Ava looked nervous about sharing the image she had of her future. I was a little nervous too. I didn't want anything to come between us. There was a chance we didn't want the same things, but I was pretty flexible about a lot of things.

"Ok... just promise that even if our plans are different we won't walk away from each other immediately. I want to think everything through and maybe one of us will change our minds." She said softly, taking my hand again.

"Alright. I promise. No walking away until we've thought everything through." I promised her.

"Alright... ideally... in the future, I would be married, both of us working pretty successful careers and feeling stable in our lives. I would like to have a puppy... maybe not though, it depends on how much we're both working."

I sat in silence, waiting for her to continue, to say something about a kid. Just one, that's all I wanted. But she didn't add anything onto that. So I just sat there, I closed my eyes, my heart breaking just a little bit. Then, I thought of the first person I'd tell about the fact that Ava didn't want children. Momma.

"Gabriel... please say something." Ava said to me, desperately. She knew I'd want kids, that was obvious, and she knew it might come between us.

"I will, just give me a second and I'll tell you how I see my future." I said to her.

She didn't say anything, which was a blessing. I just needed to think about this for a moment.

Kids are the one thing I've always looked forward to. I've always wanted to have a kid and raise him or her, watch them grow and be successful.

I don't know if I could give that dream up. But my feelings for Ava, what we have already, I don't want to lose it. I can't lose Ava.

Maybe she'll change her mind?

No, that's not fair, she shouldn't have to. She's great with kids, I've seen it. Maybe she just doesn't want to carry a child.

"Ok, I actually have a question." I said to her.

"What is it?" She asked, taking my hand and squeezing it.

"Do you want kids?" I asked her.

"I love kids, Gabriel. I really do. But as a mother, you have to be willing to give your all to your kid. My job is demanding and I don't feel that I could be a good mother under the circumstances." She explained.

"Ok... is it about being pregnant and your job, or is it that you just don't want the responsibility of any child because you wouldn't be able to give them the time you think you should?" I asked her.

"I wouldn't be able to give them the time and attention that they need and deserve." She said.

"So even adoption is out of the question?" I asked her.

"Y-yeah." She nodded.

"Ok." I nodded, trying not to show her how horrible it felt to hear this. I'd made a promise to think everything through and I would do exactly that.

Ok, so no kids. Can I be ok with that?

What if I had to be? What if Ava couldn't have kids and she didn't want to adopt? I would accept that. I wouldn't hesitate. So why am I hesitating now?

Ava is telling me that there are circumstances in her life that are preventing her from seeing kids in her future. So, if I truly love this girl, that should be perfectly acceptable.

Momma couldn't have kids, and Dad didn't have to think twice. Why is this so difficult for me? Maybe because it wasn't that Momma didn't want kids... I mean adoption was still an option for them.

Can I live without my own kid? I probably can, right? I have all my students... I have Arabella's kids, Remi seems to have a child involved in his pending relationship... I know Theo and Evan plan on having kids and Vidal and Kiara do too, but not at the moment.

So it's not like I won't have children everywhere. I'll still be a part of raising those children. I can live without my own kid, but I don't feel like I can pass up a girl like Ava.

I turned to Ava and I looked into her scared brown eyes. I smiled softly and took her hand, bringing it to my lips and kissing the back of it.

"What?" She asked me.

"Nothing." I smiled at her.

"Are you going to tell me honestly how you see your future?" She asked me.

"Yes. I am." I told her.

"Go ahead." She urged me nervously.

"In the future, I'd like to be married, I'd like to continue my teaching career. I'd like to still be an active part of my family, and be involved in raising all the children. In terms of my own family, I have all of the children in my extended family and I have my students. So I already have kids in a sense. If my wife was to decide she wanted kids, then I'd be happy to take that on with her. If she didn't want kids, that's fine as well. I just hope that she's ready to get to know my family and be a part of it." I smiled at her.

"Really?" She asked me, her eyes filling with tears, a relieved smile forming on her beautiful face.

"Of course, Ava. I don't need my own children to be happy." I smiled at her.

"Are you sure?" She asked me.

"I'm sure. If you were ever to change your mind, then I'd be very happy to have our own kid, if not though, I'm perfectly capable of being happy with just me and you." I told her.

"I really thought I was about to lose this." She said.

"I know I scared you, I'm sorry." I told her.

"You really wanted kids though, before I said that." She said.

"Yeah. I did. I won't lie to you, but that won't be something that gets between us, Ava. You getting pregnant and having a kid shouldn't be anyone's choice but yours, adopting a kid also means that the kid needs lots of attention, and if we can't both give that child all the attention in the world, it isn't worth it." I told her.

"I know. That's exactly why I don't want kids." She sighed.

"But be prepared for me to never shut up about my students." I chuckled.

"Of course. And be prepared for me to never shut up about my patients." She laughed.

"Alright... so... future update." I said. "Doctor, Teacher, maybe a puppy if we have time to walk it and play with it... and lots and lots of dates... how does that sound?" I asked her.

"Perfect!" She laughed. "How do you feel about travel?"

"Oh, yes! We're definitely going to travel any chance you get to." I smiled at her.

"But one step at a time... let's start with these three dates." She said to me.

"Alright... And the first is tomorrow." I said to her.

"Sounds good. Where are you going to take me?" She laughed.

"I haven't finalized my decision yet... but just so we're clear... I literally can't eat out anywhere except for Angel's." I informed her.

"I know." She smiled. "I don't mind. Angel's is the best based on those sandwiches you always bring me."

"Great. So, we'll get dinner there tomorrow and then the real date will start after that. I don't want it to just be dinner, that's so basic." I sighed.

"I agree." She giggled. "Why don't I plan the second date, huh?"

"Oh, you want to plan it?" I asked her.

"Yes. All the pressure shouldn't be on you." She said to me.

"Hey, speaking of pressure. Don't you have certification exam coming up?" I asked her.

"Yes." She laughed. "As soon as I hit my two year mark since meeting you." She laughed.

I smiled.

"I met you on my first day of my residency... and I'm almost done, can you believe that?" She asked, a huge grin forming on her gorgeous face.

"I can. You're a really good doctor, Ava." I smiled at her, watching the wind blow her hair into her face.

"I'm glad you think so." She smiled at me.

"I know so... I see how all your worried patients come out looking relieved. How you're ready to do whatever it takes to put their minds at ease. The trust you build between you and your patients... it's incredible, Ava." I smiled at her.

"No one has ever said anything like that to me before." She said, looking up at me in awe.

I tucked some hair behind her ear and smiled. She was so gorgeous, it was messing with me.

"You're so good at what you do. You're good with people, you're considerate, mature, smart, generous, and oh so beautiful." I sighed, not breaking our eye contact.

She turned a little red at the compliment.

"You're amazing with your students, you know. Just based on your stories and based on the few that have come in to the doctors office with little facts that I never expect them to know. I think it's amazing that you give them that kind of knowledge at such a young age." She smiled at me.

"I just feel like the education system is failing them, especially the young ones. They sit in classrooms and learn their ABC's and little addition problems when they're capable of so much more." I said with a smile. "You should see Lily. She's only six and this girl reads at such an advanced level. Reading is her thing. She's a little shaky with math, but I push her and she gets it with just a little bit of encouragement. She's learned so much."

"Lily is your favourite. You've known her ever since I met you, haven't you?" Ava asked me.

"Yeah. I taught her in her primary class and then she moved on to another teacher, but she always visits me in the mornings, at recess, at lunch and after school. She gets some food, sometimes takes naps and I give her new books to read." I smiled.

"She's definitely the favourite then." Ava chuckled.

"Oh yeah, definitely. I don't even deny that anymore. But I'll never tell anyone at the school about it." I laughed.

"She sounds adorable." I laughed.

"She is. She's a lot like you, actually. She likes me, but she's so stubborn all the time." I laughed. "She likes to pick on me and throw glitter all over my head."

Ava burst out laughing, probably remembering when I showed up with glitter all over my head that time.

"She sounds adorable." Ava laughed.

"She is." I chuckled, wishing I could understand that little girl's struggles a little bit better. "Anyways, why don't you tell me something about yourself that I don't know?"

"Like what?" She asked me.

"Like... about your family, or I don't know, something you hate, something you love. Anything." I smiled.

"Ok, I'll tell you about my family... Dad is half-Indian. Surprisingly, he's not overly protective in that he lets me do whatever I want. But, he is very protective when it comes to guys, especially after what happened years back and how he was the one to set things up. But he's wanted me to find a relationship that I'm happy with, and I think he'll really like you." She smiled.

"I hope he does." I smiled back at her.

"Mom is American, she's a sweetheart, I think she'll love you... she's protective as well, but it's like they try not to stop me from doing anything I'm sure I want to do. I just wish I could have them around more." Ava told me.

"Well... maybe they can visit, or move here?" I asked her.

"I want them to move here. But while there's nothing left for me in Canton, they have their jobs and their friends." Ava said.

"There are always other jobs and other people though." I said.

"Yeah. But it isn't that easy." Ava shrugged.

"I get it. I'd never in a million years want to move from here, because my family and friends are here and I'm happy with my job and stuff." I agreed.

"Exactly." She nodded. "I really like this little spot, it's cute."

"It is." I agreed, turning to our view and biting into my delicious sandwich. We both ate our sandwiches in a very comfortable silence and then I felt Ava's head rest against my shoulder.

"Are you tired?" I asked her.

"Yeah. Today was pretty crazy... but I am very happy with the way things went down." She said.

"So am I." I smiled at her.

"I just want to sit here a little longer." She said. "I like that we can sit in silence and no one feels the need to speak... but it's weird that I'm this comfortable with you."

"Yeah. But we have known each other for two years." I smiled.

"That's true." She laughed, taking my hand.

Ava was more affectionate than I ever thought she would be. Taking my hand and resting against me aren't things I would've expected from her so early on in this pre-relationship situation we were in. But I was definitely ok with it, and I wouldn't stop her.