Chapter 108
The morning light filtered through the curtains, casting a soft glow over the bedroom. Lila woke slowly, blinking against the sunlight, and turned to find Alex already awake, lying next to her, watching her with a gentle expression on his face.
"Morning," she whispered, her voice still heavy with sleep.
"Morning," Alex replied, his voice just as soft. He brushed his hand along her cheek, his touch warm and tender. "How did you sleep?"
"Better than I have in a while," Lila admitted, a small smile playing on her lips. The weight she had been carrying for so long didn't seem as heavy this morning. It was still there, but somehow, it felt more manageable.
Alex nodded, a sense of relief washing over him. Last night had been a turning point, but they both knew there was still work to do. The cracks in their relationship hadn't fully healed, and trust, once broken, wasn't easy to rebuild.
"We should talk," Lila said after a pause, propping herself up on one elbow. "Really talk this time. About everything."
Alex's heart tightened in his chest. He knew this conversation was necessary, but part of him was afraid of what might come up. "Okay," he said, his voice steady despite the turmoil he felt inside. "I'm ready."
Lila sat up fully, drawing her knees to her chest, her gaze drifting toward the window. "I've been thinking a lot lately about where we went wrong. It's not just the arguments or the distance… I think we stopped trusting each other at some point."
Alex winced, knowing she was right. "Yeah, I felt that too. I guess… I didn't realize how much we were both holding back until it was almost too late."
Lila looked back at him, her eyes searching his. "Why did you pull away from me? What were you so afraid of?"
Alex sighed, running a hand through his hair as he tried to gather his thoughts. "I don't know if it was one thing. Maybe it was a bunch of little things that piled up. But… I think I was afraid of failing you. Failing us."
"Failing how?" Lila asked, her voice quiet but insistent.
"I've always been the one who's supposed to have everything under control, you know?" Alex admitted, his words coming out in a rush. "I'm the one who fixes things, who makes decisions. But when things started going wrong between us, I didn't know how to fix it. And that scared me. So, I pulled away instead of dealing with it."
Lila listened, her expression softening. "I didn't need you to fix everything, Alex. I just needed you to be there. To let me in. We're supposed to be a team, remember?"
"I know," Alex said, guilt creeping into his voice. "I get that now. But at the time, I felt like I was losing control, and I didn't know how to handle it."
Lila reached out, taking his hand in hers. "I was scared too. Scared that I wasn't enough for you anymore. I started doubting myself, doubting us. And instead of talking to you about it, I just shut down."
Alex squeezed her hand gently. "We both made mistakes, Lila. But we can fix this. I want to fix this."
"I do too," Lila said, her voice firm. "But we need to rebuild the trust we lost. We need to start over, in a way."
Alex nodded, knowing she was right. "I'm willing to do whatever it takes."
For a moment, they sat in silence, their hands still clasped together. It was a fragile peace, but it was real—a new beginning.
Lila took a deep breath. "We can't just sweep everything under the rug, though. We have to face what happened. The hurt, the mistakes… all of it."
"I know," Alex agreed. "We'll take it step by step. No more running away from the hard stuff."
"And no more shutting each other out," Lila added, her gaze steady. "We have to be honest, even when it's uncomfortable."
"Especially then," Alex said with a faint smile. He leaned in, brushing his lips softly against hers, a promise in the gesture. "We'll make it through this. Together."
Lila smiled, a real, hopeful smile that lit up her face. "I believe we will."
As they sat there, the morning light spilling into the room, Alex felt a sense of renewal. It wasn't going to be easy—rebuilding trust never was—but he knew they were stronger together. They had Amelia, they had each other, and for the first time in a long time, they had hope.
And that was enough to start again.Later that morning, Alex and Lila prepared breakfast together in the kitchen, their movements synchronized in a way that felt effortless. It was a small but meaningful reminder of the partnership they had once shared and were trying to rebuild. Lila cracked eggs into a bowl while Alex poured coffee, the familiar sounds of domestic life bringing a sense of normalcy back into their routine.
Amelia's soft footsteps padded down the hallway, and moments later, she appeared in the kitchen doorway, rubbing her eyes and clutching her favorite stuffed bunny.
"Morning, sleepyhead," Alex said, scooping her up into his arms. "How'd you sleep?"
Amelia yawned, resting her head on his shoulder. "Good. Are we having pancakes?"
Lila smiled as she whisked the eggs. "Not today, sweetheart. How about scrambled eggs and toast?"
Amelia scrunched up her nose, clearly not as excited about that option, but she nodded. "Okay."
Alex chuckled, setting her down in her chair at the table. "We'll make pancakes tomorrow, deal?"
Amelia perked up at that, nodding enthusiastically. "Deal!"
As the morning unfolded, the three of them settled into an easy rhythm. The weight of last night's conversation still lingered in Alex and Lila's minds, but it didn't feel as heavy. It felt like a step in the right direction—a step toward healing.
After breakfast, while Amelia played in the living room, Lila turned to Alex, her expression thoughtful. "You know, I've been thinking about what you said earlier… about how you felt like you had to fix everything."
Alex leaned against the counter, his arms crossed. "Yeah?"
Lila nodded. "I realize I might have added to that without meaning to. I put a lot of pressure on you without even realizing it. I expected you to always know what to do, to always have the answers. But the truth is, I didn't let you just be… human. I didn't allow you to be vulnerable."
Alex's brow furrowed as he considered her words. "I never thought of it like that."
"I didn't either, until recently," Lila admitted. "I guess I've been so focused on what I needed that I didn't see what you needed too."
Alex shook his head, stepping closer to her. "Lila, it wasn't just you. I should've said something instead of bottling everything up. You don't have to take responsibility for that."
"I know," Lila said softly, her gaze meeting his. "But we both played a part in how things got this way. If we're going to move forward, we have to be honest with ourselves and with each other about that."
Alex nodded slowly, appreciating her insight. "You're right. We can't pretend like everything's fixed just because we talked about it. It's going to take time."
Lila smiled, though there was a touch of sadness in it. "I know. But at least we're starting."
They stood there for a moment, just looking at each other. It was the kind of silence that didn't feel awkward or heavy, but rather full of understanding. They had a long way to go, but for the first time in a while, they weren't afraid of the journey.
Alex reached for her hand, intertwining their fingers. "We'll get through it, Lila. One day at a time."
She squeezed his hand, her smile widening. "One day at a time."
Just then, Amelia's giggles filled the room as she played with her toys, and Alex and Lila turned to watch her, their hearts full. It wasn't perfect, but it was real. And that was more than enough for now.
As the sun climbed higher in the sky, filling the house with warmth, Alex and Lila knew they were finally moving in the right direction—together.