side note. In my previous chapter I mistakenly called Noa, Aria. The craziness of having multiple stories going. Sorry about that!*

Lucas looked up as the door opened across the restaurant. Janette. He stood as she got closer and accepted her dual-cheeked kisses. It was her typical greeting.

Janette was originally from New Orleans from a French family and that's where he met her. On a trip with Lucas' good friend Joseph, he met Janette in the French Quarter and they hit it off. As friends. Yes, they'd tried dating but Lucas never felt a connection. They still were each other's "plus one" periodically but it was rare.

Her modeling career took her all over the world but when she returned to New York, whatever the reason, they reconnected.

"You look serious, Lucas."

"We need to talk."

She raised her hand to get their waiter's attention. "White wine," she told him.

"And you, sir?"

"Beer. Whatever is on tap."

"So, what's eating at you?" Janette asked, curious. She'd never know Lucas to be anything but a hard worker and forthcoming.

"I have a daughter."

"A daughter?"

"Yes."

"You? You don't date, Lucas. How is that possible?"

"First of all, I date." He lifted two fingers up. "Second, you don't have to 'date' to create a child." A third finger went up. "Third, remember how I told you I studied in Cambridge for a semester?"

"Yes."

"I fell in love there. Her name is Elizabeth and very recently, we reconnected and I met our daughter."

"You don't date, Lucas," she sassed. "Two, that's true. Three, congratulations. What's her name? How old is she?"

"We, you and I date," he told her. "And she's four and her name is Noa."

"Uh, no. You go to ritzy parties with me and I go to an occasional wedding with you. You and I both know that we are friends. No offense, Lucas, but we have zero chemistry. You're like my brother."

"Ouch. Harsh."

She giggled and shook her head, sipping her wine.

"Don't get me wrong, you're hot."

He laughed this time, gulping his beer.

"But I could tell you didn't have feelings for me either."

She was right. "Yeah. It's always been Elizabeth."

"So where do they live?"

"South of LA. Hope Valley."

"Wow."

"I'm moving there and I was worried that telling you we couldn't 'date' anymore might hurt you. Guess I didn't need to worry."

"I will miss you, Lucas."

"I'll miss you too."

"When do you leave?"

"I'm shooting for January. I've got lots of loose ends to tie up. Plus, they are coming for Thanksgiving."

"And staying where?"

"My guest room."

"You mean the gym slash office the size of my closet?"

"That's the one."

She pulled out her phone. "Let's see…I leave for Venice the day before Thanksgiving so I have some time."

"For…."

"To help you."

"Help me what?"

"Decorate the 'guest room'. I definitely have better taste than you."

"Wow! You're so mean today."

"Nah. Just honest."

…..

They had a week before Thanksgiving and Elizabeth honestly couldn't miss Lucas any more if she tried. Every night, he FaceTimed Noa, said goodnight and then they talked. About everything and nothing.

Tonight, they wouldn't chat because it was girl's night with Julie and Vi while Noa stayed the night with Nana Grace and Papa William.

Elizabeth carefully carried the charcuterie board filled to the edges to the living room. Julie followed behind with a bottle of red wine and Vi sat down to nurse her six month old baby boy, Henry.

"Alright so are you packed?" Vi asked, leaning forward to grab a few grapes.

"I made a list."

"You leave Wednesday?"

"Yes. I have plenty of time, Vi."

"I remember when you were packing to go to Cambridge, it took you a week to decide what to wear to the airport."

"Its important to be comfortable when flying for so many hours." Elizabeth sipped her wine and took a bite of cheese. "Besides, I already know what I'm wearing to the airport so I'm ahead."

She was going to wear black yoga pants for one thing, that Lucas always thought she looked hot in. She wanted to catch his eye again. She needed him to be in her life too, not just Noa's.

Cambridge, five years before.

"You look….wow," he told her, pulling her against him and resting his hands low on her hips.

"I just worked out. I'm sweaty and hot…"

"You certainly are." Before she knew what was happening he had backed her up against her dorm room wall and kissed her like she was the oxygen he needed to breathe.

….

Current

"Whoa, Beth, what's happening?" Julie asked, pointing out her deep blush with a giggle. "Thinking about Lucas?"

"Um, I'll be right back." She hurried to the kitchen and stuck her head in the freezer.

As her heart and mind took her back, she remembered that that evening, she got pregnant. Maybe she wouldn't wear those yoga pants.

"Elizabeth?" Vi said as she and Julie joined her in the kitchen.

"I love him."

"We know," her sisters said in unison.

"I'm going to marry him. Not right now but…that was always the plan. It's still what I want."

"Is it what he wants?"

"I hope so."

….

Wednesday morning

"Noa, punkin, we need to go. The Uber will be here in ten minutes!"

Why was she so slow to move in the morning?

"What's Uber?"

"Its the car that is going to take us to the airport."

"Oh."

Elizabeth walked into Noa's room and gasped. She had opened her suitcase and crammed all her stuffed animals inside.

"Noa? Where are your clothes?"

"Under."

"Under what?"

"My babies."

Elizabeth sighed and took out the stuffed animals. There was one pair of underwear and a t-shirt there.

"Mommy! I need to take them. They'll miss me!"

"Sweetie, you can take one."

"Three!" she bartered.

"Two." Elizabeth added more underwear, her jammas, two pairs, and a pair of jeans and two sweaters.

In her own suitcase she had put a pair of boots for Noa and her coat. She hoped she'd be warm enough.

Noa finally chose which two stuffies she was taking and pouted.

"Let's go, punkin. Time to go on our trip to see Daddy."

Her face brightened and she skipped out of the room. "Goin' to see Daddy!" she sang. "Goin' to see Daddy!"

….

New York City

"Thanks, Janette. This is great," Lucas told her, seeing her work to decorate and organize the guest room in his apartment.

She had put a full sized bed and dresser in the room, organized his desk, added shelves with baskets and removed the boxes that had taken up the room for the past few years.

Then she hung gauzy white curtains on the window and folded a quilt at the end of the bed to make it feel homey.

"I'd stay here," she teased.

"You're more than welcome whenever you come into town."

"I'm not sure a certain woman would like that too much."

"You're probably right. I wish you could be here to meet her. You would be friends, I can feel it."

"Sorry, Luke," she said, kissing both of his cheeks. "My car is just about here. Off to Venice."

He nodded and walked her to the door. "Thanks again, Janette."

"Happy to help. Now, don't doubt yourself. You belong with them. You're an amazing guy and they are lucky to have you."

"Less mean today, huh?" he teased, giving her a hug.

"Hush."

He chuckled and watched her walk out the door and down the hallway to the elevator. He could feel it. She wouldn't be back in the same manner. He'd made it clear where his heart belonged and she wouldn't get in the way.

"On the plane," Elizabeth texted an hour later.

"Great! I'm heading to the store with your list for dinner tomorrow. C u both soon! Love u!"

"Love u back :)"

She wanted to be able to say it in person again. In about six hours she could. And maybe, after Noa was asleep she could hold his hand and kiss him.

"Mommy, look! We are moving!" Noa said, pointing out the window where she had pressed her nose.

"I see, punkin."

It was a long five hour flight. Thankfully, Noa fell asleep after eating a snack so Elizabeth was able to relax a bit and think.

He said he loved her but is that what he truly meant? Did they really know each other like they had? Did he think about marriage like she did? Did he still want a house with a big yard and three or four bedrooms? Did he still want more children and a dog? Did he still want to travel to Ireland and Scotland?

After this weekend, she hoped to know the answers to all of those questions. She hoped to feel sure that their future included each other and not just as co-parents to their daughter.

She texted him as soon as they landed so that he was at least close by and able to pick them up.

"I'm circling the lanes. Its American Airlines, right?"

"Yep. We just have to get our luggage and then we will be out."

"Great!"

It took quite a while to get their luggage but finally, after about thirty minutes, she saw Lucas pull up to the curve in the vehicle he owned. She was surprised that he drove an SUV. He seemed more like a sports car guy but it was nice regardless.

"Daddy!" Noa yelled, waving as he hurried out of the vehicle to assist with the bags and to help them get in.

He had purchased a booster and it was in there, waiting for Noa.

"Oh! Daddy! Its purple. That's my favorite and it has a cup holder!"

"It does." Lucas kissed her cheeks and set her inside and then moved to hug Elizabeth.

"Sir, you need to get moving," one of the guards said by the sidewalk.

"Yep. Thank you!" he said.

Within about two minutes, they were back out into traffic and on their way to the underground parking garage beneath his apartment building. It would be a good hour before they got there.

"I gotta go potty," Noa said about twenty minutes into the drive.

Lucas nodded and checked the traffic. "Okay, sweet pea. I'll find us somewhere to stop."

"Is traffic always like this?" Elizabeth asked. It was basically stop and go for blocks and blocks.

"Yeah. I don't drive my car much. I usually just get a cab. Its easier."

"I really gotta go potty," Noa announced again. Lucas briefly looked at her in the mirror and checked to the right of his car. There was a spot he could swing into.

"Okay, punkin. Hold it just a little longer."

Lucas moved into the spot and pointed to a café. "There should be a bathroom in there," he mentioned.

"Thanks, hon." She paused when she realized what she said. He looked at her and smiled. "Um. Yeah. Let's go, Noa," she said, getting out quickly.

"Do you want some coffee?" Lucas asked. "I can grab us something."

"Can I have a cookie, Mommy?"

"Sure, but lets save it for after supper, okay?" Noa pouted but she nodded.

"Coffee?" Lucas asked again.

"Yes please."

Once they were on the road again, Elizabeth watched out the window quietly as Noa talked non-stop.

"Do you have a doggie?" she asked.

"No. I can in my apartment but I just don't have the time to take care of one."

"Oh. Well, what about a goldfish?"

"I don't but that is something that could work. For future reference," Lucas said, winking at Elizabeth but she had her head turned. He touched her arm and she looked at him. "You okay?"

"Of course."

"You sure?" He held out his hand and waited but moved his eyes back to the road. She put her hand in his and intertwined their fingers.

"I missed you, Lucas," she whispered.

"I missed you too."

"I missed you, Daddy!" Noa yelled and then giggled.

"I missed you too, sweet pea."

"The lights and decorations are beautiful," she mentioned.

"Even more so at night. Just wait." He smiled at her and then continued to drive through the terrible traffic. Yes it was New York City but it was also the day before a huge holiday and because of the parade the next morning, more streets were blocked off meaning more cars on the streets they were on.

"I'm not sure I could take the city," Elizabeth mentioned. "Its so overwhelming."

"Good thing you live in Hope Valley then."

"Yeah." She squeezed his hand. "Do you think you will come to Hope Valley for Christmas?"

"I don't know. My goal is to move shortly after the first of the year but as time goes by, I'm not sure it will happen that soon. Can I let you know?"

"Sure."

Finally, they arrived and he parked his SUV in its spot. Noa unbuckled herself and opened her door. "Noa, sweet pea, please don't get out until we do. This is a big city and there's lots of cars."

"Okay, Daddy."

He opened the tailgate and pulled out their luggage and then he opened Noa's door. "Okay, its safe now."

She jumped out and took his hand. His other hand was pulling her tiny purple suitcase so he couldn't take Elizabeth's hand but he really wanted to.

They made it to the elevator and all stepped in. It was a very nice elevator. In fact, in Elizabeth's opinion, it was a very nice parking garage. Clean, many expensive cars.

Noa jumped and hopped, so much energy coursing through her tiny veins. "Daddy, do you have a bed for me to sleep on?"

"Yep. You and Mommy."

"Does it have a purple blanket and purple sheets?"

Elizabeth chuckled. She was entirely used to the chatterbox but Lucas, he was still new to it.

"No, but its blue and my friend Janette decorated it so its really pretty for you and Mommy."

"Oh. Well, blue is okay, I guess. My blanket at home is purple. And my sheets. That was nice of your friend."

Elizabeth looked at him when he mentioned Janette. He could tell what she was feeling just by looking.

"I know you are worried," he told her quietly. "But she and I talked. She knows that we won't be seeing each other anymore."

"Are you sure that's what you want?" she asked. She needed to know.

He leaned over and kissed her temple. "One hundred percent, Beth. Its always been only you. And now, its you and Noa."

She nodded and gasped as the elevator opened on the tenth floor to a really nice hallway to go with the nice elevator and the nice parking garage.

"Lucas, this is really fancy."

"Is it?"

"Yes. Wow."

He made very good money. It was very obvious to her now. He had downplayed it and that was fine. Maybe it didn't mean much to him but to her…it meant that they were living different kinds of lives. He had the ability to buy whatever he wanted, whenever he needed it. He could afford the weekly child support payments on top of it and it probably didn't hurt his budget at all.

She made enough money to be comfortable and to pay the bills and save a little.

"Elizabeth?"

She looked up. He had opened the door to his apartment.

"Mommy look! This is Daddy's house!" Noa said from inside.

She nodded and made eye contact with him. He raised his eyebrows at her, asking what was happening.

"We are so different."

"Because I live here? This isn't me, Elizabeth. I'm not where I live or what I own. I'm still the same Lucas that you met in Cambridge."

She wasn't so sure about that, but she hoped to find out more very soon.