"Hayley," he breathed.

Hotch watched breathless as his son threw his arms around his mother. Late mother. Something wasn't right here.

"Jack Hotcner, you have to say goodbye to your father before he goes off to work," Mrs. Terragni called after the boy in a scolding voice.

"Annie, my daddy brought me here today! He'th a FBI-man! Ha catcheth baaaad guyth! Like the man that hurt mommy!" Jack pulled eagerly at the woman as the truth dawned on Hotch. Hayley still wasn't alive and this woman merely looked a bit like her. First of all she was younger.

"Daddy thith ith Annie. Remember I told about her in the car." Second of all her hair was a lot longer, braided down her back.

"I remember you mentioned her. I'm not that old." Third of all she was taller as he could look almost level right into her eyes.

"I'm Aaron Hotchner, Jack's father," he said sticking out his hand. Fourth of all she didn't dress at all like Hayley had as she had been more of a tee and jeans-girl.

"Hi! Annie Adams! I'm a new nursery teacher here as of a month ago I think." She looked at Mrs. Terragni who nodded in reply. Annie smiled. "And I think Young Jack here has taken quite a liking to me," she said grabbing Jack's shoulder's and pulled him into a small hug.

"Your're the betht!" Jack declared with an adoring look up at the tall young woman. A small blush colored her cheeks in reply to that. "You're the best too!" She beamed down at him.

"And now young Mr. Hotchner say goodbye to your father. You know he has a very important job and he can't be late," the older nursery teacher interrupted and Jack shot his father an apologetic smile.

"Bye daddy! Are you gonna pick me up later too?" he asked as Hotch pulled him in for a hug.

"Yes I am. I will be here around 5.30." he said as much to himself. "If anything happens I will call and make aunt Jessica come pick you up,, OK?" the boy nodded with a serious face. Hotch smiled slightly and pulled away from his son. Lastly of all she didn't look anything like Hayley. What had he been thinking?

"Remember I love you."

"I love you too daddy," Jack answered and turned to join the other kids holding Annie's hand.

"I mithth him already," he whispered to the woman at his side.

"He misses you too Jack," she said and squeezed his hand in encouragement.

Hotch watched them from the car. He felt his heart tighten for the second time in one morning but this time it was different. He couldn't exactly point out what was different but something surely was. He opened the car door behind him and sighed. A brief glance at his wristwatch told him he was 5 minutes late already but he still couldn't tear his eyes away from his son and the woman he so openly adored. With a last glance at Jack he entered the car and left the kindergarten's parking lot.

Hotch settled at his desk with a sigh.

He poured his first cup of coffee with a sigh.

He left the toilet with a sigh much to the disturbance of an innocent cleaning lady about to enter.

He received a large collection of paperwork with a sigh and wrote his name with another.

As Rossi entered his office with a worried look he was about to sigh but realized before it was too late.

"Is anything wrong?" the older Italian agent wanted to know.

"Nothing out of the usual," Hotch replied.

"Then why are you running around sighing like an infatuated teenage girl?" Rossi asked with a cocky smile. Hotch shot him an annoyed glare.

"I'm perfectly fine."

"I didn't say you weren't." Rossi shrugged. "But don't you want to be more than just 'fine'?"

Hotch looked at him with his perfect pokerface.

"More than fine?"

"And you know what can make a man feel more than fine?" Rossi settled at the edge of Hotch's desk. "A woman."

Jack looking up at a young woman in a yellow summer dress and an adoring smile.

"Really?"

"Really. You're still young and breathing." Rossi looked at the blank face staring back at him without smiling. "Damnit Hotch. You can't just lock your heart away like that. It just isn't healthy!"

Two bright eyes smiling at him as a soft but firm hand shook his as she introduced herself.

"I'll manage." Rossi went silent.

"What are you thinking about?"

Long braided hair the color of ripe wheat.

"Nothing." He sighed. Rossi smiled.

"That my friend is not nothing." He rose and walked to the door. "Of course my words mean anything to you. You're already in a happier place." He left the room.

Hotch leaned back in his chair with his eyes closed. He sighed.

"Oh, and," he heard Rossi's voice from the door. "I just remembered my favorite proverb: the first sigh of love is the last of wisdom." He left the office once again as Hotch glared at him.

Hotch closed his eyes frowning.

Had he justed recalled the sight of a woman's hair and sighed?