3. Liam
Chapter three
Liam
The sun is dipping low when I pull up to Nate and Liz’s house.
It’s one of those perfect evenings where the air is warm, but there’s a cool breeze that’s just enough to keep you from sweating through your shirt.
The kind of evening that makes you forget about all the things you have to do, all the pressures you’re carrying.
But, of course, that’s not how it works for me. Not anymore.
I shut off the engine, take a breath, and step out of the truck, stretching my legs as I walk toward the front door. The familiar sound of Boomer barking — Nate’s shaggy dog — greets me before I even reach the porch.
Nate’s house has always been a bit of a gathering spot for the group.
With his son Max, who Liz adopted when they married, and now with baby Violet, it feels like a warm, loving home.
The first thing I notice when I walk in is the noise, kids laughing, adults talking over each other, and the occasional clink of glasses.
I glance around the room, spotting Bryan with his wife Emma, both of them chatting with Liz and Nate.
Their son Max, is sitting on the floor, holding a toy car in his hand and looking up at the adults as if he’s soaking in everything they say.
He’s always been a little old for his age, with his curiosity and sharp mind.
I’ve seen him grow up over the years, and while I’m not the parental type, I can’t help but feel a soft spot for the kid.
Boomer comes barrelling toward me as soon as I step inside, tail wagging furiously, and I bend down to scratch his ears. He’s a big, goofy dog, the kind that runs in a straight line at full speed and crashes into everything. You could always count on him for a good laugh.
“Hey, big guy,” I say, ruffling his fur. He responds by licking my hand, making me laugh despite myself.
“Liam!” Liz calls from across the room, waving me over with a grin. “You made it. We’re just about to show Violet off. She’s asleep right now, but you can get a look at her in a bit.”
I nod, smiling back at her. "I can wait."
Liz’s face lights up as she talks about her daughter, the exhaustion of early motherhood evident in her eyes, but the joy of it more than outweighing it.
I get it. Watching her go through all the stages with Violet, it’s clear to me how much she’s settled into this life.
Nate’s not much different. They’ve both found something I’m still looking for.
Something real. Something that sticks. I watch as Nate wraps his arm around Liz, the two of them exchanging soft words with each other. It’s the kind of thing that makes you feel like you’re on the outside looking in.
And I hate it. Not because I’m not happy for them, I am.
But because I know I’m not ready for that kind of life.
I don’t know if I’ll ever be. Watching them, I start to feel that familiar emptiness in my chest, the one I’ve been trying to ignore for weeks now.
The one that seems to hit hardest when I’m surrounded by happiness, and it feels like I’m still wandering through life alone.
I’m not good at this emotional stuff. I never have been. I’ve always kept my distance, kept things light, kept it all moving forward without stopping for too long to what I really want.
But it’s harder to ignore these days. Especially when my mind keeps drifting back to Lucy.
I haven’t seen her in over a week now. At first, I told myself it wasn’t a big deal. She’s new in town, probably has a million things on her plate. Maybe she’s busy with work, or maybe she’s just like the rest of the tourists who breeze in and out of Ocean Bay without leaving much of an impression.
But even as I tell myself that, I can’t shake the feeling that I’m lying to myself.
Lucy’s different. I don’t know how to explain it, but when I saw her that day when I stopped in at the clinic, there was something about her that pulled me in. The way she looked at me, the quiet strength she carried with her. It wasn’t like anything I’ve ever experienced before.
I force the thought away, but it’s there, lingering, impossible to ignore.
Nate looks up from his conversation with Liz and notices me standing by the door, lost in thought. “Hey, Liam,” he says, a grin spreading across his face. “What’s going on with you, man? You look like you’re a million miles away.”
I shake my head, trying to push the thoughts aside. “Just thinking, I guess.”
“Thinking about what?” Bryan chimes in from across the room, his tone light but knowing. He’s the one who always presses me when I’m being too quiet.
I shrug, unsure if I want to tell them what’s really on my mind. But then I think about the way they’ve always had each other — and how they’ve both built lives I can’t even imagine. Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to let them in a little.
“Just... wondering about some stuff,” I say, and the words feel heavy in my mouth. I know they’re all too familiar with the kind of wandering thoughts that plague me, but still, I don’t really feel like diving into it right now.
Bryan raises an eyebrow. “What, like how you’re still the last single guy standing in our group? Don’t think I haven’t noticed.”
I can’t help but laugh. “Yeah, maybe. But it’s not a big deal.”
“Sure it’s not,” Nate says with a chuckle. “You’ve been saying that for years, man. But come on. You can’t keep avoiding it forever.”
I take a deep breath, shifting my focus back to the conversation at hand. “I’m fine. Really. Just not into the whole ‘settling down’ thing, I guess.”
Bryan gives me a long look, like he’s about to say something, but before he can, Max runs up to me, holding out his favorite toy. “Boomer won’t play with me,” he says, his eyes wide and pleading. “Will you?”
I smile, the tension in my shoulders easing a little. “Of course I will, buddy. What do you want to play?”
Max grins and tosses the toy at me, clearly thrilled by the attention.
Boomer follows suit, bounding over with a speed that’s almost comical for a dog his size.
I take a seat on the floor, and soon I’m engaged in an impromptu game of fetch with Max and Boomer, the two of them working together like a well-oiled machine.
It’s one of those moments that feels simple, but grounding. Like this is how life is supposed to be. How it’s supposed to feel.
Bryan and Nate watch from the couch, exchanging glances, and I know they’re both thinking the same thing: I’m not quite as okay as I’m pretending to be.
But it doesn’t matter right now. Right now, all I care about is Max’s laughter and Boomer’s happy barks as he chases the ball across the floor.
Later, after Violet has been passed around and everyone has had their fill of the baby excitement, the group settles into a comfortable silence, drinks in hand and kids playing in the corner.
I find myself slipping into my own thoughts again, my mind drifting back to Lucy, and the nagging question that’s been on my mind for days now.
Is she gone? Did she leave town already? It’s been over a week since I last saw her, and I haven’t heard from her since. I tell myself it doesn’t matter. That she’s probably busy. But the quiet whisper in my head refuses to quiet down.
***
I pull into the parking lot of Gracie’s Animal Haven with the intention of making this quick.
I’m just here to talk to Emma about the clinic’s tech upgrade, get her input on a few gadgets I’ve been considering, and inform her of the person I'll be handing the project over to then breeze out. No reason to linger. I’ve got a busy schedule, and this isn’t something I’d normally handle myself, but I figured I might as well drop by and check in since she’s such a good friend.
The door chimes as I step inside. The soft sound fills the space, and for just a moment, I’m hit with that familiar, welcoming scent of the clinic — a mix of disinfectant and the earthy, comforting smell of animals. It’s quiet today, less chaotic than usual, which works for me.
I make my way to the reception desk, where Emma’s already sitting, typing away on her laptop. She looks up when she hears me approach, flashing that easy smile of hers.
"Hey, Liam," she says, standing up to greet me. "You’re right on time. I was just about to grab a coffee. You want one?"
I wave a hand in the air, shaking my head. “Nah, I’m good. Thanks, though.”
“Alright, let’s get to it,” she says, guiding me toward her office. “I’ve been looking over the tech details you sent. I’m curious to hear what kind of upgrades you’re thinking.”
As we walk down the hallway, I hear the faint sound of someone moving in the back, the shuffle of feet against the tiled floor. I don’t think much of it, not at first.
We step into Emma’s office, and I take a seat across from her, pulling out the files I’ve brought along.
I’m already flipping through the pages, preparing myself to get into business mode.
I don’t really expect anything more than a simple discussion, a few pointers from Emma, and then I’ll be on my way.
Just as I’m about to speak, the door swings open, and I hear a soft voice.
“Excuse me.”
I glance up, my words dying in my throat.
It’s her. Lucy.
I didn’t expect to see her today, not here, and certainly not standing in the doorway like she’s somehow stumbled into this moment by accident.
She hesitates when she sees me, just for a second, and that’s enough to make my stomach twist. Her hair is pulled back loosely today, her face softer than I remember.
She looks... different, but in a good way.
I can’t quite place it, but something about the way she stands there makes the air between us feel charged.
I’m not sure what to say at first, but before I can gather my thoughts, Emma looks between the two of us, clearly sensing the awkward tension.
“Do you two know each other?” she asks casually, her voice light, oblivious to the momentary stillness in the air.
Lucy glances at me, then at Emma. "No," she says quickly, her voice almost too soft. "We just… met briefly the other day."
I’m still watching her, trying to gauge how she’s feeling. The way she’s acting now is completely different from how she was when we first met. Her shyness is more pronounced today, like she’s unsure of how to handle the situation.
I can’t help myself. I feel the need to explain, to clear the air. "We met in town last week," I say, my voice a little more relaxed now that I’ve had a second to process the surprise. "I was there for my morning walk and, uh, we ended up talking for a minute."
Emma looks between us with a knowing smile. “Well, that explains it. Small town, right?”
Lucy smiles faintly, her cheeks flushing just the slightest bit. “Yeah. Small town.” She stands there awkwardly for a moment, unsure of how to proceed.
I realize I might be making her uncomfortable, so I quickly adjust my posture, trying to make things feel less tense.
"I didn’t realize you were working here," I say, the words slipping out before I can stop myself. The realization hits me like a wave. If she’s working here now, that means she’ll be in town for the foreseeable future. She’s not just passing through.
She seems surprised by my reaction but nods, almost shyly. “Yeah, I’ve been working here for a few days now.”
I try to mask my surprise, but I can’t help the way it shifts my mood. She’s staying. In Bayview. And I don’t know why, but that knowledge sparks something inside me. Something I wasn’t expecting.
"Well, that’s good," I say, trying to keep it casual. "I’ll definitely be around more often then."
Lucy gives me a quick smile but then looks away, as if she wants to disappear into the floor. "I should… I should get back to work," she says, almost stumbling over the words.
I watch her retreat toward the back of the clinic, and a part of me wants to call her back, ask her to stay, but I hold myself in check. I don’t even know why I’m feeling this way. She’s just a woman I met a week ago. Just someone I spoke with for a few minutes.
But the way she’s so gentle with everything she does, how she moves through the clinic with that quiet grace — it’s pulling me in more than I care to admit.
Emma turns back to me, her attention fully back on the business at hand. “So, about the tech upgrades…”
I nod, trying to focus on the task. "Right. I’ve got a few new gadgets in mind for the clinic. Some digital check-ins for clients, maybe a few upgrades to the patient tracking system. But I wanted to hear your thoughts on the best approach."
We dive into the tech details, but my mind keeps wandering back to Lucy. I try to push the thoughts away, but they keep resurfacing. How she looked, how she spoke. There’s something about her that’s pulling at me in a way I haven’t felt in a long time.
And then I catch myself. I realize I’m not thinking about the upgrades anymore. I’m thinking about her.
After a while, Emma finishes going over the project with me, and I feel a strange sense of reluctance.
It’s time to go. I’ve spent more time than I intended here, but I don’t want to leave.
I don’t want to let this moment pass without seeing her again, without having the chance to understand what it is that’s drawing me in.
“Alright, I’ll handle the rest from here,” I say, standing up from my seat, even when I should have told Emma I'm handing the project to someone else. But the thought of seeing Lucy again is enough for me to do this project myself. I’m already making a mental note to come back. To be around more.
Emma stands, smiling. “I’m sure the team will love the upgrades. Thanks for coming by.”
I nod, but my mind is elsewhere. “No problem. I’ll see you around,” I say, giving Emma a hug.
As I walk toward the door, I can’t help but glance back once more toward the back of the clinic. I see Lucy at the far end of the room, bent over a desk, her attention on something.
I don’t know what it is, but I know I want to see her again. I want to understand why I can’t stop thinking about her.
I step outside and into the bright daylight, but the moment I leave the clinic, I realize I don’t want to leave the feeling of her behind. I want more time with her, even if I don’t understand why.