Page 62 of The Moment I Knew

He studied me, silence stretching between us, filled only by the fountain’s constant splash. I felt exposed, standing there, wishing the plaza would swallow me whole. Then, slowly, he nodded. Tentatively. “Okay,” he said, voice low and unsure. “I’ll come. But I don’t… I don’t know how it’ll go. I can’t promise it’ll be easy.”

“Yes!” I whispered, relief flooding through me. I wanted to throw my arms around him, but instead I just stood there, letting the promise sink in, letting the fragile hope bloom in my chest.

He nodded again, more firmly this time, and I felt the tension in his shoulders ease ever so slightly. The fountain gurgled between us, the wind tugged at my hair, but none of it mattered. I felt warmth spreading through my chest—the fragile, tentative kind that comes from promises made in the quiet spaces of the world, the kind that might shatter tomorrow but for now, just for now, felt real.

“Thank you,” I whispered finally, voice barely audible over the fountain.

He nodded, brushing his hand lightly against mine as he straightened. “Don’t thank me yet,” he murmured. “You might regret it.”

I laughed softly, a shaky sound, and he allowed himself a small, genuine smile.

I stayed to talk with him for a few more minutes, happy to spend the time together now that we couldn’t last Friday since he’d had to work, but we couldn’t stay long since he told me that he and Hilary had dinner reservations.

I floated the whole walk home, not even the mention of Hilary being able to ruin my mood. It was ridiculous—my toes were still numb, my backpack still heavy, the sky already slipping into that gray-blue that meant it was going to be a long, cold night—but none of it touched me. My steps felt lighter, like the pavement wasn’t quite solid beneath my feet. Dad was coming. He’d said yes.

I let myself imagine it: Dad singing “Happy Birthday” loudly and off-key to us like he always did, me and Ainsley smiling as we blew out our candles, Mum clapping wildly and wiping away the annual tear that her babies were just another year older. It would be just like it always had been. Well, mostly. He and Mum would finally have to see each other again, to confront all the issues they’d been avoiding for the past few months. And once they did, they would realize how perfect they were for each other and that they wanted to give their marriage a fair shot.

By the time I pushed open the front door, my cheeks hurt from smiling. Warm air rushed over me as I kicked off my boots and dropped my coat on the banister of the stairs, then went running upstairs with my bag hanging off my arm. It was too quiet for Ainsley to be home, but I heard voices so I assumed Lavender was home, and maybe Mum too.

Mum’s bedroom door was open, and I stopped short in the doorway.

She stood in front of the mirror, wearing a deep green dress I hadn’t seen in years—the one she only ever wore when she wanted to feel nice, and her dark hair was curled. Lavender was behind her, fastening up a delicate necklace for Mum, but they both looked my way and smiled as I poked my head in.

My smile faltered, confusion sliding in. “What’s… going on?”

Mum glanced at me in the mirror and smiled. “Hey, sweetheart. You’re back early. I thought you said you’d be out late working on your English project.”

“Oh. Yeah.” I shifted my weight, the glow from earlier dimming just a little. I’d told Mum I would be out late, just in case Dad decided that he wanted to get dinner or something with me tonight. That was something we’d done in the early days of me coming to see him, but the routine had faded out over the last few months. We hadn’t done anything when he gave me the tablet last week, but I thought maybe this time would be different. Obviously, I was wrong. “I finished sooner than I thought.”

“She’s lying,” Lavender said, fingers still working at the clasp. My heart stopped, sure that she was about to tell Mum that I’d seen Dad. But then Lavender grinned my way. “She raced home because she missed us.”

“Well, I certainly hope you kids have a fun siblings’ night together,” Mum said. She made eye contact with me in the mirror. “Sebastian’s picking up Ainsley from dance and they’re stopping to get you four some dinner.”

I leaned against the wall, taking in her outfit and her use of you four. “Are you going out?”

“As a matter of fact, I have a date tonight.”

The words felt like a punch to the gut. I didn’t realize until that moment that I’d been half-heartedly hoping that she was dressing up to go out with friends or for some work party.

“Oh,” I said, the sound coming out thinner than I meant it to. “A date.”

Mum nodded, smoothing the fabric at her waist once Lavender stepped back. “Nothing fancy. Just dinner.” She studied her reflection, then glanced at me again. “What do you think? Is this too much?”

“No,” I murmured. “You look… really nice.”

And she did. Happy, even—nervous in that fluttery way that came with new beginnings. I should’ve felt glad for her. But Mum couldn’t move on, not now, when I was finally so close to fixing everything.

Lavender tilted her head, examining her handiwork. “You look amazing,” she declared. “Way better than whoever this guy is deserves.”

Mum rolled her eyes, smiling. “Be nice.”

“I am being nice.”

I hovered there, hands tucked into the sleeves of my jacket, the words I’d been carrying all the way home pressing hard against my ribs.

Mum must have noticed something shift, because her smile softened. “Everything okay?”

I nodded, too quickly again. “Yeah. Just… cold.”