Lost & Found

The tale of a confused girl

Emma followed Aiden up two stories and watched as he unlocked the door to apartment 3B.

When he opened the door and flipped on the light, Emma couldn't help but be completely caught off guard at the sight of his apartment. It was not what she was expecting at all. She knew he had a daughter, but in her head she pictured him living in some sort of bachelor pad. Instead, there were finger paintings and drawings lining the walls, dolls and a play kitchen set taking up a good chunk of the living room, and pictures of a curly haired chubby cheeked little girl all over the place.

"Is that... is that Haven?" Emma asked, pointing at a large portrait of the adorable girl.

"That's my Haven," he said with a proud smile on his face as he took off his jacket and hung it on a hook by the door.

"Oh my god, Aiden. She is... she's perfect," Emma said, looking back at him as she shrugged off her coat and he took it from her, hanging it next to his.

"Thank you. She's got me wrapped completely around her finger," he said, smirking bashfully.

Emma's heart flourished for him. The thought of their amazing father/daughter relationship did all sorts of things to her – something she never got to see with her husband and their daughter because he left them so suddenly.

Aiden cleared his throat and Emma realized that the admiring stare down she was giving him made him uncomfortable.

"So, coffee..." He said awkwardly.

"Right," she said and watched him walk toward the kitchen.

She didn't follow, wanting to look at the rest of the pictures that were displayed around his living room. She was struck immobile when she came across a picture of Aiden and what must have been his wife, Scarlett.

She was so beautiful. She had long brown hair, just like Emma and similar hazel eyes, ones that she could see in resemblance when looking at the photos of Haven. Emma felt a lump form in her throat as she gazed at the picture – at the tragedy of it all. Aiden and Haven were alone – having a part of them ripped away so unfairly.

She wanted to cry. She wanted to burst into tears as her whole heart filled with empathy, but she choked them back, knowing it would be the last thing Aiden wanted to deal with. He didn't need her reminding him of what he lost.

Emma took a step back away from the shelf just as Aiden walked out from the kitchen. His eyes stared questioningly into hers.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

"I-I'm fine," she squeaked out and watched as his eyes found the picture she was just looking at. He took a deep steady breath and let it out, shaking his head slightly. Emma bit her lip because she didn't know what to say.

"I don't want to talk about it," he said quietly.

"I know," she murmured.

"I just... it's... you know..." He stammered, looking down at the ground.

"Aiden, I know," she said, taking a step toward him.

His eyes came up to search hers and she felt it – she felt that spark they always had. The spark that apparently never left. Desire flooded her body for him and she knew in the moment how wildly inappropriate it was, but with the lowered inhibitions, she didn't seem to care. Aiden's words looped in her mind.

It's okay to not be perfect all the time.

Emma placed her hand on Aiden's chest, right over his rapidly beating heart. And even though she was the one making the move, her breathing still hitched in her throat.