We dodge a family taking photos in front of the decorated windows. Leigh skips ahead, then circles back like a tiny blonde satellite unwilling to stray too far.
"If I walk another block, my feet may stage a mutiny, so this is perfect timing," Carly laughs, her hand pressed against her lower back.
"Mine already did," I admit. Our laughter blends with the street noise. Carly is easy to be around. It's amazing how well we all travel together. This trip has been infinitely better than I could have imagined.
For a moment, everything feels simple. Could it really be this easy, this right?
I let myself picture tonight: pajamas, popcorn, the kids sprawled in a blanket fort, Woody’s presence heavy beside me. A slow acheunfurls in my core.
I jerk my head, banishing it. No. I can’t be thinking about my ex like that.
I tuck my phone away and link arms with Carly as we head down the subway steps, back toward our families.
Our families.
We stop at Carly’s suite, since it's closer to the elevator. Woody brought the boys there after the clinic so Luke could rest in his bed.
The door clicks shut behind us, muting the hallway’s bright glare in the already darkened room. Luke and Sanders laugh at something on the television while stretched out on the pull-out sofa.
Our combined shopping bags rustle as we drop them near the entryway.
“We’re back!” I call, and the answering giggles from the boys spill through the space.
Sanders's head pops up first, chocolate ice cream smeared across his chin. "Mom! Dad got us all ice cream, and our fundraiser is up to eighty-four thousand dollars!"
"Well, that's amazing. Where is your dad?"
As soon as the words are out of my mouth, Woody walks in from the bedroom, holding his phone to his ear. The sight of him in sock feet, his dress shirt unbuttoned at the collar with sleeves rolled up, sends an unwelcome flutter through my chest.
He ends his call and pockets his phone. I can't help but track the veins snaking up his arm. I pull my eyes up as soon as I realize what I'm doing.
"I see you boys kept busy," I murmur, adjusting my purse on my shoulder while avoiding his eyes. This is the first time we've seen each other since the kiss this morning. It hovers between us, unacknowledged but impossible to forget.
Carly walks over to Luke, touches his forehead with herlips, then kisses him before collapsing onto the chair beside the sofa, kicking off her boots. "Walking around Manhattan is something you should train for."
She doesn't fuss over him, but makes sure he is well. A pang in my chest rises and sticks in my throat.
Leigh races over, blonde hair flying. "We're watching movies tonight! Make room for me!"
Carly runs her fingers through Luke's thinning hair. "I was thinking. What if we all camp out in my room tonight since y'all are already set up? Luke can rest but still hang with everyone."
"Yes!" Sanders pumps his fist. "You said I could sleep over again. Can we, Mom?"
Woody carries an armful of pillows, our hands brushing as I take one. Neither of us acknowledges the contact. "I already asked the front desk for more bedding, and they just delivered. Perfect timing."
"The Santa Clause," Sanders announces, waving the remote. "It's the best Christmas movie ever."
Luke shakes his head. "No way.The Grinchwins."
"That's cap," Sanders retorts. "Jim Carrey is scary as the Grinch."
"Leigh gets to break the tie," Woody suggests, settling cross-legged on the floor.
Leigh grins with smug authority. "I pick...Diary of a Wimpy Kid Christmas: Cabin Fever!"
"Betrayed!" Sanders flops dramatically onto the pillows.
For the next hour, we exist in this bubble of normalcy—laughing at the movie, passing snacks, shushing excited commentary. I catch myself watching Woody more than the screen, the way he leans forward at Sanders's jokes, how he makes sure Luke's water is always within reach.
