"How long have you been doing this alone? " Victoria asked. He didn't answer right away. "3 years. " Her mother gone. "I'm sorry. " "Don't be. We're fine. " She didn't respond, but he felt her eyes on him, studying him the way she studied everything, looking for cracks, weaknesses, things that didn't add up.
"You're a good father," she said finally. He blinked. "Thanks. " "I mean it. " "I know. " Another pause. "She was right," Victoria said. "About what? " "Your coat.
It is nice. " He almost laughed. "It's from Target. Still nice. Ava woke up just as the nurse called her name. Ethan stood cradling her carefully and started toward the exam room.
He glanced back once. Victoria was still sitting there watching them go. "Thank you," he said. She nodded. He didn't see her again that night, but when he got home at 3:00 in the morning, there was an email waiting for him.
"Subject tomorrow. " "Mr. Blake, take the day off. Paid non-negotiable. " VH. He stared at the screen for a long time. Then he closed his laptop and carried Ava to bed. The office was different after that, not in any obvious way.
Victoria didn't change her routine. She still arrived at 7, left at 8, and ran meetings with the precision of a Swiss watch. But Ethan noticed things now. The way she paused when she passed his desk. The way she asked how Ava was doing, casual and offhand, like it didn't matter.
It mattered. She's good," he said one afternoon, looking up from his monitor. "Back to her normal self. " "Good. " Victoria didn't move. She stood there, one hand resting on the edge of his cubicle, looking at him like she wanted to say something else. "Was there something you needed? " he asked.
"No. " "Okay," she left. Two days later, she stopped by again. "There's a cafe," she said. "Two blocks west. They have decent coffee. " Okay, I'll be there at noon.
All right, if you're free. He looked up. She was watching him, her face unreadable, but her fingers were tapping against her leg, a tiny nervous rhythm he'd never seen before. I'm free, he said. Good.
She walked away before he could say anything else. At 11:58, he grabbed his jacket and headed out. The cafe was small, tucked between a dry cleaner and a pharmacy. It smelled like cinnamon and burnt sugar. Victoria was already there, sitting at a corner table with a black coffee and an untouched scone.
She looked up when he walked in. You came. You invited me. I wasn't sure you would. He sat down across from her.
Why wouldn't I? She didn't answer. Instead, she slid the scone toward him. I don't eat these, she said. Then why'd you order it?
I don't know. He took a bite. It was dry, but he didn't say. So ow how's the bookstore? She asked.
Hanging on. Barely. Yeah. Why don't you sell it? Because it's mine.
She studied him. That's not a business reason. I know. Then why? He set the scone down.
Because Ava loves it. Because it's the one thing I built that's just ours. Because some things aren't about money. Victoria was quiet for a moment. I wouldn't know, she said.
About what? Things that aren't about money. He didn't know what to say to that. I've been running Hail Industries since I was 26, she continued. I took over when my father died.
Everyone said I'd fail. I didn't. I worked 80our weeks. I cut dead weight. I made the hard calls.
And now I have more money than I know what to do with and a calendar that's full every day for the next 6 months. Sounds exhausting. It is. So why do it? She looked at him.
Really looked at him. And for the first time, he saw something raw in her eyes. Because I don't know how to stop. The words hung in the air. Ethan leaned back.
"You ever take a day off? Not in 8 years. That's insane. That's success. " "No," he said. "That's survival. " She didn't argue.
They sat there in silence. The cafe humming around them. Someone dropped a mug. A baby cried. The espresso machine hissed.
I don't know why I'm telling you this, Victoria said quietly. Maybe because you don't have anyone else to tell. She looked away. Maybe. He finished the scone.
She finished her coffee. Neither of them moved to leave. Ava asked about you, he said. Victoria blinked. She did?
Yeah. Wanted to know if you were coming back to the bookstore. What did you tell her? That I didn't know. And what did she say?
That you should because you looked lonely. Victoria's face didn't change, but her fingers tightened around the empty cup. She's perceptive, Ethan added. She's eight. Doesn't make her wrong.
Victoria stood abruptly. I should get back. Yeah, me too. She picked up her coat, then hesitated. Same time next week?
She asked. He smiled. Yeah, same time. She nodded and walked out, leaving him alone with a half- empty coffee and a strange unfamiliar warmth in his chest. It became a routine.
Every Thursday at noon, they met at the cafe. Sometimes they talked about work. Sometimes they didn't talk at all. Victoria brought her laptop once and answered emails while he read a book he'd been trying to finish for 3 months. It should have been awkward.
It wasn't. Ava started asking questions. Is M. Hail your friend? I guess so.
Does she have kids? No. Why not? I don't know, Ava. You should ask her.
I'm not going to ask her that. Why? Because it's rude. But I want to know. Too bad.
She pouted, but let it go. One Thursday, Victoria didn't show up. Ethan waited for 20 minutes, then texted her. Everything okay? No response.
He went back to the office. Her door was closed. Her assistant, a sharpeyed woman named Diane, gave him a look that said, "Don't even think about it. " He thought about it anyway. At 6:00 p. M., he knocked.
"Come in. " Victoria was sitting at her desk, surrounded by papers, her face pale and drawn. She looked like she hadn't slept in days. "You missed lunch," he said. "I know. You could have texted. " "I was busy.
You're always busy. She looked up and he saw the exhaustion in her eyes. Deep bone tired exhaustion that no amount of coffee could fix. What do you want, Ethan? It was the first time she'd used his first name.
I want you to go home, he said. I can't. Why not? Because if I stop, everything falls apart. No, it doesn't.
You don't know that. I do. Because I've been there. She stared at him. When Ava's mom left, he continued, "I thought I had to do everything, be everything.
Work, parent, keep the house clean, make sure she had everything she needed. I didn't sleep. I barely ate. " And one day, I woke up and realized I was so exhausted, I couldn't remember the last time I'd actually laughed with her. Really laughed. Not fake it till you make it laughed.
And I thought, "What's the point? What am I doing this for if I'm too tired to actually be present? " Victoria's hands had stilled. So I started saying no, Ethan said to extra shifts, to things that didn't matter, to people who wanted more than I could give. And you know what happened? What?