Chapter 21: Because I love her.

(Robs POV)

The night went by fast. Cecilia was still asleep when I woke up. That was good. She was off my chest so I was able to get up. I quickly got a shower allowing the hot water to beat against me for a few minutes and then got out after washing my hair and body.

Peter would be here soon so I got dressed and towel dried my hair. It was still wet by the time he came. He knocked softly at the door. I closed the door to the bedroom and went to open the door. I opened the door to find both Peter and Alisa there waiting to come in. Uh oh. Never in my life have I really been incredibly nervous. Something about Alisa made me intensely nervous.

"Hello Rob."

"Hi Rob" Alisa said sweetly.

"Hi Peter…Mrs. Greene. Come on in."

"Oh please Rob, Call me Alisa."

"Oh, okay…Alisa." Can this really get any more awkward? I felt like Alisa still hated me even though Emmett nearly killed her daughter. Was it possible that she thought I was the one who nearly killed Cecilia? Nah that's not possible. Peter even said she felt so god damn sorry for everything. They walked into the living room of the penthouse and sat down on the sofa. "Can I get you two anything to eat or drink? I can cook something up real fast if you are hungry?"

"That is alright Rob. We ate before we left home. However do you by any chance have coffee?" Alisa asked.

"I do. Let me make it real quick. We have to keep our voices down…Cecilia is still asleep. I really do not want to wake her after the last two days. She's in so much pain. I can just tell." They both nodded and I quickly started the coffee maker.

"So Rob…I just really want to apologize to both you and my daughter. I never thought Emmett would hurt her like that. I just wish I hadn't caused so much because of this. If it was not for me and Haley, Cecilia would be okay. Both of you wouldn't have so much grief now."

"Alisa…don't worry." I said bringing her a fresh cup of coffee along with the milk and sugar. "It was a good thing everyone found out how Emmett really is. I feel bad for Cecilia though…she has spent almost all of her life in love with him and that was how he repaid her." I sat down on the other sofa that was facing them.

"Rob, Alisa. I do have something I think both of you should know" Peter said to break the silence. We both looked at him confused…like I could tell there was something wrong but there was a block inside his mind. I couldn't tell if it was good or bad. "After I examined Cecilia yesterday, I took the tests and stuff to the hospital immediately afterwards and it turns out." Peter looked down at his hands, folding them and unfolding them. He appeared to be beating around the stick for what he had to say. I coughed in attempts to make him move forward with what he was trying to tell us. He finally continued. "Because of the location of where she was stabbed and how deep the blade had gone in…it is a 99% chance that she cannot have kids…ever. It would take a miracle for the two of you to ever have kids."

What he had just said was thrown at me without any warning. Yes I wanted kids but I also wanted Cecilia. "Dad…is that true?" I looked over at the bedroom door and she was standing there. Eyes filled with tears and weaker than a child. Tears where streaming down her face. I got up and walked over to her. She put her arms around me and I put mine around her. She was sobbing. "I'm so sorry Rob…I am so sorry." I rubbed her head with my hand. "I can now never give you kids. I'm so sorry."

"Honey…it's not your fault. I'd rather have you alive than you dead. I'm glad you want to give me kids but I don't need them as much as I need you. I need you before anything else in my life. I love you Cecilia and I mean that. Kids or no kids. I love you." I grabbed my handkerchief out of my back pocket and wiped away her tears. She had closed her eyes and I kissed them softly.

"Mom? What on earth are you doing here?" She asked Alisa confused.

Alisa got up and walked over towards us. She put her hand on my shoulder. "I came to apologize…to both of you. I was wrong to judge him, Cecilia. Please forgive me. I promise to keep my opinions to myself if they are bad." I looked at Cecilia and she smiled at her mom.

"Okay Mom. I forgive you." She let go of me and hugged her mom. "I think I need to get a shower. I promise I won't be long." She smiled at me and reached up on her tippy toes to kiss me. I was so entirely lucky that she was unable to read what I was thinking. She walked out of the room and I heard the shower water turn on.

I walked back over to Alisa and Peter. I sat down and put my head in my hands. "What's wrong Rob?" Peter had asked me.

"I'm trying to think of the right words to say to the two of you…I wanted to ask both of you something."

"Okay well than Rob…tell us" Peter urged me to continue.

"I would like to ask your permission to marry your daughter."

"Absolutely" Peter confirmed immediately after I said it.

"Of course. Rob I now can see how much you have changed her and I am grateful to you for that." She got up and hugged me. "Do you know when?"

"Yes. Back home…in London. I want my family and the four of you to be there. I will fill you in later. I want it to be on Valentine's Day."

"Okay. That's great. Welcome to the family, son." Alisa hugged me tightly.

"I would like to go out for a little bit. Do you think you two could not tell Cecilia about what I just told you and possibly take her out for some shopping or something?" I asked, I really wanted to get to the bottom of the whole stabbing my girlfriend thing.

"Sure thing sweetie. Go ahead and do whatever you need to do. Be careful. Call if you need us." I nodded and smiled. I walked out the door and down to the taxi line. I got in one and told them my destination.