I woke up to an empty bed. Did I dream that he had come home and held me all night? Could I really imagine that embrace? The blinds in the bedroom had been closed and that hasn't been done since Justin was last here, I always forgot to do that... so he had to be home. If he was in this house, I needed to see him. I needed to feel him again.  I jump out of bed and run down the stairs. "Justin" I yelled. But it came across as a panic.

            "Em?" I hear him but I can't see him. He comes running out of the kitchen in a hurry and towards me.

"Justin!" I jump into his arms. "I thought I had dreamt that you were home."

"I'm here." He says as he brushes the hair out of my face and gently rubs the side of my face with his thumbs. "I'm here." I stood there in his arms holding a tight grip around him. I didn't want to let go. He has his head rested on the side of mine, breathing in the scent of my hair, "I love you" he whispers. "I'm so sorry... I really love you." I squeeze my eyes closed, holding onto this moment because we may never get this moment again.

            I step back to look at him, look into those baby blues that have so much hurt in them. "I love you... I promise you I will stand next to you through all of this. I'm not going anywhere."

"You want to do this with me?" he asked with a sigh of relief.

"Love is something that is rare to find in life, and somehow we were lucky enough to find it. As much as I wanted to be the mother of your children, I'm more than happy to help you raise this little girl as my very own. That is if you want me to be the mother of your children..."

"Of course I want you to be the mother of my children... and we will have kids together, she will need some siblings. But first things are first... we need to makes sure she is my daughter."

"Justin when you see Harlow... you are going to know as soon as you see her."

"Harlow?" he asked breathlessly. "Does she have my last name?"

"I actually don't know what her last name is... her name is Harlow though. She is gorgeous."

            I see Lynn standing in the door sobbing. "I'm sorry, I'm totally ease dropping on your conversation but the two of you together make me so unbelievably happy. You have no idea how happy that makes me..." Justin pulls her in closer to us. And we both embrace her.

            Justin had been up early and already talked to the attorney. Tracey was on her way over to the house. I left her a frantic voicemail late last night asking her to stop at the house before she even went to the office. I also left one for Lexie, but I have yet to hear from her.

            I didn't know how I was going to tell her or what I was going to say to her when she got here but we had a story that was going to blow up so much so fast that we needed to get a running start on. Work may be the last thing I want to deal with right now but it was my job to deal with his life. I wanted to protect his career but most of all I wanted to protect him from how he is going to feel when they run with hundreds of false stories.

            Tracey enters the door a little scared. She had no clue what was going on but she knew it was serious when she looked over and saw Justin sitting with his lawyer and his mother.

"Em... what's going on?"

"Tracey, I think you should sit down. A lot has happen in the last twelve hours."

            After I deliver all the information she sits there, silent. "Wow" is all she could manage to get out.

"I think we just need to release a blunt statement. Get it out there and ask for his privacy and hope he gets it. I think if we hide it the black lash is going to be worse... what do you think?"

She just said there, still shocked about everything.

"Earth to Tracey!" Waving my hands in circles trying to get her attention.

"Sorry... I ... I'm just am stunned by this."

"Yea, me too."

"Do you think this is really his baby?" she questioned.

"Everything lines up. And she looks just like him. The moment I saw her face I knew that this was his baby."

We are interrupted by Justin and his lawyer standing in the room. "It's time to go." I look at Justin who doesn't seem too worried anymore. He has become ok with the situation.

We all drove to the lawyer's office in silence. There was nothing to discuss until we had some answers. Due in part to Justin's attorney, there was a doctor waiting at the office to do a blood test. We were hoping to keep this as quiet as possible.

"Shit." Tracey blurted out.

Justin and I look at each other and brace ourselves for what she is about to say. "What?" We questioned at the same time.

"The press knows. I'm not sure how or how much but they know. I have Eighty five emails about it."

"Just don't respond." I say immediately. "We need more information before we say anything."

            Justin lowers his head into his hands. I reach over to take his hands into mine. "This will all be ok... I promise you. Everything will be fine."

"I'm so sorry..."

"Justin..." I looked into those eyes that seemed a little lost, "I love you. This will all work out. I love you." He tightens the grip around my hands.

            We pull up to the lawyer's office with no one around in sight. Stepping out of the vehicle the sun was shining brightly in our face, Justin places his hand into mine and we walk towards the building.

            The receptionist lets out a gasp when she see's Justin walking through the door. I lean back and tell Tracey to give her a confidentially agreement to sign, right now. This twit is going to be so excited about what's going on that she will forget that she isn't supposed to say anything about the clients that walk through those doors.

            "I... I...I..." she says before Mr. Larson steps out of his office and escorts us to the conference room. He turns to her "Jenny, please lock the front door and don't let a single person through that door. We are closed for a couple hours. NO ONE!" he reiterated. "Don't answer the phone, anything just sit there." She looked a little scared now. She didn't know what was going on; all she knew was Justin Timberlake had just graced her presence.

            The blinds had been drawn, the doors had been locked, emotions are high and it was time to get everything out on the table.

            Mr. Larson explains Justin his options if the child is his and if the child is not his. He nods taking all the information in.

"Can I see her?" he asked.

"As soon as we finish this paperwork, I will bring her in."

"Mr. Larson... I will sign all the paperwork I just want to see her. Please." He pleaded.

            Mr. Larson looked over at the child services director and gave her the ok to bring her in.

Justin sat nervously as he waited. His hand was still latched together with mine and I can feel his palms sweating. He wouldn't let go and I wasn't about to let go of him. I lean into him and whisper "Exhale, Justin." He smiles at me and whispers, "I love you babe."

Behind the mahogany wood door the woman reemerged with Harlow in her arms. She was wrapped in that same pink blanket. Justin becomes antsier as she stands on the other side of the room, slowly walking towards him.

Justin stands as she leans in to hand him the baby. I hear his voice and his breathe shake. "No one has ever let me hold a baby before." He says as everyone in the room laughs and takes a deep breath as she rests the baby in his arms.

            He looks over at me. "This is really happening." I take the blanket that is covering her face and lift it back. "Oh my god... she does look like me... She is beautiful."

"Are we being conceded again Justin?" I ask with a wink.

"Well, you know I can't help myself."

            Justin sits immediately and stares at her, rubbing his thumbs gently over her tiny little cheeks. I stay standing, watching him with her. Tears start to run down my face. Justin was sitting there with his daughter, in his arms. His daughter.

"Babe, come sit with me... Meet Harlow."

I walk slowly over and sit next to him. He really had that father gene he didn't think he had.

"Mr. Timberlake..."

"Justin."

"Sorry, Justin... the doctor as assured us by the end of the day he will have the results for you."

"It happens that quick?"

"In situations like this we have lab that works quickly for us. I will call you this evening with the results."

Justin exhales and says, "So we are free to go with her? We can just take her?"

"Yes. You are this child's legal guardian regardless of the results of the blood test. You of course still have your options so this is all up to you now. You get to make those decisions."

"Did Kristen have any family that I should be aware of? Anyone that would like see Harlow?"

"Kristen was never close to her mother and her father died years ago. She was the only child so she has no siblings. She didn't want her mother to end up with Harlow, which is why she had the living will drawn up."

"So in a sense, this is my child and mine alone."

He nods his head. "That's one way of putting it. You have the right to choose the options for this child."

"So..." he looks over at me then back at the attorney. "If I wanted Emily to be her mother, that could be arranged?"

What? What was going on? He wanted me to be the mother of this child? Like Kristen never existed?
"Yes. Typically we would only suggest that the adoption process be started if the two parties were married, however that is your choice."

"It's something that Emily and I need to discuss because that would be her choice."

"If or when you need those papers drawn up, simply let me know."

Mr. Larson and the social worker leave the room, leaving us alone in the room with Justin's attorney, Lynn, and Tracey. He turns to me, "Is that something you would want? Would you want to be Harlow's mother?" He says as she grasps her hand around his finger.

That was a loaded question. Never did I think that would be a question for me in my lifetime. I idea of being her mother was overwhelming. I don't know if I could be that person. But if I wasn't there as her mother, where would that leave Justin and I? Could we still have a relationship and be her legal mother? Why do I suddenly feel pressured to be that person? I was ok with standing beside Justin and venturing into this new life but why at this very moment do I want to jump out of my seat and run out that door?