Aria stood in the kitchen, humming softly as she packed a small container of sliced apples and a sandwich cut into puzzle pieces—Eli's latest obsession.
Eli padded in, his small feet thudding softly against the floor.
"Is Daddy coming again today?" he asked, rubbing sleep from his eyes with the back of his hand.
Aria looked over her shoulder. "He is. You remembered?"
Eli nodded. "You said he would if he brought better snacks."
She smiled, placing the container into a small lunch bag. "He said he'd try."
There was a knock on the door not long after. Eli ran to it, already grinning. Aria followed more slowly, wiping her hands on a towel.
When she opened it, Elias stood there holding a paper bag in one hand and a small carton of orange juice in the other.
"Peace offering," he said, holding up the bag.
Eli peeked inside and lit up. "Gummy worms and mini muffins! You upgraded!"
"I take snack criticism very seriously," Elias said, stepping inside.
Aria gave him a half-smile. "Clearly."
Eli climbed onto the couch, pulling out a toy piano from under the coffee table. "Can we practice now, Daddy?"
Elias looked over at Aria. "If it's okay with your mom."
She nodded. "Ten minutes. He gets distracted if it goes longer."
"I do not!" Eli protested.
Elias laughed. "Let's test that theory."
They sat together on the floor, the toy piano between them. Elias tapped a key. "C major. Like this."
Eli mimicked him, tongue sticking out in concentration.
"No, like this," Elias said, gently guiding Eli's fingers. "There. Hear the difference?"
"Yeah. Mine sounded like a cat falling."
"A very dramatic cat," Elias teased.
Aria watched from the kitchen table, sipping her tea, quiet but attentive. She didn't interrupt. Just listened. The sound of Eli's laughter and Elias's patient encouragement filled the small space in a way that felt...normal. Almost too normal.
After ten minutes, Elias stretched. "Break time?"
Eli flopped onto the rug. "Forever break."
Elias chuckled. "You sound like me after a single gym session."
"Do you go to the gym?" Eli asked.
"Not really," Elias said, glancing sheepishly at Aria. "Used to. Now I lift legal files and coffee cups."
"Strong arms," Eli declared, squeezing his bicep. "Still soft, though."
Elias gasped. "Excuse you!"
Aria shook her head, laughing under her breath.
"Wanna see my new drawing?" Eli asked suddenly.
"Of course," Elias replied. "Do I get to guess what it is again?"
Eli ran to his room, and Elias stood, walking to the kitchen.
"She always this quiet in the mornings?" he asked softly, leaning against the counter.
Aria looked at him, then at her mug. "Just watching."
He nodded. "Want me to stop?"
"No," she said. "It's...nice. Seeing him happy."
There was a pause.
"He's good at the piano," Elias said. "Better than I expected."
"He's consistent," Aria said. "More than I've been lately."
"You're doing great, Aria."
She met his eyes briefly, then looked away. "He keeps asking if you'll stay for dinner again."
"I can," he said quickly. "If you're okay with it."
She hesitated. "He likes it when we eat together."
Eli returned then, holding a messy drawing.
"This is me and Mama at the zoo, and this is you, Daddy, holding the map upside down."
Elias laughed. "Sounds accurate."
"I also gave you a mustache."
Elias squinted. "And a monocle?"
"You looked like a detective," Eli said proudly.
"I'll take it," Elias said, ruffling his hair.
They spent the rest of the morning playing with building blocks and watching cartoons. Elias stayed through lunch, helping slice cucumbers while Aria made sandwiches.
At one point, while Eli was distracted, Elias leaned in.
"He told me yesterday he wants to be a 'stay-home explorer.'"
Aria raised an eyebrow. "What does that even mean?"
"It involves snacks, dinosaurs, and never leaving the couch."
Aria chuckled. "Sounds like a solid life plan."
After lunch, Eli crawled into Elias's lap and yawned dramatically. "Can we read the lion book again?"
"Of course," Elias said.
"I want the roars again."
"You'll get them."
They settled into the couch. Aria tidied up the plates in the kitchen, listening to Elias read with exaggerated voices, watching Eli's face light up at every pause.
When the book ended, Elias gently carried Eli to his room for a nap. Aria followed, and they stood side-by-side at the doorway once more, just like the night before.
"He trusts you," she said quietly.
"I'm grateful for that."
They went back to the living room.
"I should probably go before he wakes up and tries to guilt me into staying for movie night."
"He's good at guilt."
"He gets it from you."
Aria smiled faintly. "Probably."
There was a beat of silence.
"I like being here, Aria."
"I know."
"Not just for him."
She looked at him. "I know."
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small card.
"What's that?"
"Eli wanted a family day this weekend. I found a small indoor play area. Thought maybe the three of us could go."
She took the card, studying the details.
"I'm not pushing," Elias added. "Just… thought I'd try."
"I'll think about it," she said.
"That's enough."
He stepped toward the door, pausing.
"Thank you. For letting this be… normal."
Aria looked around the room, at the toys scattered across the floor, the echo of Eli's laughter still lingering in the air.
"Feels strange, doesn't it?" she said. "Normal."
He smiled. "The good kind of strange."
She didn't reply, but this time, when he left, she walked him to the door.
And when he stepped outside, she didn't close it right away.
Instead, she stood there for a few seconds, watching the hallway, before quietly shutting it—leaving the silence behind with a trace of warmth still in the air.