Chapter 22
COLE
Afew days later, I took Jiya and Emma apartment-hunting with me.
I knew I had made the right decision to sell my house. It was time to move on from it.
Silvia had helped me come to that realization during one of our therapy sessions.
“To help with the healing process, what do you think you should do to move on?” she had asked.
I knew exactly what she was hinting at the moment she said it.
A part of me had already been thinking the same thing for weeks.
I wanted a fresh start. I wanted a new chapter in my life, one where I could carry the memories of my daughter and wife with me without feeling trapped inside them.
This house had once been filled with laughter, with Chloe’s tiny footsteps echoing in the hallways and Eva’s voice calling out to me from the kitchen.
Now those same memories clung to the walls like ghosts.
Even the good ones haunted me. Every room reminded me of a moment that no longer existed.
Time did heal, slowly and quietly, and I was beginning to feel that healing taking place inside me.
The birth of Emma had stirred something deep within me.
Watching her come into the world had reminded me of the day Eva gave birth to Chloe.
The same nervous excitement. The same overwhelming love.
The same fragile moment when life changed forever.
Through that experience, I had felt a connection to Jiya.
Over the past couple of months, spending time with her and her family had made me realize just how much I missed the presence of family in my life.
The warmth of their home, Lucas’s laughter, the gentle chaos of a house filled with people—it all reminded me of what I had lost and what I still longed for.
Another family could build their memories in my house. That thought stayed with me as I now watched Jiya inspect each apartment with the realtor, moving through the spaces with a thoughtful seriousness that made me smile.
“What about the appliances?” she asked the realtor with her eyebrows raised slightly. “Are they included?”
I could tell she was enjoying the outing. It gave her a break from her routine of juggling the restaurant, Lucas, and Emma. Over the next couple of days, we viewed nearly ten different apartments before I finally chose one that Jiya thought was perfect.
The realtor smiled warmly as she gestured around the apartment. “You both will love it. A beautiful and spacious one-bedroom plus den, perfect for you and your new bundle of joy.”
My cheeks grew warm immediately, and I glanced at Jiya. She had not heard the comment because she was busy checking the closet space and the kitchen cabinets.
“Oh no,” I said quickly, shaking my head. “We’re just good friends.”
Now it was the realtor’s turn to flush with embarrassment.
Despite that awkward moment, I felt grateful to have Jiya in my life.
Over the following days, she came with me to furniture stores, helped me pick out colours for the walls, and offered suggestions that brought out parts of my personality I had forgotten existed.
While I was going through Eva’s and Chloe’s belongings before the packers and movers arrived, my phone rang.
I glanced down at the screen.
It was Liam.
I stared at the name as if it might disappear.
“Hi,” I answered finally. “What a pleasant surprise! How are you?”
“I’m good,” Liam said, clearing his throat. “I was wondering whether you would be free to catch up for lunch this afternoon.”
My head jerked back in surprise. “Yes, of course.”
After we confirmed a time and location in Downtown Victoria, I quickly changed my clothes and headed out the door.
I could not help the anticipation building inside me during the drive.
This meeting meant more to me than I could explain.
I had been waiting for something like this ever since our last conversation.
I still did not know what to expect, but the idea of seeing my little brother again made everything else feel worthwhile.
It had been two years since I had last seen Liam.
Two long years.
I could not wait to apologize properly and try to reconnect with him.
My brother.
My family.
When I arrived at the restaurant where we were meeting, I sat down and waited patiently. The seconds stretched uncomfortably as my mind began racing. What should I say? How do I even begin? Should I tell him about my addiction first? Or should I start with the rehab?
I folded my arms across my chest as my heartbeat turned heavy and sluggish.
Liam had sounded serious on the phone, and his tone had given away nothing about what he wanted to talk about. A sour taste filled my mouth. Did he ask me to lunch just to tell me to stay away? Maybe he doesn’t want to keep in touch. Would he forgive me if I apologized again?
My thoughts spiralled until Liam finally walked in, right on time, dressed in his business suit. I stood up immediately, feeling awkward and unsure whether I should shake his hand or hug him. I scratched my beard nervously as a hollow feeling formed in my stomach.
Liam walked right up to me and embraced me tightly.
Warmth spread through my body, softening the hollow ache in my stomach. I found myself holding on, letting the comfort settle after two years of distance.
I was grateful for it.
Reluctantly, we pulled apart and sat down just as the server approached.
Liam told him we would let him know when we were ready to order. Then he leaned forward slightly in his chair. His face lowered for a moment before he looked back up at me.
“I’m sorry for the way I treated you, Cole.”
I shook my head quickly.
“No, I’m sorry. It was my fault. I pushed you away and said all those awful things to you.”
“Still, we are family, and I should have been there for you no matter what,” Liam said, swallowing hard. “I might be younger, but you are still my brother. You’re all I have.”
I reached across the table and held his hand. “And you’re all I have.”
A mixture of remorse, regret, and relief rolled through me like a tide finally turning.
“I didn’t know you had checked yourself into rehab,” Liam said quietly.
“How do you know about the rehab centre?”
“Didn’t she tell you?”
“Who?” I asked, tilting my head slightly.
“Jiya,” Liam replied. “She paid me a visit at the office about a week ago.”
The memory clicked immediately.
Jiya had mentioned that she needed to go to the city the day I stopped by her place for breakfast.
“If she hadn’t told me about everything you’ve been through, I would never have realized how wrong I was for treating you the way I did over the phone,” Liam said. He paused before continuing. “I am truly sorry, and I would like us to start over.”
I sat there quietly for a moment, realizing just how much I owed Jiya without even knowing it. She had saved me from myself and my addiction. She had reconnected me with my brother. She had helped me rebuild my life piece by piece.
“How about we order some food?” Liam said, breaking the silence. “Your favourite… steak and potatoes?”
“That would be perfect.”
After we placed our order, Liam leaned forward again, curiosity lighting his eyes.
“Now tell me more about this girl, Jiya.”
I laughed softly and told him how she had entered my life with her son, how she and Jack owned and ran the restaurant—without realizing it was mine—and how our friendship had grown over time.
“She sounds like a special one,” Liam said thoughtfully. “Are you guys planning to date?”
“No!” I said quickly. “No, it’s not like that.” My cheeks grew warm. “We’re just good friends.”
Liam watched me carefully, as if trying to determine whether I was telling the truth.
“Hmm,” he murmured before cutting into his steak. “I heard about your photography gigs. How is that going?”
“It’s keeping me busy,” I said, chewing on a potato. “I picked it up when I was in rehab, and Jiya created a website for me that has been bringing in work.”
Liam leaned back in his chair, clearly thinking about something. “In that case,” he said slowly, “why don’t you become a photographer for the company? You already have an office there, which, by the way, is still waiting for you.”
“What do you mean?”
“You know what,” he said with a smile, “let’s discuss this over the weekend when you come home and see the family. We can talk more about it then. For now, let’s catch up.”
He spent the next few minutes updating me on everything that had happened in his life.
“By the way,” he added casually, “you’ve become an uncle again. Jess and I had a daughter a year ago.”
“That’s fantastic,” I said sincerely. “I’m so happy for you.”
And I truly was.
I only wished we had reconciled sooner. Better late than never, though. Right?
After lunch, I hugged Liam again and told him I would see him over the weekend.
During the drive back to the village, my thoughts drifted to Jiya.
Her smile.
Her eyes.
Her dimples.
Her lips.
I waited for the familiar wave of guilt to follow those thoughts, the kind that had haunted me whenever I allowed myself to think about another woman after Eva.
But it never came.
Not once.
There was no crushing regret. No panic. No terrifying sense that I was betraying the past.
And in that quiet realization, I understood something important.
I was finally beginning to heal.
When I reached home, I spent the rest of the day packing the most important belongings of Eva and Chloe, the things I would take with me to the new apartment.
Each item carried a memory, but for the first time, those memories felt less like chains and more like something I could carry forward with love instead of grief.