I placed Azaria in a highchair, watching as she played around with her food. After four years away, Port Charles hadn't changed a bit.

Then the bell above the door rung and my eyes met those of Michael's, the father of my daughter.

When I had first left PC I hadn't known I was pregnant, but when I had found out, I wasn't exactly eager to come back and tell him. After all he had always talked about going into business for his father. I didn't want my baby raised in the mob. So, for three years, I had been a single, teenage mom, waiting tables and such.

I know I could have come home and asked one of my older siblings for help, but I was too proud. I wanted to get by on my own.

I blinked, once, twice, before finally clearing my throat and offering my former lover a wave.

We had been young and stupid. And in love.

I had just arrived back in Port Charles after all the years that I've been gone. Port Charles looked the same as it did the day I left. That was not one of my happiest moments. I left because I had a miscarriage and couldn't bear to face the father of my child.

Coming straight from the airport, I had the taxi take me to Kelly's. Growing up, Kelly's was and always will be my favorite place. The food here is good here and you never know who you'll run into while you're here. At the moment, I hope I don't run into Alex. I know I hurt him when I left. I will always regret leaving but I couldn't handle losing our child.

I got out of out of the taxi and got my bags and headed into Kelly's. I held my breath as I walked in the door. I looked around and spotted a familiar face. I let out the breath I was holding and made my way over to Ava's table.

My eyes leave Michael and move to a face I was hoping I would see once I returned. My former best friend Starr Summers. She makes her way over to my table, and a huge smile grazes my lips.


"Hey, old friend," I greet, but my eyes go back over to Michael, who hasn't stopped staring since he came in.

I enter Kelly's in hopes of getting some luck. I spot Michael.


"Hey, man."

But, he doesn't turn away from what has his attention. I look towards what he is staring at and find myself locking eyes with Starr Summers, the girl who had just up and let me, taking my heart with her.

"Hey, old friend"

Ava says when she sees me standing at her table. I smile as I take a seat across from her.

"Hey Ava. How are you? Its been a long time since we last saw each other."

I said as I took a look at who Ava was staring at. I noticed the guy hadn't taken his off of her since I walked in here. I looked at Ava, giving her a small smile.

"Um, not to state the obvious but that guy over there is totally checking you out. From where I'm sitting he looks like a total hottie. Do you know him?"

It was sweet the way he was staring at her. Judging by the way she was looking at him, I'd say they definitely knew each other somehow.

"Oh, it's a long story, one I don't want to share in public. But, long story short, he's my ex," I answered, smiling at my daughter.

"Whod you?" Azaria asked innocently.

"Baby, that's Starr. Mommy's friend."

"By the way some guy is staring at you, too. Starr."

"Oh, it's a long story, one I don't want to share in public. But, long story short, he's my ex," Ava said, not wanting to tell m e it in public.

I nodded and smiled, letting her know that I understood and that she could tell me her story some other time.

"Whod you?"

I looked over at the little girl in the high chair next to Ava. She was beautiful, just like her mother.

"Baby, that's Starr. Mommy's friend." Ava told her daughter.

I watched as her daughter just smiled then looked at Ava as I heard her say something to me.

"By the way some guy is staring at you, too. Starr."

I looked over and saw my ex talking to her ex. My heart stopped for a minute and my lungs almost closed. I took a deep breath and turned my attention back to Ava.

"That's my exboyfriend, Alex. My story is just as long as yours and I don't wanna get into details about it here."

I laughed a bit. "How ironic is it that our exs are now friends? This is what we get for coming back to this town, though, isn't it? Drama."

I had been watching Ava interact with her friend – or companion, I wasn’t sure which. I hadn’t seen her in a few years, and now she was toting a child around. Could she be mine? I thought but shook my head. Finally I got enough courage to go inside the diner that my grandpa owned. “Hello, Ava, it’s been a long time,” I said when I approached the table.

"How ironic is it that our exs are now friends? This is what we get for coming back to this town, though, isn't it? Drama."

Ava was right. All we ever seemed to attract is drama. When I decided to come bacvk here, I wasn't expecting to walk back into ram. I sighed and looked at Ava.

"We've always been magnets for drama. Just once, I'd like to be drama free, even if its only for one day"

I watched as Ava's ex decided to finally come inside. He came over to our table. I let out a breath of relief when I saw that he. was alone. I wasn't reday to see or talk to Alex yet. I needed more time to figure out what I was going to say to him.

“Hello, Ava, it’s been a long time"

Ava's ex said this as he approached the table. I looked at Ava and saw the look she had on her face. I could tell this was abput to get uncomfortable...more uncomfortable then it already was. I didn't know whether I should continue to sit here as support for Ava or if I should get up and give her and her ex time to talk. I looked at Ava.

"Ava, do you want me to stay or should I give you two some time talk?"

Part of me wanted Ava to tell me to stay. I didn't wanna have to get up and go outside and face Alex.

"Ummm...you can stay, Starr."

"Hello, Ava, it's been a long time," Michael said.

I smiled nervously. "That it has. How have you been?"

“Ummm, you can stay, Starr,” my ex told her table companion. She then smiled nervously at me. “That it has. How have you been?”

“Trying my hardest not to consider the lifestyle my father has,” I said then noticed the little girl reaching out to me. “And who is this lovely lady?” I picked her up and held her close while waiting for Ava to answer my question.

I panicked. Could he tell that Azaria was his? She looked exactly like me, except for the eyes. Her eyes were blue like her fathers.


I cleared my throat. "That lifestyle never suited you, Michael. And this is Azaria, my daughter."

"That lifestyle never suited you, Michael. And this is Azaria, my daughter."

I saw the look of fear in Ava;s eyes as she introduced her daughter to her ex. It took me a minute to understand what Ava was going on. Azaria was Michael's daughter. While she looked like Ava, she had Michael's eyes. I hoped for Ava's sake that Michael didn't figure out Azaria was his. I looked at Michael.

Azaria is beautiful, isn't she. She looks just like her mother"

I looked at Ava and gave her a small smile, hoping it would comfort her.

I forced my feet to move towards the door. Starr, my first love, was right in front of me. The only thing that separated us was a sheet of glass and some bricks. I took a deep breath and headed inside.

I stopped beside Michael, who was holding a small child.

"Hey, Starr."

I could see immediate panic in my ex-girlfriend’s eyes. I couldn’t tell that the little girl I was holding had my eyes but I looked down and they were the same periwinkle blue as mine. “That lifestyle never suited you, Michael. And this is Azaria, my daughter,” she told me.

I looked over at Starr when she spoke. “Azaria is beautiful, isn’t she? She looks just like her mother,” she said as she looked at Ava and gave her a small smile, hoping it would comfort her.

I felt Alex step up beside me as I was holding Azaria. “Hey, Starr,” he said.

“Hey man, it’s good to see you,” I said to Alex as I held my hand out for him to shake after handing Azaria back to Ava.

I happily took Azaria from Michael, relieved that he didn't seem suspicious. My three year old clung to me for all but a second before reaching for Alex. She was a people person.

"I's Zari," she introduced herself.

“Hey man, it’s good to see you," Michael said.

"It's good to see you, too." I said, as I watched him hand the baby back to her mother, but soon the child was reaching for me.

I wasn't sure what to do. I hadn't had much experience with children but I lifted her up and smiled at her.

"I's Zari"

"Well, hello Zari. You're a pretty little girl."

"I know."

"Hey Starr" He said after he greeted Michael.

I listened as i watched zari talk to Alex. It was then that realized I couldn't hide from him anymore. It was time to tell him the reason why I left. I just hope that after I tell him, he won't hate me or blame me for what happened.

"Hi Alex"

I'm still nervous whenever I'm around Alex. You would think that I wouldn't be after all these years. Whenever I had to talk to him, no matter wheteher it was good or bad, my stoamch would always turn itself into a knot. I sighed then looked at Alex.

"Why don't we give Michael and Ava some privacy and go outside."

I stood up and grabbed my bags. I looked at Michael.

"It wa snice meeting you Michaael"

After I shook his hand, I walked towards the door and waited for Alex.

Ava happily took Azaria back from me, and I could see that she was relieved that I didn’t seem suspicious even though I was going to interrogate her later. The three year old clung to her mother for all but a second before reaching for Alex. She seemed to be a people person just like my mother. “I’s Zari,” she introduced herself to my friend Alex.

“It’s good to see you too,” Alex said as he watched me hand the baby back to her mother but soon the child was reaching for him. He looked unsure of what to do, since neither of us had had much experience with children but he still lifted her up and smiled at her. “Well hello, Zari, you’re a pretty little girl,” Alex said.

“I know,” she said and that got everyone laughing.

"Why don't we give Michael and Ava some privacy and go outside."

I said goodbye to Michael and Ava, before following Starr outside.

I felt a knot form in the pit of my stomach as I watched Alex and Starr leave. I looked up at Michael, then back down at my daughter, who was in lap and happily eating a chicken nugget.

"Umm..hey," I said.

“Why don’t we give Michael and Ava some privacy and go outside?” Alex and Starr left us alone which had probably been a bad idea since there were still so many questions left unanswered. I watched her watching the little girl that sat in her lap.

“Um, hey,” she said.

I laughed to ease the tension between us. “You can tell me, you know that right? I have a right to know, Ava. Is Azaria mine?” I said turning serious once more.

I looked up at him, shocked by his question.

"Let's not talk about it here, Michael."

She looked up at me, probably shocked by my question. “Let’s not talk about it here, Michael.”

I nodded. “We can discuss it when she’s not here to hear it. I just need to know the truth, Ava,” I told her.

As if on cue, Azaria reached up for Michael, a french fry in one hand.

"Daddy," she said.


Truth was, I had shown her pictures of Michael, and told her he was her father from day one. But, now I was sorta regretting that.

I felt kind of bad leaving Ava alone inside with Michael. I knew thiMe and Alex stepped out of Kelly's so we could talk. ngs were tense between them. Things between me and Alex were tense as well. I felt that I needed to talk to him now before I lost my nerve and ran away again. I looked at Alex.

"I'm glad you agreed to come out here with me. I wanted to talk to you about why I left the way I did a few years ago."

I could see the hurt in his eyes and it breaks my heart. I never meant to hurt him like that. I was scared that he would have left me if I told him about the miscarriage. nstead of telling him and seeing how he would reacted, I left. I left thinking it was better when in reality it wasn't. Leaving him like that was a big mistake.

When she had left my entire world had collapsed around me.

"Why did you leave?"

As if on cue, the little girl creating space between us reached up for me, a French fry in one hand. “Daddy,” she said.

Ava had probably shown her pictures of me and explained that I was this little girl’s dad from day one. But I could see the regret forming in Ava’s eyes. “Why don’t we have Starr and Alex take her home and we can go somewhere private and discuss this?” I asked softly.

I nodded, relieved that he wasn't angry.

"We can go back to my hotel room. I'm staying at the Metrocourt right now."

I took Azaria outside to where Alex and Starr and were, and asked them to babysit. Alex said yes, though I could tell he really didn't want to.

"I can take her to my brother's house," I offered.

Alex shook his head. "No, it's okay. Isn't it Starr?"

I didn't wait for Starr's answer. I had to go. I had tell Michael the truth.

I saw the look in Alex's eyes and I heard the hurt in his voice as I stood there and listened to him ask me the question I knew he was going to ask me.

"Why did you leave?"

I took a deep breath before answering him. The moment that I dreaded all this time had finally come. It was time for me to stop running and talk to him. I took another deep breath then began to talk.

"I need you to understand that I never meant to hurt you the way I did. I did love you and I still do and leaving was the hardest thing I ever did. I will always regret that I hurt you when I left"

I felt my eyes water as I thought back to the day I left and why. I sniffled and wiped my eyes, hoping that Alex didn't see me cry.

"This isn't easy for me to say. A little over a year after our relationship progressed I was pregnant. I was afraid and decided not to tell anyone about it. I was palnning on telling you but then something bad happened before I could."

The look on Alex's face told me that he was waiting for me to continue. So, I did.

"During my second month, I had an accident. I fell while getting out of the tub. I landed hard but didn't feel any pain. After I checked myself I figured no damage was done so I went to sleep. I woke up in the middle night in massive pain."

I couldn't help the tears hat came out of my eyes. I wiped them away furiously and took a nother breath before continuing to talk.

"I turned the lights on and pulled back the sheets and saw the blood. In an instant I new what happened. I cried, cleaned myself up, changed the sheets and went back to sleep, deciding to wait until morning to go to the doctor. Instead of going to school the next morning I went to the clinic to get checked out. My fears were confirmed. I had a miscarriage. I was devastated and heartbroken. I suffered the loss of our baby because I never said anything to you or anyone else."

I started crying again. I could see the pain in Alex's eyes and it broke my heart. Calming down, I continued talking.

"Unable to handle the pain of losing our baby, I decided to leave. I left because I couldn't bring myself to tell you that I had a miscarriage. I thought that once you knew you would blame me and hate me. I ran away because I already lost our baby and I didn't wanna lose you too"

I looked at Alex and saw that he was in tears. I knew what I just told him was a lot for him to process. I only hope that he won't hate me in the end.

I turned away from him. The door to Kelly's opened and Ava, Michael and Zari walked out. They came over to us. I heard Ava ask Alex if wou;d mind babysitting Zari for a little while so she could talk to Michael.

"I can take her to my brother's house," Ava said

"No, it's okay. Isn't it Starr?" Alex replied.

I nodded in response. I didn't mind watching Zari for a little bit.