"How is it already that late?" Seth said, looking at his watch.
Emily shrugged. "Time flies when you're having fun?"
Aaron snorted. He swirled the amber liquid around in his glass. "Wow not cliché at all there Em."
Emily playfully smacked his arm. "Because the great Aaron Shore is so amazing with his words. I saw that press conference in Tulsa!"
"Ok you two. As much as I'm enjoying this weirdly sexually charged, middle school flirtation of a thing you got going on, I need to go." Seth interrupted.
Emily turned her head to the side trying to hide, but Aaron could still see the blush spreading across her cheeks. "See you tomorrow." He replied, smiling slightly at Emily's embarrassment.
"See you bright and early." Seth said as he headed out the door, giving Aaron a playful nudge.
Emily glanced over at Elena, sleeping soundly on Aaron's couch. "We should get going too."
"You don't have to leave yet." Aaron pouted.
"It's already really late, and the drive home is at least an hour, and. . . "
"Alexa, play Love Me Tender by Elvis." Aaron called out, stifling her arguments.
The intro to the song began, a smooth and mellow guitar. "Aaron." Emily began.
Aaron held up one finger. "Do you remember our first date?"
She nodded. "We saw the Elvis impersonator."
"The very crappy Elvis impersonator. In fact, he was so crappy you said"
"That even you could do a better impersonation." Emily said, finishing his sentence.
Aaron smiled. "Well, I've been practicing."
"Love me tender. . . Love me true. . . ." He crooned.
She brought her hand to her mouth, as her lips curled into a soft smile. "Not too shabby ."
Aaron curled his lip in his best Elvis impersonation. "Lil' mama may I have this dance?" He offered his hand to her.
Emily giggled as she placed her hand in his.
"I'll be yours through all the years, till the end of time. . . " He sang as they started to sway.
Emily placed her hand on his chest, Aaron sure that she could feel how fast his heart was beating right below it. "How did you know this was my favorite Elvis song?"
Aaron smiled. "I didn't. It's just the one that makes me think of you."
"I'm glad I came back." Emily replied, smiling ear to ear.
Aaron gripped her tight around the waist, afraid to let go. "I'm glad you're back."
Emily rested her head on his chest, pulling him even closer. They twirled around the living room, barefoot and clumsy. The minutes felt like eternity, her body welded close to his like some kind of fever dream.
"Aaron?" Emily murmured, as the song began to fade into another. "I'm sorry."
"For stepping on my feet twenty times?" He joked.
"For keeping Elena from you."
He squeezed her tight. " It's ok."
Emily brought her head up, lifting her chin to face him. "No it's not. I couldn't imagine missing out on the last two years of her life, but I didn't even give you the choice."
"You're here now." He whispered, fighting the urge to grasp her chin and guide her lips to his.
Emily broke away from Aaron's grasp. "No. I appreciate you being so forgiving, but what I did was selfish, and horrible, and. . . "
"And what you thought was right for our family." Aaron pulled her close again. "Emily, you know I could never stay mad at you."
"Just know that I'm sorry."
Aaron hesitated for a minute. "Were you ever going to tell me? I mean, if this hadn't come out? Would you have ever come back?"
"The day I left, I told myself that I wouldn't, but I knew I was lying. I tried to forget. Leave the past behind but I couldn't. I mean look at her face Aaron. Do you know how hard it is to forget you when all I could see when I looked at my baby was you?"
"The Shore genes are quite strong." Aaron said, letting out a nervous laugh.
"But it wasn't even that. I didn't want to forget you. The way you held me when we danced. The way my heart skipped a beat when you smiled, the electric feeling across my skin when you touched me. . . I. . . I didn't want to forget any of it. I wanted to forget the heavy feeling that followed me. That gutted feeling I felt, when I realized the possibility of never seeing you again. Aaron I lov. . ."
His cell phone began to ring. Aaron eyed it, wishing he'd turned it on silent.
"Do you need to get that?" She asked. "It's awful late. It could be POTUS."
Aaron let go of her, his arms instantly aching to hold her again. He picked up the phone. "Hello?"
"Aaron! You're awake! I thought you'd be sleeping." A familiar female voice said.
"Isabel?" Aaron blurted out.
"I'm gonna go." Emily mouthed pointing at the door.
Aaron shook his head, holding up one finger. "What's this about?"
"I want to apologize." Isabel replied.
"You called me at almost one a.m. to apologize?"
"I couldn't sleep. Aaron, I love you. I don't want Emily to come between us."
Emily placed her scotch glass in the sink, accidentally clicking it loudly against another glass.
"Momma? Momma?!" Elena muttered, beginning to stir.
"What was that?" Isabel asked, "Is someone over there right now?"
"It's just the tv" Aaron lied, looking at Emily.
"Please wait" Aaron whispered, holding his hand over the receiver. "Just five minutes."
"Issy," he began, walking into the bedroom.
Emily found a piece of paper and scribbled a quick note. She placed it under Aaron's glass and scooped Elena up off the couch. She then threw her coat over Elena gently, and quietly slipped out the door.
Aaron emerged from the bedroom a few minutes later. The living room was cold and empty. He sighed loudly, knowing he'd screwed up something magical tonight by answering Isabel's call. He kicked himself for not looking at the receiver before answering it. He began to clean up, when he noticed Emily's note under his glass.
"Thanks for everything. See you soon. Good luck with Isabel." - Em.