"There's no right time, Lucy. Just the truth. You should have told me the second you knew."
"I know," I whisper. "And I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."
He stares at the ground, jaw clenched, chest heaving.
"I would've loved hearing about the baby from the first second. You didn't even give me that."
Sinking to the ground in front of him, my hands tremble as I beg. "Then let me give it to you now. Let me share this with you. Please."
His eyes finally meet mine. And for a moment, I see the man who kissed me under the stars, who whispered Sunshine like it meant something sacred.
But he's also the man who's hurting. Who's lost and scared and raw.
Without saying anything, he closes his eyes and turns his face away.
As I’m opening the door to leave, he whispers so low I barely hear it.
"I needed something to hold on to over there. Something real."
I stand there in the silence, not reaching for him. Not yet.
Because I know some pain needs space before it can be touched.
That night, I curl up on the porch swing on the back porch of Oakside. It's one of my favorite places to stargaze. Settling in, I pull one of his letters from the stack I've read a hundred times. I don't cry. Not yet.
Grace finds me like that.
She sits beside me, tucking her legs under her.
"You talked to him?"
I nod.
She leans her head on my shoulder. "How bad was it?"
"Worse than I thought. Better than I feared. He's angry and broken. But he's still in there, somewhere. I saw a few glimpses of the man I love."
Grace sighs. "It's gonna take time."
I let the silence stretch, then whisper, "I thought if I just kept things calm, no one would notice I'm breaking too."
Grace reaches for my hand. "You don't have to be a hero, Luc. You're allowed to fall apart."
For just a moment, I let myself lean into her.
"I miss him," I whisper. "The him before. The way he used to look at me."
"That guy's still in there. You just have to keep reminding him he's worth fighting for."
I nod, breathing through the lump in my throat. We sit there on the swing, the creak of the chains the only sound for a long time.
Grace finally stands. "Come on. Let's go inside before Lexi sends out a search party."
But I stay a minute longer, staring up at the stars.
And wondering if he's doing the same thing, just a few rooms away.
The next night I go to Oakside and walk the halls to see if I can be of any use. In all honesty, my heart just wants to be closer to Caden.
