"Where's Sylvan?" Safiya asked taken aback by Carter answering the door. The quiet that greeted her as she stepped over the threshold was a little unsettling.

Carter, effortlessly put together in khaki shorts and red-orange plaid shirt. "She had a work emergency." He eased the door closed. "One of her patients was emitted this morning." The loud thud of the lock sliding in place made Safiya jump like an alley cat.

"Oh." Safiya tried to play off her uneasiness by bouncing Ameera on her hip. The baby's happy giggles pushed away some of the silence that hung in the foyer

Carter moved away from the door with his hands rammed in his pockets, "But CJ's around here somewhere." He glanced around as if he could see through the walls that cornered them off from the rest of the house. "He's probably out back practicing his swing. I'm taking him golfing tomorrow."

The thought that his son was there relaxed her a little. The last thing Safiya need was for Sylvan to think she and Carter were alone in a house with many vacant rooms and empty beds.

"That seems like fun." Safiya uttered reading her watch. She felt his heat before she saw him. Less than a foot away from her, he invaded her space—leaning over getting eye to eye with Ameera as he begun his jovial baby talk. Baby talk that made Ameera's giggle louder, her eyes sparkled as a little drool rolled on her lip.

Safiya ran her eyes over his chocolate locks. Tresses she loved to comb her hand through no longer made her hand itch with excitement. She inhaled his cardamom, bergamot cologne that made her knees weak and her mouth water with her balance not faltering. His hand brushed against her arm without sending chills rushing to her head. He lifted Ameera from her grasp and her heart sunk just the faintest as she missed the weight of her baby against her body.

Carter held Ameera over his head, a droplet of spittle plopped on his shirt, "How long are you going to be gone?" He rested the baby at his side and dabbed her face dry with his shirt.

She slightly smiled at how easy it was for him to be a good father. A good man he greatly missed the mark but she was satisfied that he took being a father more seriously

"Four days..." Safiya answered shifting the plumped and stuffed diaper bag to her other shoulder to compensate for Ameera's void. "...depending on how things go with my parents."

He nodded as concern harbored in his eyes, "I hope things go well." He twisted his mouth to the side as if he wanted to speak more but couldn't.

"What?" Safiya inquired, a yell of glee rung out from the backyard snatching her eyes off him and to the direction of the noise but all she could see was the living room and stairs. She turned back to Carter matching her eyes with his. "Really, what is?"

He cleared his throat, "Nothing." He smoothed his hand over Ameera's head that was nestled against his chest. "I just wish..." He fanned the thought away. "Do you want to see her room before you leave?" He jutted his chin up the stairs. "I painted it myself."

"Is that so?" Safiya planted her hands on her hips, pulling in the sides of her summer dress and unknowingly hiking the fabric a little higher up showing more of her tone copper thighs.

Carter bit his bottom lip as pinkness spread across his cheek, "You know what. It's just a room." He took a tentative step back and placed his eyes on the wall past her. "A crib and a changing table. Nothing special."

"Okay," Safiya smirked at his odd shift in behavior then took another glance at her watch. "You know what she likes, right? I don't have to go through everything."

"No." He patted his hand on Ameera's cotton-padded bottom. "I can take care of her."

I can take care of her, that arrangement of words raised a question in Safiya's mind. Was it just going to be him that took care of her or was Sylvan going to assist too? She didn't know why the thought of Sylvan helping Carter with her baby brought a sour taste to her mouth and a coil to her stomach but it did and she hid it with a plastered on a smile.

She handed him the diaper bag, "Everything you need is in here. I have more diapers in the car." She jabbed her thumb towards the door. "And her stroller. You might need to get the car se—"

"I already have everything I need." He assured with a nod of his head.

"You do, don't you." Her mouth opened as she let out a huff while her eyes begun to burn.

Carter stepped closer to her, "What'd I say?

"It's just..." She flicked away the tear that sat on her eyelash. "This is the first time I'm going to be away from her for more than a couple of hours." She closed the space between them as she placed a kiss on her drowsy daughter's head. Safiya inhaled the sweet apple scent of her baby's shampoo before pulling back.

"I'll text you photos of her every day and keep you in the loop." He settled his hand on her shoulder, "It'll be like you never left."

"Please." She wiped another tear from her eyes then rolled her eyes at herself for getting so emotional. "But just about her...Ameera...nothing else."

Carter's eyebrows brushed up, "You set the rules I follow them, remember."

"No, Sylvan."

"No. You." Carter quickly insisted.

Safiya shrugged, "Well, one of us has to do the right thing. And you weren't stepping up so..." She waved her hands. "Let's leave the past in the past and just be good parents."

"I can do that." He nodded then glanced down at Ameera sleep in his arms. "Go. Get packed for your trip. And we'll see you when you get back."

Safiya stole one more kiss from Ameera then left the house. She eased out the driveway—leaving the love of her life and the man was in love with behind for sunny California.

Do you think Carter is going to keep his text strictly about Ameera?

Do you think Safiya has moved on and will they be able to co-parent?

How do you think things will go with Safiya's parents?