Page 84 of Verdict

I loved Christmas. I always had. I was especially excited to experience it as Ellie’s mom. To build traditions. To give her the kind of magic my parents gave me and I’d grown up loving. I couldn't wait to celebrate her first Christmas in Primrose Hill.

Aria was in the city for the night, and we decided to meet at our favorite wine bar — quiet, low-key, warm lighting, and good vibes. The kind of place where conversations weren't interrupted by loud noise or chaos.

Ellie was with Cohen tonight, and I was grateful for the break. After the club fiasco and Thanksgiving, our relationship had continued to shift. Not dramatically. Not loudly. Just... subtly. We'd settled firmly back into the polite, cordial lane.

And I hated it.

I missed him. I missed our friendship, but I just didn’t know how to get it back, how to fix it.

Aria and I found two dark maroon velvet wingback chairs tucked near the back corner. A small piano sat near the front windows, someone playing a slow, familiar Christmas melody that hummed through the space like background comfort.

Aria glanced at me, twisting the stem of her wineglass between her fingertips. “Cohen showing up to Thanksgiving sure was a surprise.”

“He just wanted to see Ellie,” I countered, my tone short.

Aria didn’t react immediately. She just took a slow sip of her wine, letting the piano fill the silence. She had always been good at that—letting quiet do the heavy lifting.

“You sure about that?” she finally asked gently.

I huffed out a humorless laugh. “He literally told me that, A. Plus, you saw him with that girl at the club. He was all over her and left with her.” Even saying it out loud made my stomach churn all over again.

Aria set her glass down carefully on the table between us. “First off… Drake and I were talking the other day, and he said Cohen didn’t go home with her.”

I blinked. “What?”

“He said Cohen was trying to get her off of him before you even walked in. And when he saw you with Hudson? His ego was bruised. He reacted.”

I stared down at my wine.

She continued. “He’s scared, Ava. It’s so obvious it hurts to watch.” She leaned forward slightly. “He doesn’t do this sort of thing. He doesn’t chase or get territorial. He doesn’t spiral. This is clearly uncharted territory for him.”

I swallowed.

Aria softened. “Let me ask you something. If he'd told you he showed up to Thanksgiving for you… would anything be different?”

The question hung between us. I twirled the stem of my glass between my fingers, watching the wine catch the candlelight.

Would anything be different?

I pictured him in my parents’ foyer. Nervous. Like he had something to say.

If he had said it…

If he had chosen me…

If we gave in, truly gave in… and it didn’t work? That wouldn’t just hurt, it would destroy everything. Our co-parenting relationship. Any chance of a friendship. Ellie’s stability. I couldn’t risk blowing up what little solid ground we had left.

I shook my head slowly. “Even if that’s true about the girl… I just can’t go there with him. It's not worth the risk. I mean look what's already happened.” My voice was steady, but my pulse wasn’t. “I can’t risk royally ruining our relationship anymore than we already have. It’s not just about us anymore.” I paused, staring into my glass. “My focus right now is getting our friendship back to where it was. I miss our dynamic. And all of this drama the last few months just proves we need to stay friends.”

Aria watched me for a long moment. There was no judgment in her expression. Just concern and maybe a little sadness. “Okay,” she said softly. “I’ll back off. I just want you to be happy, Ava.”

I gave her a small, forced smile and took another sip of wine.

I was happy. I had a beautiful daughter. A successful career. A family who loved me.

Wasn’t that enough?

The piano shifted into another slow Christmas song. Outside, lights blinked cheerfully in storefront windows. And for the first time that night, I wondered if choosing safety and stability was the same thing as choosing happiness.