Lily was a natural, picking up techniques faster than Jake could demonstrate them. She's really good, Clara said standing beside Ethan at the pool edge. Jake's a good teacher. They're good together. Yeah, they are.
They watched the kids for a while comfortable in the silence. Your house is beautiful, Clara said eventually. Thanks. I hate it. Ethan turned to look at her.
What? Not hate it hate it, just it makes me feel like I'm even more out of my league than I already did. You're not out of your league, be [ __ ] Ethan. I live in an apartment where the pipes freeze in winter. You live in She gestured at the house.
This. We're not even playing the same sport. The house doesn't matter. Of course it matters. Everything about your life matters and I'm just I'm trying to figure out how I fit into it.
You fit because I want you here. That's how. Clara was quiet for a long moment. Your ex-wife must have loved this place. She picked it actually.
I wanted something smaller. Why didn't you? Because I was trying to make her happy. Turns out that doesn't work when you're fundamentally incompatible. Are we compatible?
Clara asked quietly. I think so. Don't you? I don't know. Sometimes I think yes.
Sometimes I think I'm insane for even trying this. Which is it today? Both. Simultaneously. Ethan pulled her closer.
For what it's worth, I think you're exactly where you're supposed to be. In your mansion? At your son's birthday party? Watching our kids swim together? Yeah, exactly that.
Clara leaned her head on his shoulder. This is so weird. Good weird or bad weird? I haven't decided yet. The party wound down around dinner time.
Parents picked up Jake's friends, Rachel's family headed home, and eventually it was just the four of them. Ethan, Clara, Jake, and Lily. Pizza? Ethan suggested. You have a professional kitchen and you want pizza?
Clara asked. The kids want pizza. I want what makes them happy. They ordered three large pizzas and ate in the living room, which Clara declared bigger than my entire apartment. It's not that big, Ethan protested.
Ethan, I could fit my whole living space in your living room. It's objectively huge. Okay, yeah, it's pretty big. After dinner, the kids wanted to watch a movie. They picked something animated that Ethan had never heard of, curled up together on the couch like they'd been siblings their whole lives.
Clara and Ethan sat on the other couch, close enough to touch, but not quite touching. Thank you for today, Clara said softly. For including us. You're always included. You say that now, but eventually you're going to have fancy events and business dinners and And I'll bring you to those, too.
If you want to come. What if I don't fit in? Then we'll both not fit in together. I'm pretty good at that. Clara smiled slightly.
You're really okay with this? All of it? The chaos and the complicated custody situation and my sister being a mess? Yeah, I am. Why?
Because you're worth it. Because Lily's worth it. Because this He gestured at the kids, at the space they were occupying together. This is what actually matters. Clara kissed him then, soft and slow, and Ethan thought about how far they'd come from that first awkward coffee date.
How she'd shown up 45 minutes late with a wet kid and somehow became the most important person in his life. The movie ended. Jake and Lily had both fallen asleep tangled together like puppies. I should get her home, Clara said reluctantly. Or you could stay.
Ethan, I have six bedrooms. Lily can have her own room. You can have your own room. No pressure. Just stay.
Let the kids sleep. Clara looked at the sleeping children, then at Ethan. Okay. Yeah. We'll stay.
They carried the kids upstairs, Lily to the blue guest room, Jake to his own room. Clara stood in the hallway looking at the doors. This is surreal, she said. Yeah. A month ago I was panicking about legal fees.
Now I'm staying overnight in a mansion. Life's weird like that. Understatement. Ethan showed her to the guest room next to Lily's. It had its own bathroom, a king-size bed, windows overlooking the garden.
This room is bigger than my bedroom, Clara said. Probably. Definitely. She turned to look at him. Where are you sleeping?
My room, down the hall. That's far. It's like 40 ft. Still far. Ethan's heart picked up.
What are you saying? I'm saying to Clara moved closer. I'm saying 40 ft is too far. I'm saying I don't want you down the hall. I'm saying He kissed her before she could finish and she melted into him, her hands fisting in his shirt.
You're sure? He asked when they broke apart. Yeah, I'm sure. They stayed up talking until past two, lying in his bed fully clothed, just talking about everything and nothing. Clara told him about her childhood, about her sister's gradual descent into instability.
Ethan told her about inheriting a company at 25, about feeling trapped by responsibility he'd never wanted. Do you ever wish you could just walk away? Clara asked. From the company? From all of it.
The money, the expectations, the life everyone thinks you're supposed to want. Every single day. Why don't you? Because people depend on me. Because walking away feels selfish.
Because I don't know who I'd be without it. Clara propped herself up on one elbow. You'd be you. The guy who builds furniture and teaches kids to use power tools and shows up when he says he will. That's who you'd be.
That's who I want to be. So be that. It's not that simple. Why not? Because Ethan stopped trying to find the words.
Because I've spent my whole life being who everyone needed me to be. I don't know how to just be myself. So learn. You're learning sign language, aren't you? Learn this, too.
She made it sound so simple, like it was just a skill to acquire instead of a fundamental shift in identity. I'll think about it, Ethan said. Good. They fell asleep like that, still dressed, Clara's head on his chest, his arm around her shoulders. When Ethan woke up to sunlight streaming through the windows, it took him a moment to remember where he was and why everything felt different.
Then he looked down and saw Clara still sleeping beside him, her face peaceful, her hand resting over his heart. "This," he thought, "this is what I've been missing." Downstairs he found Jake and Lily already awake raiding the kitchen for breakfast. Jake was signing something to Lily who was giggling and signing back. "When did you learn to sign?"
Ethan asked. "YouTube," Jake said without looking up. "Also, Lily's teaching me. We're having a conversation about dinosaurs." "In sign language?"
"Duh. How else would we talk about it?" Ethan watched his son communicate effortlessly with Lily bridging the gap between their worlds like it was nothing. Kids made everything look so easy. Clara appeared in the doorway, her hair a mess, wearing one of Ethan's t-shirts she had apparently borrowed at some point during the night.
"Morning," she said. "Morning." They stood there grinning at each other like idiots while the kids made waffles and signed about paleontology. "This is weird, right?" Clara asked.
"Yeah, but good weird. The best weird. Definitely the best weird." Jake looked up from the waffle iron. "Are you guys just going to stand there being gross or are you going to help us make breakfast?"
"Gross how?" Ethan asked. "You're doing the thing where you stare at each other all mushy." "We're not mushy." "Dad, you're literally making heart eyes right now."