I hope you guys like where this is going? Part of me thinks it's going too well for them. After ten years you'd think there was something different that they couldn't get used to but I don't know. What do you think? Keep it drama free between them as a couple or create something they can fight about? They'll end up together in the end either way.

Chapter 13

"What are we?" I call him two hours after I'm sitting at my office. I just got finished with my first client for the day and I had been thinking about things. I needed to ask him something. I barely let him get the hello in.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean do I call you my ex-husband, boyfriend or do I call you my babies daddy? I need an answer." I probably sound insane.

"Babies Daddy? Where did you hear that one?"

"Kelsey and I were watching Maury and one of those paternity episodes were on. Now answer my question, Atwood." I press on.

"I don't know what to say."

"When people ask me what you are to me, I need to know what to say." I press on. I don't know if it's an insecure thing or what but I really just need to know, I just need to hear him say it.

"You want to put a label on us?"

"Basically."

"Won't that make things more difficult?"

"It will ease my nerves, that's what it will do." I say.

"You're scared, aren't you?"

"Why wouldn't I be? I mean it didn't work out the last time so why should it now? So, come on, out with it what are we?"

"We're together. You're the only woman I will ever be with again, good enough?"

"You sound weird. What's wrong?"

"Nothings wrong, baby. I'll just see you at home, okay?" I smiled hearing him say 'home' before hanging up the phone. I'm still not satisfied enough with his answer.

-

"Hey, Kelsey." I say smiling as my daughter opens the car door and throws her bag in. "Okay, what's wrong?" I ask as she closes it with anger.

"Nothings wrong, just had a bad day at school." She says looking ahead of her. "Thanks for picking me up." She says before looking out the window and sighing. Something's definitely wrong.

"You and Jason okay?" I ask as I start driving.

"Perfect." She says a little sarcastically.

"What happened?"

"Nothing happened, Mom!" She yells turning her head at me. She's been crying.

"So why are you crying?"

"I'm not crying." She wipes quickly at her cheeks and her eyes. "I just had something stuck in my eye."

"I remember using that answer before." I say hoping she'll tell me more. I really want to know what happened.

"Can you just stop talking to me?" She turns her head back towards the window.

-

"She was crying." I say chopping the tomato on the counter. "I don't even know why."

"She's a teenage girl, isn't that normal?" He shrugs from the stove.

"I don't know. I wasn't much of a crier growing up." I shrug.

"Probably because your mom was a bitch." He says looking over at me with a smile.

"You might be right about that one." I smile back.

"I know. Maybe you should just ask her." He says.

"I tried that one. She basically told me to shut up." I said turning around and leaning my back against the counter.

"I'll talk to her." I think about it for a minute. I was going to protest but then I thought differently of it. Maybe she would talk to Ryan, she's always liked her father more then she's liked me. Obviously that should be clear since he was the one she went to talk to when she wanted to talk about love.

I'm trying to pretend like that doesn't hurt.

This is really weird for me, sharing the girls. I know it sounds selfish but for so long they were all mine, I had them to myself. I was the one who made the decisions, alone. Now I have to talk to Ryan before I do anything. It's just weird…and actually in a way it's comforting.

"Wait until after dinner." I say. He looks a little surprised that I'm agreeing with him.

"Alright, but if she brings up love just know I'm not going to be nice." He raises his eyebrows at me.

"I know." I laugh. "Do whatever you think is right." I say confidently.

"I don't think we need a label, Taylor. We work better without one." He says quickly taking a me little off guard.

"I know. Just feeling a little scared. Losing you again wouldn't be fun."

"You aren't going to lose me again, label or no label."

"Okay, but just for introducing purposes you're my amazing boyfriend." I smile walking towards him.

"I can deal with that one but alone…"

"We aren't labeled." I say.

"Good." He leans over and kisses my forehead. "Even though in a way that is being labeled."

"Deal with it, Atwood." I narrow my eyes at him.

"Fine, Townsend." He laughs.

"It's not Townsend." I say taking the spoon he was using to stir the sauce with. "It's still Atwood."

"You didn't change it back?" He sounds surprised.

"The second I married you I stopped being a Townsend. Plus, I didn't want to confuse the girls even more." I say truthfully.

"I'm glad you kept it." He stands behind me and pulls me into his body. I lean my head against his chest.

"Me too." I sigh feeling more than complete in that moment.

"Is dinner ready yet?" I look back to notice Jory has entered the kitchen.

"Not yet, half an hour and it should be." I turned back towards the stove.

"Cool, so…did you either of you et a call from the school today?" Jory asked nervously. Ryan and I both turned around to looked at her.

"Not that I know of, why would the school call?" I asked her.

"Oh, no reason!" Jory laughed nervously fidgeting with her hands.

"You're as good a liar as your father and sister are. Something happened, tell me now." I handed the spoon back to Ryan.

"Nothing happened, Mom." Jory tried to leave the room.

"Stop right there." Ryan's voice rumbled through the room startling both Jory and I. "Start talking."

"I'm sure the dean with call you so just…wait for that." Jory tried.

"Not the right answer. Sit down. Talk." He dropped what he was doing and folded his arms going into full father mode.

It was kind of sexy seeing him like this.

"It's nothing." Jory shook her head not sitting down.

"It's something." Ryan replied.

"I…sort of…cut this girls hair?" She winced at her own voice. I stood there confused.

"Cut a girls hair?" Ryan got closer to her.

"She was sitting in front of me and complaining about it so…I cut it off." She shrugged like it wasn't a big deal.

"Get to your room." I was trying to keep my tone even but I don't think it was working too well. This wasn't like Jory, sure she was a little bit of trouble but cutting someone's hair off.

As soon as Jory left the room Ryan started to laugh.

"You're laughing because?" I went back to the stove.

"I wasn't expecting that one."

"What are we going to do about it? I've never really grounded them before and she's definitely not getting away with this." I say.

"I'll call the school tomorrow to see what really happened. For now she's grounded." He shrugged.

"Good idea." I nod. Part of me is happy that Ryan's the one having to administer the punishment for what Jory had done. "You should go do that now."

-

I don't think we've ever had such a quiet dinner.

Jory isn't eating.

Kelsey refuses to look at anyone.

Millie won't tear her eyes away from the book she's reading.

Ryan's just…sitting there.

"Okay, someone has to talk before I go insane." I drop my fork on the table.

"You mean you're not already insane?" Jory speaks up.

"Don't talk to your mother like that." Ryan says quickly.

I'm really happy he's home.

Really, Really, happy.