Kate's POV

"Kate…?"

He looks at me for a few moments and we stand in silence. I don't know what to say to him, or if I should say anything, really. But in a moment, he pulls me into his arms. "Kate." He whispers lovingly and I freeze in his arms, since he amazes me once again by not yelling at me. He misreads my body language and quickly lets me go. "Oh is this you telling me in person?" He asks suddenly angry.

"What?" I ask since his question makes no sense to me.

"I told Linda or whatever her name was that I wouldn't let you give up your rights to Ellie unless you told me yourself."

"Her name is Lexie."

"Whatever Kate! Cut the bullshit. What the hell are you thinking giving up your rights to our daughter, who I know you love so much and wouldn't give up without a reason? So damn it Kate! What is going through your head?"

"I needed to punish myself for what happened." I whisper knowing that he's most likely not going to like the truth.

"What…?" I can't even look at him since I can feel the disappointment rolling off of him. "Kate, this isn't something you should punish yourself for." I continue to look at my shoes, not wanting to break down again, which I would if I looked at him, and I could feel the tears rising to my eyes. "Kate," His hand cups my cheek and he slowly raises my head until I'm looking into the blue eyes that I've missed.

"I'm sorry," I say as the tears pour out of my eyes. He looks at me and pulls me back into his arms. "I wish I could have saved our child and I wish that I didn't hurt you while I tried to punish myself. I couldn't just-"

"Kate, stop and listen to me please. This is not your fault. Miscarriages happen, but you didn't do anything to cause it. Did you?" He asks and this question sounds more like my husband than the questions that he screamed at me moments earlier.

"No… it just happened." I say as the tears rush down my cheeks, blurring my vision to where I could no longer see Rick.

"Then don't punish yourself." He says. "And call Lexie," He scoffs at her name, "and tell her that you changed your mind and don't want to give up your rights. Because our daughter wants her mom back."

"I don't know if you can reverse it that easily." I say, now wishing that I hadn't contacted Lexie from the beginning. Before we can continue our conversation, we both hear Ellie's voice from the stair case.

"Daddy…?" I could hear the sleep in her voice as Rick turns and looks at Ellie.

"Pumpkin, why are you still up?" Rick asks Ellie in the sweet voice he only uses with Alexis, Ellie, and, well, he used to use it with me.

"I had a bad dream." He leaves the door open, but walks over to Ellie.

"What happened in your dream?" I'm a little worried since Ellie doesn't usually have dreams that upset her enough to wake her up.

"Mommy didn't come home." I felt my heart shatter. I caused her pain?

"Well pumpkin-"

"We can't let that happen can we Ellie?" I ask, walking into the room since I can't let Ellie get hurt by this.

"MOMMY!" Ellie turns in Rick's arms to look at me. "YOU CAME HOME!" Her four year old voice rings throughout the room.

"How could I not? Daddy and you wanted me to come home, right?"

"YES!" Ellie reached out to me from Rick's arms and he passes her to me quickly. Ellie wraps her arms around my neck, laying her head to rest on my shoulder. "Mommy I love you."

"I love you too Ellie." I sit down on our couch and Ellie tells me everything that I missed while Rick shuts the door. After Ellie finishes telling me her stories, all she wants to do is stay in my arms since she was afraid that I might leave again. Rick talks with me about the book he's working on until Ellie falls asleep and we can put her to bed. Once she is tucked back into her bed, Rick and I walk back into the living room, his hand lightly resting on the small of my back. Once in the living room, my eyes rest on the door.

"I'm not letting you leave again, you know that right?" Rick pulls me into his arms, holding me close to prove his point.

"I was betting that was the case," I say.

"Kate I need you to promise me something." I look into his eyes and can see something, but I can't tell what it is.

"What is it?" I ask as my eyebrows slowly pull together, since I am worried about what he might say.

"Don't ever run. We can get through anything as long as you and I don't run from one another. Ellie deserves that much."

"I…" I could finally see what was hidden within the blue irises that I love; fear.

"Kate, I can't lose you. And you saw how Ellie was. We both love you and need you in our lives."

"I promise. No more running."

"You'll stay?" He asks, sounding like he didn't believe me, and to be honest, he has every right not to believe me.

"Always." And with our word, he believes me and engulfs me into his arms while kissing my lips the way they had wanted to be kissed since I had run from him.