The Baron Legacy: Chapter Five: I Want a Life With You

"I won't, Cooper... I won't..."

Those words echoed in his head for the next two months, where Elenna had mostly kept to herself.

Even though they still weren't talking as much as he'd liked, Cooper was walking on air. He loved someone, and that someone loved him back. It was the greatest feeling in the world, and he continually found himself smiling at the thought of their life together. He would no longer be alone. He wouldn't be a one man show... he'd finally be able to become everything he wanted to be. A strong musician that comes home to a beautiful wife and loving kids. That's all he wanted.

Elenna told him she needed time. Her husband, Arlo, would never see this coming... she wasn't sure how to tell him she was in love with a younger man. After all, she was having his child... the news had to be broken soon, but tactfully.

Cooper spent the next few months playing his guitar, working, and daydreaming about his soon to be perfect life... one so different from all that he'd ever known.

Cooper received a call one day from Elenna. It had been a few weeks since he had heard from her last, and he was getting worried. Turns out, she had her baby! The joy in her voice made Cooper's heart melt. She sounded so happy, but at the same time, so sad to have to tear the little bundle of joy away from his real father's arms...

"You've talked to him, right?..." Cooper asked her, unsure if she had talked to Arlo yet. It had been quite a few months since that night at the bistro, and he was hoping she would have said something by now.

"Well... yes... but he's not happy at all..." she said quietly.

"Well, I wouldn't expect him to be," Cooper replied.

"Cooper... he knows its you..."

"What?! Elenna, I thought-"

"I couldn't hide it from him, Coop. He wanted to know. He demanded it. He has a right to know..."

"But..."

"Cooper, you're going to be taking care of HIS son when he's gone. He just... he has a right to know..."

Poor Coop couldn't argue that one with her. He had to admit, if the situation was reversed, he'd want to know, too. He felt absolutely terrible about the whole situation, but he got the girl, and there was a big part of him that was truly satisfied with that fact.

After a long pause, he spoke.

"Meet me at the beach in an hour."

"What?"

"Meet me there. In one hour. It's been too long since I've seen you."

He could hear her sigh, somewhat unwilling to come, but he knew she would, anyway. He hung up the phone, grabbed a taxi, and headed off to their meeting place.

When he finally arrived, he thought he would have to wait a while for Elenna to show... but there she was, standing where the grass met the beach, waiting for him.

"You look beautiful," he sighed, taking her hands in his and admiring her.

She sighed, giving a half smile and rolling her eyes. "Oh please. I'm still wearing my maternity clothes."

"You make them look good," Cooper laughed.

"Elenna," Cooper spoke, breaking the short silence. "This... this whole music industry thing. It's going to get me somewhere."

"I don't doubt that, Cooper... is that really why you called me out here?", Elenna replied, crossing her arms.

"It's crazy, really," he laughed, throwing his arms up with a smile, "because that's exactly why I called you out here! Well, maybe not exactly, but it's definitely got something to do with it."

The confused look on her soft, glowing face only made Cooper smile and chuckle a little more.

"Elenna... my beautiful Elenna. You don't doubt me. You believe in me. You make me so happy, so confident... you make me feel like more of a man than I ever have before..."

He took a step closer to her, and she shifted her stance a little. He smiled, looking straight into her eyes.

"There's nothing I love more than you, and the person I am when I'm with you. I feel like I can dance on air, all the time. Absolutely, all the time. It's the strangest feeling, but I've never felt so carefree."

She eyed him carefully as he ended his sentence. He gave a sly smile in reply, then moved forward for a kiss. It was completely unexpected, but it wasn't unwelcome.

Cooper grabbed Elenna's hand and pulled her farther into the sand.

"Elenna, I called you out here today because I just can't hold these things in any longer. I want to be able to tell you these things every single day, every moment, whenever I feel like it. I don't want to have to hide how we really feel about each other, because I know it's all so real..."

He could sense by the sheen in her eyes that she was starting to melt. No words were needed, he could tell she felt the same way. He pulled her in for a compassionate kiss.

"I can see it in your eyes, your lips... I feel it in your presence. I know you feel the same way... I know you do..."

"Oh, Cooper..." she muffled quietly, trying to avoid the achy emotion in her throat. "You know it was always you... I never meant to hurt you. The whole thing with Arlo, I don't know what I was thinking... It was always you..."

He pulled her close once more. "Elenna, none of that matters now. What matters is that we're here, and that this... this feels right."

He took a step back from her and examined her quiet, tired eyes and her apparent emotional vulnerability. If there was any time to do this, it was now...

"My beautiful, I love you. You are my best friend. The one I can talk to about anything. We had a rocky start, but maybe that means we'll have a beautiful end... I hope to give everything to you that you have given to me. Laughter, inspiration, comfort... and above all, an undying love. I promise, Elenna, that I will love you no matter what. Through the easy times, the good times, the bad times, the dark times. I want to be there for it all. I want to be a father to your child. I want to be a husband you can be proud of."