They were back on the road before eight. The air felt different that morning. Cooler. Quieter. The sky was pale and still, the kind of sky that comes before a long drive. Lily sat with her feet up on the dashboard, one hand holding a gas station coffee and the other resting on the map. Chance slept in the back seat, curled into their spare blanket like it belonged to him now

Ethan drove with both hands on the wheel. He was quiet in a way that did not feel like distance. It felt more like he was holding something steady inside himself so it would not shake loose

Lily watched him for a while. The set of his jaw. The way his eyes stayed focused on the road. The way his shoulders were tighter than yesterday

“You’re thinking about home,” she said

He let out a slow breath. “Yeah”

“Scared?”

“A little,” he said. Then after a pause, “More than a little”

She nodded. “Good. Means it matters”

He glanced over at her then. Just for a second. It was enough

They drove north until the signs began to mention Oregon. The land stretched wider than before. Trees taller. The air smelled like pine and wet dirt. Sunlight flickered through branches above them, throwing moving shadows across the windshield. It made the whole drive feel like passing through water

Lily leaned her head against the window. “So tell me the rules,” she said

“What rules?”

“When we see your parents. Things I shouldn’t say. Things I shouldn’t ask. Stuff that gets you disowned”

He huffed a quiet laugh. “Okay. Rule one. Do not tell my mom I haven’t been sleeping well at work. She already thinks the hospital is killing me”

Lily nodded. “Got it. You are well rested. You sleep ten hours a night. You stretch. You hydrate. You are very balanced emotionally”

He smiled. “Perfect. That sounds exactly like me”

She grinned. “Rule two?”

He looked at the road again. “Don’t bring up Mark unless she brings him up first”

Her voice softened. “Okay”

“Rule three,” he said. “If she looks stressed, start talking about yourself. She likes other people’s stories better than her own. Ask her about recipes and she’ll talk for an hour. Tell her you can’t cook and she’ll want to teach you every meal she knows. That usually calms her down”

Lily raised a brow. “You’re just trying to get free food out of this”

“That too,” he said

“What about your dad,” she asked

Ethan smiled to himself in a quiet way. “My dad’s easy. He’ll act like he doesn’t care about anything. He’ll sit in his chair and say things like Yeah that’s fine and Whatever’s best for you. But then later you’ll notice he already fixed the thing you said out loud only once. He’s that kind of person”

“So he’s quiet love,” she said

“Yeah,” Ethan said softly. “He is”

They drove a little longer. Miles rolled under them. Signs counted down to the state line. Lily pulled her feet down and sat up a little straighter

“You sure you want me there when you show up?” she asked

“Yeah,” he said, no hesitation

“You don’t think it’s going to be weird that you’re bringing someone home without warning?”

“It would be weirder if I came alone,” he said

Something in her chest warmed at that

“Okay then,” she said. “I’m in it”

“You already are,” he said

They crossed the Oregon border in the early afternoon. It wasn’t dramatic. No music. No bright line. Just a faded sign, a curve in the road, and a shift in the way Ethan breathed

Lily saw it. His shoulders loosened a little. His grip eased on the wheel. It wasn’t peace, not yet. But it wasn’t running anymore either

“Welcome home,” she said

He let out a quiet laugh. “Yeah. Something like that”

They stopped in a small town a few miles in. The kind of place with one main street and a hardware store that still sold fishing line in the front window. Lily found a bench outside a little cafe and sat with Chance while Ethan went inside to order. The sun felt warmer here. Chance lay across her shoes, eyes half closed

People walked by and nodded. One older woman slowed down and smiled at Lily and the dog

“He’s sweet,” the woman said

“He knows it,” Lily said

The woman laughed and kept walking

Ethan came back with two sandwiches wrapped in paper and two iced coffees sweating in plastic cups

“I guessed on yours,” he said

Lily took a sip. “Caramel,” she said. “You remembered”

He shrugged. “It seemed right”

They ate there on the bench, knees touching every so often. For a while, it felt like the whole world had slowed down enough for them to catch up

“Tell me something good,” Lily said

He looked at her. “Something good”

“Yes. Before we go the rest of the way. Before you see your mom, I mean. We should walk in with good in our hands”

He leaned back against the bench. Sunlight sat soft across his face. He thought for a long moment

“Something good,” he finally said. “Okay. I haven’t had a panic dream in two nights”

Her eyes flicked to him. “Really?”

“Yeah”

“That’s huge,” she said

“Yeah,” he said. “It is”

Her voice dropped a little. “You think it’s the road?”

“I think it’s you,” he said

Her chest tightened in a way that wasn’t fear

“Your turn,” he said. “Tell me something good”

She let out a breath and watched her own hands for a second. “Okay,” she said. “Something good. I haven’t felt lonely since we left the hospital”

He looked at her then, really looked, and the air between them shifted

“We’re doing okay,” he said quietly

“Yeah,” she said. “We kind of are”

They checked into a small cabin near a lake about an hour north. The lake sat quiet and still, smooth as glass, surrounded by tall trees that leaned over the water like they were listening. The cabin was simple. Wood. A porch. A view. Chance trotted around the porch like he already owned it

Lily stood at the edge of the lake and let the wind move through her hair. “It’s beautiful here,” she said

“My dad loves this place,” Ethan said. “He brought us here after hard weeks. Said water clears the noise out of your head”

“Does it?”

“It used to,” he said. “I’m hoping it still does”

They did not drive anymore that day. They didn’t rush anywhere. They didn’t make plans. For once the trip was not about distance. It was about pause

Ethan found an old rowboat tied to a post near the dock. “You trust me to steer this?” he asked

“No,” Lily said. “But I’m getting in anyway”

The lake water was cool and deep green. The boat moved slow, just enough to rock. Lily leaned back and let her fingers skim the surface. The ripples spread behind them in thin silver lines

For a long time, neither of them spoke. The quiet didn’t feel empty. It felt full

Finally Lily said, “What if she’s mad you didn’t come back sooner?”

“She has the right to be,” Ethan said

“And what if she blames you?”

He let the oars rest. The boat drifted

“She already did,” he said softly. “At least once. But it wasn’t really blame. It was grief. And I didn’t know what to do with it. I couldn’t fix it so I just left”

Lily watched his face. “And now?”

“And now I’m trying not to run,” he said

She nodded. “Good. That matters”

“Yeah,” he said quietly. “It does”

They stayed on the lake until the sun dipped low and the surface turned gold. When they went back to the cabin, Chance was asleep on the porch with his nose tucked under his paw. Lily laughed softly and rubbed his head as she passed

Inside the cabin was one bed and one small couch. Lily dropped her bag on the bed like she had already decided. Ethan didn’t argue

They made dinner out of what they had. Crackers. Fruit from a roadside stand. Chips. Not real dinner, but enough. They ate sitting on the floor again, backs against the bed, Chance curled at their feet. The air smelled faintly of lake water and pine

“So tomorrow we go,” Lily said

“Yeah,” Ethan said

“To your parents’ house,” she said

“Yeah,” he said again, quieter

“You want me to drive the last part?” she asked

He smiled at that. “You think I’m going to fall apart?”

“I think you’re going to feel things,” she said. “And that’s allowed”

He laughed under his breath. “You’re getting good at this feelings coach job”

“I bill by the hour,” she said

His smile lingered for a while. Then it faded into something softer. Something close to fear, but not running anymore

“Lily,” he said

“Yeah”

“There’s something I should say before we get there”

She turned to him. “Okay”

He rubbed the side of his hand against his knee, almost nervous. That made her sit up a little straighter

“I told them about you,” he said

Her eyes widened. “What?”

“Before this trip,” he said. “Before we even left. I told my dad I was bringing someone. I didn’t say much. I just told him you were important”

She was quiet for a long moment. Her heartbeat moved fast and even all at once

“You told him I was important,” she said softly

“Yeah,” Ethan said. “Because you are”

Her throat felt tight. She swallowed. “Say it again,” she whispered

“You’re important,” he said

The words landed strong and steady inside her like an anchor finally dropping

She leaned in and kissed him. Slow. Warm. Not rushed. The kind of kiss that felt like a promise more than a question. His hand slid to the back of her neck. Her fingers curled in his shirt. The whole room felt still and safe

When they pulled back, her forehead rested against his. She let out a small breath

“Okay,” she whispered. “Then I guess we go meet your family”

He smiled. “Yeah. We do”

Chance shifted in his sleep and let out a small sound like agreement

Outside, the lake settled into night. The trees swayed slow in the wind. The sky above the water turned dark and full of stars

Tomorrow would bring whatever it brought

Tonight they were here

Together