Olivia's been dreading this- the truth of this moment. She's avoided it at all costs, dodging Elliot when he stepped too close to her cocoon, inviting them for Christmas, asking them to lunch. She kept her distance, polite but firm in her refusal to spend any additional time with him, especially with Noah in tow.

Fate intervened instead, on a random sidewalk after a Mother's Day brunch. Once that happened, once those identical pairs of blue eyes locked, pieces slid into place, a puzzle solved.

Everyone has kept her secrets. When Elliot stormed back into her life, there was no denying the resemblance, nor the profound loss she had endured. Fin always knew, and Amanda and Sonny gasped the second they saw him.

Noah could be Elliot's twin.

Olivia told Noah countless stories about Elliot, but always as her partner, never as his father. Noah knew his name and face from pictures in the album tucked away in the hallway closet. Those brief minutes on a street corner today were enough to pique his interest and ask more and more questions the only way preteens can- with determination and precociousness. Not only do kids say the darndest things, they are incredibly perceptive. When Noah plainly asked Olivia if Elliot was his father, she knew she couldn't withhold the truth from him any longer.

And Noah understood, in a way that she didn't deserve, took to heart the details of Elliot's leaving and how she lost contact, and the fact that she never thought he'd come home. She told him that Elliot was her best friend that left her with the greatest gift imaginable, and she could never hate him because he didn't know.

The text from Elliot right after that chance encounter was even more intense. Now, he knew. Just like there was no denying Noah, there was no way she could lie to Elliot, even if it meant protecting her son from potential heartbreak. She invited him over after Noah fell asleep, mentally preparing for the onslaught of emotions.

Standing in the hallway barely two feet inside the door, she admitted the truth.

"He's your son."

The realization dawned on him quickly. "You went through with IVF."

"I wasn't going to. It didn't feel right after you left, but something happened that changed everything, and…"

"Liv?"

She thumbed his forearm through his henley, steadying herself, searching for the right words. "I needed to have a piece of you with me. I needed to see your blue eyes, or your pointy ears, or a gleam of your smile again. God, I feel so selfish."

"C'mere," he whispered, pulling her into a hug, as she buried her face in his neck. "Selfish? Liv, I wanted you to be a mother in any way possible. I meant that, which is why I donated in the first place. And of the two of us, I think I win the prize as far as selfish goes."

She pulled a little from his embrace, resting her forehead against his. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you right when you got back. It's just… you were… and I wanted to protect him…"

"You don't owe me an explanation. I understand."

"He's amazing, El. The best thing that ever happened to me."

"He's beautiful." Elliot cupped her face in his hands, slowly caressing her cheeks with his thumbs. "I probably shouldn't admit how often I dreamt of this- of you having my child."

She ducked her head again, blushing at her feet. "Noah knows. He asked me right after we saw you today. He wants to get to know you."

Elliot grinned, wider than she's seen since his return, tears glistening in his eyes. "Good. I'd like that." He held her close, brushing his lips against her cheek. "I'd also like to kiss you."

As her lips met his for the first time, curious and restorative, she couldn't help but dream of possibilities, a future where he's in it, where he stays.