Secrets Unspoken
1180 Words
The next morning, the Snow Pine air was crisp and cold, painting the windows with frost. Emily stood in the kitchen, stirring a pot of oatmeal, while Lily sat at the table, drawing a picture of their snowman from yesterday. Ethan shuffled into the room, rubbing his eyes and wearing his usual half-awake scowl.
“Morning, sunshine,” Emily teased, handing him a mug of coffee.
Ethan grunted. “Too early for jokes.” He took a sip, grimacing. “Still terrible at making coffee, huh?”
“It’s a talent,” Emily said with a smirk. “You’re welcome to make your own.”
As Ethan sat down at the table, he noticed Lily’s drawing. “That the snowman from yesterday?” he asked, pointing to the lopsided figure in the sketch.
Lily beamed. “Uh-huh! The tall man helped me make it.”
Ethan froze, his coffee cup halfway to his mouth. He glanced at Emily, raising an eyebrow. “The ‘tall man,’ huh?”
Emily’s face flushed, and she quickly busied herself at the stove. “She means Ryan,” she muttered.
Ethan set his coffee down and leaned forward. “Wait, hold on. She called him Dad yesterday, didn’t she? You never told me what happened with that.”
Emily sighed, turning around to face her brother. “It just slipped out while they were building the snowman. I don’t think she really understands what it means.”
Ethan frowned. “That’s… a big deal, Em. You need to talk to her about this.”
“I know,” Emily said quietly, glancing at Lily, who was now humming to herself as she added more details to her drawing. “But how do I explain it? She’s too young to understand everything, and Ryan doesn’t know—”
“Doesn’t know he’s her father,” Ethan finished, his voice low. “Yeah, that’s the part that worries me. What happens when he does?”
Emily leaned against the counter, her arms crossed. “I don’t know, Ethan. I’ve thought about telling him a hundred times, but it never feels like the right moment. And now, after all these years… what if he hates me for keeping it from him?”
Ethan studied her for a moment, his expression softening. “He doesn’t hate you, Em. Anyone with half a brain can see that. But you need to decide when you’re going to tell him because this isn’t just about you anymore. It’s about Lily.”
Emily opened her mouth to respond but was interrupted by Lily hopping down from her chair. “Aunt Maggie’s here!” she announced, running to the front door as the sound of a car pulling into the driveway reached them.
Emily exchanged a glance with Ethan before following her daughter to the door. Sure enough, her mother, Maggie, was climbing out of her car, bundled up in a thick coat and scarf.
“Grandma!” Lily squealed, throwing her arms around Maggie as soon as she stepped inside.
Maggie laughed, hugging her granddaughter tightly. “Well, there’s my favorite little snowflake! Have you been keeping your mom and uncle in line?”
Lily nodded enthusiastically. “Uh-huh! And I made a snowman with the tall man yesterday!”
Maggie raised an eyebrow at Emily, who groaned inwardly. “Come on in, Mom,” she said, steering her mother toward the living room.
As Maggie settled onto the couch, she turned to Emily. “So… who’s this ‘tall man’ Lily’s talking about?”
Emily sighed, sitting down across from her. “Ryan. He’s back in town.”
Maggie’s expression softened with a hint of surprise. “Ryan? After all these years?”
“Yeah,” Emily said, running a hand through her hair. “It’s… complicated.”
Maggie gave her daughter a knowing look. “It always is with him, isn’t it?”
Emily smiled faintly but said nothing. Her mother didn’t press further, instead shifting the conversation to lighter topics as Lily climbed onto her lap to show off her drawing.
But as the morning wore on, Emily couldn’t shake the weight of Ethan’s words—or the looming question of how long she could keep her secret.
Later that day, after Maggie had left and Lily was busy playing with her toys, Emily found herself pacing the living room. The words Ethan had said echoed in her mind: This isn’t just about you anymore. It’s about Lily.
She stopped by the window, staring out at the falling snow. Her heart felt heavy, the uncertainty pressing down on her chest. She had to tell Ryan. Sooner or later, it was going to come out, and the longer she waited, the harder it would be.
A knock at the door broke her thoughts. Emily’s heart skipped a beat when she opened it and saw Ryan standing there, a casual smile on his face, his hands stuffed in the pockets of his coat.
“Hey,” he greeted. “I was wondering if you and Lily wanted to join me for a ski trip next weekend. It’d be nice to get away for a bit—some time up at the resort. What do you think?”
Emily blinked, caught off guard by the invitation. She hadn’t expected this—hadn’t expected him to make such a personal gesture. And yet, a small part of her felt a flicker of hope. Maybe this was the distraction they all needed.
Lily’s voice echoed from the living room. “Is it Ryan?” she called out eagerly.
“Yeah,” Emily said, stepping aside to let him in. “Lily, guess who’s here?”
Lily immediately ran to him, her arms outstretched. “Ryan! Are we going skiing? Is it for real?”
Ryan chuckled, lifting her up into his arms. “For real. How about you and your mom come with me next weekend? We can go to the resort—ski, eat hot chocolate, maybe build a snowman if we’re lucky.”
Lily squealed, her excitement contagious. Emily looked at Ryan, her thoughts swirling. It would be a good way to spend time with him—to get away from everything.
“I don’t know…” Emily hesitated, glancing at Lily, who was practically bouncing in Ryan’s arms. “I’ve never been skiing with her before. But maybe… maybe it would be fun.”
Ryan smiled warmly. “No pressure, but it’d be great if you both joined me. What do you think?”
Emily’s heart beat faster, the offer tempting. Maybe this was the moment to test the waters—to see where things could go. She glanced at Lily again, who was nodding furiously, her face filled with hope.
“Well, it sounds like fun,” Emily finally said, her smile growing a little more genuine. “Okay, we’ll go.”
Ryan’s grin widened, and for the first time in a long time, Emily felt a sense of possibility. Maybe it was the right time to let things unfold.
- Writer
