The Love Clause

ut for Julia, it felt like stepping back into a

hat made you feel like time was slowing down. Julia sat in the front passenger seat, her fingers curled

in a sketchbook. Liam drove, one hand on the wheel, the other occasiona

k to her parents' h

ly as they passed the "Welc

ay," Julia

he road. "We're twenty minutes ou

kno

he had Elara. And yet, the familiar dread curled at the base of

were all modest colonials with porch swings and well-kept lawns. The same trees li

g had

ept

nd more gray than she remembered, but her arms were warm when she hug

" she said, smilin

throat tight. "I

ra, eyes misting slightl

le yellow. The framed photos had been updated-Julia spotted a graduation picture of her

guiding them in. "They've started him on medicat

g the doorframe as they entered the livi

e da

-some days, he wouldn't. Some

d," Liam offered gently, sensing the weig

e, and Elara kissed her cheek

to her mother.

. "Go ahead. He m

along the wood banister that still had the scratch

' bedroom was slightly

gainst the dark comforter. His eyes were c

sensing her,

ul

d closer.

flashing across his face for a mo

're

m h

"You always said y

et, fragile soun

re fragile, veins like rivers under soft paper skin. But w

s the

ked. "You

te in the margins of

the rights. It's g

d again.

elevi

e...

ed. "Clos

he said quietly.

nd a little tighter.

red my

while. Just sat there, the afterno

room and down the stairs, her emotions knotted in her c

s in the kitc

the book," Ju

ays does. Even when he doe

ble, two steaming

"Why didn't you

didn't want to bring you home through

s not

ut it's wh

"I spent so long being angry a

d n

what I feel.

and. "That's what coming home does. It r

ed, but di

o Julia's arms and immediately began telling her all about the ducks they s

Julia coul

It looked untouched-same lilac walls, same faded posters. She steppe

her there a

?" he asked, si

ghosts,"

nd. "You were

Don't te

"Your secr

n the quiet hum of a house that had onc

urt you," Lia

"But it also

okay be

ow. But I n

nd her, and she let he

hispered. "The show, you, Elara, my parents..

't speak

lding it all. Maybe it's about

p at him. "Y

r mom. And even Ela

"I don't know how

just

r the first time in days,

soundtrack for coping. Julia padded downstairs in thick socks and a borrowed flannel robe, feeling oddly like a teenager aga

ady dressed and pouring co

n she entered. "

affectionately. "You

s with your mom. I figure

leaned against the counter, letting t

ed me twice in your sleep. I

of old soccer matches. Must'v

hat we're

eyes close just for a second, letting herself

help her mother with grocery errands. The air was brisk, sharp with late autumn

ia asked as they strolled toward

hand. "The ducks were funny yeste

ably des

sobered. "Is Grandpa

t. "He's sick in a way that doesn't really go aw

ll pond, and Elara climbed up beside her. She was qu

mes he forgets for a little bit. But lo

that. "When I forget my ba

act

nd blew curls into Elara's eyes, a

me to find Liam and her mother u

ummer you tried to run away to becom

hat was private f

made it three blocks befor

ened. "You wante

red at Liam. "

es from shared space-naps, books, the occasional

father had another

a stack of old books, when he walked

hiding in he

led, then smiled.

You always did retreat into b

till

t dancing in the last light of the day. "I keep thinking of when you

d. "That was

other had stage fright. You cast me as t

mory warm and fami

ways

apology, maybe. A quiet acknowledgment of mistakes made

e said, and her voic

a beautiful life, Jules. I don't rememb

r eyes. "You're

il dusk painted the r

iam read by the glow of a small lamp, Julia slipped outside to

ll of stars above her. She closed her eyes and breathed

Liam stepped beside her, o

iet at dinne

ing to hol

tea. "You do

at him. "But I also don't want t

y. "You're not missing any

the warmth of his presence

small," she whispered. "Now it

Then, "Maybe that's okay. M

ching. "Do you think I'm str

you know. But I also think y

immered. "I

softly.

ars, and the silence between them

sleep slowly, adjusting to the warmth of the room and the rhythmic thrum of the world outside. There was a kind of hush in her ch

as alr

sitting cross-legged on the kitchen stool drawing pictures, and Liam sipping coffee at

e he

she said,

coffee. And your mom made those cinnamon

efore pouring herself a cup and s

picture. "It's us. You,

and heart-shaped suns, but something about it stirred

p in her throat. "It's

her closely. "He

. I sat with him for

m, filled only by the sound o

ther finally said. "Even when he doesn't remem

ething," Ju

to help her mother with laundry and other tasks. The two women moved in a quiet rhythm through th

ed old quilt and paused. "This

it when I married your father. Every time I cons

titched patchwork. "It's beautif

things th

in silence

n't you?" her mot

ed to ask who s

e love

ath.

e. You think you have years to figure it all out. You think there's alwa

, eyes wide. "Is th

ruth ta

ld. Her father was having one of his clearer days, so they bundled up and too

, matching his pace, he

he said, "how I knew yo

"No. But I'd l

s something loose inside you. And she never trie

the word

robably was. But she never tried

ching his breath. "The right love doesn't force you i

that," Julia

ou know. Stubborn. Loyal. Bright. You sc

ough her nose. "Y

are them. The ones who stay will be the ones w

yes, but she didn

ll thick as snow, Julia and Liam sat on the back porch wrapped i

lder. "Being back here. It's like everything feels b

aller. You've grown. Y

se him before I've

lready sa

his balance right? Between who I was, who

a perfect balance. Maybe the only real thing is loving the people i

eful for the way he always made the world feel

ed," she

am

gain, letting the sta

rought news that c

oke, not fatal, but it was serious. Julia rode with him in the ambulance, clutching

apsed in on itself. Doctors came and went, charts were upd

as stable bu

andkerchief. "He was fine yesterday. He

" Julia w

then stepped back. "He's lucky

lucky ones,

ily took turns sitting beside the hospital bed,

, her fath

en and landed on Juli

he said, swall

murmured.

way

and she leaned in t

outside the room and leaned against the wall in

re, sliding an arm

to stay a little

tended our re

d at him.

e's nowhere else

ng time. "I think... I thi

Because I'm here

, she bel

m of medical equipment-it all formed a backdrop to Julia's sleepless nights and tender conversations. Her father was stab

sitting in silence, holding his hand. There were moments when he'd wake, confused and irritable, and others when he s

ucked around his legs, her father blinked up at her

d, startled

y made it to the hospital in time. You came int

oftly. "Sound

ms, and you stopped crying. Looked straight

. "I've been trying to f

at strength he had. "No need

r mother had gone to bed early, Julia and Liam found themselves back on

thinking about what he said. That

iam said. "Y

t's so hard for people to say what they mean? To

Pride. Timing. We think w

we do

shing a thumb along he

lungs for years. "I spent so much of my life trying to become someo

all those

constantly performing. With you, I don'

wanted-for you to

hifting beneath the blanket. "

"I like y

em turn into something holy. They didn't need words. The weight of everything

ing brought u

nstructions: speech therapy, daily physical therapy exercises, and routine supervision. He

etings. Elara was munching on toast, swinging her legs beneath the table, while

d softly. "At least for the first

ia said, surpris

ooked up. "A

me time off. My fir

gaze and nodded. "We're not in a rush.

teared up.

h town, Elara skipping ahead between them, she as

the one who said you weren't runn

squeezed his hand.

with you. There's no

ed over her wit

ain," she

ove

eved love didn't have to mean co

pend entire weekends as a teen. It hadn't changed much-creaky woode

Her fingers brushed old favorites-Austen, Alcott, Atwood. She stopped at a shelf near the bac

signature was on it. Dat

favorite," Liam said,

ed. "The ache of waiting. The bitters

und her waist. "You've

gently. "But I'm n

clouds gathering with the hush of oncoming rain. They r

made everything feel suspended in time. Julia sat

conds between the lightning and thunder?"

d me it meant the st

tting

der. "I was always afraid of thu

ver w

s she moved her pieces. Julia watched them, her heart full in a way it

n kept

ttled into

quick shower, always greeting them with a kiss to Julia's temple and a quiet good morning. Her father joined the table later, slower than he used to be, bu

guided him through exercises, assisted his speech therapy, kept him encouraged. Liam offered moral support and humor

ng his breath after a set of balance dr

rapist," he said, his

at from his brow. "Too lat

too late

ret-it was truth. Her father, once a man of very few emotional word

through old clothes, but instead, she sat on the carpet, surrounded by dusty boxes of memorie

rly law classes. Scrawled comments in the margins. And then, folded caref

r handwriting une

r Futu

viving. Please remember what you wanted once: to matter. To love and be loved. Don't for

coffee and red lipst

through a s

g?" Liam's voi

ter aloft. "Apparently I've be

s pockets, gaze soft. "And

id. "She wanted me

ly, sitting beside her. "You just b

der. "I want to start making dec

s begin,"

usual. Over quiet music and leftover soup, they talk

re almost three weeks. I've never gone

nd

ng through a straw and now sudde

maybe the question isn't how to g

. "What does that m

n thinking. What if we made this town

ed. "You'd

And you've been talking about starting

" she wh

family. Space for Elara to grow. And support. Real

nd of excitement and fear. "Yo

t starting over. I'm

s electric. "I always thought home was where

d n

els like where I'm understood. Where

. "It feel

to her law firm. She didn't send it-not yet-bu

-

ew days mo

ble in town. They toured a renovated farmhouse on the edge of town, an old two-story with creaky floors and a wraparound p

rst time in years, Julia wasn't rushing to one

und between oaks and birch trees, leading to a small clearing where she used to hide and write as a

earned," Julia said. "Through perfecti

heir fingers

Every day. Even when it's inconv

kles. "I choose yo

losing her eyes. "Then m

the sky turned indigo, stars

round a stuffed rabbit her grandfather had given her. Julia kissed her f

y," she said, the words

lread