It had been a week since they’re discussion and things had been going relatively well, slowly, but well. 

Gia had kept her normal routine.  She walked the dogs every morning; she taught her kids; she even managed to watch her favorite soap every afternoon.  The only thing that was different about her routine was the occasional addition of Justin.

They had kept things casual, trying not to force things or rush them too much.  But neither of then could deny that being together felt good.  That it felt right.

He helped her walk the dogs one morning, but after being tangled in a leash or two and almost ending up in a sidewalk trash can, he decided to let her handle the dog walking.  Gia couldn’t decide if it was because he was afraid of getting hurt (as he claimed), or if he was just tired of listening to her re-tell the story and giggle.  She had never seen him blush so much before.

Justin had taken an instant liking to Frankie and had even staked a small claim on the dog, stating that he was the canine’s “namesake.”  Gia wasn’t going to argue with him, and she loved to watch him and the now large Labrador romp around in the grass.  He looked like a giant kid rolling around with Frankie, but seeing him smile and laugh made her surer that what they were doing was right.

She still had her reservations, as did he, but they were working through them.  Gia had made it a point to be as open and honest with Justin as possible.  She wanted him to know what was going on in her head so he felt more capable and less lost.  It was also a suggestion given to her by Emma to keep the lines of communication open and flowing.  She said that it would help, and so far she had been right.

Justin had been trying to understand her pain as much as possible and give her space when she needed it.  He tried not to coax her to talk to him, instead letting her take her time and open up when she was ready.  It was working and he liked feeling that she wanted to be honest about her problems instead of being forced to talk. 

Today was her counseling session and he planned on meeting her afterward to take her out and help her relax.  She hadn’t had any serious panic attacks since the last, but he didn’t want to take any chances.

Checking his watch, Justin jumped into his car and headed toward Gia’s apartment.  He knew she would be getting out in a little bit and he wanted to take her and Frankie to the park for a picnic of sorts.  It was a little cliché and a lot cheesy, but he figured they could use a little of both.

It didn’t take him long to reach his destination.  Gia’s apartment complex wasn’t very far from him home and Justin had a strong suspicion that he had Morgan to thank for that.  It was nice being close to Gia because he knew that it would be a while before they were ready to think about living together again.  They had exchanged keys, but it was mostly because Gia needed someone to let Frankie out and Justin thought she should have access to his house too.

Justin unlocked the apartment door to be greeted by a large black blur.  He laughed as Frankie jumped up and placed his paws on Justin’s chest and proceeded to lick the man’s face.

“All right, Buddy.  Down.”  The lab dropped to the floor and looked up at Justin with a smile, his tale wagging so hard it made his midsection bend as well.  “You need to go out?”

A short bark signaled a ‘yes’ and Justin took him to the back sliding door.  He watched as Frankie ran outside before he turned and made his way into the kitchen.  Most of the food for the picnic was already in his car, but he needed a few things from here.  He grabbed the fixings for some sweet tea and some ketchup and mustard.  After getting everything together and finishing up the tea, Justin put everything in a bag and headed back toward the waiting Frankie.

“You wanna go to the park, Frankie? Yeah?”  The excited dog barked and spun in place, causing laughter to erupt from Justin.  “All right, let’s grab your leash.”

Justin got the dog’s harness and leash and then thought to grab some food too so that Frankie could share in the picnic with the two adults.  When everything was packed and the dog was securely in his harness, Justin headed back out to his car.  Just as he was getting Frankie settled in the back his phone rang.

“Hey you, are you all done?”

“Hey…yeah, I just got out.  Where are you?”  Her voice sounded strained, sad, and Justin hoped that his plan would cheer her up.

“Uhm…that’s top secret, but I will be at the office shortly to pick you up.” He grinned into the receiver, and as an after thought added, “Are you in comfortable clothing?”

There was a pause on Gia’s end before she answered with a confused tone.  “Yes…what are you up to, Jut?”

“I told you, Peaches, it’s top secret.  Sit tight, I’ll be there in seven minutes.”  The line went dead and Gia stared at her phone as she closed it.

“That boy needs professional help more than I do.”  She attempted to laugh at her own joke but was still feeling heavy from her session.

She didn’t have time to dwell on it all though, because as he said, Justin was pulling into the drive less than ten minutes later.  Gia felt a smile stretch across her face as she watched Justin pull up next to her and she noticed the excited black lab in the back seat.  When the car stopped she jumped into the passenger seat and immediately turned to greet her four-legged friend.

“Hey Frankie, how’s my boy?”  She scratched behind his ears and laughed when his tongue licked her face.

“Oh, I see how it is.  The dog gets more love than I do.  OK.”  Justin pouted as he watched Gia shower her affections on Frankie before turning to face him with a slight grin.  She reached out and touched Justin’s cheek before scratching his head behind his ears and laughing when he pulled away.

“What?  Frankie liked it, I thought you wanted love?”  She smirked and Justin mumbled something incoherent under his breath.  He was about to put the car in gear but Gia reached out her hand to stop him. “Wait.”

Justin felt himself being pulled toward the consol in between them and soon his lips were gently connecting with Gia’s.  “Hey,” he whispered.

“Hey.”  She pecked him lightly one more time before letting go and sitting back in her seat.  “So, where are we going?”

“Can’t tell you.  You’ll just have to wait and see.”  He grinned childishly before putting the car in gear and driving toward the park.

It didn’t take long for Gia to figure out where they were going, but she kept quiet and enjoyed the lightness that Justin made her feel.  When they reached the park she was surprised to see Justin pull a basket out of the back seat.  She wasn’t expecting all of this.

Justin handed Gia a blanket and Frankie’s leash and the couple made their way to a quieter section of the park.  It was a little more secluded here, and it made both feel a little but safer from prying eyes.

They set out the blanket and sat down.  Justin opened the basket and took out what was inside, throwing a treat to Frankie before turning to look at Gia.

“Wow.  You did all this?”  Gia’s eyes were wide with surprise as she looked at the containers of food spread out before her.

“Well, I made most of it.  I did have some help from the deli for the salads and stuff.  But I did make the tea.”  He beamed proudly and Gia offered him a small kiss.

“Thank you.”  She stated softly.  Justin leaned over and took her chin in his hand.  He kissed her softly before sitting back a little and looking into her eyes.

“I just wanted to do something to help you release some of the stress from today.  I know this place is one of your favorites, so I figured I would take you and Frankie out.”  Gia smiled at him and he grinned back.  “Let’s eat!”

It took a few minutes to dish things out and get settled, but soon they were both sitting back and munching on sandwiches and potato salads.  Even Frankie had a dish of dog food in front of him.

They ate in relative silence, mostly focusing on the food in front of them.  Occasionally one of them would comment on something, but the atmosphere between then stayed light and comfortable.  When she had finished eating, Gia set her plate down and laid back to stare at the clouds above her.

“Justin…”

He didn’t respond right away and Gia started to sit up to see if he was paying attention,  but before she could move all the way she felt an arm slip around her from behind.  Justin scooted himself behind her and pushed her into a sitting position so she was placed between his legs.  He wrapped his arms around her torso and rested his chin on her shoulder.

“What’s up, Peaches?”  She giggled a little when his breath hit her neck, but she didn’t move from her spot.

“I hate to ruin this perfect afternoon, but I have some things I want to talk about with you.”  She shifted a little so she could see his face and Justin nodded to signal she should continue.  “I need to go home.”

The words sat like a weight on the moment and Justin licked his lips before speaking.

“Home, home?  East coast home?”  Gia nodded.  “Why?”

“I’ve been talking it over with Emma for the past couple of weeks.  I just feel like I need some closure, or something.  At the very least I need to see those people in my family that haven’t abandoned me.”  She took in a breath and let it out slowly before continuing.  “I want you to come with me.”

Justin sat back a little so he could clearly see her face and eyes.  He was surprised at the statement but in a pleasant way.

“You really want me to go with you?”

“Yes.  I mean, not everything about my past is horrible, and I do have some family members that I want you to meet.  I think it’ll be good for me, for us, if you come with me.”

He seemed to think about it for a second before leaning in to give her a small kiss.

“I would love to go home with you.”  She smiled and he couldn’t help but return the grin.  “I’ll need to clear some time at the studio and whatnot, but that shouldn’t be too difficult.  I’ve mostly been playing around with ideas anyway.”

Gia leaned back into his embrace and let out a contented sigh.

“It’s not all going to be fun, but hopefully we can make some good memories to take back with us.  I should be honest and tell you that I probably won’t be the best of company, but this is something I need to do.  I’m just happy you’re going to be there with me.”

Justin kissed her cheek and then her neck before resting his chin back on her shoulder.  He knew that this was a big step for her, and even for them too.  He was a little worried because he knew what happened last time Gia visited home, but he was hoping that this time he would be able to support her and keep her from falling back into her depression.

He was also curious to meet her family.  He didn’t think he’d be getting to meet her mother, but he was almost hoping to, if only to look the woman in the eyes and tell her how wrong she was about her daughter.  He probably wouldn’t get the chance, and that was probably for the better.  The last thing Justin wanted to do was cause more problems for Gia by way of her mother.

“I’m happy you want me to go.  I think this will be good for you.”  He squeezed her gently before letting her go and standing up.  “C’mon, we have a Labrador that needs some exercise.”  Frankie barked at Justin’s motion.  “That’s right, Biscuit Hips, I’m talking about you.”

Gia laughed at the dog’s antics and Justin’s words before standing to join him in a game of fetch. 

This was the way life was supposed to feel.