A why that actually matters. So find one. I don't know where to start. Start with what makes you happy, not what's expected or what looks good on paper. What actually makes you happy?
She rolled to face him, her expression barely visible in the dim light from the windows. This you and Sophie in my apartment, tie takeout at my dining table, feeling like this place is actually a home instead of just somewhere I sleep between meetings. Then do more of this. It's not that easy. Why not?
Because I have responsibilities, obligations. So do I. I have a kid, a shop, bills to pay, but I also have this us, and I'm choosing to make room for both. You're choosing to make room for a relationship that's barely a month old. Yeah, because it matters.
You matter. Viven kissed him then, and there was something different in it. Desperate and hopeful and scared all at once. When they pulled apart, she was crying. I don't know how to do this, she said.
How to balance everything. How to be a CEO and also be a person who has relationships and hobbies and a life outside of quarterly reports. So figure it out. You're good at solving problems. Solve this one.
What if I can't? Then we'll figure it out together. That's what people do when they care about each other. They figure out. She laughed through her tears.
You're very practical for someone who fixes cars for a living. Someone has to be. You're too busy being brilliant and terrified to be practical. They fell asleep holding each other. And when Ethan woke up the next morning, sunlight was streaming through the windows and Sophie was standing in the doorway looking deeply amused.
You're cuddling. She announced. Sophie, privacy, Ethan groaned. It's 8:30. That's late.
Vivien said we could make pancakes for breakfast. She paused. But you have to stop cuddling first. Viven was already awake. Her hair a mess and her eyes soft with sleep.
I did promise pancakes, though I should warn you. I've never actually made them before. That's okay. I'll help. Sophie disappeared toward the kitchen and they could hear her opening cabinets.
She's reorganizing your kitchen again, Ethan said. I know. I'm letting her. It probably needs it. They got up and joined Sophie in the kitchen where she'd already located pancake mix and was reading the instructions with intense concentration.
It says we need eggs, milk, and oil. Do you have those? Vivien opened the refrigerator, which contained approximately three items. I have bottled water, leftover takeout, and is that yogurt expired? It's from February, Ethan observed.
It's definitely expired. I don't grocery shop much. We noticed. They ended up ordering groceries delivered while Sophie made a list of everything they needed for proper pancakes. An hour later, armed with fresh ingredients, they attempted breakfast.