Hours turned into days and days into weeks for Nick and Yvette and their relationship, as friends, was growing more and more. Nick got quickly acquainted with Andrea and loved her more each day. Whenever Yvette had to work, she would spent the days at Nick's house, going to the beach, playing with her dolls, or just simply watching cartoons next to her father. Everything, Nick thought, was slowly going back to normal. Yvette was being her friendly and sometimes even flirty self with him, something that Nick found very amusing and eye-opening for him. He knew that she had to feel something. He just didn't know what. He was soon going to find out, he thought.
A month after Nick returned, he invited Yvette and Andrea to Florida with him for two weeks, so that Yvette could see everyone again and so that Andrea would meet her other part of the family. At first, the whole family was apprehensive and uncomfortable with the idea of Yvette not telling them earlier about Andrea, but soon enough they accepted her as one of their own. Aaron was the only one who wasn't there when everyone found out, due to the fact that he was on a promotional tour.
"When is Aaron coming back?" Nick questioned, holding Andrea on his lap.
They were all sitting in the living room catching up on everything.
"I think that tonight he'll be here" Jane responded, taking Bob's hand in hers.
"I wonder what he'll say when he sees Yvette here" Angel replied, looking at Yvette and smiling.
Yvette smiled back. "I miss him so much… We have to catch up in a lot of things"
"He'll be extremely surprised with Andrea" Nick said, looking deep into her eyes and grinning.
"I can't believe you didn't tell them, before we came here. I mean, it must have been a huge shock for you guys"
"You have no idea" Jane said laughing as she stood up and picked Andrea in her arms. "But, it was a nice shock" she finished, kissing the top of her head.
Yvette grinned, thinking about her own mother as Jane did that. "You reminded me of mom when you did that"
"Oh really?"
"Yup" Yvette nodded. "Mom was crazy about Andrea.. She hoped she would live long enough to see her grow up" she explained as her smile faded.
"Aww, don't think about that now" Nick said, putting his arm around her shoulders, bringing her closer to him. "She must be very happy right now"
"I know, Nick… I know" she smiled softly as she patted his thigh.
Jane and Bob looked at each other and smiled. They saw the spark in Nick's eyes and also in Yvette's ones, and wondered why they weren't together yet.
"Do you want to go outside? Go for a walk in the beach?" Nick whispered softly to Yvette.
"Sure" she said, as they both stood up and excused themselves.
When they were going out the door, Andrea looked at Jane. "I wanna go with mommy and daddy"
"Stay here with us, Andrea. They want to be alone for a second. Let's watch Sponge Bob"
"Okay!" she shrieked, giving her hand to her grandma and going to her room.
Meanwhile, Nick and Yvette sat down in one of the nearby rocks, listening to the waves as they were crashing on the shore.
"I missed this whole living near the beach thing" Yvette said, breaking the silence that came between them.
"Yeah" was everything Nick said.
"Is something wrong?"
Nick shook his head, leaving his gaze concentrated on the ocean.
"Sure?" Yvette insisted.
"I'm sure" he replied, looking at her lap. He couldn't dare to look into her eyes now.
"Nick, you know you can trust me. We've talked about other things. I mean, hell, we're still married"
"Yeah, but it seems like we're not" he whispered inaudibly.
"What did you say?" she asked again.
"It seems like we're not married, Yvette… I mean, we're the best of friends but that's not what I want to be with you. I don't want to be friends with you. I want you to be mine; my confidant, my lover, my wife… my everything. I feel that I'm losing you and I don't want that. Ever. I don't know how many times I've tried to tell you how sorry I am for everything I ever did and you seem like you don't care much"
"Nick, I do care… I do care for everything you say to me"
"Well, that's not what you portray to me… I- I know that you feel something for me, but I don't know what and I really would love to know. Want me to tell you what I would love to listen?"
Yvette nodded softly, thinking about the answer that she already knew.
"I would like to hear an `I forgive you' from you. I would like to hear an`I want to start over' from you. I would love to hear an `I love you' from you" he responded timidly.
"You know I forgive you… and I forgave you a long time ago"
"Then, why don't you show it?"
"It's not easy to show it, Nick"
"It's been a little over a month… I've given you time, and you know what? I'm tired of waiting. I know that you're not going to change your mind, so why wait around anymore? I'm tired, Yvette" he finished, getting up from the rock and walking back to the house.
"Nick, wait!" Yvette said, but to no avail. Nick was already gone.
She sat there for a while more, before she returned to the house. As she was opening the door, she saw a car park in the street and she immediately recognized it.
"Aaron!" she shouted with a smile.
"Yvette?" Aaron said, getting out as he gasped. "Yvette!" He ran towards her and hugged her tightly.
"I've missed you so much, sweetie" Yvette gushed.
"I've missed you too...so much! What are you doing here? Don't tell me that you and Nick got back together!" he said with a hopeful grin.
Yvette's smile washed out. "Nope, not yet"
"And then?"
"Come on in" she said, grabbing his hand and leading him into his house. "I would like you to meet someone"
"Who is it, Yvette?"
As soon as they got to the room, Aaron's mouth dropped open.
"I would like you to meet your niece, Andrea" Yvette whispered, since Andrea was sleeping.
Aaron looked at Andrea and then at Yvette. "You mean that-"
"Yeah Aaron… she's Nick's daughter"
"Oh my God!" he practically shouted, hugging Yvette and spinning her around the room.
"Shhh, you're going to wake her up" Yvette murmured.
"I'm sorry… I'm sorry… I'm just really really excited"
Yvette smiled widely. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you guys earlier… I have so many things to talk with you about"
"It's okay, babe. The best thing is that you told us. How old is she?"
"She'll be four on December 12th" she said walking out of the room and downstairs to the living room with Aaron close behind.
"Oh my God" he repeated with a grin.
"You have to see her awake. She's just like Nick and you. She has so many qualities of you guys"
"I'm the best! She has to be thankful for all the qualities that she has about me!" he mockingly bragged.
Yvette rolled her eyes and smirked.
Aaron hugged her again. "I love you too"
"Are you still with Hilary?"
"Yup, and we're better than ever" he grinned.
"That's great! I'm so happy for you"
"What about you and Nick?"
"Aaron...I don't know… I don't know what are we now.. We're supposed to be married but we're like friends"
"You're still married to him?" he replied unknowingly.
"Yeah, he never signed the divorce papers"
"You know what, Yve?"
She sighed softly. She didn't want to listen to any advice anymore. Not right now. "What Aaron?"
"He loves you so much Yvette. You would never know. I don't know if he told you this but, when you left, he stayed in his house for two whole weeks without seeing anyone. I don't think he saw the sun light, to tell you more. He missed you so much and he cried over you so much. He tried calling you but you also changed your phone number."
"That was because we moved out from our old house… cause of Mom... She died from cancer, Aaron"
He gasped, taking her hand and sighing. "I'm so sorry"
"It's okay… I'm over that now"
"He loves you so much, Yvette and I bet he loves his daughter just the same way. She's adorable"
"He does. He even moved out to Puerto Rico to be near her. See? What are you waiting for Yvette?"
"I don't know Aaron… I just don't know"
"He's worth it this time, Yve... He's changed so much... He even left his career."
Yvette looked at Aaron incredulously. "What?"
"He stopped everything.. When he released his last album, he stopped and told the press and everyone that he was going to take a break because he believed that he lost a lot of moments with his family and that he wanted to gain them back. He loved you Yve, more than his career, more than his own life"
"Oh my God" she said, putting her hand up to her mouth. Suddenly everything dawned to her. That was all that she needed to hear. "Could you excuse me for a second?"
"Of course" he said with a strange look.
She almost ran upstairs and went straight to the rooms' section. She tapped on the door softly and noticing that the door was unlocked, she opened it quietly. She saw Nick looking out the window with his back to her.
"Hey" she said softly, making him turn around. As soon as he turned around, she saw that he had been crying.
"What do you want, Yvette?"
Yvette looked down to the floor and walked towards him. When she was close enough, she took him by the collar of his shirt and kissed him hard on the lips. When they parted ways, she looked at him, as he looked at her with the strangest look on his face. She had tears in her eyes.
"I forgive you…" she smiled. "I want to start over… and I love you" she repeated what he `would love to hear'.
A wide smile crept over Nick's face, in between his dry tears. That's all that he needed to hear, as he took her in his arms and kissed her passionately, easing his throbbing pain of what he wanted to do for four consecutive years, without her pulling away from him.