The Library Garden – Ella Braeme #2
Marcus crouched to examine the soil where the community center's foundation would be poured, his site manager Chen beside him.
The Green Valley project was his firm's first major development focused on sustainable, mixed-income housing, and he'd fought hard to keep these community spaces in the budget.
Now, studying the concerning variations in the soil composition reports, he documented the findings on his tablet.
"We'll need a complete?—"
His phone buzzed. Maya's name flashed on the screen. He checked his watch—not their scheduled co-parenting check-in time.
"Can this wait? I'm in the middle of an inspection."
"No, it can't." Maya’s voice had that familiar tone, the one that preceded her biggest announcements. "I've been offered the lead position on the Antarctic ice shelf study. Two years, fully funded. It's... it's everything I've been working toward."
Marcus straightened, dust coating his boots. Two years. He'd built his entire schedule around their current custody arrangement. "You promised to be here and help with school pickup," he said, professional calm masking the turmoil beneath. "We had an agreement."
"I know, but this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. My research could?—"
"Zara's birthday is in three weeks. She's been planning that mother-daughter baking day for months." He opened the scheduling app, his mind already racing through contingency plans. None of them accounted for this level of disruption.
"Marcus." Maya’s sigh crackled through the speaker. "You're so good with her. Better than I ever was. She needs your stability more than my sporadic?—"
"Don't." He pinched the bridge of his nose, briefly lifting his glasses. "Just... when do you leave?"
"Next week. I'll arrange the custody modification paperwork today."
"Right. I have to go." Marcus ended the call, staring at the dark screen for a moment.
Next week. Seven days to completely restructure their lives.
To explain to Zara why Mommy would miss her birthday.
Again. "How am I supposed to tell her?" Marcus rubbed his temple, trying to focus on the inspection checklist. But the reality of Maya's news kept intruding.
Two years. Zara's entire second-grade year.
Every planned visit, every scheduled activity, gone.
Chen cleared his throat. "Mr. Wright? The contractor needs a decision on the community center foundation."
"Right." He squared his shoulders. One crisis at a time. "Tell them to halt the pour until we get new soil samples. I won't risk cutting corners on this project."
The rest of the afternoon passed in a blur of technical discussions and repressed anxiety. By the time he pulled up to Zara's school, his head was pounding. He checked his reflection in the rearview mirror, making sure none of the strain showed on his face.
Zara bounced down the steps, her purple-framed glasses slightly askew. "Daddy! We learned about penguins today! Did you know they're actually birds? Even though they swim and can't fly!" She stopped, studying him with uncanny perception. "Are you okay?"
"Just a busy day at the site, sweet pea." He helped her with her backpack, heart clenching. How could he tell her about Antarctica when she got excited about penguins in a picture book?
At the library, they arrived just as Claire was setting up the storytime area. She smiled at them, warm and bright in her vintage-style dress with tiny birds printed on it. Something in his chest loosened at the sight.
"Mr. Whiskers has been practicing his paleontologist voice," she told Zara, who immediately rushed to inspect the puppet theater.
Marcus hung back, watching Claire arrange cushions with practiced care. She moved with an easy grace that made even the most chaotic storytime feel natural, planned yet somehow spontaneous. The opposite of his carefully structured world.
"Daddy!" Zara called. "You have to sit by me. There are dinosaur puppets! See?"
He settled cross-legged beside his daughter, trying to stay present despite the upheaval of Maya's news. Claire caught his eye as she began the story, her expression softening with concern. Had she noticed something off in his demeanor? He was usually better at maintaining composure.
After storytime, once Zara was absorbed in her latest chapter book, Claire spread the garden plans across a back table.
She pulled the scrunchie from her dark auburn hair, gathering escaped strands back into a slightly less messy bun.
The late afternoon sun caught copper highlights he'd never noticed before.
"I was thinking about reading nooks here," she said, pointing to a corner sketch. Her free hand moved expressively as she spoke, a habit he'd observed during storytime. "Something whimsical, with old windows and flowing curtains."
Marcus leaned closer, trying to focus on the plans rather than the scatter of freckles across her nose or the way her green eyes lit up when she described her vision.
Her round face dimpled with enthusiasm, and he found himself wondering how someone could make structural engineering discussions seem almost.. . charming.
"These support beams won't hold up to regular use," he said, then winced at how harsh it sounded. "I mean?—"
"No, tell me." She looked up at him, another strand of auburn escaping to curl against her cheek.
That small book tattoo peeked out from her wrist as she tucked the hair back.
"That's why I wanted your expertise. Though fair warning—if you try to turn my magical garden into a construction site, we're going to have words. "
Her teasing tone caught him off guard. When was the last time someone had joked with him about his tendency to over-engineer? Maya used to just get frustrated.
"I promise to maintain appropriate levels of whimsy," he said, surprising himself with the playfulness in his voice. "As long as you promise to let me ensure nothing collapses during storytime."
Claire's laugh softened something in his chest. "Deal." She traced a finger along one of his proposed support beams. "Though maybe we could soften these with flowering vines? Make them look less... industrial?"
"Like at McMurdo Station," he said without thinking, then grimaced.
At Claire's questioning look, he explained, "Zara's mother—she's heading there for a two-year climate research position.
Dr. Maya Wilson. She showed us photos of their hydroponic gardens, trying to make the research station feel less stark.
" He hadn't meant to share so much, but something about Claire's attentive expression made it easy to talk.
"She's brilliant at what she does. Just not always brilliant at remembering to be here for things like Zara's birthday. "
"I'm sorry," Claire said softly, then brightened.
"But yes to the vines. We'll make this space beautiful AND structurally sound.
" She bent over the sketches again, biting her lip as she concentrated, and Marcus found himself distracted by the subtle freckles scattered across her cheek, visible now as she tilted her face toward the plans.
What was he doing? His life was about to be completely restructured. He needed to focus on Zara, on managing this transition. The last thing he should be considering was...
But watching Claire explain her vision for the garden, her hands moving expressively as she described a space where children could dream, he realized it might be too late for sensible decisions. He was already caught up in her orbit, drawn to the way she made chaos feel like possibility.
He glanced at Zara, peaceful in her reading nook, then back at Claire's garden plans. Maybe, just maybe, there was room in their carefully ordered life for a little magic.
Claire lined up the lemon poppy seed muffins on her desk, adjusting them until they formed a perfect arc.
Stress-baking at midnight probably wasn't the healthiest coping mechanism, but it beat lying awake after googling "McMurdo Station scientist" and discovering that Marcus's ex wasn't just any researcher—she was headed to Antarctica.
The endless photos of a brilliant woman in snow gear, tackling climate science at the bottom of the world, had kept Claire awake for hours.
How could she possibly measure up to someone who studied ice shelves in Earth's most extreme environment?
Sarah Blake leaned against Claire's desk, her perfectly manicured nails drumming against the wood. "Trying to sweeten up the board before they review your latest garden proposal?"
Claire forced her fingers to stay steady as she arranged the last muffin. "Actually, we have an engineer consulting on the safety requirements now."
"Oh?" Sarah's eyebrows rose with practiced precision. "The single dad? How... convenient."
Heat crept up Claire's neck. "Marcus Wright is highly qualified. His firm handles major municipal projects."
"Of course he is." Sarah's smile didn't reach her eyes. "Though I have to wonder why someone of his caliber would take on pro bono work for a children's librarian. Unless there are other... motivations?"
Claire was saved from responding by the library doors swinging open. Marcus strode in, looking unfairly put-together in charcoal slacks and a navy button-down, his tablet tucked under one arm. Zara trailed behind him, already making a beeline for the reading nook with Mr. Whiskers.
"Ready to look at the garden?" Marcus asked, nodding at the tablet. "I've got the initial safety assessment."
"Yes, let's..." Claire glanced at the muffins, then impulsively grabbed the container. "We might need sustenance."
Sarah's knowing smirk followed them out to the courtyard, where the morning sun cast long shadows through the arcade's arches. Zara had settled into her favorite reading spot by the window, close enough to watch them while staying absorbed in her book.