Only six days after the lunch with his parents, Jake had noticed those all too familiar feelings creeping up within him again. He didn't want to recognise them but they were almost impossible to ignore.
Because of the break up and Heather's lack of interest in him as more than Juliet's dad, he didn't act on it. And he didn't want to.
Jake didn't want to risk ruining what he had with Lucia for a 'what if' moment. He already felt alone when he and Heather parted ways and he didn't want to feel that way again.
"Can we get ice cream?" Juliet asked, smiling up at her father brightly, brown eyes wide with the look of innocence Jake knew wasn't real.
Looking to his watch and then back at his daughter, Jake chuckled and nodded. He had work to do that afternoon but couldn't say no to his daughter when she was looking at him like that. He'd wait until she was asleep or distracted.
"Go get your shoes on," Jake said, kissing her hair as he stood to start cleaning up, "and get a sweater, little bug, it's still cold,"
She didn't reply and Jake rolled his eyes at the fact that she would definitely come out without what he had asked her to get. She was like Heather in so many ways; this one annoyed him.
***
While Juliet sat across from him at the table, happily eating her ice cream, Jake wondered what he was going to do about the position he was in.
He already felt for Heather, hating that she was alone and seemingly didn't want to date anyone. But then again, he didn't want to stay close to her anymore. He was terrified he'd mess up.
Jake didn't believe in cheating. He hated it, actually. But the pull Heather had on him, without her even knowing was too strong for him to ignore.
So, he wanted to pull away. Jake needed to focus on his up coming wedding, on his fiancée, his work and most importantly, his daughter.
He knew to make this easier, he'd have to stop prioritising Heather. That wasn't going to be easy at all.
Juliet had been asking about the wedding all day. If he was happy with how it was going, if her mother would be there- she wouldn't be-, if Lucia was going to be nicer to her afterwards. Jake didn't even know what to say.
"Are you going to have a baby with her?" Juliet asked suddenly. The question shocking Jake out of his thoughts and making him widen his eyes.
He and Lucia had never spoken about having a baby together. He didn't want one and he was sure from the way she looked at babies, she didn't want one either. So it was a non- issue.
"I don't think so, little bug," Jake smiled, grabbing a napkin and reaching over to wipe her face free of the mint chocolate chip ice cream covering her mouth and cheeks.
Juliet made a face while Jake cleaned her up. The face only made him laugh, the way she scrunched up her nose exactly like her mother.
"Why not?" She asked, tilting her head, her chin resting in the palm of her hand as she gazed across the table at her father.
Jake chuckled. She was inquisitive and very like him in the fact that she never stopped asking questions until she was satisfied with her answer.
"Why would I mess with anything when your mom gave me the most perfect little girl," Jake asked, turning in his seat when Juliet slipped out of her seat and moved over to him.
A smile covered her face at that mention. She settled herself on his lap, leaning her head against his chest, "Do you still love mom?"
Yes. But Jake couldn't say that because Juliet was like a sponge and would certainly tell her mother when she saw her next.
