be together. He just hadn't known how to go about it, and he'd never had the guts to ask Monica to help him out.

"Oh!" Emily yelped, burying her face into his neck when something startling happened on the TV. Her hand reached to grab his tightly, and he waited a moment before moving his head to look at her.

"Sorry," she said, letting his hand go and pulling back.

"It's fine," he told her, and she searched his eyes in the lamplight.

"I feel like I'm blurring lines," she advised.

"You're not."

"I think you're lying."

"Em, it's really okay," Lee insisted. "We're friends. Friends comfort friends or keep them safe from scary scenes in a movie."

"Alright," she said, playfully punching his arm now. "I'll take your word for it."

"Good."

Emily did shift a bit away from him, though, until she grew uncomfortable in her seating position. Lee didn't hesitate and picked up her legs to drape over his. He felt her relax slowly a few minutes later. The moment was simple yet made his heart warm.

He hoped that she wouldn't take too long to see that they were meant to be.

A Few Days Later

His parents settled in quickly, which was a surprise. Lee figured there would be a fuss made over certain things, but his mother surprised him by allowing herself to be directed on what to do and when. His father liked to clean up after meals and insisted on it. He also loved spending time with the kids, crawling around on his hands and knees for whatever make believe game Teddy had him doing.

It was the middle of the week. Emily was at work while Teddy was at school. Jenna was down for a nap. Lyle was out for a walk. This left Lee alone with his mother, and he knew it was time to have their conversation.

"Hey, Ma," he said, sitting down next to her on the couch where she was knitting.

"Hullo," she said back, reaching to pat his arm fondly before going back to her work. Lee watched her for a moment before clearing his throat.

"We have to talk," he advised.

"I know, and I don't want to."

"Ma..."

"No," she cut him off, aiming a knitting needle at his nose. She waved it as she spoke. "I am not talking about this with you. I am fine." He pulled his head back a little to avoid getting an eye taken out.

"Dad told me..."

"I know he did, the weasel. Big mouth on him," Greta sighed, going back to knitting. "But it's not a big deal. I'll get the treatment and carry on. Simple as that."

"What if it's not that simple?" Lee asked softly. He saw her fingers involuntarily grip her needles tighter, and she swallowed.

"I'm not entertaining that idea currently," she retorted, her voice wavering.

"Alright." He didn't want to make her feel worse, so he dropped it. She cleared her throat a moment later.

"So what about you and Emily?"

"There's nothing going on there," Lee said, his tone a warning.

"Oh, please," she scoffed. "The tension between you two is thick. Why haven't you made your move yet?"

"I did," he answered quietly, taking her off guard.

"You...you did?" she repeated.

"Yea."

"What happened?"

"She decided we need to stay friends and co-parents."

"Oh, bugger," Greta said, "I'm sorry."

"It's alright. I originally thought she had a point, that if we tried to be something more and failed, the kids lose another stable thing in their lives."

"Buuut..." Greta said, sensing what was coming next. Lee gave a small smile at her anticipation.

"I guess I'm just more of a risk taker," he advised. "And I've decided to wait her out."

"Hm," Greta said, stroking her chin with her fingers now. "Have you cranked up the romance at all?"

"No. I'm trying not to scare her out of the house," Lee said with a chuckle.

"Maybe that's what she's waiting for."

"I doubt it."

"Have you kissed her?"

"Ma..."

"Well? Don't leave your old mother waiting," she said, giving him a cheeky look. He made a face.

"I did, and after that, she made her decision."

"Do you really kiss that badly?"

"Ma," he groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. Why had he thought telling her this was a good idea again?

"Do the math," Greta insisted. "She was interested until you did that, so obviously you did it wrong."

"I did not...you know what? I'm not arguing with you about this," Lee said. "Long story short, we're not together right now."

"But you hope to be soon."

"Well...yea," he confessed. His mother shifted in her seat and uncrossed her legs to cross them again the other way.

"Son, you're a good man, and you have a lot to offer someone. I think she'll come around. I think she just needs to know for sure, so keep being who you are, and I'm sure something will give sooner than later," she stated.

"Thanks, Ma," Lee said with a smile. She smiled back and reached to pat his leg fondly.

"You miss Charlie, don't you?" she asked a moment later. His throat tightened.

"Yea," he confessed. "A lot."

"You two were always such scoundrels at times, but I loved him. He was a good lad."

"Sometimes I look over my shoulder and expect him to be standing there grinning at me, and when I don't find him there, I feel like I'm lost...untethered...like I'm drifting," Lee admitted. "Sometimes I can't breathe from the pain of it, Ma."

"Oh, luv," Greta said, scooching over to him. "Losing a close friend is awful. It takes time to heal."

Lee just nodded, feeling like if he tried to speak he'd lose control of his emotions. Thinking of Charlie and of her being sick and possibly dying was too much in this moment suddenly. She reached to pull him into an embrace, patting his cheek with her hand lightly.

"It'll be alright someday," she promised. "And don't count your old mother out just yet."

He gave a slight scoff of laughter that was almost a sob. He didn't normally have these kinds of moments with his mother, but right now, it was exactly what he needed. After about five minutes of her holding him, he felt better and sat up straight. Greta smiled at him and rested a hand on his face fondly.

"I love you," she said.

"Love you too."

"You mind getting me a cup of tea?"

"Sure."

Grateful for the distraction and shift to normalcy, he got up to get it for her. He was on his way back with it when the doorbell rang. He groaned inwardly, thinking it was probably Darla since it was about due for her to come and complain about her life. He set his mother's tea down by her on the end table before going to answer the door.

"Hi, Lee," Gina said brightly, her clipboard in her arms.

"Ah, hi," he said. He mentally calculated how badly disorganized things were in the house right now. Then he realized his mother was here.

That might not end very well.

"I always love the look on all of your faces when you see me standing here," Gina joked. "May I come in?"

"Um, sure. Just...be warned: my mother is here, and she has...opinions about things," Lee said with a slight wince.

"Oh, okay. I'll keep that in mind," she said, winking. He let her in, and he prayed that his mother would just stand down this one time.

"Hullo," Greta said, seeing Gina. "Who are you, then?"

"My name is Gina. I'm Lee and Emily's social worker. I do pop in visits to just check in and make sure things are going smoothly," Gina said professionally and with a big smile. "You must be Lee's mother."

"Yes. Greta."

"Pleased to meet you. So, Lee, is Jenna down for a nap?"

"Yea."

"Alright. I'll pop up to see her and then do a quick roundabout," Gina said.

"Sure."

"Hang on," Greta said, struggling to her feet now. "You're just gonna wander around the house unsupervised?"

"Ma," Lee said, his tone a warning.

"Don't be snooping through our things," Greta told Gina.

"Snooping is the last thing I'll be doing," Gina promised. Lee gave her an apologetic look behind his mother, and Gina just smiled again before heading upstairs.

"How rude," his mother said once she was gone. "You just let her do that?"

"Ma, she has to. It's her job."

"To do what? Have a great gawk at everything you own? What if she steals something?"

"Ma!" he hissed, pulling her to the kitchen to hopefully muffle her voice more. "Look, it's a wellness check, okay? We pass every time, so just please be quiet and don't piss her off. She makes the final decision about whether or not we can adopt Jenna and Teddy."

"That's a lot of power for her," Greta said with a sniff. Lee gave a slight growl in response before going to tidy up the living room a bit better. It wasn't a disaster, but he knew they could do better. Gina came back down as he tossed the last thing into the playpen.

"She's such an angel," Gina said to him. "Out like a light. She's doing okay still?"

"Yea. Walking and talking a bit more each day."

"That's good. Any outbursts from Teddy lately?"

"Not lately. Therapy is helping him a lot."

"Oh, good. I'll drop by the school to chat with him later today. Everything looks good here for now. I realize Emily is at work, so I'll give her a call later too. Have you two given any thought to what your relationship looks like in the future for the children?"

"Just co-parents for now."

Greta made a noise in her throat, and Lee shot her a warning look again. Gina didn't even flinch.

"Okay, great. If anything changes there, please let me know."

"I will."

"Have a great day," Gina said with a beaming smile, shaking his hand. "Nice to meet you, Greta!" She waved and walked out the door. Once it shut and she was to her car, Greta gave Lee a look.

"There's no sense in telling her about anything that hasn't even happened," he said, knowing that's what she was getting at.

"Uh huh."

Lee just pressed his lips together as his mother went back to her chair to continue her knitting. He went to clean up the kitchen a bit until Jenna made her "I'm awake" noise. He went to get her, but his mother had beat him to it. He watched in the background as she came down with Jenna and talked to her about everything and anything. He tried not to have the thought that one day soon she could be gone.

It was just too depressing to think about.

...

Emily had finished talking to Gina on the phone when Craig knocked on her office door. Andy was out on an errand, so it was just the two of them in the office. He looked a little bit better, but Emily felt a bit irritated all over again that Barney had gone to intimidate him.

"Hey," he said with a smile.

"Hi," she said back. For a moment she felt unsure of what she was doing here, but then she remembered how much she'd wanted to be with him. He came around to her and leaned down to take her face in his hands and kiss her gently. It was already a bit different than usual, and she wondered if the miracle of birth had somehow changed him.

Or maybe the thought of losing her had done it.

"You busy tonight?" he asked.

"I promised Teddy I'd help him with his assignment," she replied. "But once they're down, I can come out."

"Would it be too forward of me to ask if I could meet them? Properly?"

"Oh..." He wanted to meet the kids? Was that even okay to do right now? She didn't know.

"If it's too soon, I get it," he said quickly. "I just want to be a part of your life, and they're a big part of it, so I just thought..." He trailed off, looking worried suddenly.

"Let me talk to Lee about it," she said. A little bit of a darkness flitted through his expression at this, but it was gone quickly, and he nodded.

"Sure," he agreed. "Makes sense. He's the co-parent."

"You're okay with that, right?"

"I have to be," he said with a smile. "It's alright. I know you're not into him or him you, right?"

Emily felt immense guilt. She hadn't told him about kissing Lee, and she hadn't intended to, really. Had he sensed it between them when he saw them the other day?

"No, definitely not," she replied. She wasn't being entirely truthful. She knew Lee was still harboring feelings for her, and if she was honest, she had the tiniest of feelings still hanging on for him too.

"Good," Craig said, kissing her again. "I'll come pick you up around eight then?"

"Okay."

He kissed her once more and then left her to go make some phone calls. Emily wondered what she was doing here. Did this make sense? She kept struggling with it...partly because she couldn't get the hurt look on Lee's face out of her head.

She gave herself a shake. It had been a nice fantasy for a moment, but it didn't make sense. It just didn't. And she'd been a wreck with the whole Craig thing, so she was probably just projecting all of that onto Lee anyway.

"Whoa," Andy said, coming in right as Emily whacked her stapler against some paper with the force of a hammer striking a nail with a vengeance. "What's up, Hulk?"

"Nothing," Emily answered, keeping her tone light. "You have anything for me?"

"Not right now."

"Okay. I have to keep working on this," she said, gesturing to her desk "So..."

"Hint taken," Andy noted, trying not to sound put out. "I'll see you later."

Emily gave a curt nod and then dropped her head into her hands the moment Andy was gone.

...

Lee picked up Teddy from school, and he gave an awkward smile and wave to Connie, who was just as awkward in return. He felt bad all over again for hurting her. He wished he hadn't tried to pursue something with her when he knew all along that he really wanted to be with Emily.

Teddy was walking with his head down, and once they got to the van, he looked even more deflated.

"What's up?" Lee asked, taking the boy's backpack and putting it in the backseat. His mother was watching Jenna for him, so it was just the two of them. Lee helped him climb into his booster seat.

"No one except Becky really likes me at school," Teddy said finally. He looked at Lee with a bit of a sad expression. Lee hurt at the pain in his eyes.

"Why do you say that?" he asked.

"They think my sadness is contagious, so they stay away from me."

"What?" Lee felt a surge of anger. How could these kids do that to Teddy?

"It's okay, Uncle Lee," Teddy said now. "Becky is there, and she doesn't care. She knows what it's like, and I'm okay. I promise." He smiled then, but it hurt Lee so much to know that Teddy was being shunned by the other kids. He wanted to fix that somehow, but he didn't know how or even if he should.

"You know that it's not contagious, right?" he ended up asking.

"Yea."

"Those kids don't know what they're missing."

"Thanks, Uncle Lee." Teddy looked like he was done talking about it, so Lee respected that. He went to drive, thinking the whole way how he could talk to Connie about this. He dreaded having alone time with her now.

"Hi, Auntie Em," Teddy said when they pulled up to the curb and she got into the van.

"Hi, sweetheart," she replied, turning in her seat to squeeze his knee fondly. "How was your day?"

"Good."

Lee wondered why he wasn't telling Emily about the other kids ignoring him, but he guessed the boy didn't want to make Emily feel bad or he felt embarrassed about it with her. Emily was texting as Lee drove, and he tried to sneak and see who she was writing. He just knew it was Craig.

"I'm going out tonight after the kids are down," she said on cue. "If that's alright."

"Erm, alright," he replied. What was he supposed to say? No? Don't do it? I'm in love with you? He could see her looking at him, and he glanced at her briefly to see that she was almost nonverbally pleading with him to not make this weird. He cleared his throat.

"Yea, it's fine," he added.

"Thanks."

"You're still gonna pose for me tonight, right?" Teddy asked her, sounding a bit alarmed.

"Of course," Emily promised. "I'm all yours."

Lee felt a slight shiver at these words as if they'd been directed at him, and he mentally kicked himself. He had to stop this. Teddy started singing along to the song on the radio now, and he kept his focus on the road.

When they got home, he let Teddy out and grabbed the backpack. There was an awkward moment between him and Emily where they tried to walk ahead at the same time on the walkway, and he finally just stopped and held his arm out to let her go by. Once inside, Lee took the backpack to the kitchen to empty before hanging it back on its hook. Emily came into the kitchen a bit later to refill her water bottle and put it in the fridge. He wondered what she even ate in a day since she never/rarely took anything to work with her.

"Everything okay?" she asked him, seeing that he was looking a bit pensive.

"Teddy just told me that the other kids shun him because he's sad and they don't want to 'catch' it," Lee replied.

"What?"

"I don't know what to do with that," he confessed.

"Well, that's heartbreaking," Emily said, moving to look at Teddy playing with Greta. His peals of laughter were echoing in the house.

"I know. I'm not sure what to do about it."

"Little bastards," Emily said, making him laugh out loud, unable to help himself. "What? Who does something like that? And no kid comes up with that on their own. I'm sorry, but I think some parental influence is happening here."

"You might be right. He's unfortunately been branded the boy who lost his parents. I imagine parents discussed that heavily for a while, if not still."

"It really aggravates me that our Teddy is getting hurt," she added. "I hate that."

"Welcome to being a parent," Lee pointed out, and she looked almost thoughtful for a moment. He knew, like him, that she struggled with thinking of herself as a parent sometimes. It was these moments that showed they were.

"Alright. Well, you're in charge of dinner tonight," she told him, moving on. "I have to go pose for Teddy."

"I'm a little offended that he chose you over me," Lee teased. She smirked.

"I'm prettier," she advised, moving to pass him.

"You definitely are," he agreed. She stopped in front of him, and he could see something in her eyes that looked like conflict. He made no move to do or say anything. He didn't want to come on too strong.

"Sucking up is not gonna get you out of cleaning the toilets this week," she said. He started to smirk slowly. They traded off different chores week by week, and sometimes they would barter with each other to swap chores.

"Worth a try," he replied. She reached to nudge his chest lightly on her way out, and he smiled to himself. His father came in a moment later, talking about a steak with his name on it. Lee began to prep for supper while listening to his parents bicker over so and so they'd seen a while ago who may have said something offensive. Lee had enough after a bit and went to investigate what Teddy and Emily were up to. He stopped outside Teddy's door and looked to see the boy holding a pad of paper and sketching with his tongue held between his teeth carefully. His assignment was to draw a portrait of someone and then write about what that person meant to him. Lee thought it was cute, and Teddy took it very seriously. Emily sat still, her legs crossed and her hands folded on her knees. Her eyes met Lee's, and he couldn't help but smile. She returned it and then looked back at Teddy.

"Looks good, bud," Lee said, smiling at how cartoonish Emily was looking on paper, and Teddy just grunted in response. He chuckled and went to pick Jenna up from the playpen downstairs to entertain her for a bit. He sat on the couch with her standing on his legs, and she pointed at everything and tried to say their names.

"Don't grow up on me, okay?" he said to her as she stuck her fingers into her mouth and smiled at him. "Just stay like this. Things are much less confusing and you don't have to worry about having your heart broken or anything."

She smiled wider and gurgled, and he smiled back.

"I know you're gonna disregard my advice, but it's good advice," he reasoned. She bent her legs repeatedly, indicating she wanted to walk, so he set her on the floor and let her hold his fingers, walking her along the perimeter.

Then it was supper, and Teddy was chattering excitedly about his drawing and what he liked and didn't like about it. Emily was quiet, but she smiled at Teddy when he brought attention to her. Lee wanted to know what she was thinking, but he couldn't ask. They got through the meal, and then it was bedtime routines. Before he knew it, Emily was putting her heels on and heading out the door.

He looked out the window as she walked to Craig's car, feeling very jealous and heartbroken all over again. His mother came up behind him and rested a hand on his shoulder before giving it a squeeze and going to watch Jeopardy with his father. Lee sighed.

It was what it was. For now.