One Wild Night

The soft glow of the laptop screen illuminated Cassidy's face, casting long shadows across his room. A smile played on his lips as he watched a familiar video – the Jonas sibling interview as most blogs had termed it.

He'd seen the video over a hundred times since the interview, yet each time, it held the same power to pull him in. She looked radiant, her eyes sparkling with a nervous excitement as she spoke.

He found himself captivated, not just by her beauty, but by her animated expressions and the timbre of her voice. He loved the way her voice dipped and soared with excitement as she talked about her new family, it all filled him with a warmth that surprised him.

He was so happy that Aaron Jonas had accepted her as his own and made her a part of his family. He was happy that things were going well for Andy.

Her voice however, came as a shocking surprise to him. He never knew she could sing so well, and neither had he known she had dreams of becoming a singer. That revelation had made him realize just how little he knew about her.

He hadn't realized just how much he had been missing her until he saw her face in the interview the past week. Or maybe he had.

After watching her leave, he had called himself all sorts of names for letting her go just like that instead of doing his best to reach a compromise with her, especially considering how they had spent her last night there together.

Perhaps he could have asked her to stay with him and come and go as she pleased, instead of just letting her go completely.

However, the logical part of him believed that he had done the right thing by letting her go. He had no right to seek a compromise. Not after all he had done.

Suddenly, a small voice shattered the quiet, breaking into his thoughts. "Daddy!" Maribel stood at the doorway, clutching her favorite bunny bear in her hand.

Her gaze locked on the laptop screen, a gasp escaping her lips. "Andy!" she squealed, her tiny hand pointing at the image.

Cassidy's smile faltered for a brief moment. "Hey, Angel," he said, quickly minimizing the video as he sat up.

"What are you doing up so late?" He asked, reaching for her, "Did you have a bad dream?" He asked, since he had tucked her in over an hour ago.

"I want to see Andy. Please let me see Andy," she pleaded, her eyes reverting to the laptop screen as she went closer to her father.

"It's late, Angel. You need to…"

"Can I see Andy?" Maribel's lower lip trembled, a telltale sign of a brewing tantrum.

"Not tonight, sweetheart," Cassidy said gently, forcing a smile as he patted her head.

Maribel's eyes welled up. "But I miss her!" she cried, throwing herself onto the bed beside him.

"I know you do." I do too, Cassidy thought to himself.

"Can we go and see her? I want her to brush my hair and sing to me," Maribel cried, and Cassidy sighed, realizing that he should have just let her watch the video.

Now she didn't want the video, she wanted to see the real Andy. She had been throwing tantrums a lot more than usual now ever since Andy left.

"We can't see her now. It's very late, and Andy's probably fast asleep already," Cassidy said placatingly, "but because you're such a lovely Angel, I will let you see a video of her singing before you go back to sleep," Cassidy said as he adjusted her on the bed so that they could both watch the end of the interview where Andy was singing.

After watching the short clip, Cassidy turned off his laptop, and to his surprise Maribel broke into a sob.

"What now?" He asked softly as he carried her onto his lap.

"I miss Andy. She promised she would take me to the amusement park," Maribel said, tears streaming down her cheeks.

Now why would Andy do something like that when she knew she wouldn't do it? Cassidy mused, irritably.

"She can't do that now, baby," he said gently, his voice strained. "She's not here anymore. She lives with a new family now."

"I want to leave here! I don't want to stay here anymore. I want to go see all the fun places she told me about. She left because this place isn't fun. I don't like it here."

Cassidy's heart ached for his daughter. He understood her longing. Their life on the island, while idyllic in its own way, was limited. There were no amusement parks, no towering buildings, none of the glittering world Maribel glimpsed through the flickering screen of his old laptop.

He wrapped his arm around her, pulling her close. "But baby," he said gently, "we have everything we need here. The beach, the boats, the beautiful sunsets. Remember how much fun we have exploring the reef?"

Maribel sniffled, wiping her tears with the back of her hand. "But it's always the same here, Daddy." Her eyes, so like his own, held a yearning that tore at Cassidy's soul.

He was torn. A part of him, the selfish part, clung to the life they had built together. He loved the simplicity, the quiet solitude of the island. But another part, the part that ached with love for his daughter, yearned to give her a world of possibilities, a world beyond the horizon.

"I know, Mari," he whispered, his voice thick with emotion. "But we can't just leave."

"You leave all the time. Why can't you take me too?" She cried.

"Because it's not safe out there," he said softly as he looked down at his daughter, her small frame trembling with suppressed sobs.

He didn't want to lie to her or promise her something he couldn't give, so all he could do was hold her close, offering the only comfort he could – his love and his presence.

Soon a heavy silence descended upon them after Maribel had cried herself to sleep. Cassidy felt a familiar conflict gnaw at him. He wanted nothing more than to give Maribel the world, to see the joy that lit up her face in Andy's presence. But leaving the island meant putting them at a possible risk.

As he gently placed Maribel on the bed and lay down beside her to sleep, different questions echoed in his mind.

Was the life he'd built for them here enough, or could he dare chase a different future for them? One that included Andy?

Would it be okay if he reached out to Andy using Maribel as an excuse? Or should he just do his best to forget all about her and help Maribel forget her too? Was there any hope for them?

Away from there, Aaron stepped off the plane, adjusting his suit jacket and scanning the bustling terminal. He moved with a purposeful stride, his mind focused on the visit ahead.

As he approached the baggage claim, he was surprised to see Lucy and Tom, standing side by side with a smile on their faces.

"Well, well, well," Aaron said with a warm smile. "What are you two doing here?"

Lucy stepped forward, her eyes twinkling. "We're here to be your chauffeur and wait on you, of course."

Aaron chuckled, a deep, knowing laugh. "Candace sent you, didn't she?"

Lucy nodded, a slight blush coloring her cheeks. "She was only worried about you, Aaron. We all were."

Aaron sighed, shaking his head. "There's nothing to worry about. It's just a visit. But I appreciate the concern."

Tom stepped forward and took Aaron's backpack from him. "Let us take care of you, Aaron."

"Alright, alright. Lead the way. Though, I must say, this chauffeur service is a bit extravagant."

They led him to the car, the three of them exchanging warm pleasantries along the way. Aaron was genuinely happy to see them, their presence a welcome distraction from the weight on his mind.

"You look more beautiful than the last time I saw you, Lucy," Aaron said, his eyes crinkling at the corners as he smiled at her.

"And you look more handsome too," Lucy replied with a grin, a playful twinkle in her eyes.

"Don't I look more handsome too?" Tom asked Aaron.

"I don't care about how you look," Aaron said and they all laughed.

As Tom drove them to Sara's correctional facility, Aaron entertained them with tales of Jamal.

They arrived at the correctional facility an hour later, the imposing structure looming ahead. Aaron's expression grew more serious the closer they got to the building.

Seeing this, Lucy reached for his hand and squeezed it, making him turn to face her. He smiled at her, "I appreciate you both being here, but I need to do this alone," he said firmly as Tom parked the car.

Lucy opened her mouth to protest, but Aaron shook his head. "No, Lucy. I'll be fine. Just wait for me in the car. I won't be long," Aaron said as he opened his backpack and took out an envelope and a pen.

With a reluctant nod, Lucy agreed, watching as Aaron walked toward the entrance of the facility.

"Don't worry. He will be fine," Tom said as he placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder, and they settled into the car, waiting for Aaron's return.

Inside the correctional facility, Aaron was led through a series of checkpoints, his thoughts focused on the impending meeting.

As he sat down waiting for Sara to be brought to him, he took a deep breath, steeling himself for what lay ahead. He was determined to see this through, no matter how difficult it might be.

Aaron's breath hitched when a frail looking woman in a prison jumpsuit was led in. He couldn't believe that the woman standing before him was the same Sara he had seen months ago.

Gone was the vibrant, fiery Sara he remembered. In her place stood a gaunt woman, her face etched with lines deeper than time could carve alone. Sickness painted her skin a dull grey, and her eyes, once sparkling with defiance, were shadowed with shame.

As Sara met his gaze, a flicker of recognition sparked, followed by a swift retreat back down at the floor. Shame radiated from her like heat waves.

The torrent of questions Aaron had prepared – the "why"s, the "how could you"s – all dissolved on his tongue. The only words that escaped his lips were a hesitant, "Sara? How are you?"

The question, uttered in a voice rough with unshed tears, seemed to crack the dam within her. Sara's shoulders slumped, and a sob, raw and desperate, erupted from her.

For a heart-wrenching moment, Aaron watched her cry, a war raging within him. Pity warred with the anger that had festered for years, fueled by Candace's pain.

But as he watched the woman before him crumble, a bitter memory surfaced. The memory of Candace walking into his hospital room the first time they met.

He remembered how ashamed she had been when she told him she had been a stripper. He remembered all she had said about Jamal's father and all she had had to endure as an orphan. Anger solidified within Aaron, chasing away any lingering sympathy.

"Don't expect my forgiveness, Sara," he said, his voice low and devoid of warmth. "Don't expect compassion. I once fell for this act. But this… this ends now."

He reached into the envelope and pulled out the divorce papers, a legal severing of the ties that once bound them. He placed the envelope, along with a pen, on the table between them.

"Sign it," he commanded coldly.

Without a word, Sara reached for the pen and scribbled her signature across the dotted line. As she pushed the papers back across the table, a choked apology escaped her lips.

Without a word, Aaron stood up, the movement stiff with the weight of the years that had passed. There was nothing more to be said. He had done what he came for, and that was it. He turned and walked out of the waiting room, leaving her and any lingering he had for her behind him.

Once out of the visiting area, Aaron allowed himself to stop. He leaned against the rough surface of the wall, tears blurring his vision. Tears for the shattered love, for the lies and deception, and most of all, for the lost years with Candace.

Taking a deep breath, Aaron brushed off his tears. He straightened his shoulders, a newfound determination in his eyes.

Sara might have broken a part of him, but she wouldn't steal his future. He was done with this chapter of his life, and now he was moving on.

With a final glance back at the place that held a piece of his past, Aaron turned and walked away. It was time to move on and to finally find the peace that had eluded him for so long.

By the time he got to the car where Tom and Lucy were waiting, he had a genuine smile on his face.

"How did it go?" Lucy asked as he got into the car.

"It went," Aaron said with a grin and both Tom and Lucy laughed in relief.

"Where to? Harry's place?" Tom asked as he started the car.

"I'd rather go somewhere I can have a drink alone to celebrate my divorce," Aaron said and Lucy smiled with approval.

"Ready to be hooked up?" Tom joked and Aaron chuckled.

"Unlike you I don't need to be hooked up and I don't need a disguise to find a nice lady," Aaron said and Tom glared at him, while Lucy laughed with him.

As they all settled in silence, Lucy texted Candace, [Nothing to worry about. He is out now, and he looks very fine.]