PART 10:

Phones pressed to ears in darkened rooms. Voices low and intimate. October bled into November, and with it came a deepening that both thrilled and terrified Lena. Evan had keys to her apartment now. She knew which mug was Sophie’s favorite at his house. Their daughters had started calling themselves sisters, a declaration that made Lena’s heart swell and break simultaneously because the secret was still there, heavy and unspoken.

Every time Evan looked at her with those trusting eyes, every time he talked about their future like it was inevitable and beautiful, Lena felt the weight of her silence pressing down on her chest. “You need to tell him,” Sarah said over coffee one November afternoon. Maya and Sophie were at Evan’s mother’s house, giving Lena a rare few hours to herself.

“The longer you wait, the harder it’s going to be.” “I know.” Lena traced the rim of her cup. They were back at the Cornerstone Cafe, the place where everything had started. I just don’t know how. How do I tell him that Maya isn’t really mine? That I’ve been letting him believe a lie this whole time. You haven’t been lying.

You just haven’t told him the whole truth yet. There’s a difference. Is there? Lena looked up, meeting her friend’s eyes. He thinks I’m Maya’s biological mother. He’s never asked directly, but he assumes, and I let him assume. That feels like lying. Sarah reached across the table, squeezing Lena’s hand. You’re protecting her.

You’re protecting yourself. That’s not the same as deception. But what if he sees it that way? What if this is the thing that makes him realize we’re too complicated, too messy? Then he’s not the man I think he is, and he’s definitely not the man you’ve been describing to me for the past 6 weeks. Sarah’s voice was gentle, but firm.

Lena, that man looks at you like you hung the moon. He loves Maya like she’s already his. Do you really think the biology is going to matter to him? I don’t know. Maybe. People say they’re okay with things until they’re faced with the reality. Give him a chance to prove you wrong. Lena wanted to believe it could be that simple, but nothing in her life had ever been simple, and she’d learned not to trust easy promises.

That evening, Evan picked up Maya from his mother’s and brought both girls back to Lena’s apartment. The moment they walked in, Maya launched herself at Lena with the force of a small tornado. “Mama, we made cookies and Grammy let us eat three, and we played dress up and Sophie let me wear the princess crown.

” “Sounds like you had a big adventure,” Lena said, breathing in the scent of her daughter’s hair, chocolate and baby shampoo, and pure joy. Sophie was more reserved, hanging back near her father. She’d been like that lately, Lena had noticed, excited and open one moment, watchful and uncertain the next. The behavior of a child who’d lost one parent and was terrified of losing another.

“Hey, Sophie Bug,” Lena said softly. “Did you have fun with Grammy?” Sophie nodded, then surprised Lena by stepping forward and hugging her waist. “I missed you.” The words hit Lena square in the chest. She knelt down, pulling Sophie into a proper hug. I missed you, too, sweetheart. Over Sophie’s head, Lena met Evan’s eyes. He was watching them with an expression that made her breath catch.

Love and longing and something that looked almost like grief. Later, after the girls were settled in Maya’s room with a movie, Evan and Lena sat on her small balcony despite the cold. The Seattle skyline glittered in the distance, and Evan had brought blankets to wrap around them. Sophie’s getting attached, Evan said quietly.

To you, I mean, to this, to the idea of us being a family. I’ve noticed, Lena pulled the blanket tighter. Does that worry you? Terrifies me, he admitted. Because if this doesn’t work out, it’s not just my heart that breaks, it’s hers, too, again. He turned to look at Lena. I need to know we’re on the same page here, about where this is going. Lena’s heart hammered.

What page are you on? The one where this is real. Where we’re building something permanent. Where our girls grow up as sisters and we figure out how to blend our lives together. He reached for her hand. I’m in love with you, Lena. I know it’s fast, and I know it’s probably too soon to say it, but I can’t pretend anymore. I love you.

I love Maya, and I need to know if there’s any chance you feel the same way. The words Lena had been holding back for weeks threatened to burst free. She did love him desperately, completely, in a way that made her understand all the songs and poems and stories about love that she’d always thought were exaggerated. But she couldn’t say it. Not yet.

Not until he knew the truth. Evan, I Her voice cracked. There’s something I need to tell you. Something about Maya, about me, about why I moved to Seattle. She felt him tense beside her. Okay. Not here. Not with the girls in the next room, but soon. This weekend, maybe. Can you get someone to watch Sophie? My mom would take her.

Evan’s voice was careful, controlled. Lena, you’re scaring me. Whatever it is, just tell me, please. I can’t. Not like this. I need time to say it right. She turned to face him fully. But I need you to know that everything I’ve told you about how I feel about what you mean to me, that’s all true. This doesn’t change that.

But it might change how I feel. I don’t know. Maybe. Lena felt tears burning her eyes. I hope not, but I won’t know until I tell you. Evan was quiet for a long moment, processing. When he spoke, his voice was steady. Okay. Saturday. My mom can take both girls for the day. They love being there together.

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