Saturday morning brought a certain quiet with it—one that Aria hadn't felt in a long time. The kind of quiet that didn't feel lonely, just still. Eli had fallen asleep early the night before, worn out from all the running and giggling. She hadn't expected Elias to stay as long as he did, but then again, everything lately had been a stretch outside her expectations.
A soft knock at the door around nine had her drying her hands quickly on a towel. She opened it to find Elias standing there, a coffee in each hand and a paper bag between his elbow and his side.
"Morning," he said, not overly cheery—just real.
Aria blinked. "You're early."
He held up the coffee. "Thought I'd bribe you."
She hesitated but stepped aside. "Come in."
Eli came running from the bedroom in mismatched socks and a half-buttoned shirt. "Daddy!"
"Hey, champ! You forgot a sock."
"Nope, it's a power look," Eli said proudly.
Aria gave Elias a look. "He got that phrase from you, didn't he?"
"Probably," Elias replied with a grin. "Also brought muffins. Blueberry."
"Did you bring the chocolate chip ones?" Eli asked, poking through the bag.
"Maybe," Elias teased.
He set the bag on the table while Aria reached for one of the coffees. "You didn't poison this, did you?"
"Just caffeine and questionable judgment."
She smirked.
They sat at the kitchen table, the three of them. Eli munched happily, and Elias kept sneaking glances at him like he still couldn't believe this was real. That he got to be here.
"So," Aria said after a few minutes, "what's today's plan?"
"I thought we could stay in," Elias said. "Do something easy. Board games? Drawing?"
Eli raised his hand like a student. "Drawing!"
"You've been on a space kick lately, right?" Elias asked.
"Yup! I wanna draw a rocket that goes through a wormhole."
Aria blinked. "That's very specific."
"I watched a science cartoon. It was cool."
"I'll need tutoring before I understand what a wormhole is," Elias said.
"We can Google it later," Eli replied, already dragging out his art supplies.
They migrated to the living room. Aria sat back while father and son sprawled on the floor, surrounded by colored pencils and paper.
"Do wormholes have colors?" Elias asked, genuinely curious.
"Blue. And swirly."
"Got it. Very science-y."
Aria found herself watching more than participating. The way Elias tilted his head when Eli explained his sketches, how he let Eli talk without interrupting, just nodding and listening. It wasn't how he used to be. Before, he always had somewhere to be. Now, it seemed like he only wanted to be here.
"Do you want to draw too, Mama?" Eli asked, holding out a spare pencil.
She took it. "Why not."
She crouched beside them, trying to sketch something that looked vaguely like a planet.
"That's Saturn," Elias said.
"Only because of the rings," she mumbled.
"I like it," Eli announced. "We're a team. Daddy draws the wormhole, I draw the rocket, and Mama draws the destination."
"Poetic," Elias muttered.
"It's not poetry. It's science," Eli said, matter-of-fact.
The morning stretched on like that—unhurried and filled with overlapping conversations, laughter, and the occasional snack break.
Around noon, Eli climbed onto the couch and yawned. "I need a rest. But I'm not sleepy."
"Sure you're not," Aria said, pulling a blanket over him.
He fell asleep five minutes later.
Elias sat on the floor, back against the couch. Aria didn't return to the kitchen. She sat too, a few feet away, her legs crossed.
"This is nice," he said quietly.
"It is."
He turned to look at her. "It's strange, isn't it? How easy this feels when we're not trying so hard."
She nodded. "Like we're not pretending."
A beat passed between them.
"I used to think being good with Eli would somehow fix everything," Elias said. "But now I get that it doesn't work like that."
"No," she agreed. "It doesn't."
"But I still want to be here. Even if it's just... small moments."
She looked down at her hands. "I think that's what scared me. How easy it is to fall back into this rhythm. To forget why I left."
"You don't have to forget," he said. "I don't want you to."
"You say that now. But when the past knocks, it never comes quietly."
Elias leaned forward, elbows on his knees. "What if we stopped waiting for it to knock? What if we just lived forward?"
She gave a small, tired laugh. "You make it sound simple."
"It's not," he admitted. "But I'm learning. And I want to keep learning."
Eli stirred then, mumbling something about space missions.
They both looked at him. Elias whispered, "I missed so many of these."
"I know."
"I don't want to miss anymore."
Aria looked at him. "And when it gets hard again? What then?"
"I'll still be here."
"You can't promise that."
"I can try. That's what matters, right?"
She didn't answer. But she didn't argue either.
When Eli woke up an hour later, stretching like a cat and demanding grilled cheese, Elias was already in the kitchen with the pan heating.
"You don't have to cook," Aria said, joining him.
"It's one sandwich."
"You used to burn toast."
"I've evolved."
They stood shoulder to shoulder while he flipped the bread carefully.
"You're over-buttering it," she noted.
"It's a grilled cheese, not a health food."
She shook her head, amused. "Some things never change."
"Some things do," he said, glancing at her.
She looked back, and for a second, there was something quiet between them again.
After lunch, Elias helped Eli pack up the coloring materials. He didn't rush to leave.
"You want to stay longer?" Aria asked.
"If that's okay."
She nodded.
They ended up watching a movie together. Eli chose a cartoon with talking animals and dramatic orchestral music. Elias and Aria exchanged glances during the overly emotional parts. They didn't speak much—just shared popcorn and occasional smirks.
When the credits rolled, Eli snuggled into Elias's side. "You coming tomorrow too?"
"If your mom says yes."
Aria didn't hesitate. "Yes."
Elias smiled. "Then I'll be here."
It wasn't a declaration. It wasn't a grand romantic moment. But it was steady.
And sometimes, that was more than enough.