Erin paced the floor of the living room anxiously, waiting for David to come home with Aaron. He had texted twenty minutes ago to let her know that they were on their way, since it had been difficult to tear themselves away from Jennifer's side. From the picture that David had sent of little Henry, Erin could understand why, since the baby was absolutely adorable. Somehow, though, that picture had made her stomach churn with nerves, even though she knew that they were doing the right thing by filling Aaron in on the truth.
"Mom? Is everything all right? You were really quiet during supper."
She turned to see Karen standing in the doorway, a concerned look on her face. Waving her over, Erin wrapped an arm around her waist as she rocked them back and forth slowly. "I am going to do a very difficult thing that I can't tell you about now and have you understand. Not because you're not smart enough, but because you're not old enough. It's something I probably should have done three years ago, but didn't have to courage of my convictions." Karen turned a little to hug her tightly and Erin rested her head on top of her daughter's as she let out a deep sigh. "Now, I hate to say this, but I really need to be alone to have this conversation, so I'm going to have to ask you to head upstairs. Keep Bruce and Tabby up there, too."
"Yes, Mom," Karen said as she pulled away from Erin, kissing her cheek lightly before disappearing from the room, her feet sounding heavy on the stairs as she thundered up them. Erin hoped that she wouldn't wake Elise up, as she didn't want to have her youngest present for the bulk of the coming conversation. Letting out a deep breath, Erin went over to the coffee table and picked up her glass of wine and took a long sip. Just as she was swallowing, the door opened, and she knew that there would be no more avoiding this conversation. Her heart began to race wildly as she listened to David make his way through the kitchen and over to the front door, then as he opened the door and welcomed Aaron inside.
Taking a seat on the sofa, she brushed a piece of invisible lint off her skirt before smoothing it down her thighs and taking a few deep breaths. "Are you in the living room, stellina?"
"Yes," she warbled out, and then they were joining her. David took a seat next to her, immediately reaching out and taking hold of her hand, threading their fingers together as she tried to keep from hyperventilating at the sight of Aaron taking a seat on the loveseat across from them. "Thank you for being here tonight. I know that it was quite a chaotic day. I'm so glad that Agent Jareau had a healthy son."
"Yes. He's lovely. Is that why you asked me to come here tonight?"
There wasn't any real hint of malice or anger in his voice, which gave her hope, and she glanced up at David, seeing him give her an encouraging smile. Taking another deep breath, she nodded as she squeezed David's hand tightly, focusing her eyes on Aaron's as she opened her mouth to speak. "In a certain, circuitous, way, yes. It's been three years, which is too long, I know that now. But I can't live with this guilt any longer." Her hand clamped down onto David's, and Erin knew that she had to be hurting him, even though he said nothing. "You were right, I have been lying to you for the entirety of Elise's life. She is your daughter."
The blood drained from Aaron's face slowly as he slumped down in his chair, nodding slowly. "I knew that you were hiding the truth from me, we've danced around it for so long. But I think that our relationships have matured in the last three years to where I understand why you felt the need to hide behind my best friend. I did not treat you well, either time that we had sex, and I think that if it had been Haley, she would have made the same decision. Where do we go from here?"
Erin sagged against David as she shrugged a little. "I, I guess I haven't thought that far ahead, Aaron. I was expecting you to be angry."
"Truthfully? Ever since Haley left me, I've lost a lot of my anger. I ruined something very precious to me because of my singlemindedness, and I need to realise that if I am to make lasting relationships with my friends and children, I need to act a little more level headed." She nodded, easing her grip on David's hand before reaching forward and grabbing her glass of wine, taking a sip as she waited for him to speak, knowing that he wasn't done quite yet. "At this point, Dave is the only father that Elise knows. She's happy, from the pictures that I've been shown, especially on that pony."
"Don't even get me started on her Fred, Aaron. I was not consulted about that purchase before it was made."
Both men chuckled, and she glared at Aaron before fully letting go of David's hand and smacking his chest lightly. "She belongs on the back of a horse, Erin. And…"
"There's more?" she asked a bit snappishly, and David nodded. "What did you do?"
"I didn't think that she should be the only child in our family to have her own horse. Eventually, when they've found the one that they want, our other three children will have one, too."
Erin drew in a long breath as she tried not to react poorly in front of Aaron, knowing that her fiancé had chosen that perfect moment where she couldn't protest to give her this information. Aaron seemed to understand her dilemma, as he gave her a small smile. "I know that she's probably sleeping, but do you think that we could go up and see Elise before I head home?"
Erin nodded and rose to her feet, giving David a look that he replied to with a winning smile. Shaking her head a little, she made her way to the stairs, knowing that Aaron and David would follow her, unable to look back at them for how shaky her legs were. A small smile spread across her lips to see that Karen's light was still on, and she let out a deep sigh as she strode past her room and over to Elise's room. Quietly as she could, Erin opened the door and stepped inside, tiptoeing over to her bed and gazing down in love as she felt the two men come up behind her.
Aaron's hand came to rest on her shoulder, and she looked back at him, giving him a small shrug. "She's so beautiful. I know that I saw Dave's pictures of her, but to be able to see her in real life like this, it just reminds me of how precious and fleeting life is. Do you think she'll have my height?"
"God, I hope not! That will make her taller than me," she whispered, watching as their daughter stirred a little, turning away from them as her little thumb was thrust into her mouth. "But I do hope that she's inherited some of your sense of righteousness. Maybe she'll make better decisions that I have in my life."
Aaron's hand tightened affectionately, and she glanced up to see that he was crying silently, and she smiled sadly before letting out a little sob of her own that was quickly muffled by Aaron pulling him tightly to his chest. "You made the best choices that you could, given the circumstances." She nodded a little as she allowed him to hold her as they cried together, somehow finding a place of peace in this tender moment.