So we meet again

"Life will never be perfect," Cecilia said with a shrug. She wasn't about to tell him she had once again lost everything she had ever cared about. "I've spent the last two months like the princess locked in a tower only with a baby." she chuckled realizing that is how she had felt cooped up in the little cottage only seeing people who had come to vist, only looking out the window longing for someone or something new. "How have you been?" She asked tilting her head to the side slowly pushing the stroller back and forth in a soothing motion for the baby.

"That sounds... Fun." Jake said in an almost teasing tone.

He sighed when she asked how he'd been. There really wasn't much he could say, he'd just worked most of the time. Up until six months ago when he found out he was the father of a three year old girl. He hadn't known how to react to knowing Anali was his daughter, expect deny it at first. But he'd gotten used to the idea of having her around and he quickly adjusted.

"Busy, I guess the right word would be." he told her. "With the work at the Ministry and Anali, this is really the first time I've had any free time pretty much since I graduated." he added.

Jake hadn't had time for much of anything anymore. He hadn't even seen his friends since the three of them graduated. Being an adult wasn't a lot of fun, just a lot of work. Although Jake never really minded it until Anali came into the picture. He just wanted to spend all his time with the young girl.

"Yeah," Cecilia said quietly. "Since Mollie was born in May I've been trapped in a small cottage, here in France." She understood not haveing much free time as she took care of her daughter and finished her schooling with tutors. "I only saw a few family members and the tutors Elijah had hired for me." She sighed and looked down at the baby and smiled slightly. She looks so peaceful.

"It must've sucked to not be able to see anyone outside of family and tutors."

Jake obviously didn't know what it was like to be that way, without being able to see whoever he wanted. Well he kind of knew what it was like, but not in the same sense as Cecilia had been going through. For him it was just because of work. He could see whoever he wanted whenever he wanted, but he hardly ever did because of all the work he had.

Cecilia, on the other hand, didn't really have that option.

"Is today like... the only time you've been able to get out?" he asked.

Anali shifted a bit in Jake's arms and he looked at the three year old. She had been staring at Mollie and now wanted Jake to put her down. The man did as his daughter wanted and she walked over to the baby. Anali made no movement to touch the baby, she just tilted her head as she stared into the stroller at the younger girl.

"Yeah pretty much," Cecilia said with a slight nod watching as the little girl made her father put her down so she could get a closer look at the baby. "She's cute when she sleeps." she murmured. Looking back up at Jake "So you've been busy since you graduated. I Know you worked at Hogwarts, and could never figure out why you left but where else have you worked?" she tilted her head to the side like she was known to do the wonderment clear in her eyes.

"How old is she?" Anali asked softly, reaching out to place her hand on the edge of Mollie's stroller.

Jake looked at his daughter with sad eyes, remembering her mother. She just looked so much like her and it actually made Jake a little bit sad to look at her, every time he did he remembered her mother. But he wouldn't have it any other way, Anali was so beautiful and she got her beauty from her mother. It was obvious.

"I left because teaching wasn't for me. I had fun teaching everyone and all, but I couldn't really do it for long. I work at the Ministry now. Again." he said. "I worked there before and I guess you can say I yearned to go back to being a Beast Specialist." he told her softly.

"only a few months old," Cecilia answered Anali, "She doesn't do much but cry and sleep yet but she can be adorable when she's quite," She explained quietly and looked back up at Jake as he answered her questions about his work. "I liked seeing someone i knew well around Hogwarts even after you graduated. I may have grown to attached when i was younger." her voice faded away as she remembered back then.

"Oh..." the young girl stated simply in reply to Cecilia's response to her question about Mollie's age. "She's cute..." Anali added softly, still looking into the stroller.

Jake smiled and reached out to stroke Anali's hair gently before he looked at Cecilia as she spoke. "Oh. Um, sorry I left." he said. "I would have wanted to stay, I actually really did..." his voice faded as she said that. The only reason he would have wanted to stay was to be near Cecilia but he wasn't going to admit that.

"But I couldn't do it anymore. I preferred going back to the Ministry." he added.

"It is understandable," Cecilia said with a slight nod. No matter how much Cecilia had wanted him to stay she could have never made that decision for him. She knew this now as she talked to him and his daughter. She could have never made him love her. like every one else who knew Cecilia they never seemed to stay around forever. "So what do you say we go somewhere and stop standing in the middle of a crowded sidewalk? you know so the children won't get hurt or anything." she suggested lamely

"We were just on our way to get some lunch." Jake started when Cecilia suggested they go somewhere else so they weren't standing on the sidewalk. "Why don't you and Mollie join us?" he smiled at the younger girl. Anali quickly looked up at Jake and frowned. "But Daddy -" Jake knew she was going to protest. He looked down at her, frowning and shook his head.

Anali knew better than to make her father angry and she closed her mouth. The three year old poured and looked down at the stroller again, watching the sleeping baby. Jake sighed and wondered if Anali was going to be like this around every girl he knew and met up with. It was like having an overprotective mother, except younger and she was his daughter.