You balanced the phone against your shoulder as you rinsed off the last dish from dinner, the sound of Susannah’s voice instantly softening the tightness in your chest.

“Hey,” she said, a faint smile in her tone. “I was wondering… maybe you could come by tomorrow night for dinner? Jeremiah and Conrad have been asking about you nonstop. I think they miss you more than they miss me.”

You let out a small laugh, though your heart jumped at the invitation. “I doubt that. They’re just being polite.”

“No, seriously,” she insisted. You could picture her on the other end of the line, curling the phone cord around her finger like she always did when she was distracted. “Jeremiah keeps telling me I don’t make the macaroni the way you do. And Conrad—well, he’s been quieter than usual, and I know you can always get him to open up.”

There was a pause, a soft exhale, and then her voice turned warmer. “Honestly, I just… I’d really like to see you. It’s been too long.”

You swallowed hard, gripping the edge of the counter to ground yourself. Being around her was hard these days. You’d loved her for as long as you could remember, but she’d been Adam’s wife. That line had always been there, solid and unbreakable. And now that it wasn’t… now that she was free, you didn’t trust yourself.

“Yeah, I’d like that,” you said finally, careful to keep your voice even. “It’ll be good to see the boys too. What time?”

“Come by around six? We’ll keep it casual. You don’t even have to bring anything.” She hesitated, then added softly, “Just yourself.”

You could hear the faint shakiness in her words, like she wasn’t as unaffected as she was pretending to be. And you wanted to say something, anything, to bridge the distance between you, but you knew she wasn’t ready.

“Six sounds perfect,” you said instead.

She laughed quietly, that soft musical sound you’d missed. “Good. I’ll tell the boys. They’re going to be so happy.”

When the call ended, you stood there for a moment, phone still in your hand, heart pounding. She was trying so hard to hold herself together after Adam, but the warmth in her voice… it gave you hope. Even if you had to keep your feelings locked up a little while longer.