"Oh, Lucus," she said.Emma reached out and touched Lucus cheek to get him to turn around and look at her."No matter what happens between us, the fact that you are Clary's dad and have the right to see her will not change. I shouldn't have taken that from you. I won't do it again. I'll keep my word."Lucus said, "Thank you," in a soft whisper.Before he sighed, Emma smiled. "Also, I'm pretty sure it's the same for me."When Lucus looked at Emma with a questioning look, Emma shook her head."I didn't think I'd see you again, and I didn't want to, either. So, it never occurred to me that we would become a family again. But I couldn't see myself with anyone else, so I thought it would always be just me and Clary.""Was anyone else ever here?"Emma didn't say anything, so Lucus said quickly, "You don't have to answer. I'm sorry. I was wrong to ask.""No, it's all right. A few years ago, this beta told me I had just started working at the cafe at the time. He was a very nice guy who alway
Lucus rubbed at the knots in his shoulders, drained from preparing everything for the weekend. It had become his new habit to prep the ingredients for the weekend now that he didn't come in on Saturday and Sunday mornings to bake everything himself. Jay knew enough to bake everything to his approval, so Lucus was happy to just set up the kitchen to make it easier on the younger alpha. The door to the kitchen swung open as Jay popped his head through the door."Umm, Lucus there's someone asking for you.""For me? Like a customer? Did something happen?""No he asked for you by name? I think he knows you?" Confused as to who it could be, Lucus wiped his hands on his apron and followed Jay out the door to find Emma leaning against the counter."Emma?""Hey!"Emma smiled at Lucus, giving a small wave. "Sorry, I hope you don't mind me dropping by unannounced...""No that's totally fine! I thought you were spending the whole day with Zia?""We were supposed to but there's some last minute
Someone is enjoying the exhibit. Emma pulled her arm away from the stranger's grip."Playing hard to get, that's fine. Mark, it's a pleasure to meet you."Mark stepped even more into Emma's space, and Emma had half a mind to toss the drink she had on the Alpha. She took a few steps back to increase the distance between them."If you'll excuse me. Emma turned to walk away when she felt her wrist being grabbed."Hold on, don't go."Anger coursing through her veins, Emma twisted her arm so that Mark's arm was bent at an unnatural angle.Listen, Mr. Mark. I'd rather not make a scene, but there's no saying what I might do if you harass me one more time. Do I make myself clear? She added a bit more force to his arm, knowing that it was difficult to overpower Emma from this angle no matter how much stronger the alpha was. The years of self-defense classes she had taken in case she or Clary were ever in danger were finally paying off. When Mark's grip loosened, he let go and took a step back.
"Are you sure you don't want me to come with you? I don't have to go into work today..."Lucus frowned as he filled Emma's mug with coffee. The night before, they had come home and fallen asleep fairly quickly, Emma taking the bed and Lucus the couch once more. In the morning, the two had eaten a quick breakfast of toasted bagels and scrambled eggs before Emma got ready to leave."I'm sure. It's just a lot of going around, and I don't want to drag you all over the city.""I don't mind...""Lucus, I'll be fine on my own. You haven't had a weekend to yourself in a while either. Just enjoy the afternoon, and I'll be back to help prepare for dinner. Okay?""Fine..."Emma chuckled a bit at Lucus pout, shaking her head as she waved before she left the apartment.The real reason she didn't want Lucus to come with her was because she wasn't ready to have the conversation that would come with the errands yet.Emma had thought about their current arrangement of switching off between city and to
"Lucus.""Hmm?""Do you believe in fate?"Lucus gave a small huff of laughter. "What?""Just... remember how I used to hate the idea of fate? I thought it was ridiculous that everything was laid out in front of us. I didn't like that my decisions would mean nothing if fate had already decided it all.""Yeah. You were very passionate about it.""I was," Emma chuckled. "But these days, I've been reconsidering."Lucus gasped mockingly. "You mean to tell me you believe in fate now?""Shut up and just hear me out.""Okay okay. I'm listening.""I don't believe in fate. But I am starting to think that maybe life works out the way it does because it's meant to. Although it's ultimately our decision, I feel like it nudges us in a certain direction.""Are you talking about something specifically?""Well, I'm talking about us."Lucus stayed quiet, silently encouraging Emma to continue."I know that we've thought a lot about the what-ifs if we hadn't chosen what we had seven years ago. But maybe
As lovers, it was interesting to explore their new dynamic as a reunited couple. They didn't have the honeymoon stage of new lovers, but there was still a sense of giddiness that surrounded them. They were remembering certain things they had forgotten about each other as well as discovering things that had changed. There were fewer moments of awkwardness and more moments of comfort.After Emma had gone back to town that day, she spent a few hours talking to Lucus before finally falling asleep at close to two in the morning. What had started as a call to tell Lucus about some of the things Clary had shared about her field trip became a conversation that ranged from debating the best place to buy fried chicken to internet safety for children. At one point, they went back to their past."I missed you. So much."It was a little past one, and the world outside Emma's window was calm. Lucus quiet confession was whispered through the phone, and Emma felt her heart clench a little."I missed
Zia met them at the entrance to Palace, camera hanging around her neck and a grin on her face."Zia, what are you doing here?" Emma asked, giving him a quick hug."I'm your photographer for the day! I was waiting for the confirmation from Lucus that he got you to agree to the family hanboks.""Did you plan this?" Emma turned to ask Lucus."Uhh, not really a plan... it was just a potential idea we discussed," Lucus mumbled sheepishly, rubbing at the back of his neck."I'm excited. Thank you. I know this will be a memorable day for Clary. And for me too."Lucus ducked his head, shy at the heartfelt way Emma expressed her thanks. He quickly scooped up Clary and walked towards the entrance. "Come on, princess, let's go take some photos."Emma looped her arm around Zia and nuzzled a little bit into her neck. "Thank you. You're the best.""I know."They spent the whole day walking around the palace exhibits and taking pictures in the spots that Zia pointed out. Luckily, there weren't too ma
"You're touched that he still kept your old passcode all these years, huh?"Zia winked as Allen shook her head with a small laugh. "No, I think he's an idiot for not changing the security code for almost a decade. You should change these things once in a while.""Sure, Emma. Whatever you say."After their more eventful Saturday, they decided to make Sunday a chill day. After breakfast, Lucus had taken Clary out to the cafe to bake with her, while Emma and Zia had spent the morning grabbing brunch and then going to a museum. Zia shared some of the photos she had gotten around to editing, sending them to Emma's phone.There was one in particular where Clary was sitting on Lucus shoulders and Emma was poking at one of Clary's feet. It was not one of the posed shots; it must have been a candid shot that Zia had taken while they were setting up. All three of them were laughing, the look of joy on Emma's face making it almost unrecognizable. It was a drastic difference from the first family