Farewell to New York, Hello to a New Chapter (Solo ft. Nat)

Norah yawned, prompting a return yawn from her father. "Okay, you know you can't yawn like that, Norah. It's contagious and now I'm here yawning."

"Sorry, daddy, but it is late," she teased, but there was some truth to it.

Nate smiled, sighing at the young girl on the screen. These calls always felt painfully short. "Well, I suppose it is your bedtime. I'll let you go, baby."

Norah nodded sheepishly, but there was something disappointed about her expression. "Do you think you can come visit soon?"

Nate's smile faltered, because the schedule he kept in his head broke his heart. "We'll see what I can do, muffin. Til then, I love you, no matter where we are."

"I love you, too. Goodnight, daddy."

"Night, Norah. Think you can let your mom know I'd like to chat with her?"

His daughter nodded dutifully and left the frame, leaving an empty chair in a sleek computer room until Natalie took Norah's place. "I don't know how you managed this so long. Not being around might be killing me."

"Well I didn't have much of a choice, did I, Nathaniel?" Natalie reminded him, a little more harshly than she'd meant to. She didn't blame him for not coming along with her when she moved, but it stung to be separated from the daughter that she'd raised on her own for so long while her father lay claim.

She ran a hand through her hair as she took it out from the tight bun it'd been confined in. "We make it work, though. We'll keep making it work."

If there was bitterness in Nat's voice, it was justified. The decision to let Nate get to know his daughter by letting her finish up the school year in New York was not an easy one.

"We do. It's just hard. Splitting time with her isn't going to get any easier." Nate propped his head on his hand and sighed. "More and more, I just wonder if I made the wrong choice not taking you up on your offer."

"I thought you were too rooted in New York."

"I am. I was. I guess this was just where I finally started building a life," he admitted. "With the Mansion, with Haven. And that's great. It's good. But Norah changed a lot. She's a big piece that's missing now. And it's not just her."

Natalie paused. "What do you mean?"

Nate was careful in replying, because it was likely unfair of him to throw something like this at Natalie after everything that happened. "Being her dad is wonderful. Best thing in my life, honestly. But it was better with you. Parenting together was special. And even outside of parenting, I guess I just miss you, Nat." Neither of them was perfect, but Nat's stint in New York helped Nate see the amazing woman he had stumbled his way into meeting.

"I..." Natalie trailed off, pinching the bridge of her nose. "That's not fair, Nathaniel. You can't spring this on me... there's too much at stake."

"I know, I know. It just sucks." Nate reclined in his chair and rubbed his temples. "Things were going great and then life happened. I'm sick of life getting in the way. The more I think about us, the more I wonder if I blew it by not taking the chance to move out there with you and Norah. Probably late to be thinking like that now, I guess. Sorry, Nat." He really was being unfair. Natalie had months to move on with her life, only for him to drag up how things ended. Maybe it was best they close out the call.

Natalie wasn't good at sharing her feelings, but she couldn't let things continue like this. She had said it before; there was a lot on the line. "I miss you, Nate. God damn, I wish I didn't."

It was nice to know the feeling was mutual, though it did not complicate things less. It did strengthen Nate's resolve. He had the thought before, but never entertained it until Nat's admission. "Nat. If... no, I won't put this on you. I am making this choice." Nate had to make the tough decision for once, and it could not just rely on an important woman in his life.

"I have contacts in Chicago in the art world. Legitimate ones," he clarified, realizing that statement could mean many more illegal things. "I could get myself started up out there. Norah could have both parents, which the kid deserves. And you and I... well, if you'd want to try again..." He could not be presumptuous.

"Don't say that if you're not serious, Nate. I know you've moved on in New York and I'm not prepared to play second fiddle," Natalie warned harshly, though her stomach was doing flips at the idea of a possibility of having Nate as her own again.

Nate felt the twist in his stomach. It was the kind of feeling you got before making a life-changing decision. "You're a hard woman to move on from, Nat. I want to be close to my daughter again, but if it's even the faintest possibility, I want to give you and I the proper shot we deserve."

"I..." Natalie was at a loss for words for one of the first times in her life. "I'd like to make things work with you."

Nate smiled genuinely, feeling a warmth spread through him. He was really doing this, wasn't he? He was going to follow through this time. "Then it's settled. I'll talk with Devon about this. I'll have to transition any projects I have active to other members, but he'll understand. I'll make him understand, if need be," he said, determined. "I want to do this. I want to land in Chicago to give my little girl a hug and to kiss you again and make Chicago jealous."

Natalie smile. Genuinely smiled. There were few things in her life that she wanted anymore, and all of them had to do with Nate, as much as she didn't want to admit to it. "Norah's going to be more pleased than you know."

"Good. I'm sorry I let our little family break up. Never again, Nat. I'm ready to start my new chapter with you and Norah and whatever comes next." Of course, as ready as he was, there were people he owed goodbyes to in New York...