Summary: Jeff suddenly finds himself in a completely new situation – a new life, even – when Catalina once again comes back into his life, this time bringing Jack along.
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: Lex O’Leary and Jeff Delricci belong to NYgoldfish54. Fred and Catalina belong to me. Jack belongs to Catalina and Jeff – do the math yourself on that one.

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Chapter 1. Reality
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    You know when you make a decision solely based on your feelings in the heat of the moment? You don’t really take your time to think things through before you’ve made up your mind about something important. I usually try to keep a cool head regarding my life. I don’t make stupid, rash decisions. I don’t.

    Well, I normally don’t.

    But I was standing there with my arms around her, looking into her eyes, mesmerized with how much I’d missed her over the past three or so years. I was blinded by relief and happiness and some random madness, so you can’t hold it against me. It was a passionate moment; anybody would’ve been swept off their feet.

    Lex, who is my best friend in the entire world, is entirely responsible for all this. Hadn’t it been for her – and her pushover of a husband – I wouldn’t have come to see Catalina. Lex convinced me – in her oh-so-subtle way – that tracking down my old girlfriend would be an awesome idea. I was against it at first, but I think Lex coned me with reversed psychology. She always does that when she’s trying to play me.

    I always thought I’d react differently if I ever met Catalina again. After all, she just disappeared one day without saying where she’d go. She was my girlfriend and she just got up and left without a trace. Sure, that was a few years ago – more specifically sophomore year in high school – but I sort of never got over it. Well, I didn’t dwell over it, but there were moments where I thought about her obsessively only because I wanted to know what had happened to her.

    One thing I’ve always wondered about is what happens after the happy ending in movies. Boy chases down girl at airport, boy kisses girl, boy forgives girl for leaving three years ago and intentionally ‘forgetting’ to mention the child she’s raised without boy’s knowledge. Okay, that last thing rarely happens in movies so strike that.

    At least I don’t have to wonder about that no more. I’ve been there. I’ve had my happy ending. During a weak moment I gave the impression that everything was alright between us. But you know what the weird thing about happy endings is? They are usually not over just because the movie is.

    If my life were a movie, I’d like that end. Being at the airport, having her in my arms, kissing her, and not worrying about what to come. I’d like that end.

    I guess you’re dying to know what follows a happy ending, huh? Let me tell you my view of it. Because you can’t keep on kissing the girl forever. Even if that’s what you want to.

    I let go of her, and suddenly everything was awkward. Three years of no communication at all, followed by a passionate kiss, and then awkwardness – I bet that’s to expect under those circumstances. It was awkward. She giggled, looking down at her shoes. Her son – our son – kept bouncing up and down on the bench next to us. I couldn’t think straight. I wanted to keep holding her, touching her, just to know if she was for real, if she was truly there in person.

    Lex happened to be my savior. She showed up at the same time as I had given up on saying anything conversationally. The boy seemed to already know Lex quite well, and he ran off to meet her. He also appeared to be especially fond of Fred, Lex’s husband. The two of them suggested we’d all go out for something to eat, and that’s what we did.

    I still don’t know what I’ve done. I still don’t know anything about her. I don’t know why she decided to leave. I don’t know why she dropped out of high school. I don’t know why she didn’t try to contact me. And I still don’t know what to say to her.

    What I do know is that I’ve talked her into coming back to New York with me. Undoubtedly, she’ll be staying with me for a while when we get there. She doesn’t know anyone else there.

    I didn’t expect this. A week ago, I had no knowledge at all of her whereabouts. A week ago I was living by myself, doing my own stuff, living my own life – and now I’m not even sure how tomorrow will be like.

    All I know is that I’ve found an old missing girlfriend and that I have a son named Jack, who, until a few days ago, I’ve never heard of.

    And now I have to deal with that.