I sat next to Owen in the waiting room, staring at the floor while he stared at the ceiling. He'd convinced me to come see him in Seattle after I told him about the baby. He'd always had that power over me. I would follow him anywhere, and he knew it. I had already chased him to Seattle once, what was another time between friends?

"So you're really…"

"Yep."

"Six weeks?"

"Unless this baby is Jesus, yes, Owen, it's been six weeks."

It was the most we had spoken in twenty minutes, and every once in a while, he'd look wildly around the waiting room as though he was expecting someone to notice us in the waiting room full of strangers. If I didn't know damn well where the neuro department was, I would have thought he was looking to make sure Amelia didn't spot us. But we were three floors below her. There was no way.

"I'm sorry," Owen blurted, and he seemed surprised at himself for saying it. "In Germany…you told me that I always tell you when you're being an ass. But you never seem to tell me when I'm being one. I know damn well that you notice it, but I usually have to figure it out for myself."

"Hunt, if I don't train you to become more self-aware, who's going to?"

He laughed and reached over like he was going to hold my hand, but hesitated.

"Is it okay if I—"

I met him halfway and closed my fingers around his.

"I said a lot of the wrong things when I was in Germany and I did a lot of the wrong things to get myself to you. But I don't regret it. Seeing you, I mean."

I looked down at the hand I was holding and couldn't help but notice there was no ring on it.

"What exactly were your intentions that night?" I asked hesitantly.

"I didn't come to sleep with you and then leave, if that's what you're asking."

"That's exactly what I'm asking. I need to know that you didn't show up to get into my pants."

"Ten years ago, I might have," he admitted. "Because I was in a bad place ten years ago and you would have let me get away with it if you thought it might make things a little less bad. That's why I never pursued anything with you. You never would have recovered if I'd used you like that."

"You idiot," I said with my teeth clenched. "You were engaged—"

"Keep your pants on, I meant between Beth and Cristina."

I took a deep breath.

"They're on. Keep talking."

"I didn't show up in Germany as some kind of grand gesture. I came because you are my best friend and I realized that if I had to choose someone in my life that I couldn't live without, it's you. Every time. The way we act around each other, the way we talk to each other, the way you're close with my mom and an older sister to Megan—that's not nothing. For years, the only person that hasn't noticed I was head over heels for you…it's me.

"So I figured I should hurry. Amelia said go, and I went because you're a catch. For the life of me, I can't figure out how no one snatched you up before Henry. I guess I was just relieved that some other guy hadn't swept you off of your feet yet."

"Just you," I said softly. "Before that night, I haven't been swept anywhere since Henry. My feet have stayed firmly on the ground."

"So that night was good for you, too." He sighed. "Just tell me you don't actually think you're my 'consolation prize.'"

"What am I, then?"

"You are everything."

"And Amelia is…?"

"A friend. Nothing more." He paused. "I haven't slept with her since before Germany. I came back and I just felt…empty. I've never hurt you like that before. I was angry at you for making me leave and angry at myself for letting it happen. I should have fought for you, Teddy. Or…fought harder."

He still hadn't let go of my hand.

"We're having a baby together, Owen. I think we have some things to talk about."

"What is there to talk about? Are you trying to tell me I don't have to be involved if I don't want to? Because I want to. It's you and our baby. I want this. You've been my family for fifteen years."

"How do I know that you'll want to be my family eighteen years from now? When it's time for the baby to go to college? Or twenty-two years from now, if this kid decides to go to med school?"

"I'll prove it to you," he said, squeezing my hand. "I've known you long enough to know that you're not going to trust me if I don't slow down, so we'll take…baby steps. No pun intended."

"Baby steps?"

"I want to take you on a date tonight. I know you're jet lagged and exhausted, but it'll be fun. We'll go to that restaurant downtown, the one that you never learned the actual name of. It has all the twinkly lights. I want a big life with you. But if you're scared of rushing into it, we can have a little life first. Just start with tonight and we'll take it from there. Okay?"

God, he was hard to say no to.

"Okay."