Page 133 of If Love Had A Manual

“Do what?”

“Does it matter?”

“Yes. It absolutely matters.” I push up on my elbows. “Wes, are you dying?”

That earns a ghost of a smile. “Thought I’d decorate the living room.”

“You,” I say slowly, “Want to decorate?”

“It’s time.” His mouth twitches. “It needs furniture, and paint that isn’t peeling. I figured you’d come with me?”

The air changes when my pulse stutters.

He says it so casually, but it lands like a drop of honey in hot tea. Sweet, soothing, and unexpected.

“You want me to help you pick out furniture?”

His eyes meet mine. “Yes.”

I know what this is. It’s not about paint samples or coffee tables. It’s about making room. It’s about inching forward even when everything feels fragile. About choosing something together without needing to name what it means.

“You want my expert opinion on aesthetics?”

“Your veto power,” he says, like it’s already settled.

I push the covers back, bare feet hitting the floor. “Is Rosie dressed?”

He nods, leaning against the mattress with his palm pressed flat. “In that yellow duck outfit you got her.”

“And she likes it?”

“She looks ridiculous, and she loves it.”

That’s it. That’s the line that cracks something open.

I smile, and it’s real. Not just the polite kind I’ve been handing out lately.

Before I can head to the bathroom, I feel his fingers wrap around my wrist. “Lena.”

I turn, heartbeat stalling for reasons I don’t even fully understand.

He stands, towering over me in that way he does, and kisses the top of my head. “It’s good to see you smile.”

My lungs collapse a little.

Because it is good, and I hadn’t even noticed how long it’s been since it came easily.

Something sticks in my throat. Gratitude, or maybe grief, but it’s something quiet and gentle, pushing its way up through the cracks.

“Thanks,” I say softly.

I take a breath and walk to the bathroom.

When the door clicks shut behind me, I rest my back against it and shut my eyes.

I’m still sad. Goodbye is a heavy weight to carry.

But this moment feels like a shift. Like a window opened somewhere and let the air change.

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