Where We Belong

The First Cut Is The Deepest

I would have given you all of my heart

But there's someone who's torn it apart

And he's taken just all that I had

But if you want to try to love again

Baby, I'll try to love again but I know

The first cut is the deepest

By: Sheryl Crow

A five-minute walk led Killian and Anna Elizabeth to the park. As soon as Killian let down Anna Elizabeth from the piggyback ride she had wanted, she was off and running toward the playground. Killian sat down on one of the wooden park benches so he could keep an eye on her.

As he watched his niece climb on the monkey bars, his eyes drifted to a motorcycle parked outside the only coffee shop in town; the Harley-Davidson immediately triggered memories of brown, curly hair and blue eyes.

It hadn't taken very long for Killian's heart to be stolen by Milah – she was a spontaneous free spirit with a sense of adventure whom he was drawn to instantly. He could still see her with her arms around his waist, as she tightly held on as they made their way down Route 66 with the wind on both of their faces.

Unlike his brother and sister, Killian never had a set goal after graduating high school. Liam had always wanted him to go to college, but Killian always felt like he was more of a free spirit. He had always wanted to travel as made proof by his vintage motorcycle. He had worked through high school and saved his money to buy it. And during the summer following graduation, he met someone with the same dream as he: Milah.

Milah had a couple years of college under her belt, but she didn't know where to go from there. They met via Killian's summer job as a busboy in a dockside restaurant on Staten Island, and they hit it off instantly. She was funny, smart, and beautiful; she was also an amazingly talented artist. They soon fell in love and went on the road traveling together wherever the wind took them. They rotated home sometimes to see Killian's family and friends, but they didn't plan on settling down anytime soon. The open highway is where they both saw their future.

Everything started changing, however, when Liam and his girlfriend of three years got married. Liam and Elsa settled down in her hometown of Storybrooke – a small, close-knit town in Maine where everyone was like family.

A little over a year after they were married, Liam asked if Killian would come home for a visit, but this one wasn't just an ordinary visit. Liam and Elsa had some big news – they were expecting a baby. Liam knew he would need some extra help at work during Elsa's pregnancy and even more so once the baby was born, and Liam couldn't think of anyone he'd rather have working beside him than his brother. However, this would require a sacrifice on Killian's part. He would have to move to Storybrooke – leaving his rambling days behind him.

Killian couldn't think of a time when he had been more conflicted. On the one hand, he loved traveling and wasn't sure if he wanted to give it up, but on the other hand, it's not like the thought of settling down hadn't crossed his mind the past year or so – maybe he and Milah could have what Liam and Elsa did. So Killian went to the one place that always seemed to put things in perspective – the docks.

As the sun began to set over the water, Milah came and found him. He told her about Liam's proposal – and that he was thinking about it. But Killian couldn't make this big of a decision without talking to her first – he was in love with her, and she was an important part of his life.