Chapter 36

CAL’S POV A profound stillness had settled over the house, a blanket of quietude woven from the threads of a shared evening. Jessie and I moved through the aftermath of dinner in a comfortable, unspoken rhythm, the clinking of dishes and the soft swish of the dishcloth a gentle counterpoint to the lingering echoes of our earlier conversation. It felt significant, this shared task, this unhurried clearing away. For the first time in what felt like an eternity—six years, to be precise—the air between us felt breathable, not thick with unspoken resentments or the weight of separate lives. We weren't just occupying the same space; we were truly present with each other, seeing past the carefully constructed walls we’d both erected.