Rose p.o.v

"Hey Rose," Derek greeted me with much hesitance. "Don't you wanna play with Anna and Max?" 

I shook my head. 

"And...why is that?" 

I sighed. I didn't want to talk. I was so tired. But answered Derek anyway, "Too tired." 

"Ah, I see... Don't you wanna cuddle with Nathan or Ellis?" He asked. 

I shook my head again. 

"Okay then." And that was it. 

We had ended our conversation there and just sat next to each other. I closed my eyes and let the calming sound of the birds, the calming feeling of the wind and sun against my skin, and the calming smell of Derek, calm my body down to let myself drift away in a peaceful nap. 

I had no idea for how long we sat there when I was woken up by Derek. I looked at him with a groggy face, questioning him why he would wake me up from one of the most peaceful sleep I have had since I woke up in the hospital. 

He lightful chuckled, "We are going home, Rose." 

I looked around and saw indeed that everybody was packing their stuff to go. I whined. It was so nice here. I didn't want to leave yet. 

"What's wrong?" Derek asked. 

I shook my head and stood up from the bench, letting Derek's arm go in the process. 

He too stood up and caressed my head once and said, "It was nice seeing you again, Rose. I hope we see each other soon again." 

I looked at him with big eyes. I didn't want him to leave. It felt wrong to feel so, but couldn't help it. 

Standing there glued to the ground I followed Derek with my eyes, how he made his way to his car. The car I wanted to get in so badly. 

Nathan called my name which got me out of my little trance. I made my way to him and he asked once again if I was 'all right'. 

I nodded my head and we made our way home. Well, Nathan and Max's home. Their place didn't feel like my home. 

By the time we arrived, I was exhausted. Even with the extra nap, I couldn't keep my eyes open. 

When Nathan saw me getting out of the car, he commented, "Looks like somebody needs an early bedtime." I yawned in response which cause him to slightly laugh. 

Nathan helped me get ready for bed when he asked, "You sure you don't want some dinner?" 

I nodded my head. But that was when Nathan looked at me as something had just come to him. "Rose? I noticed you don't talk as much as you did...before. Is everything all right? And you got to use your words, young lady." He slightly scolded. 

"I am fine Nathan. Just very very tired." 

"Well, even though I understand why you don't want to talk much when tired, I still want you to use your words." He said as he tucked me in. "I know I am not your Daddy, but I am your Uncle Nathan, so to say, so I will have one rule for you. No nodding and shaking your head anymore. Use your words. Understood?" 

Just as I was about to nod my head, I said, "Understood Nathan." 

"Good," He gave me a forehead kiss. "Because I need to know how you feel." 

For the rest of the week Max was distant towards me, I guess because he is still angry about that night I stayed with them. I didn't blame him though. I, too, wished I would have just stayed put that night. But of course, I couldn't help myself. 

It was the following Sunday morning that things changed around. Max eavesdropped on the conversation I had with Nathan. I knew this because I could see him hiding behind the pillar from the corner of my eye. 

Nathan and I were eating breakfast when I had asked him a burning question that had been swarming inside my head since the day I saw Derek again. 

"Nathan?" 

The broad man hummed in response. 

"Do you maybe... I don't know, maybe know if... you know," It was hard to form the question as I was shy and scared to ask it. 

Nathan chuckled. "Do I know what?" 

I pouted. "Do you maybe... do you maybe know if Olivia and Derek are still together?" I rushed out while closing my eyes, too afraid of what Nathan's reaction would be. 

When I didn't hear anything for a while I slowly opened my eyes and saw a surprised Nathan sitting in front of me. He had put down the newspaper he was reading and had his full attention on me. 

It took him a couple of more seconds and shifting in his seat before he could answer or even respond to my rushed-out question. I thought I wasn't clear, so I opened my mouth to ask again. It was then Nathan decided to finally to utter some words on the matter. 

"Uhm no-no... they are not together, no, not together anymore... Uhm why are you asking this-this Rose?" Nathan stammered. I couldn't read his reaction well. He looked, uncomfortable? 

This was the last scenario I had imagined. I thought he would get angry or something, but not be so flustered. It threw me off as well. 

"Uhm, well you know," I said not knowing how to respond. I didn't really plan this one out well. 

"No, I don't know." 

"I-I just... just miss Derek, that's all." My cheeks were heating up. 

"Oh. Oh." 

Nathan looked even more flustered than before. It was right now he didn't even know how to use a chair anymore, how to sit properly. He stood up and kept messing with the newspaper. It didn't want to fold the way he wanted. After some awkward attempts, he gave up and had put the bundle of paper on the counter. 

He paced through the kitchen a couple of times when he finally stopped, facing me putting his hands on his sides and then crossing them in front of his chest again. 

"Soooo, you miss him. You miss him how exactly?" 

I shrugged my shoulders. Could you miss a person differently than just missing them? 

"I don't know, I just miss him." 

"Yeah, but like miss miss him or just miss him?"

"I don't follow..." I slowly responded. 

Nathan turned around and groaned. Running his fingers through his hair and whispering to himself be cool, be cool, be cool Nathan. Be cool. He turned around just as quickly that it even made me dizzy by just looking at him. 

Uncle Nathan was acting weird, I thought. 

"What I meant was do you miss him as a friend, as a Daddy, or as... as more as a friend?" 

I shrugged my shoulders again. "I don't know, I just miss him as a person, I guess." 

Nathan nodded his head and said mindlessly to himself that's good, that's good. It was truly weird looking at him. He was so, so not Nathan. It was kinda funny. 

"All right, well, do you wanna see him now?" 

"I can?" I asked as I tilted my head. 

"Of course, we can go whenever we have time and right now we have nothing planned. Also, I know Max wouldn't mind because Derek has good ice cream at his house." 

It was then Max made himself known to the room. "We getting ice cream Daddy?" Nathan jumped from his feet as Max without any warning stood right there in the kitchen. 

"Pup, please don't scare me like that. You will give me a heart attack if you keep doing that. But yes, if Rose still wants to go we can get ice cream at Uncle Derek's place. If, if he agrees Max. I can't make promises on his behalf, so no whining when you don't get any." 

Max pouted but agreed anyway. 

Twenty minutes later we were on our way to Derek's place and for the first time, since a long time, I felt a sense of home. 

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Thanks for reading and have a nice day!