NORTH

- You know they're still together, right? -

- Well... Maybe the envelope thing is necessary after all -

- Let's leave everything as it is -

- Don't be a coward, we've already reached this point. Why stop now? -

- What are you going to do with that? -

- I'll make sure they see it... It'd be a good idea if you go and get ready -

- You surprise me every time...

- I'm just doing what's best for everyone.

Daniel took the children to meet their new little cousin. Deanna refused to go, she had things to settle with Harry first.

- Your wife? - Charles asked his son.

- She stayed at home... for now -

- I see... Well, that's understandable -

- What do you mean Deanna didn't come? - Laura was anxious to see her.

- No -

Although he had brought his children, Daniel was not in the mood to see them, he was still a bit upset about everything that had happened. Internally, he carried his own guilt and it was beginning to weigh on him.

"- What else are you holding back? -

- Nothing -"

He didn't know why he lied to her. Perhaps he felt it was too much to confess his sin to her at that moment as well. Or out of sheer fear. And even though she was in much better spirits, he didn't want to tell her, honestly, he didn't want to have to admit his mistake to her.

- How is Dean? -

Harry needed to know.

- Now better... what do you want to know for? -

- Come on, Daniel! -

- How long are you going to go on with all this? Don't you think you've had enough? -

- We'll leave, the three of us... I've already looked for a house and I'll accept your offer to work at the branch... What more do you want? -

- To have her left alone once and for all. Leave us alone... -

- I'm sorry for everything that happened, I really am... I understood that there's no sense in sacrificing the little I could build -

Daniel watched his brother carefully, it was the first time in a long time that he heard him speak with any maturity.

- She's going to take your head off when you see her again... -

- I know... But I deserve it, I'm not going to avoid it -

- Don't do it... I'll be there to hold her back later -

He felt a bitter taste in his mouth, he was avoiding it himself. Again that feeling of guilt.

-Daniel, I need to talk to you.

Charles had good news to give him regarding the company and the capital flight and the partners' support. One less problem. It looked like things were starting to fall into place.

Without Harry's secret hidden, threatening the balance, the rest was a matter of time and patience. Reed, too, would run out of excuses and resources and would have to walk away with his tail between his legs, humiliated at not having gotten what he wanted so badly.

At last the path seemed to become clearer for Daniel. His wife was waiting for him at home in love, his children had someone else in their lives willing to accompany them; the shadows were receding and giving way to a bright future.

He wanted to travel with Deanna, after all they didn't have a honeymoon. To Italy, to take her to the opera at the Theater Massimo or to Buenos Aires to see the Theater Colón .

He wanted to have children with Deanna, he wanted to see her sing on one stage or all of them, he wanted so many things. How different he was from the Daniel Crusher who had met her that time in Harry's apartment. That Daniel wanted anything anymore. But this one was filled with hopes and dreams like a little boy.

And Leonard wanted more or less the same, or not. Anyway, he couldn't stop thinking about the little lady and how she was slipping through his fingers. Nothing he did was enough, nothing he offered her was interesting to her, apparently she was in love with the hunk ice of Crusher. He hadn't been able to get through to her since he left the theater, he couldn't confront her like he had at the party, let alone knock on her door.

Charles was playing all or nothing against him to protect Daniel, but Reed's intentions were not to destroy the company, only to hit him with a small blow to lower his morale. If you weaken only one pillar, the other must bear the weight; but if you weaken both, the structure falls. And that was what he lacked.

At the end of the day, from their own perspectives, all they wanted was to get home and find her waiting for them. The dent was big, as was the imprint it had left on both of them.

Daniel returned with the children with two things on his mind: a son and a confession. To get the first, he had to pass the test of the second, and he was not so sure about that. But if he continued to deny this shadow within him, it would only grow larger. He had to be brave, he never wavered.

But he saw her in the living room, covered with a blanket and drinking coffee, smiling at him as he walked through the door, and he wavered. This woman had turned him into a bundle of constant doubt, everything in his life began to revolve around her, to build itself around her. The kiss she gave him made him forget the decision he had made a few hours before. It wasn't worth losing the caresses and her smile for a glimpse that turned out to be nothing.

He decided he could live with this shadow inside him, he would just ignore it.

- Have you ever thought about having children? -

- Sure -

- How many children? -

- I haven't thought about it... Why do you ask? -

- I was curious when I saw Emma today... if you'd ever want to have any -

- Are you suggesting something? Hmm? -

- No, I'm not...

- Yes, I've thought about it. But first I'd like to see what I can do with my voice... Life in the theater is wonderful, every aspect of bringing a play to life is fascinating... At the Ambassador I have been able to see how the costumes are made for each show, how the set designers build the pieces... I'd seen a lot of that in college, but I'd never been able to participate so closely... -

Of course Deanna wanted to sing. A son now would end up keeping her in the house, waiting for the kid to be independent enough to hit the boards. Hearing her speak with such enthusiasm always brought a kind of joy to him, she was as passionate about her career as she was about life. Everything that radiated from her was a vital energy that Daniel wanted to feed on for the rest of his life.

Out of the blue and just because, he would hug her tightly and surprise her. When he did the little things like bringing her pizza to bed or taking her products to the bathroom and making room for her clothes and shoes, she died of tenderness. Perhaps seeing an imposing man like him show such consideration made him seem more approachable.

Deanna knew he struggled with his jealousy and insecurities, another sign that he was more human than his appearance suggested. He who imposed his will with few, dry words, disarmed in her arms between kisses and strokes. He who had a rigid and opaque look that denigrated those who challenged him, could see her with bright and feverish eyes in the hottest moments.

What began as a farce became a truth. A revelation of sorts for Daniel, who believed his life began with his children and ended with the company, a new north. And a path to the future for Deanna, who went with what she felt, as she always did.