Alex rose too, not crowding me, not touching me, giving me space like he sensed every emotion crackling through me.
“Let's go,” he said softly.
I nodded, throat tight.
We moved toward the front door together, not touching this time, the air between us still warm but fragile now like glass we hadn’t figured out how to hold yet.
On the porch, the night air hit my flushed skin, cooling it too quickly, as we made our way to our cars.
Alex paused beside me, hands in his pockets, searching my face with an expression that made my chest ache.
“Tonight was . . . ” He shook his head, a small smile tugging at his lips. “It was really, really good.”
The words tugged something loose in me.
“It was,” I whispered. “It really was.”
We stood there, not quite knowing what the moment was supposed to be now.
Then he stepped back, giving me the tiniest bow of space.
“I’ll see you tomorrow?” he asked.
There was hope in his voice. Hope and patience. Hope and something I wasn’t sure I deserved.
I nodded. “Yeah. Tomorrow.”
I slid behind the wheel, and my hands trembled just enough to make me grip the steering wheel tight.
I wanted him. I liked him.
Tonight changed something inside me.
And that terrified me. Because I was a mom first. Because grief didn’t follow rules. Because love, or whatever this could become, wasn’t simple anymore.
As I backed out of the driveway, I looked up once.
Alex stood beside his Prius, watching me go.
And god help me . . .
I already missed him.
Alex and I pulled out of my driveway, his headlights trailing me all the way to the duplex. Every mile, every stop sign, every turn made the air inside my car feel tighter. My body still hummed with everything that had happened, but my chest felt . . . knotted.
A little guilty.
A lot overwhelmed.
When I parked in front of Becca and Mel’s place, Alex gave me a gentle little wave, a soft smile, no pressure, no questions, before heading toward his side of the duplex.
I swallowed hard and walked up the steps.
Before I could knock, the door flew open, and Mel appeared, in pajama shorts, oversized T-shirt, and a satin sleep bonnet that shimmered under the porch light.
“Hey, girl!” she chirped, waving me in. “Good timing. We were just winding down.”
I stepped inside and smiled despite the swirling in my stomach.
