“It doesn’t?”
I looked at him then. Really looked.
“No. Not anymore.”
He didn’t sayI told you so. Didn’t offer platitudes about fresh starts or silver linings. Just gave me a slow nod, like he understood more than he let on.
“You don’t have to prove anything here,” he said again, softer this time. “You just have to be here.”
“I don’t know how to do that.”
“You don’t have to know. You just have to stay long enough to figure it out.”
There was a pause, but it wasn’t uncomfortable.
“Do you want help with the event?” he asked after a beat.
“Yes,” I said. “But not yet.”
“Okay.”
He didn’t push. Just stood there, letting the quiet settle between us like it belonged.
And maybe it did.
Back at the house,the front door was wide open and music was playing. Fleetwood Mac echoing off the hardwood like a heartbeat.
Willa was in the backyard, arms deep in potting soil, hair tied up in a bandana like she was doing a mid-century housewife cosplay. A half-painted sign leaned against the porch railing. It read:
Potluck on the Porch
Food, laughter, feelings optional
I didn’t ask what she meant by “feelings optional,” but I did clock the glitter pen still tucked behind her ear.
Inside, June was at the table, phone pressed to her shoulder, typing on her laptop with one hand while simultaneously fielding questions from Lily, who had a popsicle melting down her arm.
I stood in the doorway and watched for a second. Just long enough to feel the friction of it. The exhaustion humming just beneath June’s skin. The effort in every move she made.
I crossed to the freezer, grabbed a paper towel, and gently wiped Lily’s arm.
“Thanks,” June mouthed as she hung up the call.
“You okay?”
“Yeah.” She blinked, too fast. “Just trying to keep the wheels on.”
I didn’t sayyou don’t have to do it all alone. I didn’t offer advice. I just picked up a second popsicle and handed it to her.
She gave me a tired smile.
And something shifted in my chest.
For the first time since I got here, I wasn’t planning an exit.
I didn’t know how long I’d stay.
But I knew I wasn’t done.
