Heath had always treated me like a princess. For as long as I have known him, he had been this way. There really wasn't a mean bone in his body. I still remember our first fight. One of the rare times he let it go that far.

"Heathcliff Andrew Ledger were you raised in some Australian Outback barn?" I shouted from the bathroom.

"What?" he asked from the bedroom.

"The bathroom is a pig sty. Don't you ever pick things up?" I asked shouting back to him.

"I pick up fine. I just took a shower. I'll pick it up later," he shrugged.

I picked up a wet towel and his wife beater from the floor. Then walked to the bedroom where he laid reading the newspaper.

"I've asked you so many times. I've lost count to please pick up your shit from the bathroom," I said throwing the wife beater at him.

"God Terra. It's not that big of a deal. I just got out fifteen minutes ago. It's hardly hurting anything," he shouted back with a stern look on his face.

"I'm just so tired of stepping on wet towels and various clothes. it's so embarrassing. What if we had company," I said as i started to raise my voice.

"Fuck. Well if I'm so embarrassing, why the hell did you agree to live with me?" he replied annoyed.

"Maybe I didn't know I was moving in with an inconsiderate, what do they call it where you're from, oh yes 'feral pig'," I shouted in a rude tone.

"God woman, you on your period?" he yelled.

Tears began to well in my eyes. "I'm sorry if me wanting our house to look nice offends you. I've asked you and you promised. That's all," I said as I began to cry.

"Terra," his voice softened.

"Forget it. Leave me alone," I replied. I left out bedroom and walked to my study. I locked the door knowing full well he had a key. It was however the first and only time I had ever did it.

I must have cried on my couch for over an hour. Perhaps I fell asleep. I don't quite remember. What I do remember was Heath's voice startling me.

"Kitten?" he whispered.

"What?" I snapped still groggy.

"I'm sorry. I bring a piece offering," he smiled lifting a large plate of warm brownies in front of him, "Forgive me please. The bathroom is clean and there's a pile of brownies with our names on them."

I tried not to smile but it was worthless. I couldn't be mad at him. "I'm sorry too," I replied.

"Come on kitten, let's watch a movie and pig on brownies," he smiled.

That was the biggest and the worse of all our fights. It also turned out that the PMS Heath had suggested during the fight turned out to be pregnancy. It was only a week later we found out that parenthood would be our next challenge.

I smiled. Thoughts of our daughter Tabitha Elizabeth filled my heart. She was the light of my life. The best thing that ever happened to me and the best gift Heath could have ever helped give me. He was the best father. The news of my pregnancy never fazed him.

"Baby, you busy?" I asked. leaning against the breakfast bar.

"Just making breakfast. Never too busy for you kitten," he replied cooking the bacon.

"There's something we need to talk about," I felt my heart race as the words slipped from my lips. My fingers nervously played with the home pregnancy test.

"Sure kitten. Anything you'd like," he said continuing the preparation of the food.

The words escaped me. I was terrified of his reaction. I knew him, but one could never tell a man's reaction to this type of news.

He turned to my silence. He watched me play with the plastic contraption. My concentration fixed on it.

"What's that?" he asked curiously.<>I still couldn't speak. It tried with all my might, but still nothing. I let the plastic stick fall from my finger tips.

Heath walked over and picked it up. He studied it for a moment. The moment he realized what it was he looked up at me almost in shock.

"Is this what I think it is?" he asked. I nodded, confirming his question.

"Does this mean what I thin it does?" he asked his face expressionless.

Again all I could do was nod. My heart stopped. I couldn't breath. I felt the earth stand still. All I could do is stare into his eyes.

"Oh my god," he said unable to believe the news. He turned away from me staring at the results in his hands. I just watched as he placed the test on the counter and looked up.

"We're going to have a baby," he said turning to me. A large smiled fixed on his face. "Did you hear me?" he asked enthusiastically.

I smiled and nodded. "A baby!" he shouted whopping and picking me up hugging me tightly and swinging me around.

My worse fear of rejection was crushed in that single moment. That's how life was with Heath. What could have been considered by most as a rushed relationship, was to me as life finally falling into place and making sense.

I remember how Tabitha's birth brought out the best in both of us. Heath helped with everything. He took time off of work to be with us and refused to go anywhere without us when Tabitha could travel. He had it written in his acting contracts as a standard that without us he would not work, and so it was.

He had tried it once. It lasted a total of four days.

"Kitten, I can't do this," he said his voice soft and tired.  

"What's wrong darling?" I asked.

"I miss you and Tabitha. I can't think straight. I can't sleep at night. I miss you in my bed and Tabitha crying at 7am," he rambled.

"Sweetie, you'll be fine. You can call at anytime. We'll be here," I said trying to be supportive.

"I can't. I need you guys. Or I have to go home. I feel I'm going out of my mind," he said almost desperately.

Sweetie, You can't do that. We miss you too," I replied my heart aching for him.

"What if Tabitha forgets me. I'm such a bad father. God, what do I think I am? I'm no man, I'm a dead beat dad," he rambled.

I could hear him pacing the hotel room. "Darling. Listen to yourself. You're none of those things. She could never forget the best dad a girl ask for,"I said trying to help.

"Please, come visit. I need you," he replied in a desperate voice.

"Ok, we'll visit. Just for you. But I know you can do this," I explained.

We came the down the next day. However, it wasn't really a visit. We spent the next three months by his side. Since that day the three of us had hardly been away for very long.

I blinked realizing the rain had begun once again. I gripped the steering wheel harder. I looked at the clock. I had been driving now for almost two hours. I looked up seeing the exit I needed.<>I followed HIS directions he so precisely gave me this morning. He sounded so desperate. Why now? What did he want this time? He was too unpredictable to tell.

I pulled my Four Runner to the curb of the address HE had given me. He didn't even know about Tabitha, or Heath for that matter. I bit my lip and took a breath.

"Well it's now or never," I said softly. I took a step out of my car and put up my umbrella. The rain was pouring now.

I closed and locked my car and slowly waked up the pathway. I looked at the door and there HE stood. Thunder shook the air after a light lit up the sky.

I could feel myself walking toward the door though I felt my head tell me to make a run for it. He stood there starring back at me. I felt my heart pounding so hard. I thought it'd leap out of my chest.

He opened the screen door when I reached the porch. I smiled at him. He smiled back causing my heart to beat faster.

"Hey," I said my voice almost cracking.

"Hey, come in," he replied.

I left my umbrella outside and proceeded to walk in the house. My arm brushed past his and I felt myself let out a soft gasp. Tingly sensations flew to every extremity I had.

"How are you?" I managed to say.

"Better now that your here," he answered closing the screen and front door.

"What's with the urgency?" I asked.

"Come in, relax a while We have plenty of time to discuss that," he replied.

He lead me to the living room. I sat on his large soft couch. He sat next to me. His cologne danced its way through he air and ticked my nose.

"So what's going on with you?" I asked.

"Not a whole lot really. Just still working on my solo projects. Dabbling in films. That sort of thing. How about you?" he asked.

I stared at him realizing this was the question I was dreading. I knew it'd come up, but I still didn't want to answer it. I had gone over it many times in my head. I finally gave up and decided the truth was what had to be said. It was the one thing our relationship had always lacked.

"Well, I have a baby girl, Tabitha and she's gorgeous. The light of my life. I"m basically an at home mom right now and in a week I'm getting married," I explained.

"Well, congrats. Do you have a picture of Tabitha?" he asked his face getting a soft look about it.

"Yeah," I smiled pulling out my wallet from my purse.

I handed him my wallet exposing the picture of my beautiful daughter.

"She's gorgeous, just like her mom. How old?" he asked.

"A year, just. She eats like a horse and grows like a weed," I laughed.

"Is this your fiancee?" he asked after he had flipped the to the family portrait.

"Yes, that's Heath," I said slowly.

"Nice looking fella. Tabitha's father?"he asked softly.

I nodded watching him flip though my pictures. His face was soft and sullen. I studied his expression. I use to be able to read him easily, but I couldn't figure this one out.

"Nice family you have," he said almost in a whisper, handing me back my wallet.

"What's the matter Joe?" I asked him.

"Nothing. Just lost someone close to me," he replied sadly.  

"Oh god. Who?" I asked touching his shoulder softly.

He looked over at my hand. I watched him close his eyes. "You," he whispered.

"Me? You haven't lost me. Don't you ever scare me like that," I slapped his shoulder.

"I'm serious," he said looking up at me, tears were forming in his eyes.   "What?" I don't understand," I replied confused.   "Terra, I"ve been trying to find you for like a year. No one wanted to help or give me information on you. I"m amazed I found you now," he stated his face still sad.

"You found me though and I'm here now, right?" I smiled lifting his chin up.

Tears tricked down his face. He looked so lost. I had never seen him this upset before. "But I'm too late," he sighed.

"Too late for what?" I asked wiping the tears from his face.

His big brown eyes starred into mine. I couldn't breathe the gaze. I was almost intoxicated by them. I felt his hands caress my face and pull me into his.

I felt his warm lips kiss mine. I closed my eyes and slightly opened my mouth inviting the kiss. I kissed him passionately. I wrapped my arms around his neck and I felt him move his arms around me pulling me closer to him.

He pulled away and I caught my breath. I kept my hold on him. "I loveyou Terra," he told me.

"Joe," was all I could say.

"Shhh..." he pressed his index figure against my lips. "It took me a long time to realize that I've always love you. It scared me so much and I hated the thought of depending on you, that I treated it and you like dirt in hopes it'd go away. However it didn't. After the year you left and I didn't see you at all I almost went insane. I had to find you. I've spent the entire year looking for you to tell you that I love you, I need you and I can't live without you."

"You know how long I've waited and dreamed you'd say that to me?" I asked feeling my face flush.

"I will never hurt you again. I swear. I'll take such good care of you," he smiled.

"Joey, but Tabitha. Heath," I said being pushed back to reality.

"We can take Tabitha. I'd be a great father to her. We'll be so happy," he said desperately seeing his future slip away.  

"Heath's her father," I said pulling away from him.

"Terra. I want to be a great dad. I want to be a great husband. Let me prove it to you," he begged.

"What about what I want? It's always been about you," I asked pulling out of his embrace.  

"You've wanted me so long. I want you. We can be everything you wanted. Just like you dreamed," he pleaded.

"How do you know what I want and how could you possibly know what I dream of, especially now?" I asked almost insulted.

"Terra, remember how we felt for each other?" he fished.

"We? Joey, it was always one sided," I replied.

"I love you now. Doesn't that count for something?" he asked.  

"How can you say you love me? You throw this at me a week before I am to marry. You knew, didn't you?" I questioned.

He sat in silence. "I love you. I"m sorry. I'm afraid of losing you. Is that such a crime?" he asked tears flowing from his eyes.

I stood up and lifted his face. "I love you with all my heart Joey. I waited forever to hear you say that to me back, but I have a new life. You can't ask me to walk away from that," I replied.

"But we finally found each other," he replied.

"Another place, another lifetime, some other time my love," I said as I kissed him on the forehead.

I didn't look back as I left him crying on he couch. I left the room. I left his house, perhaps even left his life, but I knew now that we both had a permanent place in our hearts.

I walked off the porch and up to my car. I got in and say him standing on the porch. He waved at me and I waived back. Then I was gone.

I sighed. I looked over at the picture of Heath and Tabitha on my dash and smiled at it. I grabbed my cell phone and dialed the number.

"Hello?" the male voice asked.

"Hey baby," I replied.

"Hey kitten. How are things? You there yet?" Heath questioned.

"Yeah, on my way back now," I said.

"Wow! That was quick. What happened?" he asked concerned.

"Nothing really. I'll tell you about it tonight. I'm coming home baby. I love you so much," I explained.

"I love you too kitten. See you soon," he replied.

I hung up the phone. I smiled knowing I did the right thing. I love Joey but Heath and Tabitha have my entire heart and soul. That was something more valuable to me than anything. They were my life now, and it was I don't mind saying, a DAMN good life.