That gets a grin out of him, big enough to make me forget how skeptical he looked earlier.
I nod along as he explains the layout, but I can’t help stealing glances across the table. Sable leans against the counter, arms crossed, watching us. There’s this soft look on her face. Like she’s at ease. Like we fit.
I don’t think she even knows she’s smiling.
“Mom,” Bash says suddenly, practically bouncing off his chair. “Can we go outside? I wanna show Hex the playscape!”
Sable straightens. “I don’t know… I think Hex might be a little too big for it.”
I grin and turn toward her. “You better be talking about my stature, darlin’. ’Cause I’m all kid inside.”
She tries to hide her laugh but fails miserably. “You break it, I suppose you’ll have to buy us a new one. And I’m not talking plastic, Hex. We want the deluxe cedar model with the rock wall and the wave slide next time.”
Bash’s eyes go wide. “With the lookout tower?”
“Exactly,” Sable says, shooting me a playful warning look accompanied by a sexy wink.
I hold up my hands. “Deal. But only if I fall through the floor or get attacked by fire wolves. Otherwise, no promises.”
Bash’s already halfway to the door, barefoot and buzzing with excitement. “C’mon, let’s go!”
I stand, stretch, and glance once more at Sable. “You coming?”
She shakes her head, still smiling. “You two go ahead. I’ll clean up.”
I want to tell her to leave it. I’d rather we all go out and make fools of ourselves climbing plastic towers and dodging imaginarydanger. But I know this moment matters too—her watching from the kitchen window, seeing us together.
Night has fully settled by the time Sable steps onto the back deck, barefoot, her hair tousled in that careless way that suggests her thoughts have been busy.Bash is hanging upside down off the monkey bars, narrating some epic ambush plan with his imaginary fire wolves.
“Hey, bud,” she calls gently. “Time to start wrapping it up. School tomorrow.”
He groans with full end-of-the-world agony. “But I’m not even tired.”
“You say that now, but I guarantee the minute you’re in bed you’ll be out like a light.”
He drops down with a dramatic sigh, then looks up at me. “Are you coming back?”
I glance at her, waiting for my cue. She meets my eyes, something warm flickering in those beautiful browns.
“Hex can come over any time he wants,” she says, voice soft but certain.
I almost offer to head out right then, to give them space for bedtime routines and all the rest of it.
But before I can get the words out, she adds, “Stay. It’ll only take a few minutes.”
So I nod, watching as she disappears inside with Bash, who’s already negotiating for one more chapter of whatever space-dragon book they’re reading together.
I move into her living room and settle on the couch. It smells like her, coconut and vanilla and something warm, like clean cotton and sun.
I lean forward.Inhale.
Lean back.Exhale.
Rest my hands on my knees. Breathe again.
It’s too quiet.
Not outside. Not in the house. In me.
