Puppa tapped the check, his expression unreadable. “I have a better solution.” His glance shifted from Mumma to Priya. “Why give your money to a stranger when you can just move into the coach house? You can pay us instead and still have your own space.”
Priya blinked, caught off guard. She hadn’t expected her father to come up with a compromise, let alone such a clever one. Now that she had the means to live wherever she pleased, he wasn’t willing to risk her slipping too far away. Allowing her to move into the coach house meant he could keep her closeandkeep the money in the family.
She looked at Mumma, who was still tight and closed off, but not as fired up as before—not exactly on board, not totally against it either.
Priya gave a slow nod. “It might be the best middle ground. We can sort out the details later, but can I start moving my things into the coach house?”
Puppa extended his hand, giving Priya a nod as they shook on it. Mumma, however, turned her face away.
Priya lowered herself beside her mother, wrapping an arm around her in a half hug. “I know you’re upset, but I’m not going anywhere. I’ll be staying right here in your backyard.”
“Go then.” Mumma brushed her arm away. “You didn’t ask for permission when you were fooling around with Mr. Ethan, so why do you need my permission now?”
Priya rose slowly, telling herself that her mother would come around with time. This compromise wasn’t easy for her either. Her father was finally handing over the keys to the coach house, but the space came with its own challenges—it was truly haunted now. With memories of Ethan. The bed, the couch, the spaces where he once stood, laughed, pulled her into his arms.
Priya had fought for her own place and won. Now she just had to learn to live with the ghosts that came with it.
Thirty-Two
Mornings were the hardest.For a few blissful seconds, between sleep and consciousness, Priya would forget. She would stretch in the soft hush of the morning, and her mind would trick her into thinking Ethan was there. That nothing had changed. That if she rolled over, she’d find him watching her with that lazy smile. Then reality would crash in, the ache stealing her breath away.
Priya stretched her arm toward the ceiling as if she could touch a memory hanging in the air. She remembered the way Ethan used to intertwine their fingers, tracing the lines of her palm, pressing lazy kisses against her knuckles. With a sigh, she swung her legs over the edge of the bed, shaking off the last tendrils of sleep. Work was waiting. And work was survival. Priya was grateful for her long to-do list. It kept her busy and kept her going.
As she hunched over her laptop that afternoon, fingers flying over the keyboard, her phone rang.
“Hey, Pri!” Brooke chirped, her voice lighter than it had been since Lady Whiskerbottom had passed away. “Guess what? I’m going to be a mom!”
Priya nearly choked. “You’re pregnant?”
“No, silly.” Brooke laughed. “I’m going to be afurmom. I’m getting a kitten! You have to come with me to pick him up.”
Priya thought of her never-ending to-do list. Moving into the coach house was supposed to give her more time to focus, but between handling Moksha’s sudden popularity, keeping up with her own clients, and preparing her app for submission, she was stretched thinner than ever. On top of that, she was building a pet portal for Moksha’s website, so customers could book services, schedule tours, and explore packages online.
“I wish I could,” she replied. “But I’m drowning over here.”
“I still can’t believe Moksha is doing pet funerals now,” Brooke said. “I thought Lady Whiskerbottom’s service was just a one-off.”
“Puppa wasn’t keen at first, until he started to see the business side of it,” Priya said with a laugh.
“Moksha’s modernizing. I never thought I’d see the day.” Brooke chuckled. Then her tone softened. “How areyou? I’ve been drowning in my grief over Lady Whiskerbottom, but I know what happened with Ethan has been rough on you.”
And him? How’s he doing? Does he ask about me? Has he moved on? Is he with Sienna now?Priya didn’t ask those questions. Instead, she cleared her throat. “I’m managing. Um, how’s Ethan?” The question slipped out before she could stop herself.
Brooke didn’t miss a beat. “You know he’ll be back in a few months for TIFF, right?”
Priya’s fingers tightened around the mug next to her laptop. Of course she knew. Ethan had asked her to go with him.
“Yeah,” she replied, keeping her voice neutral. “Are you going?”
“I wouldn’t miss it for the world! He sent me two tickets, like he always does. And you won’t believe who’s finally agreed to go with me.” Brooke’s excitement was palpable as she continued.“My father! I’m keeping everything crossed that this is the start of them finally mending things.”
Priya blinked, surprised. She’d never know for sure if her words had influenced Harry Knight, but the thought that she might have helped, even in the smallest way, sent warmth through her chest. She wanted this for Ethan. So badly.
Still, a quiet sadness lingered beneath the warmth. Because if things had been different, she would have been there beside him, witnessing it unfold. She would have been the one squeezing his hand, whispering,See? He’s here. He showed up for you.
Priya knew better than to dwell on impossible scenarios. She and Ethan were like oil and water, swirling together to create rainbow moments but always destined to drift apart.
“That’s amazing, Brooke,” she said sincerely. “I hope it goes well.”
