After Derek's call with Evelyn, he paced his room, feeling restless. He'd hoped hearing from her would lessen his longing, but it only intensified it.

He decided to call Ethan, hoping to distract himself. Ethan answered after a few rings.

"Hey, man!" Ethan greeted.

"What's up? Busy?" Derek asked casually.

"Hanging out with Melvin. His wife's pregnant, and you won't believe the lengths she's making us go to get pastries and cake. I've heard of pregnancy cravings, but this is ridiculous! She insists on this one bakery. If she weren't carrying my nephew, I'd leave Melvin to it," Ethan said, and Derek chuckled despite his disappointment.

"So, who's running errands for your 'contract wife' when she's pregnant and you're away?" Derek teased. Ethan chuckled.

"That's why I have you and Melvin. You two can take care of her," Ethan said confidently.

"By the way, why'd you call? Missing me?" Ethan asked. Derek snorted.

"Nah. I called to see if you were feeling better after last night's blowup," Derek said, avoiding the real reason.

"Don't remind me," Ethan said gruffly, and Derek chuckled.

"Alright. Talk later," Derek said, hanging up. He tossed his phone on the bed and sighed. Sitting around wasn't helping. He needed fresh air. Grabbing his keys and jacket, he headed out.

As he drove, he found himself heading toward Evelyn's house. Knowing she wouldn't appreciate a surprise visit, he drove to the nearby park, figuring he could claim it was coincidental if he saw her.

The green lawns and tall trees offered a small sense of relief as he pulled into the parking lot. The park was quieter than expected, with a few families scattered about.

Walking along the path, he tried to focus on his surroundings. Suddenly, he saw a small figure running toward him.

"Rek!" he heard, and turned to see Samantha racing toward him, arms outstretched.

A wide smile spread across his face. He bent down as she reached him, scooping her into a hug. He gave a curt nod to Maya, who followed close behind. "Hey, Sam! I missed you, kiddo," Derek said, genuinely surprised by his feelings.

Samantha's eyes were wide with excitement. "I missed you too, Rek! Did you come to see me?" she asked hopefully.

Derek chuckled, feeling a warmth he hadn't felt all day. "I missed seeing you too, Sam. I kept going to the playground at the hotel, hoping to run into you, but I didn't know you were here. I stay at the hotel, remember?" Samantha's lips formed a small 'o'.

Samantha smiled. "This is where I come now," she said seriously. "It's closer to our house. Why are you here if not to see me?"

"I guess my heart led me here. I was passing by and decided to check. Do you like it here?" Derek asked, as Maya watched them.

Maya wondered about the connection between Derek and Samantha and why Samantha seemed so attached to him. She also wondered what Evelyn would think, but reminded herself Evelyn already knew about Derek, as Samantha had mentioned her friend, Rek.

Samantha shook her head. "I like it, but it's not as much fun as the other day. Can you come play with me often?" she asked hopefully.

To avoid disappointing her, Derek glanced at Maya, then back at Samantha. "I can come on Saturdays, if your mom's okay with it," he said. Samantha beamed.

"Yes! She knows about you and she won't mind," Samantha said confidently.

Derek glanced at Maya; the thought of her not being Samantha's mother crossed his mind again. He hesitated to ask, not wanting to be rude. "Pinky promise!" Samantha said, breaking his thoughts.

Derek laughed softly. "Alright, alright. Pinky promise," he said, linking his pinky with hers.

He turned to Maya. "Can I have your number? That way I can let you know if I can't make it to play with Sam," he said. Maya hesitated. "Please!" Samantha pleaded, making a cute face. Reluctantly, Maya gave him her number.

"Can we play now?" she asked. Derek grinned.

"Sure," he said, happy to spend time with his little friend.