There were two options: One where Sierra walked into the Taj Mal to get Vincent back and another where Vincent came back knocking.

Vincent tossed and turned at night in his bed. He paced like a tiger in his den as he dug a hole in his restaurant's kitchen floor and spaced out while brushing his teeth. The man could not stop thinking about Sierra since the Scandinavian customer came to his restaurant.

Just the fact the customer evoked Sierra's name triggered all of vincent's senses. He missed her; the three months break in their relationship gave him time to think. Vincent concluded he was better with than without Sierra. The man was ready to endorse any role the woman wished.

Finally, Vincent made option two a reality with a slight nuance he rang instead of knocking on Sierra's doorbell.

The man's mouth remained agape as he found himself in front of Jonas. Vincent looked down the hall and at Sierra's door number. He was at the right place but not in front of the right person.

"Eh, does Sierraㅡ."

Before Vincent could finish, a familiar voice came from inside, "Jonas, who is it?"

Jonas eyed Vincent up and down. The man was smart; he didn't come with the cliché lets make-up bouquet, which made excuses seem fake, "It's for you," Jonas yelled down the hall.

Sierra came to the door stopped in her tracks, "Vincent," she exclaimed.

"Sierra, Iㅡ."

"Don't just stand there. Come in," Sierra said with a smile too radiant to Jonas's taste.

Jonas let vincent pass, and all three came to stand in the living room. Leone's eyes switched from one man to the other.

Many would see a triangle; all Jonas saw was the starting line of a race that ran straight to Sierra.

"Eh, I wanted to see you," Vincent began.

The awkward and surreal scene made Sierra discreetly pinch her thigh to check she was not wide awake. Her state confirmed, the woman proceeded to presentations.

"Ah, eh, Vincent, this is Jonas, Leone's father. Jonas, this isㅡ."

"I know who he is, Sierra."

Blunt and flat, Jonas employed the tone he used when something irritated him.

Another odd and silent moment arrived. Sierra could almost see the wind blow and her spirit fleeing with it.

"Well, nice to see you again, Vincent."

Yes, Jonas was a gentleman who did not let his state of mind get in the way of common courtesy. "Come on, Leone, let's go to the park to feed the birds."

Sierra slightly shook her head, "Jonas, you don't have toㅡ."

"No, it's okay. You two need to talk," the man scooped up his son dressed him.

Leone's stare lingered on Sierra and Vincent. If the boy could speak, he would have told his father to stay. Seeing the lack of reaction from Jonas, Leone began to cry. He stretched his hands in Sierra's direction. Nor Sierra or Jonas understood the sudden tantrum, but the child was more alert than his father. Leone whiffed the danger.

"Stop it, Leone."

Unjustly scolded, the infant sulked in the arms of his father, who carried him away.

The door shut, and Jonas looked down at his son, "don't look at me like that. What did you expect me to do?"

Jonas was stuck; he knew the scene playing in Sierra's living room's theater could throw the following episodes of their life in the turmoil of drama. The shy guy had never fought for any woman. Whether it was on screen or in real life, Jonas found love triangles ridicule and has-been. At the same time, he never sought to be with someone who was already in a relationship.

Was Sierra taken?

Sierra said Vincent and she broke up, so they could also pick-up. Jonas and Cecile were the perfect examples. The woman could disappear for months and come back into his life as if she only went out to pick up the morning papers or milk on his doorstep.

Only Sierra could pull the brakes on a situation that could, if pursued, cause a crash. It was Sierra's choice, but would the woman who lived by her loyalty girl-code accept her best friend's man as hers?

"Sorry about that," Sierra said once alone with Vincent. A sheepish stare adorned her face; the peculiar situation took Sierra out of her comfort zone.

"No, no worries, I'm just a little surprised. How come heㅡ," Vincent pointed behind him.

"Eh, Jonas is evaluating me."

Sierra smiled nervously. The strict term she used brought their situation back to its official status.

"Evaluating?"

"Well, eh, we made a deal. Jonas is evaluating me to see if I'm fit to raise Leone."

Vincent's eyes scanned the living room, "he comes here every day?"

"No, he lives here," Sierra didn't wish to lie. Besides, she had nothing to hide.

"Okay, eh, I see," Vincent swiped his fingers on his forehead. He expected anything except this, "eh, how long will he stay?"

Sierra, who fixed her sleepers, lifted her head to say, "he'll be gone by the end of May."

"What? That's like eighty days away."

"Well, we already spent one-hundred and twenty-something days together."

"What, since when has he been here?"

"Since January, do you want a drink?" Sierra needed a tiny break from the hardy conversation.

"Eh, yeah."

So did Vincent.

Sierra hurried to the kitchen; her thoughts ran wild. Her reunion with Vincent never involved a twenty-question interrogatory.

"Get a grip of yourself, Sierra," she muttered.

Vincent was still the handsome man she knew, the sight of his lashes alone sent shivers up her spine, and in came Jonas waltzing into her mind.

It seemed the woman could not think of one without the other appearing.

"So, how have you been?" Sierra hoped by initiating the conversation, and they would not go back to Jonas. She sat down next to Vincent on the couch.

"I'm well; my mother was sick. I spent the beginning of the year in London."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that."

Sierra suddenly felt guilty. During all this time, she believed the man ignored her when he tended to his mother.

"She's alright now. I even told her about you."

"You did? Wow," Sierra's cheeks rose to blush.

The gesture touched her.

"Eh, I've been thinking about you and I ㅡ."

"I overreacted, Vincent. I'm sorry. I was exhausted, overworked, and in over my head. I didn't know what I was doing."

Vincent took her hand and placed a hand on top of hers, "we were both in over our heads. I've given it a lot of thought. If you want to raise Leone, I'm with you. Let's start over. I love you, Sierra. Please give us a chance."

These words were what Sierra dreamt and waited to hear during all these months without Vincent.

Where Jonas put in metaphors of actions, Vincent formulated his desires with words that transcended Sierra, who carried by the momentum replied, "okay."

If Jacob were present, she would have got one of his infamous knuckles on her head as she decided without waiting to see if her mind and heart were in accordance.

Vincent gave her a corner smile, "so can I invite you to dinner, let's say tomorrow?"

"I have to see with Jonas first. The delay seems short. Would Friday be okay?"

"Oh, ah, yeah, no worries."

Seeing Vincent's frown, Sierra felt the need to explain, "It's just because he'll have to take care of Leone for the night."

"I understand," Vincent had to play it cool if he wanted to win Sierra back. Making a scene would only comfort her old misconceptions concerning his incapacity to accept her situation and Leone.

His eyes wandered about again, "where does Jonas sleep?"

"Here in the living room."

"Oh, okay, great," Vincent replied, unable to hide his relief.

Sierra laughed, "I'm sorry, Vincent."

"Don't be; I'm just soaking in the information. I admit it, I didn't foresee this scenario but really, no biggie. I mean, the man won't be here in two months, right."

Sierra couldn't tell if the sentence was affirmative or if it awaited confirmation.

"Yeah, Jonas only has two months left with us." Saying it brought Sierra back to the reality of Jonas's departure. Sierra never thought of it because it was the plan. The question was, did she want him to go?

Sierra conditioned herself into thinking she did. Vincent's surprise visit reassured her as she still had feelings for him. The man's timing was perfect for the woman who wanted to silence the emotions howling Jonas's name.

"Sierra."

"Yes."

"You seemed somewhere else."

"No, I'm fine, Vincent. I'm so glad to see you. I missed you."

Vincent was her man. Why did she torture herself when she already had someone. Again, guilt taunted Sierra as she began to feel as though she cheated on the man.

"Vincentㅡ."

The front door opened and stopped Sierra from asking a crucial question.

Four months was long; her emotions went up and down on a rollercoaster for Jonas. The probability Vincent experienced something similar was fair.

Sierra wished to relieve her consciousness instead; her heart rate shot up as Jonas walked back into the living room.

"How was the walk?"

"Good, Leone's tired," Jonas crossed the living room to lay Leon in his playpen.

"I better be leaving," Vincent said.

"Okay."

Sierra got up and accompanied him to the door, where Vincent turned to say, "let me know if it's good for Friday."

"I will."

The man leaned and kissed her on the cheek. Vincent's scent floated to Sierra's nose and intoxicated her mind with the nostalgia of their relationship.

Vincent was the right man but also the safe choice for Sierra.