Sitting beside her, Marcus ran his fingers through her hair and asked softly, "Are you skipping work today?"

"A half day sounds good!" Melissa admitted.

Leaning in close, Marcus murmured, "Chances are, we made a baby last night."

Melissa said nothing back to him.

She rested her head on his lap.

In his shirt and her long black hair cascading lazily, she murmured, "When you took Yvonne to school, I thought about grabbing contraceptives but I couldn't be bothered."

Melissa wasn't clueless.

She understood Marcus wasn't just after sex.

He wanted her commitment. Simply put, he wanted to know she still cared.

On the night Weldon was set to whisk Matthew away, Marcus had shown up like a guardian angel.

Melissa admitted to herself she still had feelings for him, even with the possibility of another pregnancy looming. She decided to face the music and accept the situation. Truth was, she didn't refuse the medication out of distaste, but rather out of reluctance.

Marcus, being no fool, sensed her inner turmoil.

What a stubborn woman!

He chuckled to himself, opting not to call her out on her lie. He'd learned to navigate her moods.

“Why did you keep me out of the loop on selling the apartment? Why not turn to me for help first when things happened? Don't you trust me?" he prodded gently.

Before she could respond, he teased, "I guess you're homeless now with your apartment gone!"

He planted another kiss on her lips, teasing, "Poor thing, homeless and all!"

Melissa sometimes wondered if Marcus saw her as a delicate little creature, like a rabbit or a lamb.

Taking her hand, she asked softly, “What's the plan with Shawn?"

Melissa's tone was soft and her eyes were full of trust as she spoke.