The thought still felt surreal, like something his brain had invented to cope with years of longing.

He threw on a t-shirt and wandered toward the kitchen, following the sound of Emma’s animated chatter.

What he found made his heart skip a beat.

Avery stood at the stove, still in the clothes she’d worn last night.

Her hair pulled back in a messy bun, flipping pancakes while Emma sat at the kitchen table, describing her dream in elaborate detail.

Morning sunlight streamed through the window, catching in Avery’s hair and painting the whole scene in golden light.

It looked like a future Lucas had never let himself imagine.

And then the dragon turned into a giant cupcake, Emma was saying, “And I had to eat it to save the kingdom, but it was broccoli flavored, which was really disappointing.

” That does sound disappointing, Avery agreed seriously, sliding a perfectly golden pancake onto a plate.

Broccoli flavored cupcakes should be illegal.

That’s what I said, but the dream people didn’t listen to me.

Dream people never listen.

It’s very frustrating.

Lucas leaned against the door frame, content to just watch them.

This easy domesticity, this comfortable rhythm they’d fallen into.

It had been there all along, hiding in plain sight.

How many times had Avery been here for breakfast over the years? How many times had they moved around each other in this kitchen, comfortable and familiar? But this time was different.

This time, Lucas let himself acknowledge the warmth spreading through his chest.

Let himself feel the full weight of his love for both of them without trying to categorize it as something safer, something less terrifying.

Dad, you’re awake.

Emma noticed him first.

Aunt Avery’s making pancakes.

Well, she’s my aunt Avery, but also your girlfriend Avery now.

So, should I call her something different? This is confusing.

Uh, you can call me whatever feels right to you, Avery said, glancing over her shoulder at Lucas with a smile that made his knees weak.

“Morning, sleepy head.

” “Morning!” Lucas replied, moving into the kitchen.

He pressed a kiss to the top of Emma’s head, then feeling bold, leaned over and kissed Avery’s cheek.

“You didn’t have to make breakfast.

I know, but I woke up early and couldn’t fall back asleep, and Emma was already up watching cartoons, so I figured why not make pancakes.

She flipped another one onto the growing stack.

Plus, I owed you.

You’ve made me breakfast approximately 8,000 times over the years.

I haven’t been counting.

I have, Emma made a gagging sound.

Are you guys going to be all mushy now? Because that’s going to get old really fast.

Probably, Lucas admitted, ruffling her hair.

You’ll have to get used to it.

Fine, but only because I like Aunt Avery and I want her to stick around.

Emma pointed her fork at Avery.

You’re going to stick around, right? You’re not going to leave like mom did? The question sucked all the air out of the room.

Lucas froze, his hand still on Emma’s shoulder, and Avery went very still at the stove.

Emma.

Lucas started gently, but Avery held up a hand.

It’s okay.

She turned off the stove and came to sit at the table, looking Emma directly in the eyes.

I’m not going anywhere, sweetheart.

I’ve been in your life for 7 years, since before you were even born, actually.

And I plan to be in your life for as long as you’ll let me.

But what if you and dad get in a fight? What if you break up? Then we’d work through it, Avery said simply.

Your dad and I have been best friends for over 10 years.

We’ve had arguments before, and we’ve always figured it out.

Adding romance doesn’t change that foundation.

But mom and dad had fights and then mom left.

Lucas’s chest tightened.

They talked about Sarah’s departure before, had explained it in age appropriate terms, but clearly Emma was still processing the abandonment in ways Lucas hadn’t fully understood.

“Your mom leaving wasn’t about fighting with your dad,” Avery continued, her voice gentle but firm.

“Sometimes grown-ups make choices that don’t make sense to other people.

But I can promise you this.

I chose to be in your life a long time ago and I keep choosing it every single day.

That’s not going to change.

Even if you and dad break up even then.

You and I have our own relationship, Emma.

One that exists separately from my relationship with your dad.

You’re important to me all on your own.

Emma studied Avery’s face for a long moment, then nodded slowly.

Okay, but you have to pinky promise.

Deal.

Avery held out her pinky, and Emma linked hers with it, both of them squeezing tight.

Lucas felt his throat close up with emotion.

This was what he’d been afraid of, bringing someone new into Emma’s life, risking her heart again after Sarah had shattered it.

But Avery wasn’t someone new.

She’d been there all along, steady and constant, proving her commitment over and over again in ways both big and small.

“Now, can we eat pancakes?” Emma asked, the heavy moment passing as quickly as it had arrived.

“I’m starving.

They ate breakfast together, the conversation flowing easily between bites.

Avery asked about Emma’s weekend plans, and Emma launched into an elaborate description of the birthday party she was attending that afternoon.

Kelly Morrison is turning 8, and her parents rented a whole skating rink, Emma explained through a mouthful of pancake.

And there’s going to be pizza and cake, and she said everyone gets to take home a goodie bag with candy.

Sounds epic, Avery said.

It’s going to be so fun.

Dad, you’re going to drop me off at 2, right? Right, Lucas confirmed.

And pick you up at 5.

Perfect.

Emma finished her last bite and carried her plate to the sink.

I’m going to go watch TV before I have to get ready.

You guys can be mushy now if you want.

She scampered off to the living room, leaving Lucas and Avery alone in the kitchen.

That was intense, Lucas said quietly.

She needed to hear it, Avery replied, reaching across the table to take his hand.

And I meant every word.

I’m not going anywhere, Lucas.

Not from Emma’s life and not from yours.

I know.

I just I hate that she has to worry about people leaving.

She’s seven.

She should be worried about homework and what flavor of ice cream to get, not whether the important people in her life are going to abandon her.

Sarah really did a number on her, didn’t she? Lucas nodded, his jaw tight.

on both of us, but we’re working through it, and having you here helps more than you know.

” Avery stood up and moved to his side of the table, wrapping her arms around his shoulders from behind.

Lucas leaned back into her embrace, letting himself be comforted.

“We’re going to be okay,” she said softly.

“All three of us, we’re going to figure this out together.

” “Together?” Lucas echoed, placing his hands over hers.

“I like the sound of that.

They stayed like that for a while, wrapped up at each other until Avery glanced at the clock and cursed softly.

“I have to go,” she said reluctantly.

“That board meeting is in less than 2 hours, and I need to go home and change and review my notes.

” “Right, work.

The thing that pays for that ridiculously expensive penthouse.

” “Don’t mock the penthouse.

You like the penthouse.

” “I like you in the penthouse.

The penthouse itself is unnecessarily fancy.

” Avery laughed and pressed a kiss to the top of his head.

I’ll call you later.

You better.

She said goodbye to Emma, who extracted another promise about coming to her next school event.

Then Lucas walked her to the door.

They stood in the hallway, neither wanting to be the first to leave.

This is ridiculous, Avery said, smiling.

I’m going to see you tomorrow, probably later today if I finish my meeting early.

I know, but I still don’t want you to go.

Zap.

You love it.

I really do.

She kissed him soft and lingering.

I love you.

I love you, too.

Now go before you’re late and your board members stage a coup.

Avery left and Lucas stood in the doorway watching her walk to the elevator, feeling like a lovesick teenager.

When she turned back one last time to wave before the elevator doors closed, he grinned like an idiot.

“You’re being mushy again,” Emma called from the living room.

“Yep,” Lucas agreed, closing the door with a smile still on his face.

The rest of the morning passed in a blur of cartoons and getting Emma ready for the birthday party.

Lucas dropped her off at the skating rink at 2, making small talk with Kelly’s parents and watching as Emma immediately ran off to join her friends.

She seems happy, Kelly’s mom commented.

Emma’s always such a sweetheart.

She is, Lucas agreed, pride warming his chest.

And I heard through the school grapevine that you’re seeing someone.

Avery, right? the one who’s always at Emma’s events.

Lucas hesitated for just a second, then smiled.

Yeah, Avery and I are together now.

That’s wonderful.

You two always seemed perfect for each other.

I’m glad you finally figured it out.

As Lucas drove away from the skating rink, he marveled at how many people had apparently seen what he’d been blind to for years.

Had it really been that obvious? Had everyone been waiting for him to catch up to what they’d already known? His phone rang as he pulled into his apartment parking lot.

Avery’s name flashed on the screen.

Hey, he answered.

How was the meeting? Boring and tedious, but productive.

How’s your day? Just dropped Emma at a birthday party.

I have three whole hours to myself.

3 hours? Avery’s voice took on a teasing tone.

Whatever will you do with all that free time? Well, there’s laundry that needs folding, dishes to wash, bills to pay.

or you could come over here and help me with that furniture we never finished.

Lucas’s heart skipped.

The furniture you bought specifically so we’d have projects to do together.

That’s the one.

I’ve been staring at these boxes for a week and I think they’re mocking me.

I’ll be there in 20 minutes.

Make it 15 and I’ll order lunch.

Lucas made it in 12.

When Avery opened the door, she’d changed from her business attire into yoga pants and an old college sweatshirt.

Her hair down and slightly messy.

She looked beautiful and comfortable and so perfectly Avery that Lucas’s breath caught.

“Hi,” she said, her smile bright and genuine.

“Hi,” he replied.

And then he was kissing her, backing her into the apartment, kicking the door closed behind them.

“Well,” Avery said when they finally broke apart, both breathing hard.

“That’s one way to say hello.

” “Sorry, I missed you.

It’s been 4 hours.

” “I know.

Like I said, um, I missed you.

Avery laughed and took his hand, leading him toward her home office where the furniture boxes were still stacked.

You’re going to be unbearable now that we’re actually together, aren’t you? Completely unbearable.

Hope you’re ready for it.

I’ve been ready for over a decade.

They spent the afternoon working on furniture, a desk this time, which proved to be even more complicated than the bookshelf.

They bickered over instructions, laughed at their mistakes, and took breaks to kiss in between assembly steps.

It felt natural and right and so perfectly them that Lucas couldn’t believe he’d wasted so much time being afraid of this.

“Hand me that screwdriver,” Avery said, holding out her hand while studying the instruction manual.

Lucas passed her the Allen wrench instead.

“That’s not a screwdriver.

It’s screwdriver adjacent.

That’s not a thing.

It is now.

I just invented it.

” Avery threw a foam packing peanut at him.

You’re impossible.

You love me anyway.

Unfortunately, yes.

They worked in comfortable silence for a while.

The only sounds the occasional curse when something didn’t fit quite right and the soft music playing from Avery’s phone.

Can I ask you something? Avery said eventually, not looking up from the desk leg she was attaching.

Anything.

When did you know that you loved me? I mean, not as a friend, but as something more.

Lucas sat back on his heels, considering the question.

Honestly, I think part of me has known for years, but I didn’t let myself acknowledge it until recently.

I kept telling myself it was just friendship, that the reason I couldn’t connect with anyone else was because I was still dealing with the divorce, not because I was comparing everyone to you.

And when did you finally stop lying to yourself? That night with the bookshelf.

when you asked about the future and I saw this look in your eyes, this vulnerability, this longing and I knew I knew you felt something more and I knew I felt it too and it terrified me.

Avery looked up at him.

What changed? What made you brave enough to finally say something? Emma, actually, and my mom and you pushing me to have that conversation, but mostly it was realizing that being afraid of losing you was already destroying me.

At least if I told the truth and you rejected me, I’d know.

The not knowing, the dancing around it, that was worse than any potential rejection could be.

I’m glad you were brave,” Avery said softly.

“Because I don’t know how much longer I could have kept pretending I was okay with just being friends.

” “What would you have done if I hadn’t said anything?” Avery was quiet for a moment, considering, “I don’t know.

Probably kept loving you from a distance.

maybe eventually tried to move on, though I’m not sure I could have.

You’ve kind of ruined me for anyone else, Lucas Carter.

Good, Lucas said, moving closer to her.

Because you’ve definitely ruined me for anyone else.

They kissed, surrounded by half assembled furniture and instruction manuals.

And Lucas thought about how perfect this imperfection was, how they’d built their relationship the same way they built this furniture, messily with wrong turns and mistakes, but always together, always figuring it out.

We should probably finish this desk, Avery murmured against his lips.

Probably.

Neither of them moved.

Okay, seriously though, Avery said, pulling back with a laugh.

If we don’t finish this now, we never will, and then I’ll have a half assembled desk taking up my office forever.

Fine, but only because I care about your office funue.

My office has fun now.

Everything has fun if you believe hard enough.

They finished assembling the desk as the afternoon sun slanted through the windows, casting long shadows across the floor.

When they finally tightened the last screw and stood back to admire their work, Avery let out a triumphant whoop.

We did it, and it’s only slightly crooked.

That’s generous.

It’s very crooked, but it’s functional, and we built it together.

That makes it perfect.

Lucas wrapped his arms around her from behind, resting his chin on her shoulder.

You know what? But I realized what? We’re actually terrible at building furniture.

Like genuinely bad at it.

The worst, Avery agreed cheerfully.

And yet you keep buying furniture that needs assembly.

That’s because building furniture with you is one of my favorite things, even when we mess it up.

Lucas turned her around to face him.

Why? Because it’s us.

Because we laugh and argue and make it work anyway.

Because at the end of it, we have something we created together.

Even if it’s a crooked desk that will probably collapse in 6 months.

That’s the most romantic thing anyone’s ever said about poorly constructed furniture.

I’m a romantic at heart.

You’re just now figuring this out.

Lucas kissed her deep and slow, trying to pour every ounce of love he felt into the gesture.

When they broke apart, Avery was smiling.

I could get used to this, she said.

Good, because I plan on doing it a lot.

They ordered lunch, Thai food, which they ate straight from the containers while sitting on Avery’s couch and arguing about what to watch on TV.

It was so normal, so familiar that Lucas kept forgetting this was technically still new, that they’d only been officially together for 2 days.

“What are you thinking about?” Avery asked, catching him staring at her.

“How weird it is that this doesn’t feel weird.

Good weird or bad weird?” Good weird.

The best weird.

It feels like we’ve been doing this forever.

We have been doing this forever.

We’re just allowed to kiss now.

Best upgrade ever.

Avery laughed and snuggled closer to him.

What time do you need to pick up Emma? Lucas glanced at his phone.

In about an hour? You want to come with me? To pick up a group of sugar high seven-year-olds from a skating rink.

When you put it that way, it sounds terrible.

It sounds amazing.

Of course, I’ll come.

They spent the remaining hour talking about Everything and Nothing, Avery’s upcoming business trip, Lucas’s latest project at work, their plans for the following weekend.

It was easy and comfortable and exactly what Lucas needed.

When they arrived at the skating rink to pick up Emma, they found her racing around with her friends, her face flushed with exertion and happiness.

She spotted Lucas and Avery immediately and skated over, nearly crashing into the barrier in her enthusiasm.

Dad, Aunt Avery, you came together.

Are you on a date? We’re picking you up from a party, sweetheart, Lucas said, helping her off the rink.

That’s not exactly date material.

It could be a date.

Everything can be a date if you’re romantic enough.

Avery laughed.

She’s got a point.

See, Aunt Avery gets it.

They collected Emma’s things and said goodbye to the other parents, several of whom gave Lucas and Avery knowing looks.

Lucas was starting to realize just how much his relationship with Avery had been the subject of school parent gossip.

In the car on the way home, Emma chattered non-stop about the party, who had fallen the most times.

Michael Rodriguez, apparently, who now had a bruised knee to prove it.

Who had eaten the most pizza? Sarah Matthews, who was a competitive eater in training, and how she’d managed to skate backwards for three whole seconds before falling.

“That’s impressive,” Avery said from the passenger seat.

I can barely skate forwards.

I could teach you.

We could all go skating together sometime.

That sounds fun, Lucas said, catching Avery’s eye in the rear view mirror and seeing his own happiness reflected there.

When they got back to the apartment, Emma immediately collapsed on the couch, exhausted from the party.

Within minutes, she was asleep, her shoes still on, her hair a mess.

“Should we wake her up?” Avery whispered.

“Nah, let her sleep.

She’s had a big couple of days.

Lucas carefully removed Emma’s shoes and draped a blanket over her.

When he straightened up, Avery was watching him with an expression he couldn’t quite read.

What? He asked.

Nothing.

Just you’re really good at this.

The dad thing.

I try.

Doesn’t always work out, but I try.

It shows.

Avery moved closer, speaking softly so as not to wake Emma.

She’s lucky to have you.

I’m lucky to have her.

She’s the best thing that ever happened to me.

Lucas paused.

Well, second best now.

Oh, really? What’s the first? You obviously smooth talker.

I learned from the best.

They stood there in the living room, Emma sleeping peacefully on the couch, the late afternoon sun painting everything in warm amber tones.

Lucas felt a profound sense of peace settle over him.

This was his life now.

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