BIGGER BUBBLES

*Chapter 15: Aftermath*

The next morning didn’t feel different.

And that was the problem.

Lily made coffee. Adrian answered emails. Milo still wanted walks.

But everything had a thin layer of static over it now. Like the world was listening.

Lily couldn’t stop checking her phone.

“Did Mia say anything else?” she asked at lunch.

“No,” Adrian said. “Did your sister?”

She shook her head.

They didn’t say it, but both were thinking the same thing: _Ethan was too calm._

That calm was worse than yelling. It meant he’d already grieved.

That night, Lily stayed up late scrolling old photos. Not to post. Just to remember.

Adrian texted her at 11:47pm: *You awake?*

*Lily: Yeah. I feel bad.*

*Adrian: Me too. Come over?*

She did. They didn’t sleep. They just sat on his couch, not touching, watching rain that wasn’t there.

Lily’s sister called.

“Lil. Is it true? With Adrian?”

Silence. Then: “Yes.”

The line went quiet for 10 seconds.

“I’m not mad,” her sister said finally. “I’m just... surprised. Are you sure this is healthy? For both of you?”

Lily’s throat closed. “We’re trying.”

“Okay. Just keep me in the loop this time. No more secrets.”

Adrian had it worse.

His coworker Mark cornered him by the printer. “Dude. Is that Lily? From... before?”

Adrian nodded.

Mark whistled. “Brave man. How’s that going?”

“Complicated,” Adrian said.

“Yeah,” Mark said. “It always is".

They met at the lake because it was neutral. No apartments. No Milo. No distractions.

“I keep thinking I should feel happier,” Lily admitted, picking at grass. “But I just feel... heavy.”

Adrian exhaled. “Because we did this the wrong way the first time. And now our brains are waiting for punishment.”

Lily looked up. “Did we hurt him?”

“Yeah,” Adrian said. Honest. “And we can’t fix that. But we can stop hurting each other.”

She nodded. Tears, but no sobbing. Just quiet.

“What do we do now?”

“We tell the truth when people ask,” he said. “No hiding. No 1am. No lies of omission. And we give each other grace when it gets weird.”

Lily smiled a little. “Bigger bubble. With windows.”

“With windows,” he echoed.

Milo got sick. Nothing serious — ate something dumb at the park.

Adrian showed up at the vet with Lily at 6pm. They paid together. They waited together.

On the drive home, Lily said, “Thank you for coming.”

“Where else would I be?” Adrian said.

When they got to her porch, she didn’t do the quick hug. She stepped in and held him.

For a long time.

“Okay?” she whispered.

“Okay,” he said. “It’s messy. But we’re okay.”

At 10pm he went home.

At 10:01pm he texted: *Milo okay?*

*Lily: Sleeping. Us too?*

*Adrian: Trying.*