Which Man Stays?

EL'S

hat lives inside my skull. The click of the door behind me

he math I've been running for five years, a frantic calculation that never added u

yes. Not against the headache, but against

st collapsed. The servers were sold, the office empty. I sat in my car outside our apartment, unable to go in

ng. An unkn

voice, smooth as good whisk

la

. She sounded interested. "Listen, I'm back in town. My father's expanding the firm. We need a

ship I thought had sailed a deca

ra was a Vice President. She was polished, powerful, a far cry from the college girl I

e was a warm, steady sun. But at work, Clara was a gravitational pull. She'd linger in my office, her perfume a cloud of a

this place, Daniel," she whispe

"Clara, don't

red. "I know. I'm jus

executive suite. Not her office, her father's. The old man

championed... my father isn't convinced. He's talking ab

y veins. "St

sympathy. "Unless I can convincingly argue for your

y, the fragile stability I'd built for Maya-it w

iscuss strategy." At her pen

million city lights. Her touc

ips against my ear. "With people who understan

ting me. I thought of the bank account, the loan sharks from the sta

. The worst cho

ransaction. A terrible price t

s calm, holding the test like a receipt. "It's yours.

the size of that l

her will learn about your creative accounting on the Anderson account, and you'

ing. Lily was born. A perfect, beautiful little girl with my smile. A smile that now felt like

she trusted me, the walls of my prison grew thicker. I started pulling away, not because I didn

Liam ca

ere. He's the wanderer, the artist, the one who never fit. But there he was, solid and real in Maya's space

uiet, resigned ache I chose to ignore. Now, that ache was gone, replaced by a fierc

aned into his quiet strength. S

al waiting room, my phone vi

a new dress for her recital. And you need to remember where your priorities lie. We're your family, t

the threat is to keep me from Maya. Clara doesn't just want me; she wants me complete

b that is the foundation of the life I share with Maya. There's the love for

my son's bed, holding the hand o

f that room and take my place. I want to explain to Maya, to make her see it was all for

alone. He closes it softly behind him, then tu

the chair," he says, his voice l

family, Liam

his eyes. "You have a funny way of showing it.

ceptive. Rage, hot and defensive,

e, brother. The only thing you have here is a son who asked for you when he was drowning, and a wife who's finally realizing she's been swimming alone for years

the room, leaving me in the

's words burn in my ears. Maya's disa

first time, I see no way out that doesn't destroy everything. T