She hugged me carefully, like she knew I was healing in places that didn’t bruise.
“You look tired,” she said.
“I feel undecided,” I admitted.
The girls were coloring at the table, arguing over markers.Life kept moving.It always does.
Char made tea and sat across from me, eyes sharp in that sister way that meant she already knew more than I’d said.
“He’s going to leave,” she said what was clearly written on my face.
“He’s going back to North Carolina,” I corrected.“Which feels like the same thing.”
She leaned back, studying me.“Is it?”
“He has a whole life there,” I answered.“A club.History.A town that knows him.I have a job that nearly got me killed.”
“You have a career you worked your ass off for,” she corrected gently.“Don’t shrink it because it scared you.”
I wrapped my hands around the mug.“I don’t want to lose him.”
Char’s voice softened.“Then don’t.”
I laughed humorlessly.“It’s not that simple.”
“No,” she agreed.“But it’s not impossible either.”
She took a breath, choosing her words.“You can work remotely.”
I blinked.“What?”
“You’re federal.Half your job is analysis, strategy, coordination.You’ve done remote assignments before.You’re close enough to retirement that they’d rather keep you than push you out.You could request a temporary relocation.North Carolina.Six months.A year.”
The idea landed hard.
“I’d be giving up visibility,” I said automatically.“Momentum.”
“You’d be choosing yourself,” she countered.“And him.”
I stared at the steam curling from my tea.
“What if it doesn’t work?”I asked quietly.
Char didn’t hesitate.“Then you come back.But if you don’t try, you’ll spend the rest of your life wondering what might have been.”
I swallowed thickly.“What if he feels like I’m sacrificing too much?”
She smiled softly.“Then you remind him that love isn’t about sacrifice.It’s about alignment.”
Her words settled deep in my belly.She was right.When did my baby sister get so smart?
That night, back at Dante’s place, I found him on the balcony, staring out at nothing.“I talked to Char,” I explained.
He turned, alert immediately.“You okay?”
“I’m better than okay,” I replied.“I’m thinking.”
That got his attention.“I don’t want you leaving like this is temporary,” I opened up.“Like I’m a detour.”
