Chapter Four

Nathan and his partner Lane were at the police department and working on a different case together. Nathan was sitting at his desk, looking over the paperwork and police reports of a young woman named Jennifer Annie who filed a report against credit card fraud. Nathan sighed and he rubbed his eyes using the tip of his fingers and he leaned back in his chair, and at the same time, he grabbed the paperwork and flipped the pages of the papers in his hands.

"So, Ella made a gesture that you should come to her weekly dinner at her house with her new boyfriend?" Lane said, sitting at his desk across Nathan, looking over surveillance footage on his desktop computer, and then looking at Nathan.

"Well, it's actually a monthly occurrence for me to attend. But Ella said she doesn't mind." Nathan shot back.

"Hm. Isn't it a little odd that she invited you to their dinner? Or was it her boyfriend Victor who made that decision?" Lane said.

"Uh," says Nathan as he continues to flip the pages of his paperwork.

"I mean it was Victor's idea but Ella doesn't mind. So I was invited to their dinner tonight." Nathan added.

"Hmph. Well, let me know how it goes. I want to know if this Victor guy doesn't have a problem with you being back in Ella's life." Lane said.

"Lane, I haven't spoken to Ella in two years and our divorce was just finalized. And Ella agrees to us getting 50/50 custody of our son Milo. So I have Milo on Saturdays and Sundays and Ella has him from Monday to Friday. And I'm sure Victor doesn't have a problem with me being back in Ella's life." Nathan said.

Nathan cleared his throat. "Don't you think it's a little bit strange? I mean, I think he's doing this because he's trying to make you jealous." Lane added.

Nathan looked at Lane before he said another word. "Lane, I know Victor. He seems like a nice guy. I mean he's nice to me and to Milo and to Ella. I don't seem to have a problem with him." Nathan explained.

"You know you're good at hiding things like being jealous. I know whenever I talk about Victor sometimes it makes you think a little." Lane said.

"Think of what?" Nathan asked.

"You want to get back together with Ella," answered Lane.

Nathan sighed and slammed the papers onto his desk and he leaned forward to his desk and he folded his hands together.

"It's not that I want to get back together with Ella. I just want to have a relationship with my son before I die." Nathan explained.

"Yeah, right," Lane said, chuckling.

Nathan closed his eyes and said, "Okay. I do still love Ella. But not like that. I just want to reconnect with my son so I can have a chance to get to know him since the last time I saw Milo was when he was three years old. It was two years that I had to wait to see if Ella would ever want to talk to me again after I specifically blamed her for having a miscarriage. Now I don't know if she's forgiven me because of what I said. I was a real jerk to her that day." Nathan said.

"I can see that. I mean, Ella is probably letting you see your son Milo because she thinks you deserve a second chance. It's just you wanting to have a connection with Milo after two years, it's gonna be hard on her and Milo after they find out that you're sick," answered Lane.

Nathan sighed and he leaned back into his chair once again. Nathan thinks for a moment. He looked at Lane before he rubbed his eyes with his fingers once more and he kept his eyes closed and sighed. Lane looked at Nathan and he noticed his partner looking all in distress.

Lane thought for a moment and said, "Look, if you still love Ella, just show her that you still care about her. But don't try to win her back. You're already getting a second chance with her and having a chance to have a relationship with Milo. Don't let your jealousy over Victor try to destroy that. Because one day Ella may never forgive you ever again. Especially after you think she hasn't forgiven you yet, well, she has and that is her giving you a chance to have a relationship with Milo. Milo needs a father and not just a jealous father. But Ella needs you to support her for being in a relationship with someone else. If you do that, then she'll see you as someone she can trust to have a relationship with Milo." Lane said.

Nathan nods his head. "Yeah," Nathan said in a soft voice. "Hey, don't beat yourself up, Nathan. Just remember that the only reason you're in Ella's life again is because of Milo. And you have cancer and want to reconnect with Milo before you pass away." Lane said.

Nathan nods his head yes once again. Lane nods his head as well and glances back at the computer and Nathan continues to sit in his chair thinking for a moment before he lets out another deep sigh.

Meanwhile, Nathan is at Ella's house which also used to be his house as well before their divorce and Nathan, Ella, Victor, and Milo were all in the dining room talking. Ella and Victor were laughing and they were sitting next to each other and Nathan and Milo were sitting next to each other across from Ella and Victor. Ella and Victor continued to talk and laugh, making jokes by asking questions like "Why shouldn't I date a pastry chef?" Ella asked. Victor answered with a simple answer and said, "Because he'll desert you." Ella laughed once more and Victor laughed along with her.

"Are you French? Because I'll Eiffel you." Ella said.

"Knock, knock. Who's there? Frank. Frank who? Frank you for loving me." Victor answered.

Ella laughed and Victor laughed as well. Nathan sighed and he took a sip of his water before he placed the glass down on the table. He wasn't having it any longer. Nathan cleared his throat and annoyingly said, "Okay! Okay." Ella and Victor looked at Nathan and they stopped talking and laughing. Nathan was annoyed as he was sitting across the table in his seat.

Ella sighed and said, "Okay, well uh, I'd think we should go for dessert. As you know I can't date a pastry chef," says Ella, laughing. Victor chuckled and smiled at his girlfriend Ella.

Victor glanced back at Nathan and he could tell he was in a bit of a mood before he glanced back at Ella. "So, Nathan, how's work coming along?" Victor said. He glanced back at Nathan once again. "Oh uh, it's great," Nathan answered, giving Victor a look on his face by saying he's not having a fond moment with Victor, and rolled his eyes.

Nathan grabbed his glass of ice-cold water once again before he took a sip. Nathan placed his glass of water on the table and he sighed. Ella said, "Victor uh, why don't you go cut the cake, and I'll help you with the dishes?" Ella replied. She looked at Nathan and she could tell her ex-husband wasn't having a good time with them.

She looked pretty furious at Nathan before glancing at Victor and smiling at him. "Yeah, I'll go help you with the cake and the dishes. Excuse me." Victor said, before pulling out his chair away from the table and gently lifting himself from the chair before grabbing his and Ella's plate and turning around before heading towards the kitchen sink.

Ella sighed and she furiously looked at Nathan. Nathan was quiet and said nothing to Ella. "Are you okay or what?" Ella asked. Nathan looked at Ella with a furious expression and nodded his head yes. Ella could tell her ex-husband wasn't having too much fun with her and Victor. Ella nodded her head yes and said, "Right," in a soft tone of voice before lifting herself up from the chair after pulling it away from the table and she turned around and headed to the kitchen sink where Victor had already started washing the dishes. Nathan sighed and nodded his head no. He saw Ella and Victor talking to each other and they laughed even more. Milo looked at his father Nathan and he took his hand and gently squeezed it. Nathan looked at his son Milo before Milo smiled at him.

Nathan softly smiled back at his son Milo. He then glanced back at Ella and Victor and he continued to hear them laugh and talk. About an hour into the night of Ella and Victor's once-a-week dinner, Nathan was sitting on a chair outside on the back porch. Ella came to the door and she took a peek out the window to be sure her ex-husband Nathan wasn't outside.

Ella noticed he was and she thought for a moment before making herself go up the door and opening it after grabbing and turning the door knob before opening it and she stepped out of the house and shut the door after stepping onto the back porch. The crickets were making sounds outside. Ella folded her arms together and she stared at Nathan before saying a word.

"Are you okay? You've been acting strange all night." Ella said.

Nathan sighed and looked at Ella. He didn't say a word to her. Ella continued to look at Nathan before Nathan nodded his head and said, "No." Ella nodded her head and said, "What's wrong?"

Nathan scoffed and said, "Why did you decide to invite me here tonight?" Nathan asked.

"Well uh, I wanted you to get to know Victor a bit more," Ella answered.

Nathan nodded his head once again and scoffed. Ella sighed and she said, "You're not jealous of him are you?" Ella asked.

Nathan swallowed and said, "I don't just want him to have a close relationship with my son Milo. Because he isn't his father." Nathan said.

Ella scoffed and said, "Are you serious right now?"

Nathan immediately said, "Yes I am!" Nathan glanced at Ella.

"You know Victor is a nice guy, and for your information, you don't get to tell me who Milo needs to have a relationship with," says Ella.

"Really?! Because it seemed like he had a good relationship with Victor!" Nathan said, in a loud voice.

Ella scoffed once more and said, "Nathan, you're being so naive right now! I can't believe you're telling me this!" Ella said, frowning.

"How could I not?!" Nathan said, in a loud voice. The argument between Nathan and Ella continues and gets more intense. "I mean Victor buys him a BB gun! He takes him to the movies and then sings the lullaby song to him while trying to help him fall asleep!" Nathan said, getting angry.

"Okay, you know what, you need to leave!" Ella said angrily.

"No!"' Nathan shouted as he stood up from his seat, then walked towards Ella.

"You need to make a decision Ella! I'm not gonna let Victor have a relationship with my son!" Nathan shouted.

"Gosh, Nathan, he's just trying to make himself feel good about himself for being a good guy to Milo! He's not trying to replace you as his father!" Ella shouted.

Nathan took a deep breath and then let out a deep sigh and nodded his head and said, "No! You are letting him have a relationship with Victor! How could you do that to me?!" Nathan shouted.

Ella nodded her head and scoffed once again. "Well I'm sorry if you had such a bad night, but you're the one who decided to come here anyway! Victor is just the nicest person I have ever met! And for your information Nathan, you don't get to tell me who I want to be with! You don't get to tell me who Milo should have a relationship with once again!" Ella shouted once again.

"Fine! You do whatever the heck you want! But let me tell you something, you are gonna see one day that Victor isn't the person you thought he was. And if you do, then don't come to me crying because he broke your heart." Nathan said, before walking away from Ella.

Ella scoffed and she looked at Nathan as he walked away from her and watched him head back to his car. After Nathan got into his car, he slammed the door shut. Ella sighed and she wiped her tears away from her eyes. Then Nathan had driven away from their driveway and was headed back home.