PART 7:

“Thank you, baby. Now, let’s get you dressed, too. What do you want to wear?” Mia pointed at her favorite dress, purple with pockets, because pockets were the most important feature of any garment, according to Toddler logic. Perfect choice. Lena helped Ma into the dress, then wrestled with her hair. Mia had inherited her mother’s curls, wild and beautiful and impossible to tame.

Lena managed to get it into two pigtails before giving up on perfection. They arrived at the aquarium 15 minutes early. Lena sat in the parking lot, gripping the steering wheel, trying to remember how to breathe normally. Mama, go see fish. In a minute, baby. Now? Soon. A knock on her window made Lena jump.

Evan stood there, Sophie beside him, both of them bundled in raincoats, despite the break in the weather. He was smiling, and something about that smile steadied Lena’s nerves. She got out of the car, helped Ma out of her car seat. The little girl clutched her hand tightly, suddenly shy in the face of these new people.

“Hi,” Evan said, his eyes warm. “You look beautiful.” “I look like I got dressed in the dark.” “Beautiful dark dressing,” Evan insisted. Then he crouched down to Mia’s level. “Hey, Maya, do you remember me?” Mia nodded, then held up her elephant. “You? That’s right. I’m glad you’re taking good care of him.” Evan gestured to Sophie.

“This is my daughter, Sophie.” Sophie, this is Miss Maya. Sophie stepped forward solemn in a way that reminded Lena of Evan. She had her father’s thoughtful eyes behind those pink glasses. Do you like dinosaurs? Maya’s face lit up. Yes, me too. Sophie’s reserve cracked into a wide smile. What’s your favorite purple one? I like the T-Rex because it has little arms and that’s funny. Maya giggled.

Just like that, the ice was broken. Lena met Evan’s eyes over their daughter’s heads. He looked as relieved as she felt. “Shall we?” he asked, offering his arm with exaggerated formality. Lena took it, feeling foolish and giddy. “We shall.” The aquarium was crowded with weekend visitors, but the girls didn’t seem to notice.

They ran from exhibit to exhibit, pointing and exclaiming over everything. Sophie appointed herself Maya’s guide, taking the younger girl’s hand and leading her through the crowds with surprising gentleness. “They’re adorable,” Lena murmured, watching them press their faces against the glass to see the sea otterters better.

“They really are,” Evan’s hand found hers, fingers lacing together like it was the most natural thing in the world. “Is this okay?” Lena squeezed his hand in answer. “More than okay. Perfect. They wandered through the exhibits, keeping the girls in sight but giving them space to explore. At the touchpool, Sophie showed Mia how to gently pet the sea stars, demonstrating with careful fingers.

Maya mimicked her exactly, her face scrunched in concentration. She’s so good with her, Lena said. Sophie’s always been nurturing. She mothers her stuffed animals, organizes them, makes sure everyone’s comfortable. Evan smiled. I think she gets that from her mom. Rachel was like that, too. Always taking care of everyone else. It was the first time he’d said his late wife’s name, and Lena felt the weight of it. You must miss her every day.

But it’s different now, less sharp, more like an ache that’s become part of the landscape. He glanced at Lena. Does that make sense? It does. That’s exactly what it feels like with my sister. I mean, they watched the girls in silence for a moment. Maya had abandoned the sea stars in favor of trying to catch the water dripping from Sophie’s hands.

“Can I ask you something?” Evan said quietly. Lena tensed. “Okay.” “Maya’s father. Is he in the picture at all?” “Here it was. The question she’d been dreading. Lena could lie. Could give him the simple answer that would keep her secret safe a little longer. But something about Evan’s openness, his vulnerability and sharing about Rachel made her want to be honest.

“There is no father,” she said carefully. “Not in the traditional sense.” Evan waited, not pushing, just listening. “It’s complicated,” Lena continued. “And I promise I’ll explain everything. Just not here. Not right now.” “Okay.” Evan squeezed her hand. “Whenever you’re ready. No pressure.” The relief was overwhelming.

He wasn’t demanding answers, wasn’t making assumptions. He was just accepting. “Thank you,” Lena whispered. They moved on to the jellyfish exhibit where the tanks glowed with ethereal light. The girls were mesmerized, watching the creatures pulse and drift. “They’re like space aliens,” Sophie declared. “Pretty space aliens,” Maya added.

Evan pulled out his phone, taking pictures of the girls in front of the tanks. Then he turned to Lena. Can I get one of you two together? Lena scooped Maya up and they posed in front of the glowing tanks. When Evan showed her the picture afterward, Lena barely recognized herself. She looked happy, relaxed, like someone who wasn’t carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders.

Send that to me? She asked. Already done. By the time they’d seen all the exhibits, both girls were starting to fade. Maya was rubbing her eyes and Sophie was getting clingy with Evan. Lunch at my place?” Evan asked. “Or is that too much for today.” Lena looked at Maya, who was resting her head on Lena’s shoulder, but perked up when Sophie took her hand.

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