In The Between

✧･Chapter 2 I Did

Every step I took in this house pressed memories into my chest. Four years away, and somehow nothing had changed, but everything had.

My eyes scanned the room. The picture frames lining the walls caught my attention first - Helena and June on their wedding day, the girls growing up before my eyes, frozen in time in smiles and sunlit moments.

By the front door, a baseball bag leaned against the wall.

A small bat peeked out of the top, gloves resting on it, shoes scattered carelessly to the side.

Small details, but they told the story of a life I'd missed.

Lucia came flying down the hallway, hair bouncing, and I could hear her before I saw her.

"Lucia, honey? Did you take your sister's blanket again?"

I chuckled softly, closing my eyes for a second, letting Helena's voice wash over me. Familiar and grounding. Then I heard the little reply, sharp and indignant.

"It was mine first!"

"You gave it to her," Helena called back, her tone patient but teasing. Footsteps creaked on the stairs as Lucia didn't answer, just ran ahead, disappearing into the living room.

When I stepped in, there she was. Small and stubborn, perched on the couch, clutching the blanket to her chest like it was the most important thing in the world. Her bright blue eyes sparkling with mischief as she looked up at me, her gaze cautious.

"You can't keep taking Faye's blanket when-" Helena's words froze mid-sentence. I turned, a grin already spreading across my face.

"Claire?" Helena's voice was sharp, tinged with disbelief, as if she were seeing a ghost. I couldn't help myself, I smirked, leaning into the moment.

"You're allowing your child to steal blankets now?

" I teased, watching Helena slowly blink, roll her eyes, and then recover from the shock.

My chest tightened in a way that made my stomach flutter.

Time felt like it had paused, and suddenly being here, standing in her living room, felt too easy, too wonderful.

"It was mine first!" Lucia piped up, defiant as ever. I laughed, stepping closer to Helena and throwing my arms around her in a quick hug.

"What- why are you here? Is everything okay?" Helena asked, wrapping her arms around me tightly.

I pulled back slightly, letting my hands rest on her arms. "Everything's fine, Helena. I can't come see my best friend?" I said, grinning, my voice light and teasing.

Helena stared at me with the exact same incredulous expression Lucia had given me just moments before. I laughed again, shaking my head.

"My God, Helena, you're raising a mini version of yourself. She gave me that exact look five minutes ago," I said, still smiling.

"Please," Helena said, a small smile tugging at her lips, "she does it better than I ever could've. And it doesn't hurt that she's cute enough to get away with it."

God, it hit me all at once - the same Helena I'd always known, but different.

She was still the powerhouse, the woman who ran an empire with precision and confidence, but now there was a softness to her.

A freedom in the way she moved, laughed, even smiled.

Her hair was still long, but tied loosely in a messy bun, a small rebellion against perfection.

"I'm moving back," I said, the words tumbling out faster than I meant them to. Helena's mouth opened, then closed, and the shock in her eyes was impossible to miss.

"I bought a house a few months ago. My sister helped me get it together," I added, grinning at the thought of surprising her. "I wanted to tell you in person, not over the phone."

"Jesus Claire?" Helena's voice was incredulous, and I couldn't help but laugh. She shook her head, taking a breath before speaking again. "Why the sudden change of plans?"

I shrugged, letting my gaze drift to Lucia for a moment, then back to Helena.

"I just... woke up one day and realized how much I was missing.

Don't get me wrong - I love Cali, the people, everything.

But it just wasn't the same. The company's doing great over there without me.

I just... I didn't want to keep missing your life.

I missed my family. I missed my life here.

" My voice softened toward the end, the words almost more for myself than for her.

Helena didn't respond right away. She just stared, like she couldn't quite believe it. Then, quietly, she said, "You didn't have to go in the first place. I never wanted you to."

I drew in a deep breath, glancing away for a moment. I didn't even know how to reply. Words felt clumsy, insufficient.

"Are you ever going to tell me what happened... what was so bad that you packed up your entire life and left across the country?" She asked, her voice steady but curious, probing.

I met her gaze again, sighing and shaking my head. "Nothing bad happened." I said it a little too quickly, almost defensively.

Helena scoffed, a small, sharp sound. "Yeah, okay. Sure."

She wasn't buying it, and honestly? Neither was I. But somehow, that didn't matter right now. Right now, I was back, and that had to be enough.

"God, I can't believe you're here," Helena said, shaking her head. "You're welcome to stay. I just put Faye down for her nap, and Lucas is taking Lucia to... whatever it is they do - tee-ball or something."

I laughed softly as Helena gestured for me to follow her. I did, sliding onto a barstool in the kitchen as she moved toward June. June was at the stove, cooking, and the smell alone had my stomach growling.

"After what, over twenty years or something? You still don't understand baseball?" I teased, watching Helena lean in and place a small kiss on June's head before glancing over at me with that look.

"I don't care for it," Helena said, grabbing two wine glasses and placing them on the counter.

"Watch," I said, leaning my chin on my hands, "Lucia's going to become obsessed with it. Then you'll have no choice but to actually learn the game."

Helena rolled her eyes, uncorking a bottle of wine. "June knows everything. I'll just be the supporting parent and the one ready to murder anyone who hits her with a ball."

I snorted. "What? Kill them with your death glare?"

"I might," she said, raising an eyebrow.

I shook my head, laughing. "I still can't believe you have kids. Look at you - married, kids, all... tamed and shit."

Helena laughed, shaking her head. "You act like being with someone is a bad thing."

I raised an eyebrow. "Because it is. I'm too wild to be tied down. I live large. Happily, thank you very much."

Helena smirked, shaking her head. "Some things never change."

"Oh, you have no idea," I said, grinning. "I've got enough chaos to take over this whole neighborhood if I wanted to."

"Please don't," she said, mock-serious. "I love my quiet life."

I leaned back, swirling the wine in my glass. "Quiet is boring, you know that."

Helena shook her head, laughing softly. "Yeah, okay, Claire. You've definitely brought your world of chaos back with you."

I smirked, tilting my head. "You love it."

Helena laughed, taking a sip from her glass before glancing at me. Helena's laughter faded, her expression softening as she looked at me. "I'm really happy you're here," she said, quieter now. "It'll be nice for the girls to have another aunt around that's not just Mae."

Mae.

The name hit harder than I expected, sharp and sudden, like something catching under my ribs. I kept my expression steady, lifting my glass like it gave me something to do, something to hide behind.

"Yeah," I said lightly, like it didn't mean anything at all. Then, before I could stop myself, "How is she?"

Helena didn't think twice about it. "She's good," she said, easy, casual. "Really good, actually. Her art's taken off a lot these past few years. She's been doing shows, selling pieces like crazy. I think she's even had some stuff featured out of state."

Of course she has. I already knew that.

I'd watched it happen from a distance, through a screen, late nights and quiet mornings scrolling through her work like it was something I could hold onto without anyone knowing. I'd seen every new piece, every announcement, every small milestone that turned into something bigger.

I'd even bought a few.

Different name, different e-mail with no trace back to me.

Helena kept talking, completely unaware of the way my chest was starting to tighten. "And she's been seeing someone for a while now. Over a year, I think." She shrugged. "He seems really good for her."

Something in me twisted.

I nodded slowly, staring down at my glass, watching the way the light hit the wine instead of looking at her. "That's... good," I said, my voice steady enough to pass.

Good.

Right.

My mind didn't agree. It refused to. It ran laps in my skull, dragging up memories I'd spent years trying to shove into locked boxes.

The way Mae had looked at me that night - like she'd been caught in something dangerous, like she had no control.

The way her hands had trembled slightly when she'd pulled away, like she hadn't known what she was doing.

The way she hadn't looked at me the next morning, how her silence had slammed over me like a tidal wave.

How every wordless second afterward had been etched into me, burning bright no matter how hard I tried to bury it.

How she hadn't even said my name, as if speaking it might acknowledge what had happened, what we'd done...

and the worst part? The part I'd never gotten over?

She'd told me, plain as day, that she didn't remember any of it.

A year.

She'd been with someone for a year. I could picture her laughing at some stupid joke, holding his hand, maybe even leaning against him the way she used to let me lean against her when we were just friends. My chest tightened, a cold, hollow ache spreading to my stomach.

I swallowed, forcing my shoulders to relax, forcing myself to breathe like everything was normal - as if something inside me hadn't just cracked open and bled all over again.

Like I wasn't drowning in the knowledge that I'd loved her quietly for longer than I cared to admit.

That I'd loved her when I had no right to.

That even now, after six years, even after all the distance, my heart still refused to let go.

Helena spoke lightly. "Are you okay?" she asked, her voice softer now, more careful.

I glanced back at her, nodding a little too quickly. "Yeah- yeah. I'm just... tired. It's been a long morning."

It wasn't a lie. Just not the truth either.

Helena watched me for a moment, like she was deciding whether to call me out, but then she let it go with a small nod. "Well," she said, shifting the mood, "we're having dinner tonight with Lucas and August. You're more than welcome to come."

I raised an eyebrow, leaning back against the counter. "Dinner? Already? Helena, I just got here. You're not even going to give me a day to mentally prepare?"

She rolled her eyes, reaching for her glass. "Prepare for what?"

"For Lucas," I said immediately. "Obviously."

Helena snorted. "You've dealt with him for a very long time."

"Exactly," I shot back. "Which is why I need preparation time."

She shook her head, clearly unimpressed. "You'll survive."

I tilted my head, pretending to consider it. "Will I though? Because last time I saw him, he tried to convince me that pineapple belongs on pizza."

"It does," Helena said without hesitation.

I blinked at her, offended. "Wow. Four years away and this is what happens? You lose all sense of judgment?"

She smirked, taking a sip of her wine.

"Tragic," I muttered. "Absolutely tragic."

Helena laughed, the sound easy and familiar, and for a moment it settled something in my chest. "So?" she asked, nudging my arm again. "Are you coming or not?"

I sighed dramatically, like this was the hardest decision of my life. "Do I get food?"

"Yes, Claire."

"Good food?"

Helena gave me a look.

I held up my hands. "Okay, okay. I'm in."

"Shocking," she said dryly.

"I know. I'm really going out of my way here," I replied, grabbing my glass again. "You should feel honored."

Helena shook her head, smiling despite herself. "I always do."

I took a slow sip, leaning back against the counter, letting my eyes wander around the kitchen again. "You know," I added casually, "this is all very... domestic of you."

Helena raised an eyebrow. "Domestic?"

"Yeah," I said, gesturing vaguely around us. "Cooking, kids, routine. You've got a whole life going on here. It's weird."

"Weird?" She repeated, clearly unimpressed.

"Yeah. You used to survive off cereal and pure spite," I shot back.

Helena scoffed. "I still do, thank you very much. I've just... expanded my skill set."

"Right," I said, nodding like I believed her. "And I'm sure June had nothing to do with that."

Helena glanced over at June, then back at me, her expression giving her away immediately.

"Wow," I laughed. "So that's a yes."

"I didn't say that," she muttered, reaching for the wine bottle again.

"You didn't have to," I said, grinning. "It's written all over your face."

Helena rolled her eyes, but there was something softer there, something easy. "You're insufferable, you know that?"

"And yet," I said, lifting my glass slightly, "you missed me."

She didn't even hesitate. "I did."

That hit a little deeper than I expected, and for a second, I didn't have anything to say back. So I just smiled, softer this time, before glancing away.

"Well," I said, clearing my throat lightly, pushing off the counter, "as much as I'd love to stay here and continue being your favorite person..."

Helena snorted. "Debatable."

"...I should probably head out," I finished, ignoring her. "I need a nap. And a long shower before dinner."

Helena nodded, understanding immediately. "Yeah, you look like you need both."

I paused, narrowing my eyes at her. "Wow. That's rude."

She smirked. "You walked right into that."

"Unbelievable," I muttered, grabbing my keys off the counter.

June turned slightly, signing something quick, her expression warm.

Drive safe. We'll see you tonight.

I nodded, smiling at her as I signed back.

I'll be there.

Helena walked me toward the door, arms loosely crossed as she watched me. "Don't bail," she said.

I scoffed, pulling the door open. "Please. I already committed. I'm a woman of my word."

Helena gave me a look.

"...most of the time," I amended, flashing her a quick grin.

She shook her head, smiling as I stepped outside. "See you tonight, Claire."

I glanced back at her, just for a second. "Yeah," I said. "See you tonight."

And for some reason, the words felt heavier than they should have.