Author's Note: please see long and rambling author's note on the next chapter

It had been a week since the night they had gone to Navy Pier. Alicia had seemed uneasy ever since uttering the words

"Please don't end up hating me"

Will had pleaded with her to tell him what she had meant by it. He didn't know that they were the words that Alicia muttered to herself every time she had done something she had hated herself for. Surely if she hated herself as much in that moment as she did, it would be no question for Will to hate her when he discovered the truth. As of yet she had only been wrong once. She had been so right that he would hate her when she had decided to make the move with Cary. The hate had oozed out of every pore. She remembered sitting in the lobby of Lockhart/Gardner while waiting for her deposition about the adoption case. The cold glare that she could see in her mind still gave her chills. It took so much to paint on that façade, to try to convey that she truly was sorry, but that she wouldn't change it. All she could think were the words 'please don't end up hating me.'

Izzy and Lily had flown home with their parents after a most memorable week with them. Alicia felt bad as she sat in the kitchen sipping a glass of red wine as she looked at her husband.

"It's different now, you know?"

"How so?"

"When you have kids, it hurts to see them go. Like a little piece of yourself is about to go run around in a very dangerous world. But when you haven't had to take care of children who require your every second of attention there comes a point where you can't help but feel a little bit of relief that life goes back to normal."

"I guess I never thought about it. Lily and Izzy have been the closest I've ever come to having kids."

Alicia paused contemplating her next words. The thought had been on her mind since that day. The way he had looked at her. The look in his eyes as she had sat with Izzy on her lap, asleep on her shoulder.

"Will you hate me later for that?"

Will was taken aback and a look of confusion crossed his face.

"Alicia why on earth would I hate you?" Will reached for her hand, his face still a mask of confusion.

"Because you'll never have that. You could have any woman you wanted. Some gorgeous woman who wants to give you 3 adorable kids. And instead you get me.

Will looked at Alicia and smiled, and I've never been happier to be stuck with something.