"I'm coming over," said Daxton, unable to stop the flutter in his heart. He just couldn't believe his ears. His Aurora had returned? This was the news that he had been waiting to hear for the last three years.

"Come tomorrow morning. You wouldn't be able to see her now. It's already 11:30 at night, Dax," said Brandon.

 

"Okay then, see you tomorrow," said Daxton, disconnecting the call. He was too excited to sleep. The whole night he dreamt of what he would say to Aurora, how he would pull her into his arms and kiss her, how he would tell her that he missed her. In the wee hours of the morning he dozed off to sleep and dreamt of Aurora. He couldn't wait for morning to arrive. After tossing and turning, when his dream finally got disrupted, he woke up. It was Saturday thankfully and he was in no hurry to go to work. He noticed that his phone had several unread messages from Meg last night asking him why he hadnt stayed back at her party but he wasn't interested to answer her. He jogged over to Brandon's house.

"Did you see her this morning?" Asked Daxton, eagerly.

"No, strangely, All is quiet at their house. I think she's left home last night. I'm not sure though, " said Brandon.

Daxton's eyes popped out. "Left home? Where could she go?" He asked, holding onto his head, looking lost.

"Hang on. Let's observe. I'm sure she'll come down once and then we can stalk her to her new house," suggested Brandon.

So they sat at Brandon's balcony with coffee, breakfast but strangely they didn't see Aurora even once.

"I don't want to loose her again," said a dejected Daxton.

"You won't. Maybe she'll come down tomorrow. Don't worry," said Brandon. They waited for five more minutes when his mom called him.

"Yes ma. Did you need me?" Asked Daxton.

"Yes Dax. No one's available right now. Can you bring me a few things from the departmental store? Here's a list," said his ma, handing him a list of items to be bought. Daxton took it from her.

"Okay," he said half-heartedly and picking up the keys, he walked out. He drove to the departmental store and started dumping the stuff that his ma had asked for. His mind however was on Aurora. Where did she go? How would he ever find her if she had broken all ties with her brothers? Daxton was more dejected now than he was when Aurora had left Houston. It seemed that the hope that he had of ever seeing her was suddenly shattered. He went to pay at the counter and then loading everything onto his car, he drove home. On the way, he received a call from Brandon. Parking his car, he received the call.

"Yeah Brand, tell me," he prompted.

"Dax, come now, Aurora just came to her house, " said Brandon. Daxton drove over to his house, his heart beating fast at the prospect of meeting Aurora at last. He couldn't erase the silly smile on his face as he parked in front of Brandon's house and went inside. Brandon was standing at his balcony with a brooding look on his face.

"Hey man, I drove like a madman. Where's she? I can't wait to see her," said Daxton excitedly. Brandon simply stared at him wordlessly, his face expressionless.

"Brand, what's wrong?" Asked Daxton puzzled by his expression.

"Aurora didn't come alone Dax. She came with her family," said Brandon in a blank tone.

"What family? I didn't get you, Brand, " said Daxton, a feeling of dread settling at his heart.

"She came with her husband and baby," informed Brandon, looking at him with concern. Daxton's mouth hung open with disbelief. His Aurora was married? She had a child?

"What are you saying Brand? My Aurora can't be married," he staggered to the nearest chair and sat down, trying to grasp what Brandon just told him,. 

"See for yourself when she comes out," said Brandon. So they waited in silence as Daxton was too shocked to say anything. He just wanted Brandon to be wrong. He couldn't believe that his Aurora could be married already. After twenty long minutes, the door of her house opened and a man walked out with a baby in his arms with Aurora by her side, both looking furious. Daxton stood up to take a better look. For a brief second Aurora's glance fell upon him standing on Brandon's balcony. Daxton's heart stopped beating for a second as their eyes met. But she looked away immediately and climbed onto a car with her family and sped away. Daxton sat down again with a pale face. Didn't Aurora recognize him at all? It was obvious that she had moved on. She wasn't his anymore, not that she ever was. There was no hope that she ever would be. She was married now with a baby of her own. She was happily settled and there was no place for him in her life.

Daxton got up to leave. "I'm sorry Dax that it ended this way," said Brandon, looking at him dejectedly.

"It's okay Brand. There wasn't anything between us. It was only there in my heart and mind. Aurora married the one she loved. I can't complain. I guess I'll have to move on now," he said with a shrug. He walked out of Brandon house with a broken heart and a broken soul. He had lost the last hope he had of Aurora. He drove home and saw that his family were sitting at the dining table.

He dragged himself to a chair and slumped onto it. Their ma looked at him with concern.  

"What's up with you?" She asked.

"Nothing," he said. His ma gave Stuart a look urging him to talk to a dejected Daxton and solve his issue. After their ma left, Stuart looked at his brother.

"What's up? You can tell me," he asked. 

"There's nothing much to tell bro. Aurora is back," he said with a sigh. 

"That's very good news. Shouldn't you be happy?" Asked Denver. 

"She's married I think. I saw her with her baby," he told them. Everyone's jaws dropped to the floor. Poor Dax!

"Did you talk to her?" Asked Vienna. 

"No, she didn't recognize me," answered Daxton. 

"There's nothing to be done, Dax. You have to move on, " said Sean. 

"I know. I'm trying to, " said Daxton. He was heartbroken. It wasn't easy to move on when you haven't looked at a single woman for the last four years with only one hope. The hope that the one you love would return one day. She did return though but with her own family, her child and her husband. He meant nothing to her at all. He got up and walked away towards his room. The happiness and jokes that were a part of the Taylor household had evaporated suddenly with him hurting badly.

The next day too Daxton sulked in his room. Denver's wedding was coming up in a few weeks and the whole family was busy with the wedding preparations. They were leaving for a nearby ranch for three days for a gala wedding. It was a dreary Monday morning and Daxton went to work.

Meg came over to his cubicle hesitantly. "Are you free Daxton? Mind if I sit down with you?" She asked nervously. Daxton looked at her, seeing her unhappy face for the first time. She had everything in life, wealth, career, friends yet she looked dejected. Was it because of him? He could relate to how she was feeling since he was also hurting because of Aurora.

"Hey Meg! Please feel free. Come sit down," he invited casually. She gave him a tensed smile and sat down beside him, fiddling with her fingers. "So how did your birthday go? Sorry, I wasn't feeling well, so had to leave early," he told her with a fake smile.

"Oh, how are you feeling now?" She asked with concern. Daxton smiled.

"I'm perfectly fine now. Thanks," he said a little too formally.

"In that case I wanted to treat you since you missed my birthday dinner," she said with a nervous laugh.

"Hey no formalities please. It's okay, you don't need to," said Daxton, panicking a little inwardly. He didn't want to go out with her.

"But I want to. You gave me such a precious gift, I want to make something special for you," she offered. Daxton looked at her nervously, expecting her to be clear with what  she was offering.

"Come home for dinner tonight, please. My parents would love to meet you," said Meg.

"Not tonight Meg. I have a get together at home. My twin's wedding is coming up and there's a lot of work to be done at home. Hope you understand, " said Daxton, trying to avoid meeting her parents. He knew he had to move on but he just didn't feel that connection with Meg.

As he was returning home from work in the evening he saw Aurora again with her family. They were standing in front of a building in his neighborhood, talking to the caretaker of the building. Was she moving in to his neighborhood with her family? That would be the worst thing ever! How would he see her with her husband every day?