Someone stranded and trying to stay in control. Someone who needed help but didn't know how to ask for it. Someone who was tired of being alone. I was all of those things. I know.
So was I. They stood on the balcony, the city lights spreading out below them. Two people who'd found each other by accident and built something intentional. There were still complications. Always would be.
Schedules to coordinate Sophie's needs to consider. The lingering fear that maybe this was too good to last. But looking at Viven, seeing her smile in the dim light, Ethan realized something important. Love wasn't about finding someone perfect. It was about finding someone worth the complications.
Someone who made the messy parts of life bearable and the good parts better. Move in with me, he said suddenly. Viven blinked. What? Move in officially.
Not just staying over most nights, but actually living together. Your stuff and my stuff and Sophie's dinosaur pajamas all in one place. Ethan, your apartment is tiny. We'd be on top of each other. So, we get a bigger place.
Something that's ours, not mine or yours. Somewhere with space for Sophie's homework explosion and your books and maybe even a real dining table. That's a big step. I know, but I'm ready if you are. She was quiet for a long moment, and Ethan's heart hammered against his ribs.
Maybe it was too fast. Maybe he'd pushed too hard. Maybe. Yes. Vivien said.
Yes. Yes. Let's find a place together. Something messy and imperfect and ours. She kissed him, smiling against his lips.
Fair warning, Sophie's going to want to organize everything. I'm counting on it. They found a house 3 months later. A small craftsman in Ballard with a yard for Sophie and a garage Ethan could convert to a home workshop and enough space for all of them to spread out. The kitchen was outdated, the roof needed work, and the whole place required more renovation than either of them wanted to think about.
It was perfect. Moving day was chaos. Sarah directed traffic while Sophie marked boxes with her own organizational system that made sense to absolutely no one. Marcus showed up uninvited and helped move furniture while offering running commentary on their decorating choices. By the end of the day, they were exhausted, surrounded by boxes, eating pizza on the floor because they hadn't unpacked the table yet.
"This is insane," Vivian said, surveying the disaster zone of their new living room. "This is home," Ethan corrected. Sophie, covered in marker from labeling boxes, looked up from her pizza. "Are we really all living here together now? " Yeah, kiddo. Is that okay?