"Is Little Miss Jessie ready?" He asked, wiping his wet hands on a kitchen towel.

"Daddy?" she asked, her voice was laced with confusion.

Lucille craned her neck trying to catch her father's face, but Noah gently pressed her back to keep her on his shoulder, and gave Luke a meaningful look, cocking his head to the direction of the balcony.

He wanted to talk to Jess, however, he can't do that without arousing the curiosity of his daughter to ask why he made Little Miss Jessie cry.

Thus, he gave Luke an apologetic look, and mouthed "Jess needs you." And those three simple words tore his heart apart. Jess needs Luke, not him. He has a feeling that even if he tried to comfort her now, she would simply push him away.

"Daddy, please put me down," she asked, trying to wiggle out of her father's arms.

"Sorry Princess, we have to go back to our villa first." Before Lucille could ask another question, he added, "Let's head out first to prepare for the movie, and uncle Luke and Little Miss Jessie would just follow later."

With Lucille in his arms, he headed out of Jess and Luke's villa and went back to theirs. He gently rocked Lucille in his arms as though the rhythmic movement could settle his emotions.

What just happened? Why does Jess look so broken and in so much pain? What did he say wrong this time?

These questions and a hundred others raced through his mind as his heart beat anxiously in his chest. Never before in his life has he felt so helpless as now. Not even the past when he thought he lost everything.

He put Lucille down when they were back in their own villa. He kneeled in front of his daughter and hooked his index finger in her chin.

"Listen, der Schatz, Little Miss Jessie is feeling a little sad. And daddy might be the reason for it."

Lucille's own blue eyes stared back at her in puzzlement, but she didn't say anything.

"Uncle Jin and Soraya will help you prepare the things we need for our movie time…"

"You want to go back to Little Miss Jessie?" she asked in a small voice.

"I'm sorry."

He felt like a jerk for involving his own daughter in his shit, but he can't stop thinking about Jess and her shoulder slumped in despair and shaking for trying to hold in her tears.

"It's okay, daddy. You can go back to Little Miss Jessie." she smiled.

Her smile added to the guilt feelings in his heart. He is truly in deep shit. He pushed himself up from the floor when Soraya announced that Little Miss Jessie and Luke had arrived.

He and Lucille threw a puzzled look at each other. His daughter was the first to react by running to the door to welcome her visitors.

"The popcorn is not yet ready!" she screamed as she ran to the door.

Noah was rooted in the middle of the living, he was rendered speechless and in awe of how kids were better at reacting in such a situation.

Luke and Jess came to view with Lucille walking in the middle of them, holding hands with them. She took them to the couch in the living room and asked them to sit down.

"What do you want to drink?" she asked, like a gracious hostess.

He was observing her and couldn't help but chuckle. His daughter is better at being an adult than him.

"The popcorn isn't ready yet...uhm, please wait." She ran to her bedroom.

"I hope we are not imposing," she glanced at Noah who was still standing in the same spot since they entered. He was standing there with his hands shoved deep inside the pockets of his pants.

"We are the one imposing. Thank you for humoring Lucille with her movie invitation," he gave Jess a soft smile observing her demeanor.

The Jess who broke down a while ago was gone. The usual cool Jess was present now. He took a deep sigh and slowly ambled to the sitting area and sat next to her on the couch.

He was expecting her to react but got no reaction from her. His heart sank deeper into his chest. He confirmed that he screwed up big time, but he doesn't know why or how.

"I got the movie!" Lucille ran back with an external hard drive in her hands.

"Don't run -- "

"Don't run -- "

Luke chortled when Noah and Jess spoke at the same time, saying the same thing to Lucille.

Jess pinched Luke's waist when she realized that he was having a good laugh at how she and Noah both acted like worrywart parents -- he has the right, it's his kid after all. But she on the other hand has no excuse to act like one.

Lucille, still in high spirits, called Noah's attention.

"Daddy, can you help me set it up, please?"

When Noah stood up to set up the movie, she ran to the kitchen.

"Tell her not to run," he leaned to her shoulder and whispered, giggling.

He grunted when Jess elbowed his side.

"Is something the matter?"

Noah looked at Luke gripping his side, wincing in pain.

Jess folded her arms under her chest, crossed her legs, and lifted her eyebrow, "Oh, nothing. Everything is fine." she gave him a sweet smile.

Noah glanced back to Luke who had beads of sweat on his temple, and his eyes darted back to Jess who was leaning back on the couch, smiling.

He shook his head and returned to setting up the movie.

"Refreshment is here!" she announced rather too loudly, entering the living room with Jin carrying a tray of juice in tall glasses with colorful mini-umbrella. "Popcorn is still popping in the oven."

Jess giggled at how adorable Lucille was, acting the part of a perfect party host. She wondered who she was copying.

Noah, who had just set up the movie, stared at Jess when he heard her giggle. She looks so damn adorable!