A New Story

*11*

Daniel had just hung up the phone and was writing down information he had gathered from the conversation when his phone beeped, alerting him to an incoming text.

He immediately smiled when he saw the sender.

M: What should I wear?

D: Casual and comfortable.

M: Pajamas, then? she responded.

He laughed aloud.

D: Okay, maybe not -that- casual or comfortable.

M: Oh, alright. :) See you soon.

Daniel looked at the time and headed upstairs to begin his own preparations for their date.

**—**—**

An hour later, he and Ella were walking up the front steps to Maria and Anna's. He knocked on the door and after just a few moments, it opened.

"Hello! Come on in!" Katie said as she smiled at the two guests, and turned toward the teenage girl. "Ella, why don't we head upstairs to find Anna? I think she's working on her video game design." She then turned toward Daniel. "Maria will be down in just a moment. Feel free to wait in the living room."

"See you later, Dad. Have a great time." Ella grinned and gave her dad a quick hug and kiss on the cheek before running upstairs to find her best friend.

Daniel found his own way to the living room comfortably. He had been at this house many times. He was standing at the fireplace looking at the photos on the mantle when he heard a voice behind him that startled him.

"Looks like she's found her balance," the male voice said.

Daniel whirled around and his eyes narrowed as he observed the man in front of him. The man was attractive enough to make Daniel feel his fist and jaw clench instinctively, as if he was about to have something to fight for.

John wasn't ignorant and saw the physical response Daniel had toward him. He decided to continue and try and ease into this. "You are obviously Daniel Statten. I'm John Drake, Maria's publicist and friend." John approached with his hand out in friendly gesture.

Daniel cautiously reached out and took it to shake the other man's hand. "Publicist and friend, hmm?"

John nodded. "I swear upon my mother's grave, Daniel. The woman you love is like a sister to me. It makes me nauseous to even think of thinking of her like that."

"Maria had something similar to say," Daniel said, still eyeing the man a bit speculatively, then he realized what he had said. "What makes you think I love her?"

John's eyebrow raised as if the man had just said the sky was green. "Really? How about your response to another man being in her house? Or the look in your eyes when you were looking at those pictures of you and her together. Or perhaps it was your willingness to sacrifice your own feelings for hers if that was what she had chosen when you came back."

"She tells you everything, doesn't she?" Daniel questioned the man.

"Pretty close. Like I said, she's like a sister."

Daniel decided to let it go for now. The man obviously didn't intend to be a threat to his relationship with Maria. In fact, it seemed he had actually been a part of helping Maria come to the decision to move forward with him.

"What was it you said when you first came in? I was looking at the pictures," Daniel said as he pointed up to the pictures on the mantle.

"I said it looks like she's found her balance. Accepting and acknowledging her past." He pointed toward the photo Daniel had held earlier in the day of Maria, Jason, and John. "And looking forward to her future." He finished and adjusted the picture frame he referred to, one that held a picture of Daniel, Ella, Anna, and Maria.