When they arrived near Kaia's bungalow, they got out of the car. Kaia walked ahead of the group to grab the pail hanging from a fence post before going into the small barn nearby. She asked Alexa to lead the way to the stables while she got the food to feed Zander. "Ok!" Alexa cheerfully replied as she grabbed Alex's hand. She tugged slightly, indicating for him to follow her to the direction to her left before Alex noticed and followed her lead.
As they headed towards the stables, Alex looked around, surveying the snow-covered trees and ground that used to be green pastures. His eyes stopped to rest on Kaia's moving figure. He observed her every movement until she vanished into the barn. His eyes continued to rest on the barn door before he broke his gaze and turned his attention back to Alexa, who climbed up onto the wooden fence.
"ZANDER!!!" she hollered, before she put her index finger and thumb between her lips, blowing a loud whistle. Alex blinked, startled by the sharp sound. He could still feel the ringing vibrations in his ears as he asked, "How did you learn that?" He looked down at the tiny child with an amazed expression. He was still holding her hand as Alexa looked up and proudly beamed. "Uncle Trevor taught me!"
Looking at the bonding father and daughter pair who seemed to have already forgotten his presence, Zac decided he was unneeded in the stables. He followed Kaia inside the barn with the intent to help out. He walked in and looked around before he rested his eyes on Kaia's back. She quietly stood by the horse feed, clutching the top of the trough with her hands.
Zac awkwardly stood merely a few feet away, debating whether to call out to her. Finally, he sighed slowly walking over and placing a hand on her shoulder. "I'll help you…" he mumbled as he noticed her tears.
Kaia flinched and quickly wiped her face. "Zac! Hi...um...sure thanks for the help." Kaia's voice cracked towards the end as she tried to suppress the lump in his throat. Zac studied her contorted and pained face, which still revealed traces of dried-up tears. Her eyes were reddened and slightly puffy. He hesitated slightly before asking, "Do you want to talk about it? I'm all ears."
Kaia blinked, startled by Zac's question. She looked up into Zac's serious yet warm eyes. "Hm? Oh, uh this isn't what you...what you...I'm sorry Zac...I just…" Kaia stopped to suck in a few deep breaths to calm herself. Zac patiently stood there, waiting for Kaia to talk. Finally, Kaia looked back up at Zac with a hesitant and wavering glance. "Zac...can you be honest with me?"
Zac was slightly startled by Kaia's blunt question. He slowly nodded in response. Kaia stared at Zac's slightly confused expression before she asked with an audible tremble in her voice, "Do you...do you think Alex will try to take her away from me?" Zac noticed the fear in Kaia's eyes. He frowned slightly before he shook his head.
"No, I don't think he would…especially if you tell him about the threat…" Kaia froze at the mention of the word "threat." Conflicted thoughts flitted through her mind as she stared at Zac with a shocked expression. "H—how did you...?" was all she could get out. Seeing her reaction, Zac could already tell that Alex wasn't informed about the threat. He gave her a comforting smile as he pat her shoulder. "It's ok, I won't say anything. It's not my place to. You can tell him when you're ready to. I suggest that you tell him as soon as possible though because he can help you. But if you don't find the chance to tell him, please know that I'll do what I can to help you nail whoever made the threat."
Kaia blinked as she listened to Zac. She didn't think he would be so calm. She took a deep breath and nodded slightly before turning around and grabbing the pail. She scooped apple slices and carrots into the pail before she turned back around. She was about to walk out of the barn but stopped at the barn door. She slowly turned around and studied Zac for a bit before she said, "Thanks...for everything. I actually do need help. Would you mind helping Naomi and my team in collecting more information?"
Zac smiled before nodding. "Of course, I'll do whatever you need. Maybe then you can finally come home with Alex…" Hearing that made Kaia frown slightly. She looked down as tears welled up in her eyes again. "Do I really have a home there anymore? I'm pretty sure he dislikes me...Zac, I lied to him…I also kept his daughter a secret. Besides, isn't he getting married to Mi Sung?" Zac blinked. He grimaced. How did she know about that? Then he remembered that Naomi must have told her about Mi Sung.
Zac tried to hide his grimace as he walked up to her. He grabbed the pail from her hands. He stared intently at Kaia with a serious expression. "You do have a home still. As for Mi Sung…" He paused slightly. "Life is what you make it, Kaia. Why give up before you even try…?" he simply stated before giving her a small and encouraging pat on the shoulder. Kaia stood there trying to process what Zac had told her as he walked out.
She turned to look out at the snow-covered pastures, watching Alex interact with Alexa. This was everything she ever wanted. The love of her life…along with their child. 'Their child…' she thought. She choked down her feelings and caught up with Zac. She picked up the pail of food which Zac had carefully set down on the ground for her. Then, she went up to the fence and rattled the pail of food as she called for Zander.
Not long after she rattled the pail, the sounds of a White Gypsy Vanner's hooves pounding against the snow-covered ground could be heard. Zander neighed as he galloped to a halt in front of the fence. His white tail swished from side to side as he looked at the pail of food expectantly. He nuzzled Kaia's hand, motioning for her to feed him.
Zander was still a pony, which made him even cuter. He was a beauty, too. His white coat matched the snow perfectly. Sometimes, it was hard for Alexa and Kaia to even find him with all the snow covering everything. His mane crinkled to the side and flowed down his neck as he galloped around the pastures.
Trevor was the owner of Zander's mother, Nala. When Nala had her offspring, Trevor thought it would be a great present for Alexa. So after getting Kaia's permission they took turns taking care of him while he was still a foal. After a while, Kaia got attached to the gentle and intelligent foal and decided to name him Zander. On Alexa's fourth birthday, Trevor officially gifted Zander to Alexa and she loved him ever since.
Alexa smiled when she saw Zander. She looked up at Alex with a big grin. "Papa Alex, isn't Zander cool?" Alex smirked slightly, glancing at the horse before sneaking a peek at Kaia. "Yea, Zander is cool. But I think his name is even cooler!" he loudly replied in Kaia's direction. He couldn't help but feel a bit smug when he saw the embarrassment on Kaia's face.
He then looked back down. "Alexa, thank you for letting me come meet your friend." He smiled. Alexa grinned and nodded before looking at Kaia. "Mummy, can we show Papa Alex our house now?" Alexa asked. Kaia and Alex instinctively stared at each other. There was uncertainty in Kaia's eyes as she stared at Alex's curious and questioning glance. She broke the gaze and cleared her throat as she gave Alexa a weak smile, nodding. "U...um, yea…let's go, then."
Kaia grabbed her things, glancing at Zac before turning to walk towards the trees that led to her bungalow. Zac noticed her fleeting glance. He made a split-second decision before he looked at Alex. "Actually, I won't be following you. I'm going to go back to the hotel to catch up on some paperwork. If you need me, just call," he said before heading in the opposite direction.
Alex watched Zac's retreating figure before turning his attention back to Kaia. Alexa grabbed his hand and they walked hand in hand towards the bungalow. They followed behind Kaia who was leading the way.
Trevor had been watching everything unfold ever since he saw them come back. He stood at the end of the pasture and watched as they went towards Kaia's bungalow. His eyes burned with tears and one could almost hear the cracking sounds of his shattering heart. No matter how prepared he had been it was still too much for him. He truly liked Kaia. He looked down at the ground and sighed before trudging back to his house.