Dr. Thorne closed his notepad, a warm smile on his face. "Tomorrow marks day ninety-one. It sounds to me like it's the first day of the rest of your lives."
Chapter 41
Simon
Wednesday evening felt entirely different from any evening they had shared over the last three months.
When Simon arrived at the house, he didn’t just walk through the front door. He stopped on the porch and rang the bell, intentionally waiting to be invited inside. It was a small gesture, but a vital one. He was respecting the boundary Audrey had set. This was her safe space.
Audrey opened the door, offering him a soft, relaxed smile that sent a warm rush of affection straight to his chest.
"She's in the living room," Audrey said quietly, stepping aside to let him in. "Are you ready?"
"As ready as I'll ever be," Simon nodded, taking a deep breath.
They walked into the living room together. Lily was sitting cross-legged on the rug, deeply focused on building a towering, precarious castle out of colorful wooden blocks. She looked up as they entered, her face breaking into a bright grin.
"Dad!" Lily abandoned the blocks and scrambled to her feet, launching herself into Simon’s legs.
Simon caught her, scooping her up into his arms and pressing a kiss to her cheek. "Hey, bug. How was school?"
"Good! Mia brought cupcakes because it’s her birthday," Lily babbled happily.
"Cupcakes on a Wednesday? You hit the jackpot," Simon chuckled, setting her back down gently. He glanced up at Audrey, who gave him a subtle, encouraging nod.
Simon knelt on the rug so he was at eye level with his daughter. Audrey sat down on the edge of the coffee table right beside him, presenting a completely united front. The heavy, suffocating tension that used to fill the room whenever the three of them were together was entirely gone.
"Lily, sweetie," Audrey started, her voice warm and gentle. "Dad and I want to talk to you about something important."
Lily looked between them, her wide, perceptive eyes searching their faces. She was young, but she had felt the tectonic plates of their family shifting for months. She immediately reached out, grabbing one of Simon’s hands and one of Audrey’s.
"Are you getting a divorce?" Lily asked, her small voice dropping to a nervous whisper. "Is Dad going away?"
Simon’s heart ached at the fear in her eyes, but he squeezed her hand reassuringly, offering her a steady, loving smile.
"No, bug," Simon promised firmly. "I am never going away. And Mom and I are not getting a divorce."
Lily’s shoulders visibly dropped, a massive sigh of relief escaping her tiny chest.
"But," Audrey picked up the thread, keeping her tone light and reassuring, "we are going to be doing things a little differently for a while. Mom and Dad have been working reallyhard to fix the things that were broken between us. And we're doing a lot better. We're actually doing great."
"But to keep doing great, Dad is going to keep living at Grandma and Grandpa's guest house for right now," Simon explained gently. "He isn't moving his boxes back into the bedroom upstairs just yet."
Lily frowned slightly, her brow furrowing as she processed the information. "Why? If you aren't fighting anymore, why can't you sleep here?"
Simon looked at Audrey, letting her take the lead. They had discussed exactly how to phrase this so Lily would feel secure without being burdened by adult problems.
"Because Mom and Dad need to practice," Audrey said with a warm smile. "We want to make sure our family is stronger than ever. So, Dad and I are going to start going on dates again. Just the two of us, so we can spend special time together. And Dad is still going to be here all the time to see you, and take you to school, and fly kites with us."
"We are hitting the reset button," Simon added, tapping Lily playfully on the nose. "We're starting fresh. But the most important thing you need to know, Lily, is that Mom and I love you more than anything in the entire world. And we are a family. No matter which house I'm sleeping in, we are always a team. Okay?"
Lily looked at her father, then at her mother. The anxiety that had been shadowing her for months finally seemed to melt away completely. She didn't need them to share a roof right this second; she just needed to know they were okay.
"Okay," Lily nodded, a bright smile returning to her face. "Can I come on the dates?"
Simon laughed, a rich, genuine sound that echoed through the living room. "Not on all of them, bug. Some datesare just for Mom and Dad. But I promise we will do plenty of family dates, too."
"Like ice cream?" Lily negotiated immediately.
