After Calum left, Eli and Cade continued to play with their legos until Eli told me he was hungry so I went to the kitchen where there was an envelope on the counter that had 'pizza money' written on it.

There was also a sticky note on top that read 'Eli likes pepperoni and Cade likes cheese'.

I found the number for the pizza place and called our order in and then went back to Cade and Eli.

"Do you guys want to watch a movie while we eat dinner?" I asked them.

"Yeah!" Eli jumped up and ran over to a bookcase on the wall that had all sorts of movies and looked at them before coming back to me with The Jungle Book.

"Can we watch this one?! It's my favourite!"

"Sure." I smiled at him.

Twenty minutes later the pizza arrived and I made everyone a plate before we took seats around the sofa in the kitchen.

I cut Cade's pizza into small pieces so he wouldn't choke and he sat next to me while Eli sat on the floor in front of us.

"Daddy says he's tired of this movie so we never watch it anymore." Eli said and I laughed.

"Well I haven't seen it in a long time so we can watch it all you want." I smiled at him.

"You're the best babysitter ever!" He exclaimed and then shoved pizza in his mouth.

I wiped off pizza grease from Cade's hands and face once he was finished and then took our plates to the kitchen, cleaning up and putting the left over pizza in the fridge.

"Nessa, come back it's my favorite song!" Eli
called out to me and I jogged back in the room to see him standing up, bouncing along to the music.

"You have to dance with me!" He said and I laughed.

"Okay. Do you want Cade to dance as well?"

"Yeah!" He jumped up and I lifted Cade up into my arms, the little boy smiling as I swayed him on my hip.

Eli had dance moves to the song that he had me copy and I moved Cade's arms around making him laugh as I tried to sing along and remember the words.

Eli was apparently having a blast because once the song was done he turned around and pulled on my free arm.

"Can you come watch Jungle Book everyday with me?!"

"You'll have to ask your Dad." I laughed.

After that I let them finish watching the movie before it was bath time.

Eli led me to the bathroom where I started the water and then helped both kids into the bath.

Eli helped me with Cade who liked to splash around in the soapy water and I laughed with the two kids, getting them clean before getting them out of the water.

Eli took his towel and wrapped it around his shoulders while I wrapped up Cade and lifted him up while I carried him into the kids room.

Eli put on his pajamas while I laid Cade down on the changing table and I began to dry him off.

He reached up to play with my hair while I dried off his skin and then stood him up so I could get him in a pull up. Eli handed me Cade's night clothes and I got the little boy in them before I took both kids back to the bathroom where I got their hair and teeth brushed.

I took them back to the bedroom where Eli got into his bed and I went to set Cade in his crib but Eli stopped me.

"You have to rock him in the chair or he won't sleep."

"Oh, thank you for telling me."

I went over to the wooden rocking chair and sat down, rocking Cade back and forth for about ten minutes until he drifted off and then took him back to the crib where I laid him down, detangling his fingers from my hair before pulling the blanket over him.

I then went over to Eli, double checking that he was all good.

"Are you going to be here in the morning too?"

"No, i'll be back at my house in the morning."

"But I want you to watch the movie with me again."

"Well you'll have to tell that to your Dad and we'll see if we can work something out, okay?"

He nodded with a smile and I patted his arm before I stood up and turned out the light, leaving their room.

Back in the living room I put the movie away and then cleaned up the toys.

I was a very organized person so I decided to help out by cleaning his house a bit.

Once all the toys in the living room were picked up I went to the kitchen where I cleaned up there and as I put some now clean cups in a cabinet I noticed a picture on the counter of Calum and a woman.

She was beautiful.

Her hair was long and dark and she had blue eyes to kill for.

He had his arm around her shoulders and the both smiled at the camera.

That must've been his wife.

I couldn't even imagine how much it hurt to lose a spouse.

Looking away I walked back to the living room and pulled the blanket off the top of the sofa to cover myself as I put it on a random channel to pass the time.

Calum's PoV:

As I left the house I was met by Luke who lived next door to me, and we walked down to my tan Ford Explorer that was parked in front of my house.

"Nessa there?" He asked me as we closed the door.

"Yeah." I nodded as I started the car.

"How did the kids do with the change?"

"They seemed to like her, but I'll find out tomorrow."

I drove us to the police station where we went inside to talk to our captain, Dave Sutherland.

Dave was a husky guy with a shiny bald head and small eyes but was the nicest man in the world.

"Hood, Hemmings, how's it going?" He bellowed out in a deep voice as we walked in.

"Good. Just checking in."

"Well get to work!" He said and Luke and I laughed before heading out to our squad car; we were on patrol tonight.

"What do you want for dinner?" I asked Luke.

"I don't care." He shrugged so I drove to the nearest fast food place where we rolled through the drive through.

Once we each had a hamburger, fries, and a drink we made our way around town, driving the streets to look for traffic violators and suspicious activities.

"So, Nessa, are you interested in her?" Luke asked me after he shoved a handful of fries in his mouth.

"I don't know." I shrugged. "She's a nice girl but I haven't known her that long."

"Calum, you can't keep holding out forever. It's been two years since Meredith passed, don't you think it's time to start looking for a mom for your kids."

"I just- I feel guilty even thinking about it. Yes, I admit, when I saw Nessa I thought about asking her out but then I felt awful for even considering dating someone."

"Meredith would want her boys to have a mom, and for you to have someone to love again."

"I don't know if I can."

"But you and Meredith weren't on the best of terms when she passed."

"But she was still my wife." I sighed. "I know that the kids need a mom, and I want to find romance again because even when I was with Meredith, the last couple of years we were falling apart, but I just don't even know where to start."

"Well why don't you start by asking Nessa out to dinner."

"You heard what she said, she wanted to settle in and get a life here before she started dating."

"Are you sure she meant that? Or did she say it just to get Ashton off her case?"

I shrugged and took a bite of my burger.

"Look, you're obviously attracted to her, she's nice, cute, funny blah blah blah, and she likes kids and you, so why not go for it? See if it leads to anything. And if not then keep looking."

"She likes me?" I laughed.

"Yeah. Haven't you noticed her looking at you and blushing at everything you say? That's what girls do when they like you."

"Ashton would be so mad at me and I don't want to start any drama."

"He'll be happy for you if Nessa turns out to be someone you find love with." Luke responded. "Look, just answer me these questions. Do you think she is nice?"

"Yeah, she's sweet."

"Okay do you think she's funny?"

"Yes." I chuckled and sipped my drink.

"Does she make you happy when you're around her."

"I guess, yeah."

"Are you sexually attracted to her?"

"Ye- wait what?!"

Luke bursted into laughter.

"See! You said yes!"

I groaned in annoyance as he laughed.

"That doesn't leave this car." I said sternly.

"Fine. But you like her man, just ask her out to dinner, it doesn't have to be anything big, and just see what happens."

"I'll think about it."

"What is there to think about?! Just do it!"

"Let me see how tonight goes with the kids first."

"Why don't you call her and ask how it's going?"

"I don't want her to think I don't trust her. We can just drive by."

I then turned around and made my way towards my neighbourhood and drove up to my house where the curtains in the living room were open.

The light was on and I could see Nessa, Eli, and Cade in the room, Eli dancing while Nessa danced along with Cade in her arms.

All of them were smiling and I couldn't fight one off. It was really cute.

"See. Now you have literally no reason not to ask her." Luke said but I just shook my head and drove away.

Getting back into the dating game had been something I had been considering for a while now.

I knew I didn't want my boys to grow up without a mother, and my relationship hadn't been great with Meredith before she died, and I wanted to find love for myself again.

But it was hard.

My self confidence had been shot to hell, I barely had time for a girlfriend, and my life revolved around my kids.

So to think someone like Nessa might actually be in to me was hard to believe.

As Luke and I patrolled the streets in our car we didn't see too much activity which was a good thing.

We pulled over a woman who didn't have her lights on but that was pretty much it, and I drove us back to the station so we could check out and switch cars.

When I got us back to my house Luke and I went to our seperate houses and I walked up the steps to the front porch, taking my key and unlocking the front door.

My eyes furrowed when I didn't see Nessa but I took a few steps into the living room and then saw her laying on the couch with a blanket over her, fast asleep.

I let out a quiet laugh and then went back to the kids room to see them both in bed and asleep.

I then headed to my room to take off my belt and put my gun, radio and taser in the safe I kept in the closet.

After those were locked up I went back to the living room to wake Nessa up.

"Nessa. Hey." I shook her shoulder but she just nuzzled her head into the blanket more and let out a sleepy noise.

I shook my head and then found my phone, bringing up my messages with Luke.

'Hey can you come watch the kids? I'm going to drive Nessa home.'

'Be there in a few.' He texted back and I waited until he came inside. I took her bike and put it in the trunk of my car before going back to see her still asleep, Luke laughing at her state of slumber.

"Okay, um..." I said to myself before carefully and awkwardly sliding an arm underneath her back and one under her knees so I could lift her up, blanket and all.

Luke smirked at me and I rolled my eyes at him before making sure I had her things and then carrying her out to my car.

I set her in the passenger seat and buckled her in, her face pressed against the fabric of the head rest.

I then walked to the drivers side so I could drive her home.

When I got to her street I found her house (it was the only one without a car in the drive) and then stopped, getting her bike from the trunk of my car and taking it up to her front porch before going back for her.

As I took her out of the car she moved her arms to wind them around my neck and my breath caught in my throat as her face became much closer to mine.

Once on the porch I moved my hand to her front pocket where I could see the outline of her keys and carefully pulled them out so I could unlock her front door.

Inside I turned on the light so I could see and at that she turned in my arms and I thought I was going to drop her but she just twisted on her side and hid her face from the light.

I laughed and then walked her back to the bedrooms and found the one that looked the most used.

She didn't seem to have a lot of things.

I flipped back the blanket and then laid her down on her bed, setting her keys on the night stand along with the sixty dollars I was going to pay her for watching the kids.

She turned over in the blankets, her eyes still closed and I looked at her face for a long moment before leaving her room.

Her house was very empty and I wondered if she wanted it that way.

I noticed a laptop on her coffee table and a back pack on the kitchen table but those were the only personal items I could find besides a pair of shoes by the door. I turned out the light and then locked her door as I left, going back to my car.

When I got back to my house I thanked Luke and then locked my door after he left, turning around and noticing Nessa must have cleaned. All of the toys were put away and everything looked more straight and less cluttered.

She was good for more than just babysitting.

I went to my bedroom to change out of my uniform and then checked on the kids one last time before going to bed.

Waking up to the sound of Cade crying at 7:00 am wasn't unusual but not wanted after my late shift, but I got out of bed and walked down the hall to the boys room.

Eli wasn't in bed so he was probably watching television, and I picked up my crying two year old, rocking him back and forth as I shushed him.

I took him to the changing table to stop him from crying by changing his pull-up and then set him on the ground so he could run into the living room to find his brother.

"Daddy!" Eli jumped up from the sofa and ran to me when he saw me.

"Hey, how was last night with Nessa?" I asked as I hugged him.

"Fun! We watched the Jungle Book and she danced with me! Can she come back today?" His smile was wide and I laughed at his excitement.

"Well I'm sure Nessa has to work, but maybe she can come babysit you guys soon, okay?"

"But I want her to come back today." He whined.

"Eli, I'll see if there's another night next week where she can watch you."

He kept whining but I shook my head as I went to the kitchen to get him and Cade something to eat, Cade following me.

I was pouring Eli some cereal when my phone went off in the bedroom so I picked Cade up and carried him with me as I went to see who was texting me.

Picking it up I saw I had a message from Nessa.

'I don't remember riding my bike home last night?'

'You didn't. I drove you.'

'You could've woken me up!'

'I tried, you were dead to the world.'

'I'm so sorry.'

'It's fine haha The kids had a great time, thanks a lot!'

'Sure! Anytime!'

'Are you going into work today?'

'Yeah.'

'Okay.'

I set my phone down and took a deep breath.

Maybe I would finally be able to get the courage to ask her out.

--

Hmm will he ask her out or chicken out?

Do you think it will still be too soon for Calum to start dating again?

What will Ashton think?

More to come!

much love xx-m