Chapter 56

Another text from Isadora popped up on my phone screen. We had been texting back and forth about nothing in particular. To me, it showed progress. She was letting me back into her life. That was a great sign. My patience was paying off. She was slowly coming around.

I read the text and grinned. She wanted to talk.

Maybe things were moving in the right direction between us. I quickly texted back and told her to name the time and place. The idea of seeing her made my heart soar. But when she asked if she could call instead of meeting in person, I was disappointed.

Is everything okay?I texted back.

Her response was, Sloane's grounded. I'm grounded. I can call whenever.

Now,I replied.

She called right away. "Hey," I answered. "What's up?"

"I wanted to talk to you about something that Sloane brought up a bit ago," she started.

"Hit me."

She sounded nervous, which was making me nervous.

"She mentioned she liked spending time with you and hated it that you guys had to plan visitations. She knows you like staying the night, but sleeping on the couch is really not feasible. She said we should all live together—as roommates. You and me, that is."

The brief moment of elation I felt was quickly tamped down when she added the caveat to her statement. "Oh."

"I know it's crazy. I told her you had your own place. There are plenty of other parents that don't live together. I mentioned we could possibly arrange a schedule that would give her time at your house. A split custody type of deal but without all the rules."

Isadora outlined Sloane's plan. I loved the idea. My heart swelled with excitement and trepidation. The thought of living under the same roof as them, of truly becoming a part of their family, filled me with joy I hadn't felt in a long time. But at the same time, the weight of the responsibility weighed heavily on my shoulders.

"What do you think?" I asked. "What would be your choice of arrangements?"

She took a deep breath. "Graham, I know we have some hurdles, but I do think it would be good for Sloane to have us under the same roof. With her schedule and each of ours, it would be easier to coordinate."

It wasn't exactly the declaration I was hoping for, but it was something. It gave me hope. Maybe this could turn into something more than just co-parenting.

"Alright, if you think this is what's best for Sloane," I said, trying to keep my voice steady. "I'm willing to try it out."

"I'm not sure what your thoughts are about buying something a little more suitable for a family, but I'm in a position that selling my place would be better for me financially."

I sat up a little straighter. "Are you having financial difficulties?" I asked with concern.

"No, but I've been reassessing my budget." She sighed. "I refuse to take my father's money any longer, and he straight up stole the last few years of money I'd earned. I'm okay for cash, but I think it would be wiser to be a bit more frugal. And the guest room in this apartment isn't great. You deserve a space that is equal to what you have now. I don't want us to invade your penthouse."

Isadora's words about cutting ties with her father struck a chord with me, reminding me of the sacrifices she had made for Sloane's sake. And now she was willing to sell her place and move in together to ensure Sloane's happiness.

"My penthouse is only a two-bedroom," I told her. "Technically three, but the third bedroom is an office and I think we can do better."

"I know this is a huge ask," she said. "You've got a life, and I don't want to guilt you into giving up your freedom. It's just, well, Sloane has really enjoyed spending time with you. She hates when you have to go home."

"Dora," I said in a low voice. "I want this. I was going to suggest it before, but I didn't want to freak you out. I figured you might think it was too soon."

"Graham, I need you to understand there would be three bedrooms," she said.

"You don't want Sloane to know about us," I said. "Still?"

"I'm not ready for all of that just yet. I'm sorry."

I took a deep breath. It was disappointing, but it was part of the process back into her heart and eventually her bed. I could wait. "Why don't we consider a house?" I suggested. "Let's get out of the city and get into the suburbs. We can find something with a pool for Sloane."

"You want to move out of the city?" she asked.

"I've thought about it," I replied. "You don't?"

She laughed. "I thought about it many times, but the convenience always kept me here."

"Why don't I come over for dinner tonight and we can tell Sloane together?" I asked. "We can get her opinion about where she would like to live."

"That sounds like a good plan. Graham?"

"Yes?"

"I am not saying there is no chance for us, but I would prefer we get through all of this first. It's going to be a lot of upheaval moving and settling into a new place. I think we need to try the living together thing and let the dust settle. If things look like they might work, then we can tell her."

Her reluctance to reveal the truth to Sloane gave me pause, but I respected her decision. She knew her daughter better than anyone, and if she felt we should wait, I would trust her judgment. Still, the thought of keeping such an important secret from Sloane left a bitter taste in my mouth. Too many secrets had gotten us into this mess.

"I guess I don't really have a choice, do I?"

"I don't want you to feel like that," she said.

"It's fine."

"Graham, one step at a time," she said quietly. "We tend to burn hot and fast. This isn't a situation where we can run hot and cold. I don't want to rush anything. If we do this, we need to be certain. You might find out you don't like the fact I leave toothpaste in the sink or turn the music on a little too loud. Please, trust me."

It was a plea I had to listen to. "Alright," I said with forced calmness, pushing aside my impatience.

"Thank you, Graham. I'll see you tonight. Sloane is going to be thrilled about this."

As we said our goodbyes and hung up the phone, I couldn't help but feel a little disappointed she still didn't want to acknowledge our love. I knew she couldn't just stop loving me overnight. Love didn't work that way. Part of me longed to shout our love from the rooftops, to finally be open and honest about our relationship. But I knew that Isadora was right. We had to take it one step at a time, and if that meant keeping our relationship a secret for a little while longer, then so be it.

Living under the same roof would be awesome and difficult at the same time. It would offer a few more opportunities to sneak in a few kisses, but we would also have to pretend there was nothing between us.

That was going to be tough.

After work, I went home to change before heading over to their place. I had a feeling part of Isadora's willingness to live with me had a little to do with the fact she was facing a change in her finances.

Sloane met me at the door with a grin. "Hi, I'm glad you're here."

"Hi, kiddo." I grinned back at her, tousling her hair lightly before entering.

"I have something to tell you," she said, leading me into the living room. "Mom's making spaghetti. Sometimes it's a little runny, but it's still good."

I laughed. "Good to know."

Isadora came out of the kitchen then, wiping her hands on a dish towel. "Hi, do you want a drink?"

"I'm good," I said. "Do you need any help?"

"No, I got it. It'll be done in about ten minutes."

I nodded and moved to sit on the couch. "How was school?" I asked Sloane.

"Good. I got an A on my algebra test."

"Good job." I grinned. "I think you get your math brain from your mom. It definitely didn't come from me."

She smiled. "I don't know about that. She doesn't like math either."

We talked a bit more before Isadora called us to the table for dinner.

"It smells good," I said.

"Thank you." Isadora smiled. "This is a hit or miss dish."

"I'm sure it will taste as good as it smells."

As we began to eat, Isadora looked at me, silently asking if I was ready for her to broach the subject. I gave a slight nod and left it to her to open the conversation.

"So, Sloane, your idea about us all living together," Isadora started. "I talked to Graham about it."

Sloane stopped eating and looked at us. "Really?"

"We've been giving it some serious thought," Isadora said. "I'm on board."

"Me too." I nodded.

Sloane's eyes widened in excitement, her face lighting up with joy. "Really? You mean it?"

I nodded, smiling. "Absolutely. We think it's a great idea."

Sloane's grin widened, and she practically bounced in her seat with excitement. "That's awesome! I can't wait!"

"We wanted to get your opinion on where we should live," Isadora said. "Graham and I talked about maybe buying a house outside of the city. But we wanted to ask you."

Sloane appeared thoughtful for a moment, her excitement momentarily replaced with seriousness. "Would we still be close to my school?" she asked, her hazel eyes flicking between Isadora and me. "Would I have to go to a new school?"

"No new school," I reassured her. "We wouldn't move too far away. The car service would still be an option or carpooling, depending on where we lived."

Her excitement returned in full force as she clapped her hands together. "A new house would be cool! Will it have a big garden? I want to plant flowers! And a pool. It would be so cool to have our own pool."

Isadora chuckled softly. "Graham is pro pool."

I nodded, grinning at Sloane's infectious enthusiasm. "I am indeed. A pool is a great place to relax, and I think we'd all enjoy it. I love swimming but I don't do it often because I have to share with strangers and kids. I don't like to think about people peeing in the water I'm swimming in."

Sloane burst into laughter. "Gross!"

"But true," I replied.

"I definitely want a house." Sloane nodded. "And maybe we can get a dog."

"Maybe." I shrugged. "If you don't have a realtor, I know a guy. I can have him pull some listings for us."

"What about our apartment?" Sloane asked.

Isadora smiled, but I saw it didn't meet her eyes. "We'll sell it."

"Really?" Sloane seemed less than enthused.

"I don't think we need three homes," I said.

"We can always visit the city whenever we want. Plus, a house will give us more space and freedom."

Sloane seemed pleased with our reasoning and nodded thoughtfully. "Okay, that makes sense."

After dinner, I helped Isadora clear the table while Sloane excitedly began sketching out her dream home on a piece of scrap paper, scribbling down everything from a spacious kitchen to a pool in the backyard. I was content. This was what family was all about, creating something together that we could all enjoy.

As Isadora and I worked in the kitchen, she turned to me with a soft smile. "I'm glad she's happy about this. I was worried she might not be so open to the idea of moving. She loves being in the city."

"But she's a fish and the allure of a pool is too hard to resist."