Twenty-five
Ethan
Lily lets out a frustrated huff as she wrestles with the patio door. It seems stuck, refusing to budge despite her determined tugs.
“Need a hand there, Lily?” I ask, a slight smile playing on my lips.
She glances over her shoulder, her brow furrowed in an adorable scowl. “I can’t get this thing open. Did you do something to it?”
“Me? Why would you think I’d mess with your door?”
She turns fully, her hands settling on her hips. The soft lavender sweater, a size or two too big now, slips further down her shoulder, revealing the sharp line of her collarbone. “Given that it was working perfectly fine before you arrived,” she retorts, her gaze unwavering.
My smirk deepens, and I take a step closer. “Shall I remind you that you were getting chemo treatment before I arrived?”
I reach out, my fingers brushing the loose fabric of her sweater, and pause when a shiver ripples through her.
My smirk softens, turning tender as I take the material and put it back into place, covering her skin. She watches my every movement, her throat working as she swallows hard. A faint, tell-tale flush blooms high on her cheeks.
“Could it be that maybe you’re a little weaker because of the treatment?”
A moment of silence stretches between us.
“Yes,” she says, clearing her throat, her gaze fixed on my hand for a moment before darting away. “I suppose that’s possible.”
God, she is still so damn sexy when she’s shy. Good to know I haven’t completely lost my touch.
Keeping my eyes on hers, I reach over her head, my fingers easily finding the latch she was struggling with. With a soft click and a push, the door slides open smoothly. I never stray from her silver eyes, eyes that, to this day, still take my breath away.
“Oh,” she murmurs. “Thank you.” She slips through the doorway, heading out onto the patio.
I chuckle, following her. “I don’t get an apology?” I cross my arms over my chest.
“For what?” She glances at my arms, then quickly averts her gaze toward a patch of blooming roses in her garden.
I shake my head, my smirk still in place. “For accusing me of sabotaging your door.”
“I wasn’t really accusing you,” she says. “I was asking a question, Ethan.”
“That’s not an apology, Lily.”
“Maybe not,” she mumbles. “But it’s the closest to one you’re getting today.”
I let out a quiet laugh. “Still stubborn, I see.”
She finally looks at me again. “You loved that about me once.”
“Yeah,” I admit, stepping a little closer, drawn in by the challenge in her gaze. “I still might.”
Her breath catches at my admission.
I glance around the patio, then back to her. “Do you need any help with anything out here?”
She shakes her head, a small, grateful smile touching her lips. “No, thank you. I’m going to water my plants and sit out here for a bit.”
I nod, hoping she’ll ask me to stay, but knowing better than to push. “Okay. You have your phone, right?”
She pats her pant pocket. “Yes.”
“Use it if you need me for anything. Anything at all.”
“I will.”
I remain in place for another minute, just watching her, then offer a small, soft smile. “Okay, then. I’ll be back soon.”
“Where are you going?” she asks, making her sound innocent, almost childlike. Almost as if she didn’t want me to leave.
“Just to the store, grab a few things. But I’ll be back.”
“Okay,” she says, her eyes following me as I turn.
I leave the patio door slightly ajar but pull the screen door shut, so it would be easier for her to get back inside.
I take one more look at her to see she’s already tending to her garden. I withdraw my phone from my pocket, unable to resist, and snap a picture of her.
For four years, my heart has been broken. But now, I feel like I can breathe again.
Lily
The insistent, jarring whirr of a power drill yanks me abruptly from sleep.
I groan, rubbing the sleep from my eyes, squinting as the early afternoon light pierces through the blinds.
And there it is again, that rhythmic, grating sound.
I frown. “What in the world?”
Swinging my legs off the bed, I slide my feet into my warm booties before padding out of the room.
The noise grows louder as I descend the stairs, my hand gripping the banister. Reaching the bottom, I turn the corner, my gaze landing on a scene that instantly clears away the last traces of sleep.
Tools are strewn around Ethan. He holds a drill firmly in his hand while Ollie stands beside him, holding up a small, gleaming object.
“Need this one?” he asks.
Ethan glances at him, then offers that heart-melting smile, the one he used to give the kids when they were his age, full of pure, unadulterated adoration. “Nah, buddy. But you can hand me that one right there, the one with the blue handle.”
Ollie carefully places the tool he’s holding back into a box, then takes a few steps to his left. He bends down, rummages for a moment, and picks up another tool, then hands it over.
“Thanks, buddy,” Ethan says, taking it.
Ollie beams. “You’re welcome.”
My eyes burn and my chest constricts as I watch Ethan patiently guiding my son through each step of his task. It feels like looking through a window at a future that could have been ours. A past love that I deeply miss.
My hand, without conscious thought, goes to the small, diamond cupcake necklace at my neck. After all these years, it still holds emotional value, a touchstone to my past. Our past.
“What are you guys doing?” I finally ask, finding my voice.
Ollie whips his head around so fast I fear he’ll topple over. His mouth splits into a ridiculously wide grin.
“Mama! Look! Ethan got a new door for you!” He launches himself at me, grabbing my hand.
“Come on!” he urges, tugging me forward.
“A door for me?” I ask, confused. “What was wrong with the old one?”
Ethan straightens up, stepping back from the doorway, a slight, almost shy smile playing on his lips. “This.” He points to a sleek little box on the wall beside the door, then presses a button.
My jaw drops as the patio doors silently and smoothly slide open on their own.
“Oh, wow,” I breathe.
“Isn’t it cool, Mama?” Ollie bounces on the balls of his feet. “It opens the door for you so you don’t have to fight with it anymore!”
I turn my gaze to Ethan, and my eyes prickle with unexpected tears. “You… you did this for me?”
He nods, his eyes soft. “Figured you shouldn’t have to wrestle with a difficult door every time you want some fresh air or want to water your garden.”
I let go of Ollie’s hand, wrapping my arms around Ethan. He stiffens for a split second, but then that old, familiar comfort kicks in, and his arms come around me, holding me tight.
“Thank you, Ethan,” I murmur into his shoulder.
He buries his face in my neck, and I close my eyes, relishing letting the familiarity of his touch wash over me. “I don’t want to see you struggle with anything, not if I can help it,” he whispers, his voice a little rough. “This is me taking care of you.”
I bite back the tears, letting myself be in this moment, in his arms.
When we finally pull apart, his gaze lingers for a moment, then drops, freezing when it lands on the small, diamond charm at my throat.
“You… you still have it?” he asks, his voice barely a whisper.
My hand instinctively goes to the necklace, my fingers tracing the tiny cupcake. “Of course I still have it,” I confirm, a soft smile touching my lips.
He looks directly at me, and his smile spreads, slow and genuine, as if he’s just won the biggest lottery in the world.
Maybe he hasn’t, but in that moment, with his smile reflecting my own, I know without a doubt that I have.
“Lily?”
I look up from trimming the rose stems to put in a vase, a little startled. Ethan’s parents, James and Erica, stand inside the sliding glass door, hesitating at the threshold like they aren’t sure if they should be here.
“Hi, James, Erica.” I try to push myself up from the patio armchair, but my grip slips on the smooth metal armrest, and I plop right back down with a soft thud.
“Please, don’t get up, Lily,” James says as he strides quickly across the flagstones toward me.
He’s beside me in an instant, pulling me into his arms. It feels less like hugging a person and more like being enveloped by a giant, gentle teddy bear.
He presses a tender kiss on the very top of my scarf-covered head.
“How are you doing, sweetheart?” he asks. He settles onto the edge of the chair next to mine.
I take a good, long look at him. The lines around his kind eyes seem a little deeper, and his short hair is definitely more salt than pepper these days. I find myself smiling at his thick, unruly eyebrows that need a good trimming.
“I’m actually doing well today,” I say honestly.
“We wanted to stop by after you were released from the hospital,” Erica murmurs, wrapping her arms around me. “But Ethan thought we should wait.”
“Well, I’m glad you came. It’s so nice to see you both,” I say, turning my gaze back to James. His eyes are noticeably misty, and he blinks rapidly, trying to clear them, a small, sad smile playing on his lips.
“You look beautiful.” Erica says, as she pulls back to look at me.
My hand goes to the scarf covering my head. “Thank you.”
She sits on the opposite side of the small table, reaching across to take my hand.
“We were thinking,” she begins, “of taking Jake, Maddy, and Ollie out for dinner. Get them some pizza, maybe an ice cream afterward. Would you feel up to going?”
I pause, considering. “I would love to, but I’m really not feeling up for it tonight. But the kids will be ecstatic.”
“We understand,” Erica says, giving my hand another gentle squeeze.
The patio door slides open with a soft whoosh, and Ethan appears. He looks so handsome in his worn jeans and a light gray T-shirt, his dark hair tousled as if he’s been running his hands through it all day.
He scans the group, a subtle crease forming between his brows. “Everything alright?” He steps out onto the patio.
“Everything is fine,” I reassure him with a soft smile.
He tilts his head slightly, the corners of his mouth lifting as his gaze meets mine.
“Well,” James announces, pushing himself to his feet with a soft grunt. “We’d better get going if we want to beat the traffic.”
He walks over to me and kneels, bringing his face level with mine. “Lily, you have always been, and will always be family. Please don’t hesitate to call us for anything. We are here for you.” He cups my face gently in his large hands, his thumbs tracing my cheekbones.
I sniffle, a tear threatening to spill. “Thank you, James,” I whisper.
“We love you,” he adds.
I smile through the tears welling in my eyes. “I love you too.” I turn my head slightly to Erica, who is standing beside James. “And I love you too, Erica.”
Her voice catches. “I love you too, sweetheart.” She leans down, pressing a soft kiss to the side of my temple, and gives me one last, firm hug.
James lingers for another moment, his gaze fixed on my face as if he’s trying to memorize every feature. “We’ll see you very soon,” he promises.
I nod. “Good. Don’t be strangers. And thank you for coming.”
He hugs me one last time, and I return it with all the strength I have.
They turn and walk toward the patio door, their figures a little blurry through my misty eyes. As they pass Ethan, my eyes meet his.
For a second, everything else fades away, and we’re Ethan and Lily once again. There’s a pull between us, a reminder of the love we once shared.
And maybe, that will be enough to help us find our way back to each other.