**Chapter 10**

**Ethan's POV**

Within each day, I showed Julia how much she meant to me by putting effort into us. Our relationship was growing on trust, understanding, and a shared desire to be better for each other. I knew it wouldn't always be easy, but I was willing to try to love and grow.

I was supposed to pick Julia up for a lunch date since her car would be down for three days as the mechanic worked on it. And by some chance, there was a protest near my home.

It took me an extra hour to get to her work. As I waited for her outside, I saw a few missed calls from her, Emily, and Keilen. I never quite saw her and received no response from my calls. I spotted Emily walking to a bench. I realized I should ask her if she knew where Julia was. Once her eyes saw me, they hardened, and a frown formed.

"Hey 'Em, you saw-" I nervously started, my voice cracking, but she cut me off with a sharp glare.

"You sure have a lot of nerve talking to me," she snapped, her voice ice-cold.

"Listen, Em, sorry for not calling back sooner. Traffic was a nightmare because of the protest," I explained, my heart pounding as the anger on Emily's face grew.

Her eyes narrowed, and she crossed her arms tightly over her chest. "I'm not talking about that. I'm talking about Julia patiently waiting for you," she stated with a straight face, her tone dripping with disdain. My shoulders slumped, and my head leaned down as guilt consumed me.

"You could have called to let her know you were running late. And to top it off, you didn't bring anything for her to eat? What were you thinking?" Emily's voice was sharp as she looked at my empty hand, each word hitting me like a punch.

I felt so uncomfortable I put my hand in my pocket so it didn't just swing, "I know, I know. I messed up. I will get Julia something to eat," I apologized, my voice trembling as I felt the weight of my mistake.

"No need to. I got Keilen to bring us lunch," Emily snapped, her eyes blazing.

"Do you know where she is?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper, trying to right my wrong, my stomach churning.

"She's back to work. It was only an hour's lunch," she snorted with annoyance, rolling her eyes and turning away.

I felt a knot in my stomach as I made my way to my car. My hands were shaking as I dialed Keilen. I need to figure out what I could do to apologize, and he's better at this.

"Keilen, I don't know what to do about Julia," I started, my voice trembling. "There was a protest, and I got stuck. And I forgot to call."

"But she hasn't answered my calls," I added, frustrated since she usually texts me at work at least, and I still have nothing.

Keilen sighed his tone firm but understanding. "So what? Stop counting her wrong! Focus on correcting yours."

I started to argue but stopped. Keilen was right.

Keilen calmly stated, "Ethan, man, you need to be more considerate. Julia was waiting for you, hungry and worried. She and Emily both called me in a panic."

"I even called worried something happened to you. It's not like you to be off the grid," Keilen said.

"I know, Keilen, and sorry. Thanks for helping her out," I replied, feeling a mix of gratitude and guilt tightening in my chest.

That evening, I went to pick Julia up. She ignored me calling her name as she walked with Emily. I reached out and gently touched her shoulder, but she immediately tensed up and turned to face me, her eyes cold and distant.

That evening, I went to pick Julia up. She ignored me calling her name as she walked with Emily. I reached out and gently touched her shoulder, but she immediately tensed up and turned to face me, her eyes cold and distant.

"You didn't call. You didn't bring anything. Do you even care?" Her voice was low and measured, but the hurt in her eyes was unmistakable.

"Of course I care, Julia. I messed up, but I care about you. I'm sorry," I said earnestly, hoping to break through her anger.

She sighed deeply, still not meeting my eyes. "I need some time to think."

I watched her walk away, feeling the sting of her words. Emily's glare was directed at me, her eyes practically burning a hole through me, making me feel even worse.

For the rest of the evening, I couldn't focus. Julia's cold shoulder was a constant reminder of my mistake. That night, I decided to go to her place, hoping to make things right.

When she opened the door, her expression guarded, her lips pressed into a thin line. "Ethan, what are you doing here?"

"I came to apologize properly. I brought your favorite," I said, holding a takeout bag from Cheesecake Factory.

She sighed, stepping aside to let me in. We sat down, and I handed her the food.

"Julia, I'm sorry. I should have called, and I should have brought you something to eat. I just- I panicked and didn't think straight."

She looked at me, her eyes softer now, though still wary. "I was hurt, Ethan. I felt like you didn't care."

"I do care more than anything. I promise I'll do better with communication," I said, my voice sincere, my heart aching.

She nodded, a small smile forming. "Alright. Let's try to move past this. And I'm sorry for being petty and not replying or calling you."

However, as life often does, it threw a curveball when I thought everything was falling into place. Julia and I were in a good place six months strong. We were grocery shopping together for an ongoing bet about who was the better chef, leading us to decide on making lasagna.

"You know you're cocky for a person who eats canned soup regularly," I joked at her, sticking out my tongue to tease her.

She held her mouth open in shock. "I can't believe you, Doctor E. Insulting my healthy choice when you only eat cup noodles," she snorted, placing a hand dramatically on her chest. Her eyes twinkled with humor.

"As a dentist, I can tell you my option is far healthier. That's why I will win this bet," I professed confidently.

"You will learn how wrong you are soon," she said as I sidestepped the playful hit coming my way.

Just as we reached the pasta aisle, a blur of movement caught my eye. Before I could react, a tiny toddler with wavy platinum blonde curls tripped over my legs, tumbling to the ground. I looked down to see her wide, large eyes, a mesmerizing mixture of grey and blue, staring up at me in shock.

Her button nose wrinkled, and her pouty lips began to quiver. Freckles flushed her cheeks as she started to cry, her tiny body shaking with fear and pain.

There was something oddly familiar about her, like a face I had seen. She reminded me of someone—but who? As I knelt beside her, trying to soothe her, the sense of recognition nagged at me. She clutched her knee, looking around frantically for her parents, tears streaming down her face. Her wail pierced the air, and I felt a pang of guilt and concern.

"It's okay, sweetheart," I said gently. "We'll find your mommy and daddy."

"Yeah, we will work hard to find them, "Julia said with fake enthusiasm as worry etched her brows.