Chapter 5

Eric sits behind his office table looking at the woman who had only been a beautiful memory of his for the past three years, and his daughter.

He still couldn't believe he had a child; he never would have imagined that this would be the setting in which he would meet her mother again. But he was grateful regardless, and could not begin to imagine a more perfect situation for them to meet again.

The air in the room is tense, they look at each other, eagerly waiting for the other person to speak. Suddenly, Pearl jumps down from her chair and runs over to Eric's side of the table to meet him. Eric picks her up hugs her, and smiles.

He looks over at Madine and finally says, “Do you know how many times I went back to that bar?”, with an amused chuckle.

Madine is flushed with embarrassment. Memories of the events of that night flood into her mind. The thought that he didn't know anything about what happened that night before they had met crossed her mind. She wants him to understand where h