Jack studied her face. The steadiness in her voice anchored him. "You make it sound easier than it feels."
"Because I trust you," she said simply.
Later that evening, at Jack's house, they sat at the kitchen table while Chloe and Gabe colored nearby. Maps, schedules, and design drafts were spread out between them. Jack traced a finger over the sketch of the Amanda Grace Wellness Wing.
His gaze lingered on the lines of the central courtyard, drawn to the heart of the building he'd envisioned so many times before. It stirred memories of long nights at Amanda’s bedside, her voice soft and steady as they dreamed of ways to give back—how she'd wanted healing to be more than medicine, to be about belonging. He felt her presence in every curve of the design, a quiet echo of the dreams they’d once shared—and now, of the dreams he was building with Claire by his side.
"Have you thought about who’ll take point on this while I’m gone?" Jack asked, glancing over the plans.
Claire tapped a section of the schedule. "I’ll coordinate with the project manager and make sure the team has everything they need. We already discussed the next phase, remember?"
Jack nodded, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth—grateful, admiring, and just a little in awe of how easily Claire stepped in to steady the course. "You’re a natural at this. Honestly, I don’t know how I ever did this without you."
"You didn’t," Claire teased. "You just thought you were."
Jack chuckled, but his smile faded into something softer. He looked down at the map again, fingers tracing the lines as if grounding himself.
"I want to leave something tangible," he said. "Not just for the project, but for you and Chloe. Something that says... this matters. That you matter."
Claire glanced over, her smile gentle. "You already have."
Jack paused, then added, "I’ve been thinking about how to make the Wellness Wing reflect Amanda’s heart. What if we include maternal health services? Parenting support, maybe even mental health resources for young families. Something Chloe can grow up seeing and understanding—something that helps her feel close to her mom."
Claire reached for his hand. "I think that's beautiful. She doesn’t remember much now, but one day, she’ll walk into that space and know it was built from love."
Jack turned to Claire, sincerity in his eyes. "Thank you, Claire. For watching Chloe while I’m gone. I know it’s a big ask, and I don’t take it for granted."
Claire’s eyes softened. "You don’t even have to ask. She’s part of our family, Jack. Of course I’ll take care of her."
Chloe perked up at the table. "Is Daddy going on a trip?"
Jack hesitated, a flicker of guilt tightening his chest. He hated how familiar this conversation had become—how many times he’d packed a bag and walked out the door, promising to make it up later. But this time had to be different.
"Yeah, sweetheart," Jack said, scooting closer. "Just for a little while. Grown-up stuff."
Her face crumpled slightly. "I don’t want you to go."
She looked down, her voice quieter. "You used to leave a lot. I remember waiting with the nanny. It always felt like forever."
Jack brushed a knuckle along her cheek, then gently tucked a strand of hair behind her ear—a gesture that had become uniquely his, quiet but full of affection. "I know, sweetheart. And I’m sorry. That was a different time. I had to work a lot back then, but things are different now. This trip isn’t forever, and it won’t be like before."
A memory flashed through his mind—Chloe as a toddler, curled up on the couch with her favorite blanket, clutching a crayon drawing in her tiny hands. It had been a stick-figure family, her smile wide even though he hadn’t made it home to see it that night. He had found it later, folded neatly on his desk, and the ache of having missed it had lingered for days.
He pulled her close again. "You’ll stay with Claire and Gabe next door. We’ll talk every day, and when I’m back, I’ll be home for real. No more disappearing, I promise. I don’t want to go either. But guess what? You're going to have so much fun with Claire and Gabe. And I’ll call every night. We can even do video chats."
Chloe brightened a little. "Can we draw maps together? Like treasure maps?"
"Absolutely. And when I get back, we’ll go find the treasure. Deal?"
"Deal." She wrapped her arms around his neck.
The night before he left for the flight, Jack surprised Claire with a small, rolled parchment tied with a silk ribbon. Before handing it to her, they'd been sitting on the porch watching the kids doze off. Their conversation turned toward the idea of belonging—how Seaview felt more like home than anywhere either of them had ever lived.
"It’s not just the beach," Claire had said quietly. "It’s the way people look out for each other here. The way you and I fit into that."
Jack had nodded, his gaze on the stars. "It’s where we’re putting down roots. And this—" he had unrolled the parchment with care "—is a little map of those roots taking hold." She unrolled it more to find a hand-drawn map of Seaview Harbor. Marked in ink were tiny symbols: a lighthouse, the playground, the gazebo, the beach where they found the message-in-a-bottle—and in the center, the future site of the Amanda Grace Wellness Wing, outlined in gold.
"Every place that matters to us," he said. "I added a few blank spaces, too. For what comes next."
