Disclaimer: I own nothing except my imagination.

A/N: I just want to say a quick thank you to everyone who's been very patient with me over these pas few months. Writing has not been easy, nor present at all in my life due to personal stuff that happened to me since June. I can't say that I'm officially back but my brain is slowly starting to form ideas and I hope you enjoy this.

Adam had a smile on his lips as soon as he was awake. He ran his fingers through his hair and over his face and sat up just as Mackenzie burst into his room.

"How did your date go with Ms. Burgess daddy." She bounced onto his bed.

"It wasn't a date, but we did have fun." He tickled her side.

"Did you have the deep-dish cookie?"

"As a matter of a fact we did, and we also talked about you."

"Me?"

"Yeah you, silly. What would you say if Kim came over so you can have a day to do just girl stuff?"

"Can she bring pink nail polish? And she can do my toes daddy, pleaseee?" Adam laughed at her exuberance.

"She said she would bring everything that you girls need to make a spa day."

"When is she coming?"

"Next day off, should be this Saturday."

"I can't wait to show her the new clothes you got me daddy." She bounced off the bed and disappeared back into her room. He needed to get ready for work. He quickly slipped into the shower and changed into a pair of black denim and a blue plaid shirt before clipping his star to his hip, grabbing his gun from the lock box, clipping it to the other hip. He joined Mackenzie in the kitchen, and he made himself a coffee while she made herself breakfast.

"Come on kiddo, we've got to get going." He placed his cup in the sink and finished backing her bag. He needed to drop her off at school on his way in and he was pretty sure that Atwater would be all over him about his evening with Kim.

As promised, Kevin was all over him like a dog on a bone as soon as his foot hit the last step into the bullpen.

"So, tell me, how was your date?"

"Not a date Kev." He simply placed his coat against the back of his chair and turned his computer on.

"He's evading the question; it was a date." Adam looked up at Jay, who was smirking, leaning back in his chair.

"What game are you two playing at?" He chuckled. "Take a run at me in turn thinking that I'll actually admit to something?"

"You've spilled for less Ruz." Kevin and Jay bumped fist before Kevin took his spot in front of Adam.

"Game on then." He cackled. He was going to have fun with the two of them today. They went at hi at every chance they got when they weren't working the case that was dropped on their lap. "You guys really should consider changing your tactics because if I understand this, shift is over, case is solved, and you still haven't been able you pull anything out me." He pulled his coat from his chair with a chuckle.

"There's a first time for everything boys." He chuckled. "Still on for Molly's later?"

"Be ready for round two Ruz." Kev laughed. "I know just how to loosen your tongue."

"Hope you're ready to be disappointed again." Mackenzie was already at his parents, so he had a few hours before he had to meet the boys at Molly's. He was hoping they wouldn't hassle him too much, wanting to enjoy the time he was without his daughter. When he did get to Molly's, he easily spotted both guys and there was a beer already waiting for him.

"Glad you could join us." Jay raised his bottle to him.

"Wouldn't miss our weekly Molly's meet-up."

"How's Kenzie Joy?" Kevin took a pull of hiss beer.

"Excited for some girl time with Kim on Saturday." He said with a smile.

"So, she's coming over again, that's good man."

"Listen guys, I really don't feel like getting the fourth degree from you."

"I think it's good that you are getting yourself out there again. I know Rebecca wouldn't want you alone for the rest of your life." Jay said, Kevin agreeing with him.

"I wouldn't call that exactly putting myself out there."

"It doesn't need to be complicated Ruz. Do you like spending time with her? How does Mackenzie feel about her? And how well along do they get?"

"It's easy when I'm with her, Mackenzie loves her, and they get along great."

"Then don't overthink this, keep it simple."

"If only saying it made it so simple."

"Becca wouldn't want to see you miserable for the rest of your days Adam, just see where it leads you."

"Thanks for always having my back." He nodded.

"We've got you both, always." Adam spent another hour with the boys before he called it a night.

The rest of the week went back quickly, Intelligence getting hard cases every day. By Friday, he was exhausted, but Mackenzie's energy kept him going for her sake. He had trouble putting her to sleep knowing that Kim would be there the following day for some girly fun.

Adam ushered Mackenzie into her room after she had eaten breakfast. She had been up almost at the crack with excitement and Adam had to feed off that excitement due to his lack of sleep during the week. Kim had texted him when she had woken up and Adam had told her that she was good to come over at any time when he had put a plate of food in front of his daughter.

"When is Ms. Burgess coming daddy?" She screamed from her room.

"Soon Kenzie, get dressed. Kim is going to be here any minute." Barely a minute passed before the doorbell rang. "Get your hair done while I open the door."

"How about I go help her with her hair?" She smiled as soon as he opened the door.

"I'm sure she would love it." Kim walked in and pressed her lips to his cheek. "Good morning." He whispered, the air around them thick.

"Good morning." She smiled at him before going towards the sound Mackenzie was doing in the bathroom.

He watched her go, followed the movements of her body, a stirring in his heart that he hadn't felt since Rebecca passed. It scared him but the words of the whole Unit played in his head as he made his way to the girls. "Do you want me to go and leave you two girls alone or it's okay if I hang around?"

"Do you want daddy to hang around or you just want it to be the two of us?"

"He can hang around." She giggled. "Maybe I can paint your nails later daddy."

"That would be fun baby." He chuckled. "I'll be around if you beautiful ladies need anything." He made a low curtsy.

"Come on Mackie, let's go see what fun colours I brought with me today." Adam watched them go into the living room and he decided to busy himself around the house. He wanted to be close if Mackenzie or Kim needed anything.

Adam could hear the girls giggle in the living room while he worked on fixing the cabinet door in the kitchen he hadn't had time to do in the past week. He let the sound go with him as he moved around the house after that. He was glad that Mackenzie was getting along with Kim, lifting the grief in her heart that he knew she refused to show still existed inside her at the thought of no longer having her mother around to do girl things like that with her. He stops dead in his tracks when he walks past the living room when he hears Mackenzie mention the name of her classmate William. He knows he shouldn't be eavesdropping but it's stronger than him and he hangs back.

"He always sits with me at lunch."

"And does he want to share it with you?" Kim's voice is soft and patient, but Adam can hear the slightest hint of playfulness in it.

"He gives me hiss cookies because he knows daddy won't let me eat them at school."

"That's very sweet of him." She giggles. "Do you like him?"

"I like how he always walks with me to class when he sees me when daddy drops me off at school. Do you find a boy cute?" Mackenzie suddenly flips the discussion around and onto Kim and Adam's ears perk up, suddenly interested in the answer she has for his daughter.

"I do, but you have to keep it a secret."

"Who is it?" Mackenzie's voice lowers to a whisper and Adam finds it cute.

"I can't tell you who it is silly, but he is a kind and loving man. He isn't perfect, but his heart is filled with honesty, and he isn't scared to show it."

"Does he know that you like him."

"No, he doesn't because I know that he's not ready and that's okay." Adam's heart stops for the shortest moment before he turns around and slips back in the yard. He sits on the back stairs, the wind hitting his face and he closes his eyes, feeling her presence next to him. It calms his mind, makes the scar on his chest burn for the first time in weeks and he's sure that the heart that is still beating in his chest is healing some more and breaking all at once. Her voice is mixed with words from Antonio, from Kevin, his own mother and her daughter. A daughter that had to grow far too fast, something he still hates himself for inflicting upon her at such a young age, but her words of easy wisdom are what makes him keep going in the morning. He takes a deep breath and lets his wife's voice fill the space in his heart before her little voice breaks his moment of solitude.

"Look at my nails daddy." Adam turns to Mackenzie with a smile and sees the soft pink colour on her fingers and toes.

"They are very pretty; did you choose the colour?"

"I did, but Kim knew exactly what colour I would like, and she brought all kinds of different pinks."

"It was really nice of her to do that for you baby. Did you say thank you?"

"She did." Kim leaned against the patio door and offered Adam a soft smile. "Do you want to tell what else we did while we waited for your nails to dry?"

"I put a bunny on my face." She said candidly to which Adam laughed with his whole heart.

"A bunny?" He looked to Kim for an answer.

"I found these cute little face masks in animal shapes, and I thought it was the most adorable thing. I sent a picture of it to your phone." Adam pulled it out of his back pocket and looked at the message from Kim with a picture of Mackenzie with the widest grin and the funniest thing he had seen on her face.

"This one gets to make it on my phone." He hated that he could no longer place pictures of her on his desk up in intelligence, but every time he told himself that it was better that way for his daughter, and he put his dream back in its box. "You look beautiful Kenzie."

"Thank you, daddy."

"Anything else planned for spa day?"

"No, unless you want me to paint your nails too." Kim smirked as Mackenzie skipped back inside the house.

"No, I'm good thanks. And thank you for today, you've made her a very happy girl."

"It was nothing Adam." She assured him.

"For you, maybe, but for me, and for that little girl inside, it means everything."

"It was my pleasure." She nods with a soft smile.

"Join us for lunch?"

"Sure, I'd love to." He could see that she wanted to protest, something about cutting his time with his daughter on a day off, but she stopped herself. He stood and they went back inside where Adam started preparing their lunch as they talked a bit, Mackenzie bouncing in and out of the kitchen with excitement at the idea of Kim staying a bit longer. They fed off her exuberance and had a fun lunch together. Kim left shortly after, having some errands to run, seeing as it was most likely her only day off. Mackenzie offered her a stiff hug and thanked her again before she left and from the moment the door closed behind Kim, she didn't stop talking about her. It went well into dinner until Adam deemed the day of fun over and time for bed. Mackenzie is surprisingly cooperative even if tomorrow is Sunday and brunch at the Olinsky's and Adam easily puts her down for the night. He retires to his room after a couple of beers and a mind filled with thoughts. Thoughts of his life with Rebecca and Mackenzie, to the insurmountable pain he could still feel in his heart over the loss of her and to the now sliver of hope when his thoughts drift to Kim Burgess. He knows he's not quite ready to date anyone, but he knows he's ready to form a real friendship with this woman who makes his daughter come alive with the mere mention of her. He walks to her dresser and opens her jewelry box, taking the most precious item in it, her wedding ring.

"I could feel you; you know." He started. "You were in that living room with them and again outside with me on the porch steps." He sighs. "It's been hard living a life without you baby. A life where you will never see our beautiful daughter grow up to become an amazing woman like you, never get to see her walk down the aisle on the day that she marries a man that will love her more than life itself. I get to live that life by myself, for the both of us and it hurts like hell." His eyes were misting over but he couldn't let himself care. He was in his bedroom alone and pouring his heart out to his late wife. "I try every damn day to be the best father to her without you to make me a better dad, you were always the one that made me look like I had it all together. We've gotten into a routine since you left, and things are better some days more than others, but we make it work. The guys have been good at helping us, but it's not the same. She needs a woman to be able to talk to her about boys, a what it is to become a woman because I'm so out of my depth in that." He chuckled shakily. "I don't know if it's a coincidence or your way of telling me it's okay to let you go by sending her in our lives, but she's been good with Kenzie. She even uses the same nickname you had for her, like she knew it was the right thing to call our daughter. It's easy with her Becca." He closed his eyes briefly. "She knows how much you mean to me, isn't pushing for me to talk, let's me go at my own pace and somehow I just want to open up to her." He put the ring back where it was, and his thumb instinctively went to his own wedding band. "I'll never be able to let you go Becca, not in this lifetime, and not in the next because my heart will beat for you for the rest of my days, but I think it's time I open a space in my heart for someone else, because I know that you wouldn't want me to be alone forever. I love you Rebecca Ruzek and I always will." He let the tears run down his cheeks as his fingers pulled the band off his finger and placed it back into the box with Rebecca's, the only place it would ever belong.

A/N: So finally Adam finds it in his heart to do the ultimate gesture that shows that he's ready for something new after losing the love of his life. I hope you guys liked it and please leave a review before you go, I'd really like to hear your thoughts - Sarra