"Why don't we all go out to dinner, guys?"

"Ooh Yeah!  I'm in." Jessica agrees with Delilah.

"Sounds good to me.  Wanna ride with us, Jess?"

"Sure, thanks! I took an Uber anyway because.. well, I'm lazy!" She chuckles. "Let's go eat!"

**

"This is so cool that I'm here with my daddy and my teacher!"

"Haha!  Pretty awesome, huh?" Jessica smiles.

"Yeah!  Can I have some of your french fries?"

"Delilah!  Stop that." Danny chuckles.

"What, daddy?"

"You ordered macaroni! Stop taking her food."

"No, it's okay!  Go ahead, and take some."

"Thank you!"

Jessica chuckles.

"So Ms. Jessica.. What is your son's name?"

Jessica smiles and says, "His name is Nolan Harrison Lange."

"Aw that's such a cute name!"

"Thank you!  Do you want to see a picture of him?"

"Yes, Please!"

Jessica smiles and takes her phone out.
"Look at him.  He was sneaking cookies before dinner!" She laughs.

"Oh he's a sneaky boy!" Delilah giggles.

Jessica wipes the corners of her eyes.
"Yes!  He's a very sneaky boy!"

"He's cute!"

"Thank you!  Want to see more?"

"Yes!"

"Oh he's cool!"

"He is!" Jessica giggles then swipes to the next photo.

"He was a itty bitty baby here."

"Oh wow!  You're so beautiful, Miss Jessie!"

"Thank you, sweetheart!"

"That's a gorgeous picture." Danny smiles.

"Thank you!"

"What's he doing there?" Delilah laughs.

"He was hungry so he was pulling on my shirt!" Jessica laughs. "I was still nursing him then."

"He's silly!"

"He's very silly.
.. Ugh, my little baby!"

Delilah looks at Jessica and hugs her once again.

"You give some of the sweetest hugs, Delilah."

"Thank you Ms. Jessica. My daddy says that too!"

Both Danny and Jessica chuckle.

**

After dinner Danny drove Jessica back to her house.

"Ooh! This is a nice house! Can I come in?!" Delilah asks.

"Delilah, don't invite yourself in!" Danny says with a chuckle.

"No, it's okay!" Jessica laughs.
"You can come in! You can meet Socks!"

"Socks?" Delilah scrunches her nose.

Jessica giggles. "Socks is Nolan's puppy!"

"Oh cool! Daddy, I wanna meet Socks! Let's go in!"

"Okay.. he is pretty cool but, don't get any ideas. We're not getting a dog."

"Awe man!
.. Hey wait!  How do you know Socks, daddy?"

"Oh! Um.."

"Nice." Jessica giggles.

"I came to drop something off and I met him!" Danny smiles.

"Hm! Okay." Delilah says with a smirk.

"What's that smirk for?"

"Oh nothing!"

"You're freaking me out, little girl."

"Daddyyyy!" She laughs.

**

Danny and Delilah stayed for a little while before heading back home.

"Well, well, well.. Another fun night! You're a ball, Ms. Lange." Danny smiles.

"Haha! So are you, Mr. Huston."

"Thanks!  Well we'll see you at school."

"Alright.  See you guys then." Jessica smiles before biting the corner of her lip.

***

Friday.

"What do you mean you're downtown, mom?  Who's picking up Didi?"

"I didn't know!  Oh my goodness Daniel, you have to remind me!"

"It's fine, I'll figure it out."

"I don't want her to be by herself!"

"I'll figure it out!"

"Okay, Bye!"

Danny hangs up and immediately messages Jessica.

*Since I've cooked you dinner once, and took you out to dinner twice, will you please do me a huge huge favor?*

*I'm teaching your daughter, what do you want?  Haha*

*My mom was supposed to pick her up today because I'm an hour away for work. Well she forgot. Can you keep her and I'll pick her up as soon as I get off?  Please, Please, Please?*

*Of course!  I'll take her to eat.*

*Thank you so much!*

*No problem;)*

Danny read her message and smiled.
"A winking face? Oh man! She wants me."

**

"Alright kids, grab your bags.  Delilah, there was some miscommunication between your dad and grandmother, so stay with me, okay?"

"Am I staying here until my daddy gets here from the building that's far far away?"

"No, I figured we could leave and get something to eat."

"Oh yay! That sounds like fun!"

"Yeah!" Jessica giggles.

"Why do you get to eat with Ms. Jessica?" One of Delilah's friends asks.

"Cause I'm special." Delilah smiles.
"I'm BFF's with Miss Jessie!"

Jessica couldn't help but laugh at her adorableness.

"We sure are, Didi!"

"See? Miss Jessie calls me Didi! Only her and my daddy are allowed to call me that! Be jealous." Delilah lifts her nose in the air.

"Stop that!" Jessica laughs and playfully taps her shoulder.

**

Danny's POV.

On the way to pick Delilah up he called his mother.

"Mom?"

"Yes, honey?"

"I think I'm falling in love."

"Aw, Daniel!"

"But what about Grace?"

"Honey.. Grace would want you to be happy."

"I feel like I'd be cheating on her."

"It's been a while.. you deserve to be happy.
Now who is this girl?"

"There's the problem!" Danny chuckles.

"There's a problem?"

"Yeah.."

"Oh no.. what?"

"She's Delilah's school teacher."

"Oh my!"

"But that's okay, right?"

"Honey, I don't know. Isn't that awkward?"

"Dad thought it was a good idea."

"Yeah well I'm not surprised."

"She's really great. She's sweet. She's smart.. She's Fucking hot!"

"Okay, son."

"I need advise. Should I go for it?"

"I want you to be happy, Daniel. Go for it, but don't embarrass your daughter or get kicked out of the school."

Danny laughs. "Got it! I'll try not to."

**

Jessica's POV.

"Is this Nolan's car seat?"

"It is.. I could never get myself to take it out."

"Well good thing you didn't! I wouldn't have anywhere to sit!"

"Right?" Jessica chuckles.

"So where would you like to eat?"

"Hmm.. Chuck E. Cheese!"

"Oh I haven't been there in a while.. Let's go!"

"YAAAY!"

**

"Mmm.. Yummy yummy pizza!" Delilah wiggles in her seat.

"It is, isn't it?"

"Yes! Miss Jessie, are you gonna play games with me?"

"Of course! I love playing games!"

"Me too! Me too!" She bounces.

Jessica giggles and takes a napkin to clean her face.

"Oops! Thanks for cleaning my pizza face!" Delilah laughs cutely.

"No problem!" Jessica chuckles.

"Miss Jessie?"

"Yes ma'am?"

"Did you used to have a husband?"

"Nope! Never."

"How did you have a baby then?"

"Oh.. um.. ohhhh Jessica.." She mumbles that last part.

"I wasn't married but.. I had someone I was very very close to and um.. we decided to have a baby!"Jessica smiles.

"Oh.. what did you look like with a big tummy? I bet that was silly!" Delilah giggles.

"It was a little silly! My boy was big so my tummy was pretty huge!"

"I wanna see!"

"I might have one on my Facebook, let me check."

"Okay! Hey, my daddy has that! Add him as a friend! He posts pictures of me!" Delilah smiles cutely.

"Oh does he?"

"Yeah cause I'm his princess!"

"Aw how sweet!"

"Yep.."

Jessica giggles.

"Oh I found one!"

Delilah gasps and says, "Let me see!"

"Woah! Your tummy!" She giggles.

"I still had a while to go at this point, so imagine how I looked when he was born!"

"You must have been really really big!"

"Oh I was!" Jessica laughs.

"You look beautiful with a baby in your belly!"

"Thank you so much, sweet girl!"

Delilah looks at Jessica with the sweetest smile.

**

"Oh my gosh! I had so much fun! But I'm so so tired now!"

"I bet! You went to school, then you played all those games! It's nap time, huh?"

"Definitely!"

Jessica giggles and buckles Delilah in the car seat.

Arriving at the house, Delilah was half asleep.

"Can you carry me, please?" She asks.

"Of course, sweet pea."

Jessica carried her in and laid her down on the couch.

"Can you hold me? If someone holds me, I don't have so many scary dreams."

"Aw.. sure, I'll hold you. Let's unlock the front door first so your daddy can just let himself in."

"What if bad guys come in?"

"It's safe here. Don't worry." Jessica smiles softly.

"Okay."

Jessica unlocks the door, then let's Danny know that he can just let himself in when he arrives.
She then takes a seat on the couch.

Delilah cuddles into Jessica's side and closes her eyes. That's when Socks decided to join them.

"Did you miss mommy, Sockies? Or do you just like Didi?" Jessica chuckles as she rubs her hand back and forth over his fur.

**

A while later, Danny finally arrived at Jessica's house. He let himself in and found Jessica and Delilah sleeping peacefully.

He smiled as he walked closer.

"Jess.. I'm here." He whispers and lightly shakes her.

"Hm? Oh! Hello." She smiles softly.

"Hi! She looks beat. You both do!"

"We are.. We went to chuck e cheese."

"Oh fun!" Danny chuckles.
"I'll pay you back for taking her. Thank you so much for saving me!"

"Oh no, don't even mention it! It's was fun." She smiles.

"I'm sure it made her day. She got to spend time with someone other than her boring old dad!"

"Aw no, she loves you. She says she's Daddy's Princess."

"She is!"

"That's so cute.
I love the way you melt when you talk about her. It's adorable."

"Really?" Danny smiles.

"Yeah. I like it!"

"Well!" Danny becomes awkward.
Thankfully Delilah woke up and saved him from embarrassing himself.

"DADDY!"

"Hi, baby girl!"

"Let me tell you about my day!"

"Okay, go ahead! I want to hear all about it!"

**

After telling her story, Delilah got distracted with the puppy and watching a movie that she lost interest in both Danny and Jessica, leaving them all alone in the next room.

"So um.. Jess?"

"Yeah?"

"Uh so.. uh.. I.."

"You okay?" Jessica giggles.

"Yeah! I-I'm perfect!" Danny smiles.

He then takes a deep breath to calm himself down.
"I don't want to make things awkward but.. I have to get something off my chest.."

"What's up?"

"Well I.. I kinda feel a certain way.. you know.. when I'm around you."

"You do?"

"Yeah."

"What type of way?"

".. A way that.. I promised I would never feel again."

"Oh.."

"I don't know if you feel the same way but, I just had to tell you.."

"Oh.."

"Plus.. I kinda felt that you might feel the same way.."

"Oh.." Jessica says as she stares at the ground.

"I was kinda hoping for something other than just a bunch of 'Oh's' but uh.."

"Oh! Oh sorry!" Jessica places her finger tips over her lips.

"It's okay!" Danny chuckles.

"Danny, listen—"

"This doesn't sound like it's going to go well for me so why don't we just forget it?"

"No, Danny, please listen..
I really like you.. and what I need right now.. is a friend."

"Oh.. well I understand!" Danny smiles.

"I just.." Jessica says as tears fill her eyes.

"I don't want to lose what we have. I-I don't have very many friends, Danny. Plus, I teach your daughter.."

"Yeah.."

".. I think it's best if we're just friends."

"I respect that."

"Thank you. I'm so sorry."

"No, don't apologize!
.. But um.. Could I just ask you something?"

"Of course."

"The other night you said you didn't think you ever wanted to find love..
Jessica, if it's me or if it's someone else.. I want you to find love and be happy.
Nolan would want you to be happy.. just like Grace would want Delilah and I to be happy."

"No, don't do that!" Jessica covers her face.

"Don't.. don't bring him up. Danny, I can't.
I can't!"

"What, Jess? Talk to me?"

Jessica looks at him with tears in his eyes.
She nods her head and says, "I can't be happy when he's in a box under ground. I can't just pretend he never existed!"

"I'm not saying to pretend he never existed.
I'm saying to listen to the words you speak."

"What are you talking about?"

"When I told you about Grace, you told me that you believe things that are meant to happen will happen.
You said we lose people for no reason, and that it feels like it's the end of the word but it's not! There is still a world we have to live in, Jess. You have to continue living and trying your best to be happy!"

"I also said that you have Delilah to live for, and to be happy about. My son is gone, Danny. It's just me. I don't have a little person to fight for.. you do.
Don't worry about me. Please don't worry about me!"

"Jessica, the people we have lost are in a wonderful place where there is no pain.

WE live with the pain. Let me take as much of yours away that I can! I said someone would love you and your anxiety.. I am that someone. I will accept the both of you. I will help you fight this cruel world!"

"No, you don't want me. You don't want me, Danny, I can promise you that. I'm a mess! Grace.. she sounds like such a wonderful woman. I'm not like that."

"Yes you are!"

"No! No I'm not. I have hurt myself.. after.. after I lost Nolan, I didn't eat.. I drank.. I tried.. I tried taking my own life. I'm not a Grace. I'm not perfect."

"No one is. But you are pretty dang close, Jessica Lange!

Knowing you hurt yourself just makes me want to protect you even more. I don't want you to be hurt. You're too sweet for that. You're so so sweet, Jessica." Danny cries softly.

"Danny don't. Please stop." Jessica closes her eyes, attempting to hide her tears.

"Jess.."

"You should go. I can't. I've already told you.. I can't."

"Fine, I'll go. But you can love someone. You're allowed to love. Even if it isn't me.. allow someone to love you.. and allow yourself.. to love them."