Leo woke up and made breakfast. He knew it wasn't as good as Piper's meals,
but Melinda still ate it without complaining. He left the dishes in the sink
and took Melinda to the bus stop, knowing a lot of parents let the child walk
with a friend. However, he wouldn't let her that. Until, was she in middle
school, he loved holding onto her youth and didn't want her to grow up. Leo
went back to his apartment and after quickly cleaning up he went to the manor.
He walked up the path after shutting the door to his car and saw a man with
long shoulder length greasy hair leaving the manor.

"Well, if it isn't the little fraud, Leo Wyatt…" the man sneered.

Leo just walked past him and into the manor. He saw Piper making herself a
cup of tea he leaned against the doorway for a while. Piper spun around with
the tea still in her hands and froze when she saw Leo.

"Leo, is something wrong?" Piper asked worriedly.

"What was Dan doing here?" he asked, a bit colder than he intended.

Piper looked taken aback and folded her arms. "Leo, he is just a friend. I
just needed someone to confide in," Leo threw up in hands in frustration.

"Piper, why are you so mad at me? I thought things had been going in the
right direction. Now, you want time and confide in Dan. I thought you loved
me."

Piper sighed, "Leo, I do love you. I'm afraid of loving you. I know you
didn't mean it but you hurt me so much."

"Piper, you hurt me too. You ripped out my heart, and played a game of
baseball with it. I'm still here trying to make thing work. You are the one
who is running away from it. We could be something great again, but in order
for that, you need to stop running" Leo said and left the manor while Piper
remained standing speechless and you could the drip, drip, drip of the kitchen
faucet.

The handyman never came even after she called him to remind him. Piper
wouldn't ask Leo to do it after how things had been going with then, Leo sat
in his car for a while hoping Piper would come out. He waited in his car for
close to an hour before he gave up and went home. Leo spent the day reading
and looking at the want ads for a job. It would be first job as a mortal.
Expect for his time at P3. Later, he went to pick Melinda up, but found Piper
already waiting. He was about to turn back but she had seen him.

"Leo, I have been thinking all day, you're right. I have been running
away from getting hurt again. I just came off an abusive relationship to find
myself pregnant by my exhusband. You waited for me before when I was with Dan.
We both waited for the Elders to let us get married. I am just asking for you
to wait for me one more time."

Leo facial expression softened and he pulled her into a hug. His cell phone
rang and he pulled away.

"Piper, Mrs. Howard was wondering if she could take Melinda, so the girls
could work on a project together. She said she would drop her off later. Piper
nodded, she was a little disheartened that her daughter seemed to be going to a
friends house more and more often. She went back home even if Leo volunteered
to go back to her place fix the sink that he had noticed that morning that it
was broken. Leo went home alone and picked up a fast food burger and fries on
the way. He also went to the flower shop and sent got a single rose from the
man. He pulled out a red pen with black ink and wrote a note:

Piper, I wanted to send the rose a symbol. I am going to send a rose each
day that I wait for you. If I have too, I will send 365 or more roses. I just
wanted to remind you that I still love you. We have always had many obstacles
in our relationship to overcome. I like to think of this as just one more and
I hope we are able to overcome this like all the others. You are a strong
woman and you can do this. I have faith in you, baby.

All my love,
Leo

Leo left the rose at the door of the manor and rang the bell and left. Piper
saw the rose and tears steamed down her face as she read its tender words. She
placed in the photo album under the plastic cover that held all the over notes
he wrote to her. Piper picked the phone and called Leo. He picked after just
two rings.

"Hi… got your rose and the note. It reminds me of the old Leo…"
Piper halfsmiled.

"I wasn't aware that I'd changed" Leo bit his lip, sounding a bit
hurt.

"I just meant that, when we just got married and started dating, you
always used to do stuff like that. It just seemed to become gradually less
over the years," Leo sighed heavily at Piper's comment.

"Piper, can we please not live in the past? I want to start over with you.
Well, I'm asking if you would like to go out with me on Friday? I know you
want to slow things down, but I think just getting to know each other again is
the best step. We have both changed over the years. Victor already agreed to
have Melinda spend the night Leo held his breath waiting for her replay.

"Sure, how about Olive Garden? I have a craving for the fourcheese ravioli
and the breadsticks already"

"I'll pick you up at 5. We can have a early dinner and then come back
here and talk or go to a movie."

"That sounds perfect, Leo" Piper hung and smiled. It was like she was in
high school again.