After the game, Mia ran over, sweaty and triumphant. Did you see? Did you see my goal? I saw. Victoria high-fived her.
That was incredible. Thanks. Hey, are you staying for dinner? Dad's making spaghetti. It's the only thing he knows how to cook that's actually good.
Victoria laughed. I would love to stay for dinner. That night, while Mia was getting ready for bed, Victoria helped Lucas clean up the kitchen. Thank you. He said quietly.
For what? For being amazing with her. For not trying too hard or not hard enough. For just being you. Victoria set down the dish she was washing.
I meant what I said at the cabin. I'm all in, Lucas. That includes Mia. She's part of you, which means she's part of this. It's only been a week.
You don't have to I know I don't have to. I want to. She turned to face him fully. I'm not saying I'm ready to be her mother or anything, but I can be someone who cares about her. Someone who shows up.
Is that okay? More than okay. Mia appeared in the doorway, pajamas on, teeth brushed. Victoria, will you read me a bedtime story? Victoria looked at Lucas.
He nodded. Sure, Victoria said. Lead the way. Lucas listened from the hallway as Victoria read The Cat in the Hat in different voices, making Mia giggle. He heard his daughter ask if Victoria was his girlfriend, heard Victoria pause, then say, "Would that be okay with you?"
Yeah, Mia said simply. You're nice, and you make my dad smile. He should smile more. Lucas had to walk away before they heard him getting emotional. When Victoria emerged 20 minutes later, Mia was asleep.
"She's out." Victoria whispered. They moved to the living room, sat close on the couch. "She asked if I was your girlfriend." Victoria said.
"I heard." "I didn't know what to say." "What did you say?" "That I hope to be if her dad and I can figure things out." Lucas took her hand.
"We'll figure it out." "Promise?" "Promise." Victoria leaned her head on his shoulder. "I have to fly back tomorrow afternoon."
"I know, but I'll come back." "In 2 weeks?" "And maybe you and Mia can come to San Francisco the weekend after that." "I want to show you my city." "My life."
"We'd like that." They sat there in the quiet apartment holding each other and for the first time in 7 years Lucas let himself believe in the future. Not a perfect future, not an easy one. But one worth fighting for. And that was enough.
The next 2 months were harder than either of them had anticipated. Victoria came to Denver twice more. Lucas and Mia flew to San Francisco once. They video called every night, texted constantly, tried to build a relationship across 800 miles of distance. But reality was grinding them down in ways the romantic reunion at the cabin hadn't prepared them for.
The first real fight happened on a Tuesday night in March. Victoria had promised to call at 8:00. Lucas waited. 8:15, 8:30, 9:00. No call.
He texted. No response. When she finally called at 9:40, he was furious. "Do you have any idea how worried I was?" he said before she could even say hello.
"I'm sorry." "The meeting ran late and I couldn't get away." "You couldn't text for an hour and a half?" "My phone was in my bag. I didn't hear it."
"That's not good enough, Victoria. I have a life here, responsibilities. I can't just sit around waiting for you to remember I exist. Her voice went cold. Excuse me?
I work 60-hour weeks running a company. I'm doing everything I can to make time for this relationship. Don't you dare accuse me of not caring. I'm not accusing you of anything. I'm telling you how it feels when you disappear for hours with no explanation.
And I'm telling you that sometimes my job requires me to be unreachable. That's reality. You're going to have to accept that. Accept what? That I'm always going to come second to your company?
You're being unfair. Am I? Because from where I'm standing, it feels like I'm the only one actually trying here. Victoria's laugh was bitter. Oh, that's rich.
I've flown to Denver three times in 2 months. I've rearranged my entire schedule to make this work. What have you done? Had me visit your convenient nearby life. I have a daughter.
I can't just leave her whenever I want. I know that. I'm not asking you to, but don't act like you're the only one making sacrifices. They went around in circles for 20 minutes, both saying things they didn't mean, both too angry and hurt to back down. Finally, Victoria said she had to go.
The line went dead. Lucas sat there, phone in hand, feeling like he'd just taken a punch to the gut. The silence lasted 3 days. 3 days of no calls, no texts, nothing. Lucas told himself he didn't care.
That maybe this was for the best. That they'd been fooling themselves thinking this could work. But he cared. He cared so much it physically hurt. On day four, Victoria showed up at his door.
She looked terrible. Hair pulled back messily, no makeup, wearing sweatpants and a hoodie instead of her usual polished outfits. Her eyes were red. Can I come in? She asked quietly.
Lucas stepped aside. They sat on the couch. Not touching. The space between them felt enormous. I'm sorry, Victoria said, "for what I said, for disappearing, for all of it."
"I'm sorry, too. I was being unreasonable." "You weren't. You were right. I did disappear, and I have been putting work first."
She twisted her hands together. "I'm not good at this, Lucas. Relationships, vulnerability, letting someone matter more than my career. I don't know how." "So, we figure it out together."
"What if we can't? What if we just keep hurting each other until there's nothing left?" Lucas took her hand. "Then at least we tried. At least we didn't spend the rest of our lives wondering what if."