Oliver greeted me with an energetic kiss. I was extremely surprised by this overwhelming affection, then I realised he was a man… he was obviously trying to get back in my good books after his little drunken fun. When his lips finally departed from mine, he flashed me a dazzling smile. I rolled my eyes as all the reasons why I fell in love with him came flooding into mind.

"I promise that I didn't go out into the spotlight, I stayed indoors," he said.

I nodded, finding that I suddenly just wanted to dispose that subject.

We exited the building and walked straight from the door to the car without any hassle whatsoever. Strapping Rose into her car seat in record time, I jumped in the front and slammed the door shut.

"So how was casting, babe?" Oliver asked, pulling out into the road.

"We found our leading man today," I replied.

"Ah, who?"

"Angel O'Conner."

"Never heard of him," Oliver said after a brief pause.

I assumed Angel was a fresh face in the acting industry, probably lacking any experience, though that didn't matter as he possessed a natural talent. Although I was well aware of how my husband's mind worked…

"Just because he's unknown doesn't mean he hasn't got talent," I informed.

Oliver believed that you can't be a good actor if you are unheard of. I, however, believed that there are many unknown talents out there that are waiting to be discovered. I always said it just takes one spot of luck to become successful in this industry.

"I never said he wasn't talented, honey."

He denied it, as I knew he would, but it was a lie. I was quite aware that my husband thought a larger pay check and fan base was the definition of successful. I obviously completely disagreed. I thought that being happy and doing something you love was being successful. It was amusing how our beliefs were totally opposite. But, as they always said, opposites attract.

I was a fool to think that the peaceful family bonding time was going to last.

Almost half an hour after we had arrived at a restaurant, Oliver received a call. He excused himself from the table, phone already to his ear, and pressed a kiss to Rose's head as he disappeared to the bathroom. I watched as Rose's arms flew up into the air, reaching out towards where her Daddy had disappeared.

"I know, Rose," I whispered, running my fingers through her hair.

A surge of disappointment and a slight hint of anger coursed through my veins as Oliver returned with an expression that I knew far too well nowadays. He leant against his chairs, twirling his phone between his fingers.

"If you have to go, just go."

"I'm sorry babe. I honestly wish-"

"It's fine," I said, forcing a smile across my face. "I'll see if Willow will give me a ride home."

"It's only a scene or two that needs to be shot again, we should be finished in an hour or two. I'll pay for the meal at the front as my way of apologising," Oliver informed, pressing a quick kiss to my lips.

With that, he exited the restaurant in his usual confident strut. I heard the shrill ringtone of his phone again before he'd even left the building.

My appetite slowly faded and I pushed the plate of food away from me, sighing loudly. When I noticed Rose wasn't touching her food either, I frowned and mentally cursed Oliver for letting her down once again. I fed the remainder of her meal to her with great difficulty as she had decided to show me how stubborn she really was, a trait that she had adopted from me.

"Come on, Rose, just one more spoonful!" I pleaded gently.

Rose hid her face from me, moaning loudly.

I gave up and dropped the spoon onto my plate with a clatter.

"Fine!" I snapped, rising from my seat.

Grabbing my purse, I hoisted Rose up from her seat and carried her out of the restaurant, fully aware that all eyes were observing my every move. Escaping out of the entrance, away from all the prying eyes, I breathed a sigh of relief, feeling the irritation drain slightly out of me.

"Sorry sweetie." I pressed a kiss in Rose's hair.

I began walking down the bitter cold street, deafened by the busy traffic and crowds of people cluttering the street. I needed to get away from the main road before someone recognized me or else I'd be in trouble. My pace instantly quickened as I clung onto Rose and my purse tightly.

"Hey! Look, it's Buffy Summers!" I heard a voice suddenly shout.

Damn.

I bolted round the corner, eager to get away from everything, when I collided with a strong figure. I stumbled back slightly, my grip loosening on Rose, before I was steadied by a strong pair of arms that grabbed me firmly around my waist.

"Buffy?"

"Angel?"

"What are you doing?" he questioned, taking a step back.

"Well I'm trying to get away from here. I don't really fancy all flashing cameras in my face or Rose's, so I'm trying to find a quiet place to call a cab," I answered.

I cuddled Rose against my chest, still keeping a firm clutch on my purse, and continued to look over my shoulder.

"My cars parked just a few streets away, I'll give you a ride home… saves you paying for a cab," Angel politely offered.

"Thanks but I'll just get a cab, saves you from being my slave!"

"I insist. After all, you've just got me my role and pay check for this film we're doing … giving you a ride is the least I can do!"

I chewed thoughtfully on my lip. I looked down at Rose and noticed her teeth were chattering. I pressed my hand to her face, realising how cold she was.

"A ride would be great," I accepted, smiling.

I could feel Angel observing me whenever he stopped at a red light. Eventually, after ending up stuck in traffic, he asked if I was okay. I nodded in response, though he obviously didn't believe me as he questioned me some more.

"It's my marriage," I finally whispered.

"Oliver Thompson?"

I was surprised when my husband's name slipped from his lips, curious as to how he knew who I was married to, before remembering that the majority of my life had been splashed over magazine covers since I was fifteen years old. I often forgot that I wasn't your typical wife and mother.

"He's very talented," Angel commented.

He's obsessed with his fame, I thought. I wanted to release all my frustration, share how lonely and miserable I was in my marriage, explain how my daughter rarely got to see her Father because he was always working. I chose to bite my lip instead. Things could change – I had to keep hope that everything would go uphill... even if I found it difficult to believe. I knew it hadn't always been like this, it had only just started recently.

"He is indeed," I agreed quietly, staring out of the window.

"What's it like being married to one of the greatest actors alive?"

Miserable? Lonely? Something I would never wish on someone else?

"Sorry," Angel apologized, misinterpreting my silence, "I didn't mean to be rude... I sound like the paparazzi."

"Except you haven't tried to shove a camera up my dress yet," I laughed.

Angel laughed too. His laughter was like a breath of fresh air. It had been a long time since I had felt so light, like a feather that was slowly floating to the floor, and I had forgotten what it felt like to feel normal. I wanted to savour this moment before it was viciously torn away from me.

When Angel pulled up outside the entrance to my apartment building, a tremendous wave of sadness washed over me instantly. I had enjoyed being in Angel's company, which surprised me as I barely knew him at all. Thanking him for everything he had done, I got out of his car, cuddling Rose to my chest.

"I'll see you soon," he said.

"Soon."

I shut the door and headed towards the entrance, enjoying the blissful silence of the night. Even as I entered the apartment, my mind was still buzzing over Angel. I didn't understand why but I felt excited at the thought of seeing him again. I was beyond ecstatic that I had chosen him as the actor to play opposite me in my new film.

It wasn't long before I come to the conclusion that Oliver was still out, which didn't surprise me in the slightest, so I decided to lock the door. It was tough luck if he didn't have any keys – this was my payback for deserting Rose and I at dinner. After tucking in my beautiful girl, I headed towards my own room, sighing in relief at the thought of climbing into bed.

I dropped my cell phone on the bedside cabinet and threw the covers back.

As I curled up in bed, I was still thinking of Angel.

AN UPDATE! FINALLY! I'm so so sorry it has taken so long.

Hope you enjoyed! Please review and let me know your thoughts!

XoxoX.