Jake was still awake, reviewing footage from his latest coaching clinic.
"Long day?" he asked.
"Brutal. Good, but brutal. We're running out of space."
"That's a good problem to have."
"It is. But it's also—scary. What if this is the peak? What if it's all downhill from here?"
"It's not. You're just getting started." Jake pulled her close. "Lucy Chen, restaurant mogul. I like the sound of that."
"Mogul is a strong word."
"Accurate word."
They went to bed, and Lucy felt the weight of success pressing down. She'd wanted this—recognition, growth, achievement. But it also felt overwhelming. Like she was suddenly responsible for something bigger than herself.
"Jake?" Lucy whispered in the dark.
"Yeah?"
"Are we going to be okay? With both of us being so busy? Both building these big careers?"
"Yes. As long as we keep talking. Keep making time. Keep choosing each other even when it's hard."
"What if it gets too hard?"
"Then we figure it out. Together. That's what partners do."
Lucy wanted to believe him. Wanted to trust that they could balance ambition and relationship, success and love.
But she'd been down this road before. In Paris, where her career had consumed everything. What if she did it again? What if Margaret's success came at the cost of her relationship?
"Stop spiraling," Jake said. "I can hear you thinking."
"How do you know I'm spiraling?"
"Because you always spiral when things are going well. Like you're waiting for something to go wrong."
"That's a very accurate and slightly concerning observation."
"I know you, Lucy Chen. Better than you know yourself sometimes."
Lucy curled into him. "I love you."
"I love you too. Now sleep. We both have big days tomorrow."
October first, Jake and Lucy officially closed on the house.
They signed what felt like a thousand documents, got the keys, and drove to their new home. Uncle Walter had moved out the week before, leaving the house empty but full of memories.
"This is ours," Lucy said, standing in the living room. "Actually ours."
"All four bedrooms, the huge yard, the kitchen that desperately needs updating—all ours."
They walked through the house, planning renovations and furniture placement. Jake's mind was already on converting one bedroom into a home office, another into a guest room.
"What should we do with the fourth bedroom?" Lucy asked.
