look who's back! I'm loving to write this story, and I'm missing my girl Gio, but she's probably going to make an appearance on next chapter...I think lol there may be another chapter soon, because the next holiday is? Valentine's Day! I'm pumped to write that one, and I hope you'll enjoy what I have in mind; till next time!

"I want blueberry pie," Maya declared, coming to Paul's room. "Can we have some, Daddy?"

Paul blinked owlish at her daughter, having just woken up and not really ready to start the day. Maya always had a way to make his head spin, no matter the time of the day.

"What?" Paul mumbled, trying to make sense of his surroundings.

Maya huffed, and climbed into his bed, snuggling with him. "Blueberry pie, Daddy. Like the ones Miss Bella makes."

Paul could feel his face reddening, and something warm inside of him; he was thankful that Maya didn't realise any of that. He hasn't seen Bella since the New Year's Eve party Emily threw and that's a good reason why he decided to keep his distance from Bella.

"Why are you talking about pies before breakfast? You know it isn't healthy to eat pies first thing in the morning," Paul said, hugging his daughter and trying to make his heart stop beating so fast.

"Fine," Maya huffed and Paul smiled at her; she was too much like him sometimes. "Can I have blueberry pancakes?"

"Sure, peanut, just let's sleep a little more, alright?" Paul closed his eyes, hoping Maya will let him sleep a little more, so he can be a functional human being.

"Kay, Daddy," Maya said, yawning and cuddling closer to him. "And we can have them at Sue's, right?"

"Whatever you want, Maya," Paul replied, closing his eyes, before snapping them open.

That was a reason why he never made promises to Maya when he was sleep deprived. He never knows what's going to come out of his mouth, and now, he's going to pay for it.

He's going to see Bella after all.

Paul didn't know why he was doing it. He was an adult, he was a father and he could do whatever he wanted, but Paul knew that Maya had him wrapped around her little finger and would always cater to her wishes—when reasonable, of course—and that's why he was walking towards Sue's with a toddler with a spring on her step.

"Miss Bella makes the bestest pies!" Maya said, dreamily, twirling on the sidewalk. "Gio always says it."

"I bet she does," Paul mumbled, trying not to sweat. "Remember that we're going to have breakfast food, not pies, right, peanut?"

"Sure sure, Daddy," Maya answered, using Jake's signature 'sure sure'. That's why Paul didn't want his neighbours babysitting Maya.

Paul squinted his eyes at her, but she was smiling angelically at him, and this always screamed trouble. He didn't know what Maya had in her mind, but it couldn't be good.

Sue's diner was always bustling with people, and at ten in the morning on a Saturday it wasn't different. Grabbing Maya's hand, so she didn't drift away, Paul entered and soon was seated at the table where he always sat, hoping to be invisible. Sadly for him, Maya didn't know about his plans of not calling attention to himself.

"Miss Bella! Miss Bella!" Maya yelled from the top of her lungs, standing on the bench next to Paul. "Look, Daddy, is Miss Bella!"

"I think the whole diner is seeing Miss Bella, Maya," Paul murmured, grabbing Maya and sitting her on his side. "Why are you so excited to see her?"

"Because she's cool! She makes pies and cookies and cakes!" Maya replied, eyes shining.

Paul chuckled at her answer, but he wasn't surprised. Bella had captivated his daughter just like she had him.

"Hey, Maya, how are you, sweetie?" Bella asked, coming near their table, with a small notepad in her hand. She blushed, before looking at Paul. "Hey Paul, nice to see you."

"You too," Paul mumbled, blushing a little under her and Maya's stare. "You're still serving breakfast?"

Bella blushed harder, as if possible, before nodding. "You already decided what you'll get?"

"Blueberry pancakes with hot chocolate for Maya, and bacon, eggs, toast and black coffee for me. Please," Paul said, looking at anything but Bella.

"I'll bring it right up," Bella said, running away from their table like the devil was chasing after her.

"Miss Bella is pretty," Maya sighed, playing with the crayons on the table. "Right, Daddy?"

Paul didn't know what to answer to Maya, so he just stole one of her crayons and started to colour one of the draws on the table. He couldn't tell Maya he thought Bella was very pretty—and that her lips were the softest he ever kissed.

They manage to keep it somehow civil between them, and Maya definitely was a buffer. Paul still didn't know what to say to Bella after the New Year's Eve party, and it looked like neither she did.

"Can I have pie?" Maya asked, after she had finished eating. Paul was impressed that someone so small could eat so much like his daughter could. "You said I could."

"Since you eat all of your breakfast, I think a small slice of pie isn't going to spoil your appetite." Paul looked around to see if any waitress was near, but of course, Bella was the only one around. "Why don't you ask Miss Bella if you can have a slice?"

Maya smiled and was waving at Bella before he had finished talking. Paul knew Bella was trying to keep her distance from him—the same way he was keeping distance from her—but he could say he missed her; she was a friend who understood what he went through being a single parent.

He thought he had messed everything up after they had kissed at midnight during Emily's party. It was the first time they were meeting without their daughters around, and somehow they got talking and when the clock struck midnight, somehow—Paul still wasn't sure how it happened—they ended up kissing.

"Can I have blueberry pie, pretty please?" Maya asked, when Bella arrived at their table. "Daddy said I could."

"You're lucky, Marvellous Maya, because I have just baked a blueberry pie and we have vanilla ice cream too!" Bella said, smiling at Maya who beamed at the nickname, glancing quickly at him. "As long as your Dad says it's okay."

"Yeah, it's okay. We made a deal," Paul said, smiling at his daughter and messing with her hair, missing the way Bella was looking at them.

"One blueberry pie slice coming right away!" Bella said, holding his stare before going back to the kitchen.

Maya didn't take long before demolishing her pie—without sharing any with Paul—and in no time at all, they were ready to leave the diner.

"Bye, Miss Bella! Can Gio come play tomorrow?" Maya asked, when they were at the door of the diner.

"I think we can arrange something," Bella said, kneeling down and hugging Maya. "Take care, alright? Obey your Dad."

"Okie dokie!" Maya replied, waving to her and walking towards the door, waiting for Paul.

Paul, in the meanwhile, was standing next to her, trying to think of something to say.

"I know we haven't talked since the party, but do you think we can meet sometime? Grab a cup of coffee and just talk?" Paul asked, coming near Bella and grabbing one of her hands in his.

Bella looked at him with her big doe eyes, and just nodded. Smirking, Paul kissed her lightly on the cheek, not wanting to miss the opportunity. Leaving a blushing Bella behind, Paul walked towards Maya.

But this time, he was the one with a spring on his step.