I have been doing a lot of therapy lately, a lot of self-reflection. She paused. I have been thinking about us, about our marriage, about what went wrong. Chelsea, hear me out, she said quickly. We were so young when we got married.
We let stress and our differences pull us apart. But maybe we gave up too quickly. Maybe with some time and growth and maturity, we could try again. Not immediately, but eventually. Derek felt like he could not breathe.
Think about it, Chelsea continued. A real family for Lily. Both her parents together giving her the stability and love she deserves. She is seven now. She understands things.
She would be so happy, Derek. The words hit him like physical blows. I I do not know what to say. You do not have to say anything right now. I know it is a lot.
Just think about it, okay? For Lily's sake, if nothing else. After they hung up, Derek sat frozen on the couch, his mind spinning in circles. Chelsea wanted to try again. Chelsea wanted to be a family.
3 years ago, he would have given anything to hear those words. 3 years ago, he had spent months hoping she would change her mind, come back, make them whole again. But 3 years ago, he had not known Savannah. Daddy Lily's voice pulled him back. She was standing at the doorway, her coloring forgotten.
Was that Mommy? Yes, sweetheart. Is she coming to visit soon? Derek took a breath, trying to steady himself. Actually, mommy might be moving back to Portland for a new job.
Lily's face exploded with joy. Really, mommy is coming back here. She bounced on her feet, her whole body vibrating with excitement. That is the best news ever. She ran to Derek, throwing her arms around him.
Oh, Daddy, this is so great. I can see her all the time now. And maybe maybe if she is here, you and mommy could be together again, like a real family, like Harper's parents. We could all live in the same house and have dinner together every night. And Derek's heart sank through the floor.
Sweetie, it is not that simple. But it could be, Lily insisted, her eyes shining with childhood optimism. If mommy is here and you are here, you could fall back in love. That happens in movies all the time. And then we would be a real family and I would not have to go back and forth and I could have both my parents together forever.
Derek looked at his daughter's hopeful face and felt something crack inside him. How could he explain? How could he tell a seven-year-old that love was not like the movies? That people did not just fall back in love because it was convenient that he had already given his heart to someone else. We will talk about it more later.
Okay, he said weakly. It is almost bedtime. But Lily was too excited to sleep. She chatted about her parents getting back together all through teeth brushing, all through pajamas, all through her bedtime story. I am going to pray for it every night, she announced as Derek tucked her in.
Every single night until it happens. Derek kissed her forehead, turned off the light, and closed her door. Then he stood in the hallway and let himself fall apart. That Saturday, at the corner bean, Savannah knew something was wrong. The moment she saw Derek's face, he was distracted, quiet, barely touching his coffee.
His eyes kept drifting to the window like he was looking for an escape route. Hey, she said gently after Lily had skipped off to look at the pastry display. What is going on? You seem a million miles away. Derek sighed, rubbing his face with both hands.
Chelsea called. She got a job offer in Portland. She is moving back. Oh. Savannah felt something shift in her chest.
That is that is good, right? Lily will get to see her more often. Yeah, yeah, it will be good for Lily. He did not meet her eyes. Is there something else?
Savannah asked carefully. Derek hesitated. How could he tell her? How could he explain that his ex-wife wanted to try again? That his daughter was dreaming of her parents reuniting?
That he felt like he was standing at a crossroads with no good options. Just a lot of changes coming, he said finally. A lot to figure out. Savannah nodded slowly. But something in her expression had shifted.
She did not push for more. What Derek did not know was that later that afternoon when he stepped away to take a phone call from his sister Lily told Savannah everything. Guess what Miss Savannah Lily's voice was practically vibrating with excitement. She had climbed onto the chair next to Savannah, her eyes bright with secrets she could not contain. What is that, sweetheart?
My mommy is moving back to Portland. Lily bounced in her seat, and I told Daddy that maybe they could fall back in love and we could all be a real family together. Is not that the best idea ever? Savannah felt something crack inside her chest. That that would be really wonderful for you, Lily," she managed to say.
Her smile felt frozen on her face, painted on. "I really hope it happens. " Lily continued, completely oblivious to Savannah's pain. "I pray about it every night, every single night before I go to sleep. I want my mommy and daddy together again more than anything. I I understand, sweetheart. " Savannah's voice came out barely above a whisper.
Daddy has been kind of sad lately, Lily confided. I think it is because he misses mommy, but now that she is coming back, he will not have to be sad anymore. And you can still come visit us. You can be like like an aunt or something. An aunt, not family, not part of them, just a visitor, someone on the outside looking in.
That sounds nice, Savannah heard herself say. I would like that. But inside, she was shattering. Of course. Of course Derek would want his family back together.
Of course he would choose to give Lily what she so desperately wanted. Both her parents under one roof, a complete family unit. What could Savannah possibly offer that would compare to that? She was just some broken girl who had stumbled into their lives at a cafe. A woman with one leg and no family who had asked to share their table because she had nowhere else to go.
She had no right to stand in the way of Lily getting her intact family. And Derek, he had never indicated he saw her as anything more than a friend. She had been foolish to let herself fall in love with him. Foolish to imagine he might feel the same way. When Derek returned from his phone call, Savannah plastered on a smile and pretended everything was fine.
But that night, alone in her studio apartment, she lay awake staring at the ceiling while Portland rain drumed against her window. She looked at the photos of her family on the bookshelf. Mom, Dad, Kennedy, all gone, all unreachable. What do I do? She whispered to the empty room.
No answer came. Over the next two weeks, Savannah slowly began disappearing from their lives. It started small, cancelling movie night because she was swamped with a freelance deadline, missing Saturday coffee because she was not feeling great. Rain check. Derek tried not to worry at first.