"Country roads..." Ardeth sang as he walked inside the garage, twirling the keys.

"There you go home, Keys." Ardeth said as he hanged the keys on the key holder.

As he turned around to walk out, he noticed the lights turned on in Daniel's room.

"Seems like Jamie forgot to turn off the lights." Ardeth mumbled as he walked inside the room.

"Dan?" Ardeth called as he found Daniel sitting in the corner of the room, with bottles of wine scattered around him.

"Dan? Are you alright?" Ardeth asked rushing towards Daniel, who no longer looked like the confident, and strong man he saw a few hours ago, he looked like a broken man, his messy hair indicated that he ran his hands through it several times, the broken pieces of wine glass was pierced into his palms, but he didn't seem to have noticed it.

"Ardeth..." Daniel slurred in his inebriated state.

"What happened Dan? Oh god, your palms are bleeding." Ardeth said as he checked his palms, that are dripping blood.

"They don't hurt me." Dan said as he took a swig of wine from the bottle, "Atleast not as hard as my heart." He said patting his chest.

"Dan, stop drinking, you are already wasted." Ardeth said trying to pull away the bottle.

"Noo..." Dan shook his head, "Let me drown in this intoxication, before my regrets and wrong doings drown me into the depression."

"At least let me clean your cuts." Ardeth requested looking at the stubborn man infront of him.

Getting no answer from him, he quickly grabbed the first aid kit and began to remove the glass pieces from his palms.

"Why are you drinking so much? Didn't you go home?" Ardeth asked.

"Home." Dan laughed humorlessly, "It is no longer a home, I destroyed my happy  home with my own hands. It's just a house now." He said and began to look into the vacuum without emotion.

"Okay, I will drop you at home now." Ardeth said after he finished the first aid.

"No, I don't want to go home, I can't see her cry, it hurts."

"See who?" Ardeth asked confused.

"Tressa..." Dan smiled, as serene smile, "The love of my life, my beloved wife..." He slurred.

"Why does she cry?"

"I hurt her." Dan hiccuped, "I hurt her, I hurt her and my baby." He cried.

"Okay Dan, you need to go home now." Ardeth said trying to make Dan stand.

"You know why I agreed to help you?" Dan asked as he slumped on the sofa.

"Why?" Ardeth sighed  giving up, as he wasn't able to lift Dan up.

"You reminded me of myself." Dan smiled closing his eyes, "You and Sherlyn, you both reminded me, of me and Tressa, we were high school sweet hearts, she supported me in my Soccer career just like how Sherlyn supports you, we were a happy family but I ruined everything."

Ardeth sat silent listening to Dan.

"She loved me to moon and back, she never asked anything in return, she was selfless, and understanding. We had a happy married life, we were over the cloud, when we got to know we were going to be parents. For the first time ever, Tressa asked me for one thing, to stay by her side as she had her due date near."

"I was so blinded by greed and game, that I left her side to participate in the tournament to win the game, even though I had a chance to stay back home on her side. She went into labour that night, and I wasn't on her side, things got complicated, and she gave birth to a stillborn baby. I won the tournament but I lost my baby boy." Dan cried.

Ardeth looked at Dan with moist eyes, the thought of losing a baby, gives people nightmares but here is the man, he had known for days now, who put on the facade of a strong man, while going to this own hell.

"Today is his birthday." Dan said looking at the ceiling as tears flowed down his eyes. "It's been three years, Tressa and I are no longer the same persons, we don't talk anymore like we used to, we are living like strangers in our own house, I couldn't look at her face, and bear the accusation in her eyes for failing her and my baby. It hurts me when I hear her cry in the baby room that we both designed for Blaze , but I can't do anything to help her. I can't even give her a divorce to set her free, cause we know we love each other so much that we can't live without each other."

"I am sorry, Blaze. I failed you as a father. I am sorry...." Dan cried till he passed out.

Ardeth knocked on the door with much difficulty as he balanced Daniel, who was leaning against him.

"Yes?" A woman answered the door, opening it slightly.

Tressa.

Ardeth guessed she is Tressa, based on her red eyes and puffed nose.

"Hi, I am Ardeth, I brought home Dan." Ardeth answered as he moved a bit to get Daniel into her line of vision.

"Dan." Tressa opened the door, and hurried to his side to balance him.

"He was drunk and passed out, I couldn't leave him in the garage since it's cold and the heater isn't working, so I brought him home." Ardeth explained as he layed Dan on the sofa, with the help of Tressa.

"Thank you very much, Ardeth." Tressa sniffed.

"Good night, Mrs.Scott. Let me know if you need any help." Ardeth said and walked away, hoping for Dan and his wife to find some peace.

Ardeth walked inside the bedroom and saw Sherlyn sleeping on the bed as her hands placed over her belly protectively.

He smiled looking at her sleeping form.

"I love you." Ardeth whispered at Sherlyn, "And I love you, Nugget." He said rubbing her baby bump and he felt a kick against his hand.

"Hey Nugget, you didn't sleep!" Ardeth asked looking at Sherlyn's baby bump. "Where you waiting for Papa to come home?" He asked and he felt another kick.

"I love you more with every passing day." Ardeth said as he laid down on the bed, facing the baby bump. "But let's not disturb Mama's sleep, she hardly takes rest these days, always worried about me." He smiled.

"You know Nugget, sometimes all these things feel like a dream, I never thought I would love someone so much, but yet I am here falling in love with your Mama everytime I look at her, and loving you even though I couldn't really see you." Ardeth whispered at the belly, "It was like yesterday, I saw your Mama standing at the door, looking at me scandalized. I know we had an awkward first meet but I still found your Mama, and that would be my special moment in my life."

"I am sorry for not being able to spend much time with you and your Mama these days, I miss you too but I need to figure out and make things stable before I could welcome you into this world and our lives. I want to be successful for you and your Mama, I want to give you both the best family. And a secret between us, I am planning to give you a grandma too, let's hope your Grandpa James gets successful in his work." He grinned.

"Ardeth?" Sherlyn called as she fluttered her eyes.

"Yes, Love." Ardeth said getting to her side.

"When did you come home? And what time is it?"

"It's six in the morning, and I came back home last night, by then you were asleep so I didn't wake you up." He said kissing her forehead wrapping his arms around her.

"I think I should wake up, I have to finish the assignment." Sherlyn said as she snuggled in his arms sleepily.

"Don't worry about the assignment, Love. I have completed both the assignments." Ardeth said hugging her tight.

"What?!" Sherlyn asked opening her eyes wide in shock. "Did I have a dream? I heard that you did my assignment?"

Ardeth chuckled.

"You didn't dream, I completed yours and mine assignment last night when I came back home." Ardeth smiled.

"I can't believe it!" Sherlyn said, still in shock.

"Even I couldn't believe I completed two assignments." Ardeth shook his head, "Now, leave that and sleep, you need more rest." He said pulling the blanket over their head.

"Nick's gonna faint." Sherlyn said closing her eyes, hugging Ardeth.

"Please don't tell him." Ardeth requested.

"You are so cute and I love you." Sherlyn said pulling Ardeth's cheeks, making him smile.