The next afternoon Dani was in the kitchen, making some sandwiches for Rocco and Gavin. The power had come back on at some point while they were out the day before. Gavin sat on the floor near the fireplace, coloring while Rocco was getting ready.

He was going to take Gavin fishing. He said he wanted some time to bond just the two of them, and she understood. She was a little worried about Rocco, though. He'd seemed off ever since they left that restaurant last night. He was quiet and distant. Not himself at all.

She couldn't even fathom what he was going through. She knew little about divorce, but she had seen Kara go through it with her parents as a child. It was awful, that much she knew.

"You didn't have to make us sandwiches." Rocco's voice broke her out of her thoughts as he entered the room.

"If you're slaying 'em. You won't want to leave the lake to come in and eat."

"What do you mean, if?" He raised an eyebrow and flashed his smirk.

"Well, you won't have the master fisherwoman with you, so..." she winked as she packed up the sandwiches she had made and handed them to him.

"Is there anything you're not good at?" he asked with a short laugh.

"Plenty." She shook her head.

"I'm sorry, I left you out of this one... I just really need some time with him." He frowned a little.

"Oh gosh, it's fine, Rocco!" She assured him with a warm smile.

"Thanks." He said, his voice a little distant and that shadow coming over his face again.

"You, okay?" she asked.

"I'm fine," he said in a clipped voice.

"You don't seem fine..." she pressed gently.

"I want to talk to Gavin about it all today. You know, prepare him for what's coming."

"Oh." She looked up at him in surprise. "Are you sure that's such a good idea right now?"

His eyes darkened slightly as they met hers, and she quickly spoke up again.

"I just mean, this trip was meant to be a little fun escape before everything gets bad. Why put a dark cloud over it?"

"Last time I checked, I was his parent. I can figure out what's best for him on my own." He snapped, and she flinched in response.

"I'm sorry," she said quickly, "I didn't mean to overstep."

"No, Dani, I'm sorry... it's been a long..."

"Don't worry about it." She could feel a lump in her throat and didn't want to cry in front of him.  "I'm going to go for a walk. My legs are stiff from yesterday. I'll see you two when you get back." 

She avoided looking at him as she hurried out of the cabin and then headed down a path she'd seen yesterday while standing outside. Once she was safely away from the cabin, she let the tears fall down her cheeks. She didn't usually let harsh words bother her, between everything she'd been through and the fact that she'd spent the last several years waiting on people. She'd grown a thick skin over the years and could brush stuff off with ease. Not this time, though, not when the harsh words were coming from Rocco. 

Had she been overstepping too much? She hadn't meant to. Her comment today was only meant to help. She thought they were on the same page regarding this being a happy trip for Gavin. She didn't think spending the rest of it answering the many questions he was sure to have was such a good idea.

She leaned against a big oak tree and slid down to a seated position on the ground. She stared off into the horizon, which was blurred from her tears.

Up to this point, she'd felt like Rocco valued her opinion. She knew obviously that she wasn't Gavin's parent, but she was his aunt and the person who cared for him full-time. Her thoughts should count for something, right?

Maybe she'd pushed too hard or said too much. This was all new territory to her and Rocco, too.

"This isn't about you." She told herself sternly. He's hurting, and he's not himself right now.

She had to let Rocco do what he felt he needed to do and be supportive when it came to Gavin.

Drying her tears she pulled herself up. A nice long walk was exactly what she needed to refocus. She wanted this trip to be full of fun and happy memories, and she was determined to see that through.

**

Rocco felt awful about snapping at Dani as he did. He'd barely slept the night before. His emotions were all twisted and confusing, and it all became too much. He'd seen how her face fell, and her voice cracked before she nearly ran out.

Maybe he was the asshole Alyssa said he was. What the hell was wrong with him? No one else would ever make a girl as sweet and kind as Dani cry.

"Where did my auntie Dani go?" Gavin looked up from the coloring book he'd been engrossed in.

"She went for a walk. Cause you and I are going to go fishing today." He mustered up as much enthusiasm as possible, but it felt hollow.

"I want auntie Dani to go fish too," he said, with that little defiant look in his eyes.

"If she comes with, you can't surprise her with all the fishies you're going to catch," Rocco said.

That seemed to do the trick cause his little face lit up. He was such a soft-hearted boy. He loved doing surprises. It made Rocco proud.

"I gonna catch so many!" Gavin cheered as he jumped up and ran towards the door.

"Hold on, wait for Dad!" Rocco chuckled a little and ran after him.

A little while later, he and Gavin were set up near a fishing hole only a few blocks from the cabin. Rocco cast both their lines, and then they sat down on a blanket and watched the bobbers float in the water.

"Come on, fishies!" Gavin cooed happily, his emerald eyes sparkling in the bright sun. Rocco glanced back to the creek to see Gavin's bobber had gone under.

"You got one, Gavi!" Rocco said quickly, getting up and helping him reel it in. It was a nice-sized sunfish, and Gavin cheered happily as Rocco held it up.

"Good job, champ!" Rocco told the excited boy, who was beaming with pride.

"I got one!" Gavin jumped up and down happily. "I got one!"

The dark cloud hovering over him disappeared at that moment and was replaced with sheer happiness. Seeing his child so happy and proud made it impossible not to feel that right along with them. He was looking forward to an entire lifetime of memories like this through Gavin's eyes.

It dawned on him then.

He didn't need to prepare Gavin for what was coming; he just needed to take this time to strengthen their bond. It wouldn't be easy for Gavin, him, or anyone. But he'd get through it because he'd have his dad and know without a shadow of a doubt how much he was loved. He'd have these incredible memories to look to and reminisce about on the harder days. 

Talking Gavin through this was going to take a lot of work. He was going to need to make it easy to understand and be very clear about what was going to happen.

That was going to be a lot easier once he knew exactly what was going to happen. Rocco hadn't even officially told Alyssa it was over yet. It was probably a little too soon to tell Gavin. As much as it pained him, it was probably best if they told him together.

Dani was right; this whole idea was to give Gavin a week full of fun, memories, and happiness. He didn't need to have this talk yet. He needed to use every second of this precious time and enjoy it.

You also need to apologize to her, he told himself, still feeling rotten for upsetting her. He was so used to Alyssa combating him at every decision that snapping back has become reflexive. Dani did not deserve that. Hell, she was right if only he'd taken a second to listen. 

"We better catch some more, Buddy." Rocco was enthused as Gavin started to settle down.

"Yeah, lots!" Gavin cheered.

"So many that we can have a big fish feast tonight!" Rocco cheered back, and Gavin jumped again.

"Yeah! A feast!" Gavin was over the moon, and Rocco was grinning from ear to ear, watching his excitement.

"Then, when we have lots of fishes, we can go for a little walk around and find some flowers for Auntie Dani," Rocco suggested, and Gavin nodded happily.

"Yeah, we can 'prize her!" Gavin said.

"We sure can." Rocco agreed. He just hoped she'd forgive him for acting like a total jerk. He wanted the rest of this week to be as magical as it started.

**

Later that evening, Dani gathered twigs and stuff from the yard. It would be easier and less stinky to fry the fish up outside. Not to mention, there was nothing quite like cooking over an open fire. She loved camping and everything that went with it.

She'd felt much better after she'd gotten back from her long walk. It felt good, cathartic, even being here. Nature had a way of setting things right.

She heard Gavin's voice before she saw them approaching the yard from the trail that led to the creek. Rocco was carrying the poles in one hand, a bucket in the other, and a handful of flowers in Gavin's little hand.

"Auntie Dani!" Gavin raced up to her and thrust the flowers at her. "Su-prize!"

"Oh my! These are for me?" She smiled brightly and happily as she accepted them. "Thank you! I love them."

"Daddy helped," he told her, and she looked up at Rocco, who was setting everything down. He had a sheepish look on his face.

"Well, you both did great. These are so pretty." Dani met his eyes, and he offered her a smile.

"I gonna go get Kiki so that he can see all da fishes!" Gavin started running up to the cabin, leaving them alone.

"Peace offering?" Rocco offered. "I was a total ass."

"Yeah, you were." She agreed, and he looked a little surprised.

"Tell it like it is." He chuckled a little.

"I tend to do that, but if I overstep. I don't mean to."

"You didn't... I had a rough night, and... it doesn't matter. I was rude, and there's no excuse for that. I'm really sorry."

"I forgive you." She said, "I know you're going through a lot. But I hope you value my opinion. I know I'm not his parent, but I love him. I want what's best for him as much as you do."

"I do!" His eyes widened. "I respect and value your opinions a lot, Dani. I am so sorry it came off like that."

His expression was earnest and honest, and she felt very relieved. She'd been slightly worried that he was growing tired of her. What if he decided to start this new life without Alyssa, and it made more sense to leave her behind, too? The very idea scared her too much to say out loud.

"You were right, by the way." He added. "About getting into all this now, it's too soon. He's having the time of his life, and now is not the right time to talk to him about all this."

"I'm glad you decided that." She nodded as Gavin came running out of the cabin clutching the teddy bear. "Childhood memories like this...they're everything."

"Come on, Kiki! Wait till you see all these fishies!"

Gavin was heading towards the bucket. Rocco laughed and carefully lifted the lid to give the teddy bear a "peek." Dani peered over the lid as well and smiled brightly at little Gavin.

"Wow! Did you catch all of these?" She asked.

"Almost." He nodded, looking so incredibly proud her heart soured. She loved watching him grow into a confident little person. "Daddy helped a little."

"And again, he takes all the credit," Rocco said, dramatically holding a hand over his heart. "Wounded."

"Well, Rocco, if you needed someone to teach you how to fish..." she teased, and he laughed, shaking his head.

"You don't want to challenge me to a fishing contest, Miss Valentine."

"Careful, I never back down from a challenge, Mr. Romano."

"Hey, Gavi. See all these sticks your auntie Dani found?"

Rocco pointed to the pile she had gathered. He looked down at the pile and back up at Rocco.

"Can you go find some more to make a big fire? Daddy's going to get the fish ready."

"Okay, Daddy!" He said and ran off with Kiki held tightly in his arms.

"I don't want him to see this part." He explained, and Dani nodded in agreement.

"I'm going to put these in some water, and then I'll come and keep him distracted." She held up the wildflowers they'd picked for her.

"Thank you," she added, and their eyes locked again. "They're beautiful."

"You're welcome," he said in a slightly husky voice. Mere seconds passed, but it seemed a lot longer. She forced her gaze away and headed back to the cabin.

**

After frying up the fish, they sat around the campfire for a while. Dani told some stories about the adventures of Kiki and Tiger-Gavi until he fell sound asleep in Rocco's arms. An hour later, Rocco was putting an exhausted Gavin to bed.

He tucked the little boy in and kissed his cheek, still toasty warm from the campfire.

"I'm so glad you're having so much fun, champ." He said in a quiet voice. "We're going to do lots more trips like this."

He left the door ajar and the hall light on for him. Before heading back outside, he went to the kitchen to grab some wine and a few glasses.

Dani was staring peacefully into the fire. He walked over and sat down near her. She poured them each a glass of wine, and they sat quietly for a bit.

The crackling fire and the natural noises from the forest surrounding them were soothing. He felt at peace at this moment.

"I can't apologize enough for how I snapped at you this morning." He said, still feeling crappy about it all.

"I told you. I forgive you." She shrugged and sipped her wine.

"But you think I'm an ass," he remarked.

"No." She shook her head. "You said you were acting like an ass, and I agreed."

"Same thing."

"Acting like one and being one are two different things." She assured him. "A true ass wouldn't have apologized."'

"But a decent guy would never have snapped at the one woman holding him together through all this.".

"You're stressed. I get it."

"It's not an excuse."

"I'm not excusing it. You were rude, and you hurt my feelings," she admitted. "But I think when you hold everything inside like you do, you're bound to snap at some point."

"I hate that I hurt your feelings." He muttered, beyond hated it. "And you're right; I hold it all in. I just don't like to burden other people with my stuff."

"Did you find it a burden when I told you about my dad and the fire?"

"No! Not at all." He promised her. "I'm so glad you opened up to me."

"Good, because I am, too." She took a healthy swig from her glass before tilting it toward him for a refill. "That's what friends do. They open up to each other."

"You're right." He said as he filled her glass way up to the top.

"Nice pour, Romano." She laughed out loud.

"Yeah? Would I pass the test at your old job?" He asked, filling his glass up as well.

"Nope." She flashed a little grin his way. "You'd get fired for giving away the farm."

"But I'd get tipped well on my way out the door." He smirked cockily.

"That you would." She agreed wholeheartedly. "You're very charming."

His smirk grew a little bigger at that, and she gave him a sideways glance.

"When you're not being an ass, that is." She added, and this time, he laughed out loud. 

"Touché," he said.

They clinked their glasses together, and each took a long sip.

"I never intended to marry her." He admitted, and she glanced over with a surprised look.

"We had what I guess you'd call a whirlwind romance. We went from zero to a hundred so fast. We never really got to know each other outside of all that passion," he continued.

She crinkled her cute little nose a little when he said passion.

"Sorry." He let out a short laugh. "I guess you don't want to picture your sister..."

"Just go on. It's okay," she said sweetly.

"The thing is that part of our relationship seems like so long ago. Knowing her now and how she is, who she is. That person back then, it wasn't her."

"You mean you think she was putting on an act?" she asked. "Like she did the other day."

"That was beyond obvious, though." He nodded. "Back then, she was more subtle about it."

"Maybe," Dani said thoughtfully, "Or maybe something in her changed after you married."

"That's what I've been telling myself for so long now, Dani," He said. "That having Gavin losing her career shifted who she was. But I don't see it that way anymore."

"You don't?"

"No. I think who she is now is who she always was. Who she was then was a woman that wanted to marry someone rich."

Dani's eyes widened, but she was slowly nodding in agreement.

"Even if in doing that, she had to do the one thing she never wanted to do and get pregnant," he added.

"You think she got pregnant to trap you?" Dani gasped.

"Breanna always suspected as much, and I always fought her about that," Rocco said. "But now..."

"I hate to think that of my own sister, but It rings true, Rocco. Money is her main priority in life."

"No, actually, Alyssa is her main priority in life, then clout and then money." He sighed. "That's who she is, but I have to face my part in this. She and I have become toxic. Dani, the way I snapped at you today. That's always what it's like with us. That kind of environment was terrible for Gavin."

"What Gavin sees above all else is your love for him," Dani said. "You are his biggest hero. He talks about you all day long, and that's because you are a great dad and a wonderful man."

"I want to be the man my son sees," Rocco said softly, looking at the horizon ahead them.

"You already are," Dani said in a firm tone. "I think you just need to forgive yourself. You're doing what he needs now, and that's all you need to focus on. "

"I think you're right." He admitted as he glanced over at her.

"Of course I am." She smiled softly and waved her empty glass towards him, which he promptly filled.

The comfortable silence returned for a while as they sat and sipped silently. He quite enjoyed just sitting with her like this. He'd never really known anyone he could just sit with without feeling like the space needed to be filled with conversation the entire time.

Before he knew it, they'd nearly finished the bottle. He poured the last bit into their glasses. The fire was starting to die down, but Rocco was nowhere near ready for the night to end. He hadn't felt so at peace in a very long time.

"I think I'll add a log." She said, and he glanced at her. Her cheeks were flushed, and her eyes slightly glazed from her wine buzz. "Unless you're tired?"

"Not a bit." He smiled. "Why don't you grab us another bottle while I get the fire going again."

"Be right back."

She headed into the house while he looked for a good log to toss on.

He found a big one that looked like it would burn for a few hours and added it. He tossed it on and stoked the fire around it to ensure it was caught. He sat and watched as the flames teased and tickled the sides of the large log. The crackling grew louder in the cold night.

He heard the door open, and Dani was heading out with her arms full.

"What's all this?" He quickly got up to help her carry everything.

"I can't have my first campfire of the year without s'mores." She explained as they set down all the items on the nearby table.

"Gavin's going to feel so betrayed..." he teased her.

"Shh, don't tell him." She hushed him, holding a finger to her rosy lips.

"You want me to lie?" he said with a dramatic gasp.

"Well, I could wake him up. If you'd like to spend the day with an over-tired, grumpy Gavi tomorrow."

"Hard pass on that." He chuckled a little and went to work on opening the next bottle as she started getting the s'mores stuff ready.

"I checked in on him, by the way. Sleeping soundly."

"I figured he'd sleep well here. Nature does that."

"Oh my god! I say that all the time!" She exclaimed. "Nature has a way of resetting and healing us. I believe that."

"I've made almost all my major life decisions while sitting outside, away from all the noise," Rocco agreed. 

"It's easier to find the answers when your head's not clouded with all that."

"I'm glad you feel that way," Rocco said as an idea came to him.  "I want to do something this week, and I hope you'll come with me."

"Of course!" She agreed.

"You don't know what I'm asking yet, though." He narrowed his eyes. "You might not be up for it."

"Try me." She said with a hint of that little stubbornness she showed every so often to her voice.

"See that mountain in the distance?" He gestured to the beautiful scene ahead of them.

"The view I've been enjoying immensely since we got here?" She joked. "Yup, I've noticed."

"I want to climb it." He said. "I want to get to the summit and toss my ring off the top. It'll be the perfect moment to say goodbye to my past."

"You really want me there for such a big moment?" she asked, her eyes widening slightly.

"I can't imagine doing it with anyone else," he said softly. "You're friendship for me and your love for Gavin. It's everything we need right now. You should be there."

"Then I'll be there." Dani agreed in a breathy tone.

"Thank you." He said, glancing at the horizon again before his gaze drifted back to the table.

"These s'mores aren't going to make themselves."

"I happen to be an expert s'more chef," she said teasingly. "Watch and see."

She got two long sticks ready with marshmallows stuck in the ends. She handed one to him and kept one as she walked closer to the fire.

She carefully stuck her stick into the fire, near the bottom, under the big log where it wasn't burning as hot. She watched it with an eagle eye as she slowly turned it.

He watched her with an amused expression. She was concentrating so hard you'd think she was making a marshmallow for the pope. Finally, she pulled it from the fire with a satisfied smile. It was a perfect golden brown.

"Perfect!" She complimented herself as she went to make it into a s'more.

"Pfft." He scoffed. "So wrong."

He stuck his stick directly into the burning fire, his marshmallow catching fire. He pulled it out and blew it off. It was charred and melty.

"Now, this is perfect."

"All you taste is burnt that way!" She crinkled her nose.

"Delicious burnt!" He argued back as he made his s'more.

"I think we'll have to agree to disagree." She said as she took a bite.

"Mmm," she groaned happily.

Some of the melty chocolate ended up on her cheek.

"You got a little..." He laughed and gestured to her cheek, which she attempted to wipe, only making it worse.

"Here." He closed the distance between them and quickly brushed it off. His hand lingered there on her cheek, and their eyes locked.

Suddenly, the sounds around them: the crackling of the fire, the light wind rustling through the trees, and a bird whistling in the distance. It all sounded like the most beautiful song he'd ever heard. They stood there with their eyes locked for what felt like forever.

He memorized this moment, this peaceful and perfect little moment. In another life, he'd kiss her right here and right now under the moonlight. She broke eye contact first, her cheeks noticeably pinker.

They didn't speak about it. They returned to their seats by the fire, and the silence returned. This time, though, there was something in the air between them. Something that they'd both been trying to bury.

Something he knew they couldn't for much longer.