*Thank-you for all the reviews on the last chapter. They were greatly appreciated. Thank-you all so much.

NATALIE:

After a 4 hour flight to Boston we arrive at the airport. Angelina still has no idea where we are or where we are going. This is the first time she has ever been in my hometown. We pick up our luggage, get a rental car with John and head off to my parents' house. I am so nervous. I am even scared to face them. I don't even know how to explain this to them. I don't know how to apologize to them for the lies and for cutting them out of our lives. I feel terribly for that but I did what I had to do. My mom was never happy I decided to keep Angelina and my dad was upset that I even got pregnant. It's been a tough 8 years for my parents and I. I allow John to do the driving so I can get my thoughts straight and get my words together. I am running over and over in my head what I want to say but nothing seems to work. Before I know it we pull into my parents' driveway and Angelina asks, "Mommy, where are we?"

I take a deep breath and say, "home."

"Home?" she asks. "This is our home?"

"No," I say, "this is MY home. This is where I grew up."

"Oh," she says. "Why?"

"Because your daddy and I need to talk to your Grandma and Grandpa," I say.

"I have a Grandma and Grandpa?" She asks. "Why didn't I ever meet them?"

"It's complicated," I say.

"Are you ready?" asks John looking at me with his blue eyes.

"As ready as I'm ever going to be," I say. "Let's go."

"Okay," says John as he opens his car door. I follow after him and open mine. I am not worried about the luggage as I get Angelina out of the car. I take her hand as we walk up to the front door. I walk first knowing it is my problem and it is my time to face my parents.

I ring the doorbell with shaking hands and John rubs my back as we wait for someone to answer the door. After this past week I don't know what is going on with John and me but I would really like for there to be a lot more but I can't be the other woman. I refuse to be the other woman. I can't do that but his touch is just so.. I don't know. The door opens slowly and my mom is standing face to face with me. "Natalie?" she asks.

"Mom," I say with a half-smile.

"Natalie, what are you doing here? And John?"

"We need to talk," I say.

"Okay," she says stiffly. She's always been this way. I don't know why. She allows us to come in and leads us to the living room. "And who is this little girl?" She asks as we sit down.

"This is Angelina, Mom. Angelina this is your grandma," I say.

"Nice to meet you, Grandma," says Angelina with a small smile.

"How long has it been?" asks my mom.

"Almost 8 years," I say. "Where is Dad?"

"I'll get him," she says before walking out of the living room.

I let out a breath as Angelina says, "she doesn't like me does she?"

"It's not that she doesn't like you. She doesn't know you. It will take her a while to get to know you," I say, "don't be offended she's like that with everyone."

"Okay," says Angelina, "this is where you grew up?"

"Yes it is," I say.

"It's a big house!"

"I know," I say.

"The biggest house I have ever seen," she says.

"If you think this is big," says John, "you should see my house in Florida! That place is huge. I want you to see it some time."

"Is that a good idea?" I ask. I'm not sure I like the idea of Angelina being around John's wife. I don't know her but I have heard about her. I don't want her to be jealous of Angelina and treat her badly because of it. I don't think she'll be going to Florida anytime soon although maybe one day John, Angelina and I can live in Florida. Yeah right, as if that will ever happen. I just need to accept my life for what it is. John is a friend and that's all he will ever be from this point on he is too nice to leave his wife and I'm too nice to allow him to cheat on her… well cheat on her again.

"Why?" asks John as my parents come back in the room.

"Dad," I say standing up.

"Natalie," he says. "Hello."

"Hi," I say sitting back down realizing he isn't going to hug me. I don't think it's too much to ask to get a hug from your parents especially after you haven't seen them for 8 years but things are rough right now. That's why I am here to make it smooth and get them involved in my life again. "Dad, I want you to meet your granddaughter. This is Angelina," I say looking at him.

"Hi," says Angelina shyly.

"Hi," he says looking at her. "So Natalie, what is going on? Why did you decide to come back here after 8 years?"

"Because we need to talk," I say.

"Do you need help?" he asks. "Money troubles?"

"No," I say, "we are good." We are good at least for now but I need to find work or get back into the hotel.

"So what are you doing here?" he asks. "I thought you were leaving West Newbury and never looking back. What made you change your mind now?"

"Dad," I say trying not to cry. "I have something to tell you."

"What?" he asks. "What could you possibly have to tell us? You have not told us anything in 8 years why start now?"

"Because I want to make things right with you and Mom. I want us to be a family again. I want you to be in my life again as well as in Angelina's. She needs grandparents."

"She needs a father," says my mother. "You made a selfish choice, Natalie. You chose to be a single parent when Angelina could have had it all. She could have had a mom, a dad, a nice house, pets or whatever but you decided to be selfish that night in November."

"I don't think it was a selfish choice," I say. "I think it was selfish of YOU for trying to force me into giving her away. I made the choice for me not for you and not for dad. It was my life, I was 20 it was my choice to make and I made the choice for me. Angelina does have a nice house and she has everything she could possibly want. She goes to private school, she is in ballet, she plays t-ball and she takes music lessons. She has never wanted for anything in her life. I have a good job, she is very well taken care of."

"But she doesn't have a father," says my mom.

"Actually," I say, "she does."

"Are you married? Did you finally decide to get married?" Asks my mother.

"No," I say, "I'm not married."

"Then how does she have a father?"

"Because I told him he has a daughter," I say. "That's how she has a father."

"I thought you didn't know the father?" Asks my dad.

"I do know her father," I say, "I have always known her father and so have you."

"What?" asks my mom.

"You have always known her father," I say.

"Who?" asks my dad.

"John," I say. "John is her father."

"JOHN?" they ask together.

"Yes, John," I say.

"Why didn't you say anything?"

"Because I never told him," I say. "I couldn't. He was busy with his career and at the top of it. I couldn't ruin his life."

"So how did that come about?" My mother asks me.

"We were dating," I say even though it's half true. We weren't exactly dating when I got pregnant. We were at a party and I was losing my virginity to him. That's how and when it happened.

"Let me get this straight," she says, "you and John were dating, you got pregnant and then what happened?"

"I broke up with him," I say. "I had to."

"That was stupid," she says, "John, did you know she was pregnant?"

"No, Ma'am, I didn't. I didn't find out till last week," he says.

"Wow, Natalie, that really takes the cake YOU didn't include him in his child's life," says my dad, "and then you made it look like he left you."

"Dad, it's complicated. I know it was wrong and I shouldn't have lied. I know I hurt a lot of people by lying most importantly my daughter. I didn't want to hurt anyone. I just did what I thought was best. That's why I left West Newbury because I couldn't stay here and raise Angelina knowing John would be recognized as her father. I wanted him to have his career. I was a 20 year old pregnant woman, still in school and no job; John was 25 years old, getting ready to film a movie and at the top of his career. I couldn't ruin that. He had a life to live. I did what I thought was right but now I realize it was wrong. John has come into Angelina's life and has accepted her, loves her and has been nothing but a great father to her. She loves him and she was so happy to finally meet him. She is happy and I am happy that he is in her life. I want the same for you. I want you guys to be in her life. I want you to get to know her. You will love her too. She is an amazing kid."

"I don't even know what to say," says my mom. "This is crazy. It took 8 years for the truth to come out?"

"Yes," I say, "but it's out now and I want everything to be all right with us again. I'm sorry for the way things went down between us and I'm sorry I should have done everything differently. I am really sorry. Mom, I just want us to be close again and I want you to be close with Angelina. Dad, I just want us to be okay again and I want you to be in Angelina's life. She's your only grandchild."

"She is our only grandchild," says my dad.

"So can we move on past this?" I ask hopefully.

"We can," he says with a smile. "Come here both of you." Angelina and I both walk over to my dad and he wraps his arms around us. It feels so good to get a hug from my father. "I love you."

"I love you too," I say.

"Welcome home," says my mom before she joins in the hug. After the hug is broken she says, "so what's going on with you and John? Are you two together or what?"

"Nothing right now," I say, "he's married."

"I see," she says. "But he is in Angelina's life?"

"Yes I am," says John. "I wouldn't give up being her father for anything. I love her."

"Good," says my mom, "at least he is a good guy."

"Yeah," I say with a smile, "he always has been. I was just too blind to see it." I look over at John as he looks at me and gives me a smile. It's true. John has always been a good guy. I know things would have been different if I was honest from the beginning. I know he would have done the right thing because he is a good guy; a good guy that I was stupid to let go. Possibly a good guy that I have lost forever because of his wife, she may not be so willing to give him up like I did. Although everything happens for a reason, I am not one to believe in fate but I think this time I'm going to let fate run things just to see how everything turns out.

*A/N: So what did you think? Please review and thank-you for reading.