Hey, sorry about the late update, this chapter really messed with my head and just when I would think I was cool with it, I would go out and suddenly decide while driving that it needed to change. I'm still not 100% sure I'm happy with it but after three goes I just went with it.
Enjoy, Kaia (:

"Mum, what's for tea?" Lea asked while drawing pictures on the table of flowers and stick figures that would most likely end up on the fridge with her other prized drawings.
"I'm pretty sure you asked that question ten minutes ago." I said putting the spaghetti into the boiling water.

"I hoped it might change" she said grinning at me.

"Hey! There is nothing wrong with spaghetti Bolognese." I said stirring the contents of the fry pan around. "And who taught you how to be so cheeky?"

"Corey told Rachel that he didn't feel like salad and she got angry that he didn't tell her before and said to him did he think it would magically change." She finished with her picture and walked over to the fridge grabbing a magnet and putting it near the bottom.

"Corey ended up eating the salad didn't he?" I asked serving up the dinner and getting out the forks.
"Yeah"

"Just like you are going to end up eating this." I said giving her the bowl and sitting opposite her with my own. I looked at her in her pink dressing gown, her hair still damp from the shower and her mouth getting a huge red ring of pasta sauce.

"I'm gonna have to get you a bib soon missy."

"No way Mum, only babies where bibs."

"You're my baby." I said to her in a cooing voice and Lea laughed and got even more sauce around her face.

After dinner I wiped her down then took her to bed and read her a story, I was mid way through The Very Hungry Caterpillar when there was a knock at the door.

"Well, now who could that be?" it was only seven at night and it was still quite light outside.

"You can have a flick through the pictures and I'll see who's at the door."She nodded and I left the room.

I unlatched the door and opened it to see the evening sun, and Eric.

Oh god, oh my god. Shit, how the hell did he find out where I lived? I specifically didn't come to work this weekend so I wouldn't see him.

"What are you doing here?"

"I needed to see you, I just- I gotta know why." He ran his hands through his hair, he always hated confrontation and here he was starting it.

"What are you talking about?"

"Everyone stopped talking to me except for Brooke and no one's giving me straight answers because it all comes back to you."

The secret I kept from him was barely a wall away still awake for that matter.

"Eric can we do this another time?"

"I'm only in the country for two more days Amy."

"Then what's so important, why can't we leave things as they are, you go back to America and I'll stay here."

"Because I can't go back to that! there's these moments in the morning when I wake up and for those mere three maybe four seconds I've forgotten the reasons why I'm unhappy and then I turn over and it hits me because I realise that when everyone thinks you've got everything, nothing is shittier than waking up to a girl that isn't you." He took a deep breath; he seemed surprised at what he said as if he didn't want to give away what he was thinking at all. "Unless, there's someone else?"

Just at that moment I heard a creak from behind me and I wanted to just drop to the floor and pretend that everything that was going to happen would just slow down. Eric heard the step too and looked at my face and misread it as if the person in the house was my 'someone else'. The little hand opened the door wider.

"Mummy what's taking so long?" She looked at me and I smiled back then she looked at Eric whose eyes were wider than I ever thought humanly possible.

"Y-you have a kid?" he didn't look at me when he asked, just at the girl in her pyjamas with damp blonde hair, he finally looked up at me and I stopped smiling my fake smile and let a tear drop down my check and hit my t-shirt leaving a damp, dark circle, that was the moment a look of realisation crossed his eyes.

"How old is she?" he asked.

"I'm three and three quarters." Lea perked up. He looked up at me with pleading eyes still standing in my front doorway.

"Who's her dad?" he asked though I think he knew he didn't really have to.

"I've never met him but I hope he surfs because I want to surf too!" Lea answered the question again.

"Lea, do you want to watch some T.V? I'll let you have a late night." I said smiling at her again.

"But I'm talking to the man?" she considered her options for a second. "I might watch T.V, bye!" She waved at Eric as he just looked on dumbstruck.

"That's why" he said below a whisper "That's why they didn't talk to me, that's why you never called, why your parents don't talk to you." I just nodded.

"She's nearly four Amy! Did you think I had no right to know who my daughter is? I could have been there for you, with everything- you know I would of."

"That's exactly why I couldn't! You were on the pro circuit; you were doing everything you loved! Forget about me and forget about Lea and everything else, do you like your life?" He couldn't answer me, who wouldn't love his life? We stood around for a few more moments then he began to talk again.

"I can't forget about you or everything else, I've been trying for the past four years but you cut me off from my child, and you say it's for my benefit? How is missing her birth, her first words and first steps- everything, tell me how is that for my benefit?" he was shouting and I just stood there knowing every word was true.

"I can't do this right now Amy, I just can't" He ran his hand through his hair again. "I still love you but this is messing with my head." He took a step back and I grabbed his hand, the first time we had touch in years, since that night in my bed and we both knew it, he looked down at my hand while I talked.
"I know I'm not perfect and these last few years I've messed up more than ever but please stay, I can't lose you again. Not yet."

He squeezed my hand back then dropped it. "She thinks she doesn't have a Dad, Lea doesn't know I'm her dad." He was about to walk away when the little blonde who was hiding in the corner of the hallway raised her voice.

"You're my Dad?"