When I arrive at Blake's house, I sneak down the side passage and up to his house. I knock on the door before grabbing the handle. I'm surprised when it twists all the way to the right and opens. I step inside the house and close the door behind me.

"Hello?" I call.

London comes running out of her room like a pocket rocket. She wraps her arms around my leg and buries her face into the material of my pants.

I pick her up and balance her on my hip. One of her tiny hands grabs onto my top while the other one wraps around my shoulder. We wander into the main living section and find Blake in the kitchen cleaning.

There are pots and pans resting on the sink to be washed along with dishes and cutlery on the drying rack.

"Hey, Ava." He happily smiles.

"Hey, Blake," I reply. "Are you ready for the movie?"

"We're more than ready," he replies. "Well, after I've finished these."

"That's okay." I chuckles.

Blake goes back to cleaning while I spend time with London. I bounce back and forth while London rests her head against my chest. It's so weird to see her grown up because she was like the size of a bean the first time I met her.

When London begins to squirm, I place her on the ground and she runs off to grab her stuffed piggy toy. She plops on the ground and plays with a couple of her stuffed toys. It looks like she's beating them against the ground, but I wonder if there's a story behind it?

"I thought you didn't have London this week?" I question.

"Tori is busy with her studies, so I told her I'd have London for longer," he explains.

"How long?" I ask.

"I don't know." He shrugs. "I'm just happy I have my baby girl for longer. Tori's coming over this weekend to see her, though."

"That's nice then." I smile.

Blake finishes the cleaning and then walks around the bench to wrap me in a hug.

"I missed you," he whispers.

"I missed you too," I reply.

His hand slides down the length of my back before curling around my waist to grab my hand. Blake's fingers link with mine as we walk around the couch to take a seat. I plop down and snuggle into one of the plush cushions while Blake puts on a movie.

Before Blake takes a seat, he grabs London from the ground and places her on his lap. She happily sits and watches the screen intently. On the occasion, she looks up with her little blue eyes to watch Blake before returning her attention to the movie.

"I'm sorry it's not the night we wanted," he apologises.

"It's fine, besides, it's nice seeing London," I explain. "I was just curious."

Seeing London grow up will always remind me of what I'm missing, but if I miss London growing up, I'll hurt even more. It's a double edged dagger that has no comfort. When you fall, you fall hard. There's no soft landing with reality, it kicks you hard, and even when you're down.

"I'll make it up to you, Ava."

"You don't need to, Blake, things are fine." And I mean fine in a good way, not the shrug offed expression you give people when you don't want to talk about things.

Blake places his arm across the back cushion on the couch. I shuffle in closer to get comfortable, which ends up with London jumping ship to sit in my lap. Although, instead of watching the film, she rests her head on my boobs and gets comfortable.

"Are you okay?" he asks.

"I'm fine." I smile.

I wrap my arms around London's small body and kiss her head. Blake leans in and kisses London's cheek, which ultimately leaves my heart fluttering with cuteness.

Within a few minutes, I hear her cute snores which continues to melt my heart. Blake and I watch the movie for a little longer before I get up and take her to bed. He rushes ahead to turn the light on and get the bed ready.

As I walk in, I see him tugging down the covers for her pretty pink princess bed. Blake also turns on the starry night light and then stands to the side.

I place London under the covers and then tuck her in. Kissing her forehead, I gently take a step back and watch to make sure she's still sleeping.

"Goodnight little one." I smile.

"Goodnight, my princess."

I follow Blake into the kitchen as he goes ahead and grabs a supply of snacks.

"What movie do you want to watch?" he asks.

"Whatever you want." I shrug.

"Okay then, don't complain if you don't like the movie." Blake hands me a bowl of popcorn with lollies mixed in it before marching out of the kitchen.

I place the bowl on the coffee table before taking a seat. I wrap myself up in the blanket and then look at Blake as he walks to the couch.

"Why are you looking at me?" He laughs.

"Possibly admiring your pretty eyes." I smile. "Maybe I want you to feed me," I add.

"What do you want?" asks Blake.

"Can I please have an orange snake?"

Blake grabs the bowl from the table and takes a seat. He fishes an orange snake and hold it out for me. I lean in and grab it between my teeth. The snake dangles down my chin which makes Blake shake his head. I chew on the gooey treat and grin with delight.

"Popcorn?"

"Sure." I nod.

I poke my tongue out and Blake places a piece on my tongue. I happily chew as I snuggle into his side. Blake wraps one arm around me and uses the other to eat the food.

The movie eventually plays and I'm surprised when it's a relatively good action movie with heaps of cool stuff exploding. On the occasion, Blake kisses the side of my head which leaves me grinning from ear to ear.

The dire need to kiss his perfect lips is consuming, but I fight it away by thinking about terrible thoughts. When the movie eventually ends, I stifle a yawn which earns me a frown from Blake.

"Don't be tired." He shakes my shoulder. "You can't be sleepy yet."

Despite the shaking, the tiredness still looms around me like a smothering blanket. As much as I'd like to stay, I should go. I've done so well and I don't want to compromise what I've achieved.

"I'm sorry! I spent the whole day studying and now I'm tired," I explain.

"How are they going?" he questions.

"Not too bad," I confess. "Could be better."

"That's good." He smiles. "And I'm happy you're back studying too."

"Thank you." I grin.

"If you're too tired to drive, you could stay here," he suggests. "You can sleep in the bed and I'll stay on the couch."

While his offer is insanely tempting, I shake my head. I'm sure staying at his house will be the first move to my downfall, as dramatic as it sounds.

"I'm going to head home, actually." My heart sinks at the thought, but I ignore it.

"Okay." He nods.

There's a sad gloom in his green eyes, but it doesn't last for long. He tugs on a smile and gets up. I follow in suit as I push the blanket off and scramble to my feet.

The blanket falls on the ground and Blake places the bowl on the table. We walk outside and down to the front yard. I unlock my car and open the door.

"Thank you for coming over. I enjoyed hanging out," he says.

"Me too," I admit.

Blake opens his arms and I lean in for a hug. He kisses my forehead and then gazes at my lips. My eyes flutter to his perfect, pink kissable lips before I drag my attention to a nearby tree.

He obviously gets the hint because he takes a hesitant step away.

"Drive safely," says Blake.

"I will." I smile.

"Let me know when you get home," he adds.

"No worries."

I get into the car and Blake closes the door behind me. I quickly start the ignition and drive away. In the rearview mirror, I see Blake waving at me.

The drive is short and I quickly arrive at home. When I walk through the front door, I see my father passed out in front of the luminous television. I sneak up to my bedroom and close the door behind me.

I grab my phone from my pocket and quickly message Blake.

'Made it home safe.' – Ava.

'Goodnight.' – Blake.

Once that's done, I put my phone on charge and then change into my pyjamas. I jump under the blanket and get comfortable.

My bed might be small and Blake free, but I'm proud. I managed to stay strong and come home. It's hard to resist the want to crawl back into his arms, but I know this is the best thing for me.

The journey doesn't change on the size of your steps. As long as you're willing to create and action to move, you'll get there in the end. Whether that's a baby step, a colossal jump, or a big leap; moving forward doesn't have to be a race. It's the desire to keep moving that makes the journey, not the destination.    

Do you feel happier about Blake and Ava after seeing their first date?