Chapter 185

Ryan wasn't sure what to expect as he turned the envelope around in his hand too afraid to open it. Walking over to the dining room table he sat down and opened it slowly unfolding the piece of paper. His heart skipped a few beats, grateful that his wife wasn't filing for divorce but it saddened him that she went ahead and got a DNA test proving that Phoebe is his daughter.

Alex drove down to day care and walked inside, looking at the clock on the wall it made sense why it was so quiet because it was nap time for the little ones. "Look at you, you're beaming!" Marci smiled walking out of a classroom when she noticed Alex.

"Thank you for being polite, I do not feel like it." Alex smiled as they walked into the toddlers section of the centre. She immediately spotted her daughter in a crib against the wall sleeping soundly.

"She was rather distraught this morning when her father brought her. He said she was looking for you since she woke up but you had to leave early for work." Marci explained and it took Alex a moment to figure out what she was saying before she realized that Ryan had to tell a lie on why his daughter was acting so strange, as opposed to telling the care giver the truth,

"Yeah, things has been a bit rough this past couple of days." Alex nodded as she bent down to wake her daughter up. "Hey little miss. Come let's go home." Alex said as she ruffled Phoebe's curls and it took the little girl a while to recognize her mother. After blinking a few times and rubbing a little hand across her face, she stood up smiling and lifted her hands so she can be lifted onto the floor. "Mama!" She smiled when Alex picked her up and kissed her putting her down so she can get her bag.

Alex strapped her in the car seat and pulled out of the parking space uncertain of where their next stop will be but it definitely wasn't going to be home – well not yet at least.

"Miss a mama." Phoebe said swing her legs in an even pattern on the car seat.

"I missed you too bub." Alex said looking at her daughter in the rearview mirror. "I'm sorry for leaving you without saying goodbye to you. I won't do it again." Alex said sadly not knowing how much of it the toddler would understand.

She decided in checking up on Luca and pulled into the rehab centre holding Phoebe's hand as they walked up to the counter. "Hi, is it possible that I can take one of the patients out to lunch for a few hours?" She asked not really sure of what it would entail and if she was even allowed to do that.

"Name of the patient? And I'd need to see an ID please." The nurse behind the counter said.

"Luca Parrish, I'm his sister. We'll go to the park or somewhere in public." She added as the nurse looked at something on the computer before she called and spoke to someone on the other side directing Alex to take a seat in the waiting area until she has an answer for them. She and Phoebe walked over to take a seat, and Phoebe got on her mother's lap playing with her wedding bands as she brought it to her mouth to bite the clear diamond stone. "No not in your mouth Phoebe." Alex said taking her hand away.

"Dada give." The one and a half year old pointed towards the ring on her mothers finger.

"Yeah, your father gave it to me." She said softly trying her best not to think about where it all went wrong, but before she could dwell on the thought Luca and a doctor walked towards them. Allowing them to go out for a few hours.

"What are you doing here?" He asked as Alex put Phoebe on the floor and they walked out towards the car.

"We're going out for lunch." Alex shrugged. "Hey Phoebe, this is Luca." She said as the girl looked up at the young man.

"Hi Phoebe, nice to meet you." Luca said bending down in front of her.

"Lukie." She smiled touching the tip of Luca's nose with her index finger as her mother smiled at the two of them.

They drove by a fast food restaurant and made their way to the park for lunch time, sitting in the shade of a big oak tree in while Phoebe tried catching the few squirrels but they kept running away from her. "How are you holding up?" Alex asked looking at her brother.

"It's hell, but they keep saying it gets worse before it gets better." He shrugged. "But I promised you I won't quit so I'll stay there for as long as I need to." He said and Alex smiled at him nodding her head.

"You don't look like you always do. Cool, calm and collected." Luca said and she was surprised that he was able to notice a change like that when they've only known each other for about two weeks. "I just have a lot of personal stuff to deal with. No big deal." She smiled and nudged his shoulder as he got up to discard their trash and walk around the park a bit. "I have broad shoulders. And I can give you sober advice. I'm quite a helpful 20 year old in case you haven't noticed." He said as she laughed keeping an eye on her daughter who walked a few steps ahead of them.

Ryan kept looking at the paper that he put on the table, running conversations through his head of a few nights ago. The phone call he had with his mother in law and how she told him that Alex was afraid he might hit her. The fact that he told his mom she didn't do enough for him when his father walked out on them. Accusing his wife of being unfaithful to the point where she went to get science to prove her innocence in all of this. He took out his phone to call her because they've been gone for over an hour but it went straight to voicemail.

"Ryan saw the two of us hug in the parking lot when you came by the office. I have been really secretive about you, and hid my phone or when you called took the call in private. He thinks I'm cheating on him with you and said a bunch of other really hurtful stuff." She summarized seeing his face change.

"Are you guys gonna be alright? Like you're not gonna get a divorce or anything because of this. I can speak to him if you want me to, and explain the situ….

"Hey it's okay. In all honesty I've never loved anyone as much as I love Ryan and it pains me to say that I've considered divorce, but I do not want my children to grow up in a broken household."

Luca stuffed his hands into his pockets and looked at her, "It's all my fault. This is why I didn't want your help in the first place because look at everything that has gone wrong for you in trying to help me. You don't have to pay for my stay there anymore,." He decided looking at her. "I have to go, thanks for lunch I enjoyed it." He said and turned around jogging away from her.

"Luca!" Alex called after him but he kept going without even looking back in their direction.

"Mama Lukie." Phoebe said pointing at where he was, when the two of them made their way back to the car to go home.

Alex got more and more nervous the closer they got to their house because she has no idea how her husband would react to what he found in the envelope, and if it was what he imagined it would be when she handed it to him. She pulled into the driveway and got out, opening the door so Phoebe can enter the house first.

"Daaadaaa!" She skipped over to him and he picked her up kissing her.

"Phoebe can you go upstairs and get your ball, we'll go play outside." Alex tried and she got off her father's lap making her way up the stairs to look for her ball that her mother hoped would not be upstairs as she needed to talk to her husband without the toddler being in the same room.

"I'm sorry. You didn't have to do that." He said pointing to the DNA test that was on the table but Alex shook her head. "I had to, because you didn't believe me. And once Asher is born I'll do the same to prove to you that I haven't been unfaithful. Can we just have an honest conversation right now before Phoebe comes back?" She asked and he nodded his head.

"I came home on a day where I was perfectly happy with our little family, and it soon went into a downward spiral. Ryan we've been together for so long but I have never seen you so angry; I was mentally preparing myself for the fact that you'd hit me moments before Phoebe started crying – which I felt was a blessing, because I was so relieved." She said looking up at him but he had both his palms on the counter with his eyes close, as she saw the muscle in his jaw jump. "Relieved because you went over to comfort her and I felt like she saved me somehow from you raising an angry hand at me."

"Alex I swear I will never lift a hand towards you. " He answered honestly evident in his voice.

She took out her phone and another bunch of papers and handed it to him. "I found out I have a brother, Luca. He is in trouble and is currently in a rehabilitation centre because he's and alcoholic and he smokes pot. He was the guy in the parking lot. All those phone calls and texts were from him and I didn't tell you because he asked me not to." She said as Ryan looked through the DNA papers proving that the she and Luca was related as they had the same father. "The emails, and the bank statements and Brandon helping me was all because I tried to get a hold of him."

"Why didn't you just tell me?" Ryan asked looking at her feeling more and more awful as he realized what he has done.

"You never asked, you just assumed." Alex scoffed. "I need to go away for a few days, I'm not sure where but I think we need some time apart. Just to get perspective on where we stand with each other before we make decisions in moving forward." She said getting up and making her way towards the stairs to start packing a bag for her and Phoebe.

Ryan stood there not saying anything, or trusting his voice not to betray him at the moment. "You can take as long as you need to." He started and walked towards her his blue eyes glistening with unshed tears. "But Alex please don't give up on our marriage." He pleaded and she ran a hand through her hair shaking her head. "I can't promise anything, Ryan." She answered honestly continuing her walk upstairs.

Ryan walked over to the couch and sat down with his head in his hands as he felt his wife slipping through his fingers and there was nothing he can do about it because in all honesty he cannot blame her, but merely himself.

"Dada." He felt a little hand on his forearm and looked up at his daughter, smiling as he wiped the tears from his eyes.

"Hey come here." He sniffed and picked her up. "I love you so much." He said running a hand through her hair. "And I am sorry about everything that happened. You and mama are gonna go away for a little while." He started.

"Dada come?" Phoebe asked looking at him with big bright eyes.

Alex stood at the top of the stairs looking down at the two of them talking with the bags in her hand.

"No, I'm not coming with I'm gonna stay at home. But I promise to call you every night before you go to sleep alright." He said and she nodded, standing up on his legs as she hugs him.

"We have to go bub." Alex said as she reached the bottom and looked at her daughter, grabbing Barney off the couch as she walked over to her mother while they're headed for the front door. Alex stood in the doorway to help Phoebe out when the little girl turned around and ran back inside, hugging her father's leg. "Bye bye Dada." She greeted one last time and he couldn't bring himself to say anything at the moment until Alex closed the door front door and he heard the car drive down the street.

"Bye bye Pheebs." He whispered softly as he felt his eyes sting with unshed tears.

Hey guys! Sorry for the long wait in updating, but here's another one that I hope you'll enjoy. I'm sorry for always leaving you all on such a high and then take forever to update again. Thank you for the love and let me know what you think about this one.

Lovies-S