Dear Mister New.

The world to love is a wonderful adventure. The uncertainty and racing hearts, the shy looks and hidden smiles from a female perspective is a small reward to you. Everyone falls in love differently and even before love blooms, it still could be there before seeing it.

Be a gentleman, open doors and pay the bill. Take her arm while walking and steal kisses whenever possible. Surprise her with gifts, even a simple rose.

When nurtured properly, it is a marvellous feeling that soars through you, giving you a high.

Take that high and let her know you're on it, take her with you. Enjoy every second of happiness. We all deserve to feel it and if you ever do, you are one of the lucky few.

Good luck, R.

I saved the document and finished my coffee. It's been a long night. I had the spare room made up and ready and I finished another letter, even though I'm supposed to be studying.

I looked at the time. Just after one in the morning. My eyes were burning, stinging from lack of sleep. I rested my head on the table in front of my laptop.

It wasn't long after that, I saw car headlights, lighting up the room as I jumped up.

She's here! She's here! I flew to the front door and opened it, waiting for Gabriel to come. She closed the boot of the taxi and rolled her bag up to the door.

She saw me waiting at the door and with both of us having our arms open, we crashed in to each other for a tight hug.

"I've missed you!" I grinned.

"Me too!" Gabriel smiled as we pulled away.

"Come inside." I offered. I had the aircon on, cooling the house down.

"You didn't tell me you guys were in a heatwave?" Gabriel pouted.

"It's shocking." I shook my head.

I locked the front door.

"Sit. How was your flight?" I asked her as I jumped on the couch.

"My flight was long and boring. How's your life going? Any more of Ryder appearing?" I heard the curiosity in her voice. I grinned and shook my head again.

"Oh gosh. I can't get rid of him."

"Does he know about Rowan?"

"That Rowan's his son? Yeah."

I saw Gabriel's eyes widen. "You told him?"

I shrugged. "I don't actually regret it." I grimaced at her. "It's good to know that Rowan has his daddy in the picture."

Her eyebrows shot up. "Daddy?"

Did I say that? "Dad." I corrected.

"So... What's happening between you two then?" Gabriel asked, expecting me to answer. I sighed out. "Look, I'm your best friend. We may not see each other as much as we want to, but I know you and I know your feelings. I'm not judging, I just don't want to see you get hurt again. Especially now, with Rowan in the picture as well." She told me, squeezing my hand.

"I know. I don't know. So much has happened. Ryder, Luke, me, studying, my jobs."

Gabriel narrowed her eyes then. "Yes. A lot has happened. Okay, one at a time."

I couldn't help but laugh. "The teacher side of you is coming out." I teased and she poked her tongue out at me. "I got a job promotion."

"Wow!"

"For a newspaper, in the lifestyle section. But the only way I can get the job is if I do my masters in psychology."

Gabriel nodded her head, following every word I said.

"I get to work there two days a week, then the magazine three days a week. The magazine got bought out, my new boss owns both and I think he likes me."

Gabriel rolled her eyes. "Well, to promote you, yeah!"

"No, likes me. He wants to do dinner."

"Oh. Don't you turn that down! It's been so long since you've, you know."

"Since what?"

"Well, since you've had sex." She said bluntly.

"Well..." I felt the guilt riding through me.

Gabriel gasped. "You slut!" She teased.

"Nearly." I then rolled my eyes.

"Who with?"

I closed my eyes. "Ryder."

Gabriel gasped again. "No!" She was lapping all this in. "How?"

"I don't know how. It wasn't even me. I mean, it was me, but I felt like I wasn't in control." I sighed again. "You know how I love my job?" Gabriel nodded. "That I feel their emotions in the letters? Every time Ryder touches me, I can, feel him."

"I bet you do." Came her cheesy grin.

"Not like that. Like, are you feeling any strong emotions right now?"

"I'm intrigued."

This was the first time I actually tried this deliberately. I placed my hands on hers and concentrated. "I feel really happy. And intrigued, and worry."

"That don't mean anything."

I shrugged. "I can't explain it. Not really. Ryder took my arm and instead of feeling hurt and anger, I had this strong desire fill me. I felt lust, attraction, I felt horny."

"Maybe that are your feelings that you've repressed."

I shook my head again. Gabriel didn't understand and I felt my exhaustion come back. "Go to bed before jet lag hits. I'm going to bed because it's nearly two." I hugged her again and showed her to her room. "I've missed you so much."

Before I left her doorway, Gabriel called to me in a soft whisper. "So Ryder. Yay or nay?"

It was back to our university days. But instead, I was the one that went yay or nay to her for the blokes she was seeing.

"Nay." I said. "I'm not walking that path again."

"What the wedding aisle?" She grinned. I went to correct her about my divorce status, but I didn't bother.

"I don't want to get burnt again by Ryder Anderson."

****

Flashback

"Oh Gabriel! What am I going to do?" Rhea chocked out.

"This is what you are going to do." Gabriel said as she held on to her best friend. "You are going to wipe those tears away. It's been nine weeks since that event. You're not moving on like you're meant to."

"He divorced me!" She sobbed. They were in her little apartment, Rhea pouring her heart out again. She had been doing this for a week or two now, finally accepting that it was all real. "I love him so much! He accused me of having an affair! I never would."

"I know, honey. I know." She soothed, rubbing Rhea's hair. "Do you want him back?"

"No!"

"Good. Because he doesn't deserve you. You deserve better."

"But I love him!"

"I know. If you want to go back to him, I'll support you, either way." She spoke calmly.

"I can't believe he did this. He believed lord knows who over me!" Rhea cried out again.

"Here I know what will cheer you up." She said as she got up, heading to the fridge.

"Nothing will."

"Tequila or ice cream?"

Rhea thought for a second. "Ice cream. That might." She cracked a small smile.

Gabriel returned with the tub and two spoons. "I suppose, better not have any alcohol." Gabriel muttered. Rhea snapped her head up.

"What's that meant to mean?"

"You've been on a drunk binge for a few weeks now." Gabriel frowned. "What did you think I meant?"

Rhea shook her head as she shoved some ice cream in to her mouth. But then she busted in to tears again.

"What else has happened? You were emotional the other week, but not as much as now."

"What am I going to do?"

"I'm going to kill him. Doing this to my favourite girl." Gabriel said to her.

Rhea shook her head, her hair going from one side to the other.

"I never want to see him again. He did this to me. Now I'm alone."

"You have me."

"But you are leaving soon."

"But you will still have me." She offered.

Rhea placed the spoon in to the tub and wiped her face. "I'm divorced, jobless, single and alone. I don't know what to do next."

"You will pick yourself up. You will carry on."

Rhea looked at her best friend. "How?"

"The same as everyone else. With time."

"But how am I to get over him if I'm going to have a constant reminder of him?"

Gabriel looked at Rhea in a strange way. "How will you be constantly reminded of him? Didn't you, the little minx, snag a guy just last week?"

"That was nearly two weeks ago." Rhea cried. "I was drunk. I lowered my expectations, my ambitions. It was just one night."

"Then what do you mean?"

Rhea looked at her friend, taking large shaky breathes. "I'm ten weeks pregnant."

Now

Gabriel left early Friday morning to visit her parents and was coming back tonight.

I checked the casserole in the oven as Rowan giggled from the lounge room. I've started decorating for his birthday tomorrow and my lounge room floor was filled with red, blue, yellow and green balloons.

I had streamers set up on the back patio, or BBQ area, and everything else but the balloons. The tables were set and the food was in the fridge, ready for tomorrow. My bench was covered in bowls with unopened chips and biscuits for tomorrow as well.

I saw a red balloon go up as Rowan tried catching it. I couldn't believe he will be three tomorrow.

Apart from Sasha and her two kids and Gabriel, I had another parent from work and a couple kids from Rowan's daycare coming tomorrow. But my party list got a bit longer too. Now there was Ryder and his parents as well.

My casserole was nearly done and Gabriel won't be back till after having dinner with her parents.

I blew up another balloon, tying it off and tried to throw it at Rowan, laughing at the pathetic attempt.

"Momma! Balloon!" He cried out in his giggles as he held one up.

"Blue balloon." I told him.

Then Rowan threw it in the air.

I turned to the oven and turned it off, pulling the casserole out to cool. I did another balloon. I still had party favours to do and after much thought, I decided to stick to a small toy each, a juice box each and a tub of play doh each. I only did it that way because I wasn't sure how other parents felt about small toys or sugar overloads.

I dished up Rowan's dinner and placed it on the table. I saw the high chair I pulled out in case it was needed tomorrow and sighed. Rowan hated his high chair. He refused to use it the moment he could walk, always wanting to sit like me, on a chair. I missed Rowan being that small, and just like every other parent, I had to admit, my baby was growing up.

I heard the knock on my door and frowned. Gabriel shouldn't be back yet.

"Dad? Daddy?" Rowan asked as he went to the door. "Dad!" He yelled out as I went to answer it. I picked Rowan up and opened the door.

The kid must have a sixth sense because as soon as he saw it was Ryder, he jumped from my arms to his father's. "Dad!" He smiled before pointing to the balloons. "Balloon!"

Ryder smiled as he hugged Rowan. "How did he know I was here? I could hear him through the door."

I shrugged and closed the door. "What are you doing here? His party don't start for another 15 hours?" I asked him as Ryder walked to the balloon covered floor.

"More balloons?" Ryder asked him as he put Rowan down.

Rowan ran off giggling, attacking another air filled balloon.

"You said I could come see him." Ryder told me as he turned to me.

"Telling me in advance helps me too, you know." I snapped as I picked Rowan up. "Rowan, dinner."

I placed Rowan at the table and sat next to him, making sure he doesn't make a mess.

"Dad eat too!" He said.

I raised an eyebrow at him before getting up. "Do you want some too?" I gritted my teeth at him.

"What is it?" He asked me, ignoring my tone.

"Lamb casserole." I answered, going to the kitchen.

Ryder followed me in there. "I might, actually. I haven't had a decent home cooked meal in years." He grinned at me.

I rolled my eyes at him. "You ate the other day at your mother's."

"I meant your cooking." He answered back, as I buttered some bread.

The comment made me suppress the shivers that tried to overcome me. I placed a bowl on the table with some buttered bread.

"Thank you. But why the bread?" Ryder asked as he sat on the other side of Rowan.

I frowned, looking at his dinner. "Uh,"

"I'm surprised you would remember that."

I don't know why I remembered that. I know Ryder likes buttered bread with anything creamy or saucy. I shrugged and sat back down. I watched as Rowan ate before spotting Ryder dipping some bread in to his dinner.

"Bread?" Rowan turned to me.

I went to get up but Rowan beat me to it. "I'll get it." He offered after giving Rowan his bread.

I looked at Rowan as he frowned, his face full of concentration as he slowly dipped the bread in to his dinner before tasting it.

Then he did it again and again. Oh no, I've created a new trend with him. Well, Ryder did.

"More, Momma?" Rowan asked.

"Eat first." I told him. All Rowan did was suck up the juices, not touching his meat and vegetables.

"This is really good." Ryder muttered. "Are you going to eat?"

I shook my head. "Maybe later." I said as I got up. "I'm too busy. Can you watch him?"

Ryder frowned but nodded as I went to the lounge room to start tying the streamers on to the balloons.