Alex continued to keep him at arm’s length and it was driving Gabe a bit crazy. There were moments where they were on the verge of reconnecting and then she would back off and run away. He hoped that their time in Scotland would help bring them all closer together.

The more time he spent with Emma, the more he had heart pangs at the thought of not being with her every day. Picking her up from school was probably one of the best parts of his day. When she ran to him and jumped into his arms, he felt like he could do anything. He was her superhero, as evidenced by her making him recite lines from one of his most popular franchises that had come out a little while ago.

Whether it was playing hide and seek, reading a bedtime story, or giving her piggyback rides, a hole in his heart he hadn’t even known he’d had was filled and overflowing. The strained tiredness that had overtaken him lately was pushed away the minute he saw those two.

They left for Scotland in the morning and Gabe couldn’t wait for Emma to see what he did up close. He knew that she would have a ball on-set. Alex was a puzzle he was still trying to figure out and he’d planned a few surprises for their time there that he hoped would show her how much he still cared about her. He hoped that she still cared about him too.

The fleeting glances and gentle touches Gabe had managed to steal around her were driving him crazy. He knew how good they could be together and he wanted to recapture that. They’d put Emma to bed early, so she wouldn’t be too cranky for the flight in the morning. Now it was his turn to get ready for the trip. Packing the last of his things, he looked up and Alex was standing in the doorway.

“Why are you hanging out over there?” He waved her in. She hesitated before coming in and sitting down on the foot of the bed. He put the last of the cables and other electronics in his bag.

“Is everything arranged for Scotland? Did you need any other information from me before we go?” she said, shooting him a sideways smile. Gabe had grilled her about anything and everything they might need while in Scotland. He’d asked about foods they liked, detergent—you name it—he’d asked about it to make sure the house was stocked with familiar things to make their time there more enjoyable. Although the original plan was for Alex and Emma to be in Scotland for two weeks, he hoped he’d be able to convince her to stay through the summer, especially if her job was okay with her doing her work remotely.

“I’ve been thinking,” she said, biting her bottom lip. He zeroed in on her lip and had to hold back a groan. They were so incredibly kissable. He wanted nothing more than to run his thumb over it before kissing her. Perhaps noticing his staring, she cleared her throat and pressed on, “Why don’t we treat this trip like a reset?” She was looking down at her hands now with her leg bouncing up and down.

“A reset?”

“Yeah,” she said, her leg still bouncing. “Let’s go to Scotland with a clean slate. Just try to put what’s happened behind us and move forward on this trip like a family,” she said, looking up at him with uncertainty in her eyes. Gabe’s heart leapt. This was exactly what he wanted, what he’d been hoping for, and Alex had just walked in and set it on his lap. He found himself nodding vigorously.

“I’d like that very much. I think that’s a great idea,” he said, standing up and walking across the floor. He kneeled in front of her and she sucked in a sharp breath. “I know that I have a lot to make up for and a lot of lost time, but I want to do that with Emma and with you. I think a reset sounds like a wonderful idea and I promise I’ll do everything I can to make this the best trip for the both of you.” He took her hands in his and brought them to his lips, kissing them and breathing in her scent.

* * *

Alex stared down at him as he was kneeling in front of her and knew that this was the right decision. Her heart sped up at having him this close and his hands were so soft, yet strong on hers. He wanted this to work just as much as she did. She was trying to work with him for the good of Emma and their time in Scotland. She had never been able to let that rage and fire from his cheating completely devour her heart because she knew if she did, she wouldn’t have been able to look at her little girl every day and feel utter joy.

She pushed down that little nagging voice that was screaming out that she was turning into her mother down as far as it would go. She wanted to drown that voice out. She wasn’t her mother, she wouldn’t be her mother; she could handle him and would walk away if she was at risk of losing herself. That small voice in the back of her mind told her that the reset also ensured that she could pretend he hadn’t slept with Lesley only a few short hours after she’d left. Pushing it aside, she gazed into his eyes and hoped that it could be a new beginning for them all.

She knew that there was a risk and her heart was on the line doing this, but in the time she’d spent with him, he seemed different. She was also afraid to have the conversation about what he did. So, putting it off and pushing it deep down seemed like a good idea in that moment. They could move forward and start over and they both could be there for Emma.

That evening was a whirlwind of packing and last minute arrangements. A neighbor would collect her mail and papers and they would take care of paying the neighborhood boy that mowed the lawn. Alex was in her office packing her computer, cables, and other work accessories into her work bag. She pulled open the bottom drawer, the big envelope with the custody papers in it staring her in the face. Hesitating for a second, her fingers grazed the envelope before she shut the drawer. Almost to the door, she paused for a second before she went back to the drawer and pulled them out.

She ran up to her room and sat on her bed with all her things. She had her large suitcase on the bed and was packing items away, the big custody envelope looking at her. Taking the papers out, she flipped through them. When she’d had them drawn up, it was from a place of fear and anger. Now, looking them over, especially after the week they had, she could never try to push those on Gabe or do that to Emma.

“Alex,” Gabe said, knocking on her door. She quickly pushed the papers back into the envelope and threw them into her suitcase, closing it.

“Yeah, Gabe. What did you need?” She tucked a stray hair behind her ear. He paused for a second and looked to her suitcase. She slid in front of it and sat on the bed to block the suitcase from view.

“I wanted to see if you needed any help with your bags. I was planning on putting everything in the car tonight, so that we could hit the road bright and early. I still need to return the rental car to the car rental lot before we go.”

“Sure, that would be great! Let me hurry up and get this packed and I can bring it downstairs.”

“You don’t have to bring it down. I can do it,” she said, before turning to begin putting her clothes and toiletries in the case. He continued to stand by the door, so she couldn’t pull the envelope out; instead she put everything on top of the documents, hiding them underneath.

It only took her a few minutes to get everything packed, as it was all out and ready to go. Chatting with him about some of the things that had been planned already, she was excited for their trip and hoped that it would be a great new beginning for them. Putting the papers out of her mind, she zipped up the bag and handed it over to him. He took it from her and headed downstairs. The front door opened and shut and she fell back onto her bed. Hands folded on her stomach, she thought about what this trip could mean for them and hoped that when they came back it would be a new chapter for all of them.