Running Away

Chapter 17

3 Months Later

"And what is this supposed to be?" Elias asked, holding up the pamphlet Sera handed him. "Daycare?"

"Yup, daycare."

"Nah, come on Sera? No." He tossed the pamphlet and got up to go back into the kitchen where Sera was cooking the two of them dinner. "She doesn't need daycare."

Sera grabbed the salt from the seasoning rack. "Eli, I love your mom, she's very sweet and has helped me SO much....But, I don't want to live with her forever, I want my own space. I'm going to have to do something more high paying to get my own place. Plus, it's getting more and more challenging working from home with Emi playing. She's walking, she's talking now, it's hard. So...daycare."

"Why can't you stay here? You already spend most of your time here with me anyways."

"No." She firmly responded. They agreed that Elias would get Emilia over the weekends when he was not working, but as of late Sera would end up spending weeknights at his penthouse because he would miss Emilia so much during the week. Elias got his contract switched to a desk job at HQ, so he was no longer going on lengthy undercover assignments. It was safe, very high paying and guaranteed that he could be home nightly.

They were amicably co-parenting and it was working out great for everyone involved.

"Want some?" He asked as he pulled out a bottle of red wine from the fridge. "And what do you mean no? Don't be hard headed."

"Just a little bit–And I'm not being hard headed, I'm being realistic. How do you think your little girlfriend is going to feel about me moving in with you?"

He poured out two glasses of wine, and shrugged his shoulders. "She doesn't have a say in that. If it's pertaining to my child and my child's mother, I'm going to do what's best."

"You're going to make wifey upset." She teased. "'Miss. Leah Cerrano' is not going to be happy if she hears you talking like that.

"We aren't even dating, stop all that. Leah knows where my focus is right now." He sipped some of his wine. "When is food going to be ready?"

Sera put a hand on her hip. "Do you want to cook instead? If no, no then don't rush me."

He let out a laugh, "Yes ma'am."

Emilia was wearing onesie pajamas as she played in the living room, she ran into the kitchen and stretched her arms up. "Daddy! Up!"

"Yes ma'am." Elias carried Emilia off the ground and then threw her straight up, catching her again causing her to laugh out loud. Sera had to look the other way whenever he threw her that high up. He did it a few more times before standing her on the table. "You want mommy to hurry up with dinner don't you? You hungry?"

Emilia nodded her head. "I have yogi?"

"Sure–"

"NO. No yogurt, Emi. You're about to eat." Emilia pouted at Sera, Elias joined his daughter and began to act famished.

"Why are you two behaving like you haven't ate today? I'm almost done! Baby, go play for a bit while I finish up. But you too Elias, y'all both need to get out the kitchen."

"We'll be back. Right, Emi?"

She nodded her head, Sera shook hers, she then thought to herself "It be your own kid."

Within the hour the three sat around the glass dining table in Elias's penthouse, sharing a meal of fried rice with honey soy chicken and cucumbers.

"I thought you were hungry?" Sera fustratedly asked Emilia who was now refusing to eat. "Emi, stop."