The alarm on my phone goes off indicating that it's time for me to get up. Claire should be home soon. I have this feeling of dread in the pit of my stomach and I pray that this isn't a sign that things are not going to go well. Then again, the universe seems to be doing its best to keep Ben and me apart. The one thing I want most in this world right now is for this fire framing business to be over so that Ben and I can move on with our lives.

I take my backpack full of textbooks and notebooks so that I will look busy. I go downstairs where Tripp is already lounging around in the living room.

"Are you ready for this?" he questions.

I take a deep breath and release it, "Yes, I need this to be over yesterday."

I sit down on the couch and take a book out along with my notebook to look busy and a minute later Claire is blazing through the door.

"Uh, the café was SO busy today. I am completely exhausted."

Claire puts her purse on the counter and walks to her room where she kicks off her shoes. She walks into the bathroom, shuts the door and the water for the shower begins running not long after that.

"Just like clockwork," I grin. I motion with my head for Tripp to go over to the bathroom door. He walks over at the ready to grab the doorknob if by chance Claire does try to leave.

I walk over to the counter and begin to dig through her purse. Her phone is not in the front pocket like normal. I dig in the middle and still nothing.

"Damn it!" I grit, "She must have had it in her pocket. Her phone isn't in here." I can feel the tears begin to well up in my eyes.

"Seriously?" Tripp stage whispers.

"It's not here." One tear escapes and I wipe it away with the back of my hand. I shake my head, "I should have known this wouldn't go the way that I wanted. Fate can be a real heartless bitch sometimes."

I quietly begin to sob. Tripp walks away from the bathroom door and hugs me. "It's going to be okay."

"No, it's not."

"Sure, it will. She normally does leave her phone out here in her purse or on the counter. We just have to wait for the next opportunity to catch her."

"And when is that going to be?"

"Well," he takes out his phone and looks at his schedule, "It looks like I have a late shift next Friday and Claire has an early one. So that is probably going to be our next best bet."

"Next Friday," I groan, "You've got to be kidding me! I can't wait that long."

"Well, we don't have a choice. Unless Ben catches Claire on tape saying something incriminating while we're not around, it's all we've got."

"I get it. I just want this to be over."

"I know, me too."

"I'm going to go back up to my room. If Claire asks where I went tell I went up to my room to go and study."

I grab my things and trudge back up the stairs. The journey up is exhausting, but I need to tell Ben the bad news. I collapse on the bed and curl up into a ball.

Ciara: Bad news babe…she took her phone with her into the bathroom. She must have put it in her pants pocket and took it with her into the bathroom. She didn't leave it on the counter or in her purse like normal.

Ben: Damn it! Why can't we ever catch a break?

Ciara: I know it's cruel. I wanted so badly to be able to go home to you tonight. For you to hold me in your arms.

Ben: Home huh? You mean the loft isn't home?

Ciara: The loft hasn't been home in a really long time. You're my home.

Ben: You're mine too. God, I should have known this wouldn't go the way we wanted. I thought for sure we would get to be together tonight. When do you think you'll be able to try again?

Ciara: Tripp looked at their schedules and it looks like next Friday.

Ben: Next Friday. That's over a week from now. I don't want to have to wait that long.

Ciara: I don't either but unless something comes up on your feed, we don't have anything else going.

Ben: So, Friday…hopefully…

Ciara: I'm going to lay down again before I have to go to class. I love you, Ben.

Ben: I love you too, Ci. So much.

I put my phone on my nightstand and begin to cry. All I want is to be near Ben right now and I can't. We have to keep our distance to make our break up look real. My emotions are all over the place and I'm going to blame it on the pregnancy hormones. For having been through so much in my life I really don't consider myself an overly emotional person. I lost a brother before I was even born, my father died way too early in my life, I've been raped, cheated on, kidnapped and almost set on fire twice. You'd think that things would turn around at some point for the good, but for some reason Ben and I can never seem to be completely free to live our lives in happiness.

I wonder if we ever will. The thought makes me cry even harder and I cry myself to sleep.

Later the same night

I wake up and it's darker in my room. Too dark, I realize. I'm an hour and a half late for my class. By the time I would get there, class will be over so it's pointless for me to even get out of bed. I curl up again clutching my abdomen and whisper to my babies, "Momma's gonna do better tomorrow, I promise. She's just having a rough day and is really disappointed she couldn't see your daddy today. But don't worry we are going to find a way to clear your daddy and then we will all be together."

Talking to them soothes me which is something I need right now. I can't be with Ben but talking to the packing peanuts is the next best thing. I look at my phone again and start looking at more baby loot. I never did show Ben all of the different things I want to get for the babies. I think I would like the nursery to have a Winnie the Pooh theme to it. I always loved the characters especially Eeyore, even if he was a bit gloomy. I always thought he was so darn cute. I found the cutest Winnie the Pooh mobile that we could hang up over the cribs for the babies. I wonder what Ben wants to do for a nursery.

I'm startled by a gentle tapping sound that seems to be coming from the window in my bedroom. My heart races a bit and I wonder what is going on. I peek through the side of the curtain to see what is happening…

It's Ben. I expel the breath I didn't realize I was holding. I pull back the curtains entirely and unlock the window. I then slowly open the window in the hopes of making as little noise as possible.

Ben climbs through the window with litheness I would not expect from someone so tall and solidly built. He stands up to his full frame and then pulls me into his arms before whispering in my ear, "I couldn't wait until next Friday to see you or hold you in my arms," and then crushes his mouth against my own.

My body begins to hum just from being near him. The feel of his mouth devouring my own is heaven. He kisses my neck and then whispers in my ear, "I know I can't stay. I don't want to risk being caught but I just couldn't go any longer without seeing you."

My eyes are welling up again, and I can feel a couple of tears already beginning to run down my cheeks and I sniffle.

"Ci, what's wrong?" he asks and pulls me tightly into his arms.

"I'm just so happy you're here. I've missed being near you so much."

"Me too baby." He squeezes me tighter and kisses my temple.

"It feels so good to be in your arms."

"Come on lay down. I'll hold you until you fall asleep."

"Really?"

"Really."

I walk over to the door of my bedroom and lock it. I don't need either of my roommates barging into my room unannounced, especially Claire.

Ben lays down on the side of the bed closest to the window and I crawl into his arms. He wraps me tightly in his embrace and I can feel myself instantly begin to relax.

"How did your class go?"

"Actually, I slept through it."

"Ci…"

"I know, I shouldn't be skipping class, but apparently my body needed it after not sleeping at all last night."

"Okay. I just worry about you and want what is best for you."

"I know."

I reach for my phone to show him the baby items I've been wanting to show him.

"Before you got here, I was talking to the babies and I started looking at stuff to get them. How do you want to decorate the nursery?"

"I don't know. I haven't really given it a thought yet. How do you want to decorate the nursery?"

"I was thinking a Winnie the Pooh theme. I found the cutest little mobiles that we could hang above their cribs."

I bring up the mobiles on my phone and give it to him to see, "What do you think?"

"They're perfect."

I roll to put my phone back on my nightstand and then snuggle back against Ben resting my head where I can hear his heartbeat. It's strong and steady and a sound I didn't realize I needed to hear. I can feel his thumb rubbing small circles against my back. "Ben, I love you."

"I love you, Ciara Alice, with all of my heart."

I try my best to fight off the sensation of sleep, because I want to keep talking to him and feeling his presence, but my exhaustion wins out and I fall asleep in his arms.