“It’s just a cup of coffee, Jules.”
She crosses her arms. “Mm-hmm. He left almost immediately after you gave me the monitor last night and came onto the deck two minutes after you got back from your walk.”
I look away, but she doesn’t stop.
“You think I haven’t noticed? The way he watches you, like the rest of the room disappears? Or how you light up around him? I don’t even think you realizeit.” She softens, reaching for my hand. “I’m not judging. Is there something going on?”
Most people would keep their distance. No one wants to get caught in this web, especially when it involves siblings, but Jules walks into the fire and holds up a mirror. It shouldn’t surprise me that she’s already noticed what I haven’t dared to admit. Her loyalty is fierce to those she loves. She’ll be just as blunt with Ivy.
Before Jules can press further, the door swings open. Ivy stands in the doorframe, a broad smile lighting her face. “Mind if I join?”
“Of course,” Jules says smoothly, her eyes never leaving mine. “We were talking about relationships.”
“Perfect, I could use some advice.” Ivy drops onto a chair, gearing up for some girl talk.
I turn to stare out at the mountains, willing my eyes to dry and searching for an escape.
“How did you guys know Tom and Mason werethe ones?” Ivy asks, her words landing like a detonation.
Jules shifts beside me. “Is this about James? I thought you two were just hanging out again after... some time apart?”
Time apart—
I didn’t realize they hadn’t been together since last year. Did he break up with her? Her with him? Questions I never once thought to investigate about how last Christmas affected him now flood through me. Unanswered. Unaskable.
“I mean… yeah, we did just recently reconnect. We're taking it slow,reallyslow, but I know he wants kids and a family. I've overheard him talking with his mom.”
Jules tilts her head. “I knew Tom was the one when I got sick and he tried to make me soup. It was awful, truly inedible. But even in my fever haze, I could see how hard he was trying. I spat it all over the blanket, and he laughed. We’re friends first. The physical part was always there, but friendship is what holds us. He doesn’t flinch at the mess. He never makes me feel like I need to be easier to love.”
“Or when you throw things at him,” I add dryly.
“Hey, that shoe incident was an accident! The game board, though...” She shrugs, grinning, before giving Ivy her attention. “But seriously, is James your friend?”
Ivy shifts, an uncomfortable fidget. “He’s… so mature. Different from anyone I’ve dated. And even though we don’t share a lot of the same interests, I don’t think that’s a dealbreaker.”
“No one knows what goes on inside a relationship." Jules nods slowly, taking her time to process. "But does he make you feel special? Like he’d wake up every morning and make your coffee exactly the way you prefer and be happy to do it for the rest of his life?”
Her eyes find mine on that last line, and the air catches in my chest.
“But, Syd, that’s not how it is with you and Mason, right? You’re not all over each other or doing a lot together. How did you know?” Ivy’s big blue eyes gleam in the bright morning sun.
“Oh, I’m the wrong person to ask. My marriage advice would be like getting fitness tips from someone on life support,” I say, laughing it off as a joke.
The silence that follows is heavier than I intended. Glancing toward the mountains, I watch the wind rustle through the trees. For a moment, I envy it. I long to move without hesitation, without fear, toward something.
I meet her soft, questioning eyes. “I married Mason for a million reasons. But love wasn’t one of them. I don’t think my relationship is one you should try to emulate.”
Ivy stills, her brows furrow. She’s quiet for a long moment before her voice comes out smaller than before. “What do you mean?”
“I was young and lonely. I knew the career I wanted, but I didn’t have a family to share it with.” I pause, weighing my words. “Mason seemed a logical choice. But I didn’t realize what that meant. The little things Jules was talking about—connection and friendship—they’re important and hard to build if they aren’t part of your foundation.”
We all sit there, sisters and sisters-in-law, in a rare moment of honesty.
Until Ivy finally asks, “So why are you still married?”
My stomach twists and I look off, staring at the mountains once again. Some truths are harder than others. Especially when the consequences reach far beyond me. I rub the slight red welt still sitting on my wrist. A rubber band. A caress. A grab. How much it has gone through in seventy-two hours.
Jules touches Ivy’s arm. “If I’m being honest, if you have to ask whether someone’s forever…that’syour answer. Because when it’s right, it isn’t a question.”
