I was out with Alder while Emmalyn was at school. I was smiling to myself. I suspected something about our daughter that Alder would freak if he knew. I looked up. "It's been a while since we've just done something like this," I said.

"It has. Raising our daughter and our jobs haven't given us much spare time," Alder agreed. He was smiling at me. I saw the ring on his finger and it made me smile. That seemed like years ago now, but it wasn't that long ago. "Is... that a bite on your arm?" My gaze followed Alder's gaze and landed on the scar.

"Yip," I admitted. "Nervous dog. She bit me while I was examining her." I gazed at the scar. "It was a few days ago, actually. I'm just glad it wasn't an alligator." Alder choked on air.

"A-alligator?" He stammered. I gave a slight nod.

"He's one of the usuals. Usually in for a check-up." I replied. Alder merely blinked at me. "He hasn't bitten me," I assured. "But I know he could if he really wanted to."

"My God..." Alder was looking at me. I placed on my hand on his.

"Hey, I'm not going anywhere anytime soon! If he bit me I'd probably have to go to the hospital to get stitches but I'm not going anywhere. Not soon, anyway." I couldn't bare to think what Alder would do if I died. Would he become depressed again? Almost unconsciously, my eyes travelled over to Alder's arms. He was wearing long sleeves.

"Good." Alder said, making my gaze tear itself away. Then, he blinked. "Uh oh, trouble at nine 'o clock." He attempted to prevent me from looking at the man he was looking at. My father. Here we go again. Wait, I sniffed my father. He was sober.... for once.

"Uh, sir, why are you sniffing me?" Those were the first words I'd heard from my father in years. I made my expression flat, attempting to swallow my fear and come off as indifferent about how he affected me after and before the divorce. At 31, while I was still short, I realized my father and I were the same height.

"I'm sorry sir," I replied, flat expression still on my face. "My name is Sullivan Sense," I said as if introducing myself for the first time. "And you may not remember me, but I remember you, too well. Well, Zane, I'd like you to meet Alder, you never knew him because you left when I was six, him and I met when we were twelve." I paused, judging my father's expression.

My father first blinked, then, his green eyes lightened slightly. Was it because he was temporarily not fuzzy-brained because he was sober? Zane stared at me.

"S-Sullivan?" My father's stammer almost made me want to hug him but I knew him better than that. First sip of alcohol and he turns. "It's you... it's my boy...." I remained with the flat expression. "You've grown..." Where one would've touched the other in a reunion scene like this, we didn't. My father kept his hands to himself, as if he knew I wouldn't want to be held by him. "Look at you.... you're an adult..." My father left the conversation at that and left.

Whatever confidence I'd risen from the grave crawled back into its hole and I fell back into my seat. I couldn't believe I'd just done that. I hadn't talked to my father in years. I had stopped missing him a while ago. Usually, my father's drunk and that causes an attack. Because I smell it.

"Sul-"

"Please don't ask why I did that please," I said, sighing. Alder stopped speaking. "How's work?" I asked.

"It's fine I guess," he said, shrugging. "I don't really know how to else to describe it."

"Well, you know, there was a bit of 'excitement' at my work this week," I laughed. Alder looked at me.

"Yes.... but... you could get seriously hurt..."

"I know that, especially with the special cases at my work. I'm fine, well except for the bite, but still!" I placed a hand on his shoulder. "I'm not going anywhere soon. I'm staying right here with you, I married you. I love you, Alder."