Chapter 11: Testing the Waters
749 Words
Evelyn's POV
The crisp morning air filled my lungs as I bundled Lily into her puffy winter coat. She wiggled excitedly, her energy unmatched this early in the day.
“Where are we going again?” she asked for the third time, her little hands tugging on her scarf.
“To see Mr. Ryan,” I reminded her, smiling at her eagerness. “He’s going to teach you some snowball tricks, remember?”
“And then hot chocolate?” she added hopefully, her eyes sparkling.
“Definitely,” I said with a laugh.
As we stepped outside, the snow-covered town looked like something out of a postcard. The streets were quiet, save for the soft crunch of snow under our boots and the occasional sound of distant laughter.
Ryan’s house was just a few doors down, his driveway already cleared of snow. When we arrived, he greeted us with his usual easygoing charm, a grin spreading across his face as Lily bounded up to him.
“Ready to be a snowball master?” he asked, crouching down to her level.
“Ready!” Lily declared, pumping her tiny fist in the air.
I chuckled, stepping back to let them have their fun. Ryan had always been great with Lily, but today there was a different energy in the air. I felt a pang of guilt as I realized why.
Ethan was back.
Ryan glanced at me as he showed Lily how to pack the snow just right. “You okay?” he asked quietly when Lily was busy perfecting her first snowball.
I nodded, pulling my coat tighter around me. “Just... adjusting.”
“He means it, you know,” Ryan said, his voice low.
I looked at him, startled. “What?”
“Ethan,” he said simply. “I’ve never seen him like this. He’s trying, Evelyn. For you and for Lily.”
I wanted to argue, to remind him of the years Ethan had been gone, but Ryan’s steady gaze stopped me.
“I’m not saying it’ll be easy,” he continued. “But maybe it’s worth giving him a chance. For Lily, if nothing else.”
I swallowed hard, my eyes drifting to where Lily was giggling over her first successful snowball throw.
Maybe Ryan was right.
---
Ethan’s POV
The office was quiet, the usual hustle and bustle muted in the aftermath of a heavy snowfall. I sat at my desk, staring at the photos on my phone.
The first one was of Lily, her face lit up with joy as she built a snowman in Ryan’s yard. Ryan had sent it to me earlier, along with a text: "You’ve got a good kid here. Don’t mess it up."
The second photo was an older one—a picture of Evelyn and me from years ago. Her smile back then had been carefree, full of love and trust.
I wanted to see that smile again.
A knock at the door pulled me from my thoughts. My assistant, Claire, poked her head in. “Mr. Blackwood, the proposal for the community center renovation is ready for your review.”
“Thank you, Claire,” I said, taking the folder she handed me.
As she left, I flipped through the documents, my mind still half on Evelyn and Lily. The renovation project had been one of the first things I’d taken on when I returned to Vailstone. A way to give back to the community—and, if I was honest, a way to prove to Evelyn that I wasn’t the same man who had left.
I had to find a way to bridge the gap between us, to show her that I could be the father Lily deserved and the partner she could trust.
For now, all I could do was take things one step at a time.
---
Evelyn’s POV
That evening, as Lily slept, I found myself scrolling through my phone. Ryan’s photo of her snowman-building escapades made me smile, but my fingers hovered over another message—one from Ethan.
“Thank you for letting me see Lily today. I know it’s not much, but it means everything to me.”
I stared at the message for a long moment before typing a reply.
“It’s a start.”
I hit send, my heart pounding.
It was just a few words, but for the first time in years, it felt like a door I had locked tight was beginning to open.
- Writer
