I study him—this man who has driven me crazy with his silence, who has made me question everything about our life together—and still, here I am. Watching the way his chest rises and falls too fast, the way his thumb keeps rubbing his palm, the way his expression twists as he waits for my answer.
He’s not just frustrated.
He’s ashamed.
And suddenly, the anger that’s been sitting hot in my chest for months starts to shift.Not disappear.It… moves over.
I nod slowly, even as my voice comes out tight. “Okay.”
“Okay?” he echoes, cautious. Like he doesn’t quite believe me.
“For now,” I say, holding his gaze. “But this doesn’t mean I’m okay with any of this. You’ve let them suck you dry—and now they’re what, just letting you go?”
He flinches, barely, but it’s there. His jaw tenses. “I know.”
And somehow, that makes it worse. Him just accepting it.
I’m still here though, sitting in the sand, my heart pounding, trying to pretend the ground isn’t shifting beneath me all over again.
Up until last year, Beckett was a top performer! Bonuses, commissions, corner office perks—the works. So what changed? What the heck happened?
Suddenly, all these questions feel like landmines.
“Okay.” I glance down, following the line of the moat around our castle. It’s dry now. But the tide will come.
Joy this simple never lasts.
Fine, then.
But while we’re still in it, I’m going to soak in every smile. Every laugh.
Even if the tide is already rising.
“I need more water to finish this turret,” I say, pointing.
Beckett’s still watching me. I see him swallow, his eyes shining more than usual.
And then I feel it. I see it.
He’s reaching out to me, and I’m taking his hand.
Not literally.
In my mind. But we’re both there.
And it hits me—without warning—that maybe, over this past year, I’m not the only one who was barely holding on.
INHALE, EXHALE
ASHLEY
Beckett’s arm is around me as I hold the phone out and snap a castle selfie of the two of us.
“Quite the masterpiece,” he says, leaning over my shoulder and watching while I send the photo to the boys.
I’m staring at it too, amazed that we can look so… happy.
I feel steady with his arm on my shoulder. Like things aren’t just normal, but… better.
