Day 2,494

Walter had been called away to Boston to deal with a security breach for one of Richard Elia's new smartphone designs. Unfortunately, the timing had been less than ideal. Megan was due to start Kindergarten in just a few days. Walter promised her that he would be home in time for the big day.

Megan fretted endlessly over the news, but I was confident that Walter would be there. Walter often got lost in his work, because it was something he enjoyed doing and it was not unusual to need to remind him to come back to the real world of Ralph and me. Though that happened less and less as Ralph grew older. Often he was right at Walter's side working with him. As time passed, it was mostly for myself that I had to remind him.

But I never needed to remind him when it came to Megan. As close as he was with Ralph and as devoted a husband as he had become, Megan held a kind of sway over him that can only be described as magic.

The morning before the big day, Walter called on video chat to let us know that he wouldn't be home in time to drop Megan off, but he would be there for pickup at 2:30 pm sharp. Megan took the news stoically and I promised her that we would have a "girl breakfast" just the two of us before school tomorrow.

She knew that she would see her dad at the end of the day and to make it extra special, I suggested that Walter could take Megan for ice cream after school, just them. Walter agreed with the idea and Megan regained some of her usual bubbly personality as she began counting the hours until the 'ice cream date' with Dad.

The next morning, Megan was up bright and early, dressed and directing me in the correct styling of her brown curls to give her appropriate princess hair for both Ms. Blevins and Daddy to see and appreciate. Walter texted Megan just before we left the house and told her how much he loved her and how proud he was of her and that he was so excited to pick her up after school.

I kissed a sleepy Ralph goodbye as we headed to the car for the short drive to Kovelsky's for pancakes and hot cocoa with whipped cream and marshmallows and then to Megan's school, Megan jabbering excitedly the entire time. Once at school, we walked into her new classroom hand in hand.

Ms. Blevins cooed appropriately over Megan's hair and sparkly shoes before Megan settled herself at the center of a group of giggling girls, none of whom she had met before that moment, but she had already taken her natural place as their leader. Ms. Blevins marveled over Megan's charisma, while I just shook my head. The ease with which Megan navigated new social situations was not a surprise to me, but I wasn't sure if Walter was ready for his baby to be this grown up this fast.

I hugged and kissed Megan goodbye, which she tolerated, already more than ready for me to leave. I couldn't help myself, I lingered in the doorway for just a moment to watch her and marvel at how quickly she was growing up before heading down the hall to the cafeteria for the 'Coffee and Cry' social hour that the PTA had set up for the new Kindergartener moms.

I spent a few minutes and shed a few tears, saying hello to friends from the neighborhood who were also dropping their babies off for their first day of school, while deftly avoiding getting roped into being the chairwoman of the Fall Carnival. After I finished my cup of coffee, I tossed it in the trash as I made my way back to my car.

I had some work that I needed to get done for Scorpion's latest Homeland contract and if I finished it this morning, I would have an entirely free afternoon and evening to spend with the family. I was even hoping to get a little alone time with Walter.

The Garage was, thankfully, empty. Most of the team's equipment and the new Scorpion employees had moved to the newer, more spacious quarters a few months ago. I knew that Walter and I would need to move our offices there too eventually, but for now, this was still as good as home.

I had just finished two weeks' worth of reports when I stood up, stretching the kinks out of my back from prolonged sitting at the desk. My stomach rumbled and the pancake breakfast with Megan felt like it had been ages ago. I checked my watch, it was just after 1. There was just time to make a quick sandwich before Walter and I needed to pick up Megan. I checked my phone, nothing from Walter yet, not surprising, I thought. I'm sure he was somewhere over Colorado at the moment and with his phone dutifully on airplane mode. Still, I was eager to figure out what the plan was for meeting before we picked up Megan from school. I was also just eager to see him, hear his voice, straighten his constantly askew tie, feel his hand in mine.

I had just walked into the kitchen when I heard a car pull up outside. I had just turned to walk toward the outside door but stopped short at the sight of a familiar form in the doorway. Walter.

I ran toward him calling his name and he dropped his luggage at his feet just as I leaped into his arms. He quickly enveloped me in his embrace. "I missed you so much," he murmured against my hair before kissing me deeply.

After a few breathless moments, I pulled away. "Walter, what are you doing here? I thought you wouldn't be in L.A. this early. I've been waiting to hear from you, and now, suddenly, you're here! How did you get home so early?"

Walter rubbed the back of his neck with one hand. "I didn't think I'd be here this early either. I had every intention of flying home commercial, dealing with the TSA and slow-moving security lines, waiting at the gate, and then fighting traffic to get to the school. But Richard overheard my conversation with Megan yesterday. After I disconnected the call, he saw how utterly miserable I was. Before we went to dinner last night, he told me that he had been missing home a bit more than he had anticipated and he didn't want me to run the risk of missing picking up Megan after school. He told me that we could finish our work here in L.A. and that we could fly back on his private jet. I jumped at the chance to get home a bit earlier, a chance to see you again before Megan gets out of school. We flew out of Bedford just before 4 am, and now here I am."

When would this man ever cease to amaze me? I was waxing poetic about my 'knight in shining armor' in my mind when my stomach growled audibly. I blushed furiously and Walter raised his eyebrow questioningly. "I was just about to have something to eat before heading home to wait until it was time to pick up Megan. Are you hungry?" I asked him.

Walter grinned, "Starving. I can't remember the last time I ate."

"I think I can remedy that." I told him as I started poking through the cupboards and refrigerator in the Garage's kitchen.

Within a few moments, I had a decent selection of cold cuts, cheese, bread, and vegetables laid out on the table. Walter started making sandwiches while I set a pot of coffee on to brew.

I watched him move efficiently piling the filling between two slices of bread before cutting the sandwich in half with a large knife. I placed the sandwich on a plate as Walter began making a second one.

Once the meal was prepared we both sat down and started munching hungrily on our food. We sat in companionable silence for a few moments. Walter put his sandwich down and our eyes met as he spoke. "I missed Ralph and Megan more than I can say. Being away from them was complete torture and I am thrilled to be able to pick up Megan after school, hear all about the first day at school, but for now, for right now, the only thing I want is this." He leaned forward and kissed me softly. "This moment, eating sandwiches in the Garage, with you. Just the two of us."

Without another word, Walter turned his attention back to his food and took another bite. And just like that I was reminded all over again exactly why I had fallen in love with Walter O'Brien.