SOMETHING (BEAUTIFUL) UNFINISHED

Chapter 10: Homecoming

When Annika got to the café Shivaay was already there, sitting at the back booth in the corner, with two coffees and what looked like two pieces of marble tea cake in front of him. "Hey, Shivaay." She said.

Shivaay looked at her as she sat down, shucking off her jacket and sliding in. He looked tired, like he hadn't slept much, which was understandable because she hadn't slept much either.

She smiled and gestured to the tea cakes, "thank you."

"Marble was always your favourite," he shrugged. He wiped his mouth and took a sip of his coffee, "I thought you were heading home yesterday? I was gonna call you today."

"I was supposed to be leaving, but I couldn't. Not yet."

Shivaay nodded, "and Harry?"

"He went home."

Shivaay sighed he wasn't angry with her rather confused, "Annika, you have to give me a little more here. I'm tired and I don't understand."

She took a deep breath, "Harry went home to get Jhanvi." Shivaay's brow furrowed, "She's never flown before and I didn't feel comfortable having her fly alone."

Shivaay cleared his throat, "you're bringing her here?"

Annika could see the emotions working over Shivaay, nerves, confusion but she saw the glimmer in his eye at the thought of meeting her. She nodded, "she deserves to meet her family, she deserves to meet you. Harry is bringing her here, they'll be here later today. We're all staying until Friday and then we're going home."

It wasn't a perfect solution, bringing her here for less than 5 days, but it's the best they could come up with. Annika had already missed enough work and Harry was needed back at the hospital. Harry and Annika had talked for hours before he left, agreeing that Harry would bring her back here and they would leave. Together. They had a lot of shit to work through, and Annika wasn't sure Harry would ever forgive her, but their life together, Jhanvi, it was enough to make Harry want to try.

Shivaay must have figured that Harry was willing to work it out, from the tail end of their conversation that he heard, he guessed Harry knew about what happened two nights ago. "He loves you." It wasn't a question, more of an observation.

Annika nodded, "he does, I'm not sure he'll be able to get past what I did though." She frowned, "did you watch them?" her eyes meeting Shivaay's.

"I did," he gave a low chuckle, "a couple times actually. She's, god, she's something, Annika."

"Shivaay, there's one other thing. When she gets here..." Annika stopped, how do you ask the father of your child not to tell him he's her father? As if this situation wasn't shitty enough. She felt the tears well up on her eyes.

Shivaay reached his hand out and placed it over hers, "Whatever it is, just say it. Hell, it can't be worse then you have a daughter you know nothing about" he smiled. He was trying to make her feel better, she knew, but all that did was make it worse.

"Shivaay, I'm so sorry. I didn't think there was another way and."

"Annika, we do have a lot to talk about but right now, just finish what you wanted to ask me."

She sniffled, "I know this is a lot to ask, I do, but when she gets here. I want to be able to tell her about everything when she's old enough to understand. Coming here, meeting everyone, meeting you, it'll be a lot on her. So, for now, can we not tell her who you are? Can you just be Shivaay?"

Shivaay nodded, "I figured that would be the deal for right now anyways. But Annika, we do need to talk about what we do now. I don't want to hurt her or hurt you, but I know she exists now. I can't be a man who knowingly abandons his kid."