SHADOWS OF THE PAST

CROSSED LINES

The sun was beginning to set as they drove back from the zoo. Ethan had fallen asleep in the back seat, his head resting against the window, worn out from the excitement of the day. The car was quiet, the only sound coming from the gentle hum of the engine and the occasional chirp of birds outside.

Logan glanced at Maya from the corner of his eye. She seemed relaxed, her hands loosely gripping the steering wheel as she drove, her eyes focused on the road ahead. It had been a good day, a break from the tension they usually lived with, but the silence between them felt different now. Less strained.

“You didn’t have to drive, you know,” Logan said softly, breaking the quiet. “I could’ve taken over.”

Maya smiled faintly, keeping her eyes on the road. “It’s fine. I wanted to.”

Logan nodded, unsure of what to say next. He glanced at Ethan, his son sleeping peacefully in the back, completely unaware of the quiet tension that always seemed to linger between his parents.

“You really made his day,” Logan said, his voice low. “He was so happy. I haven’t seen him smile like that in a long time.”

Maya sighed. “It’s been hard on him. I’ve been trying to keep things normal, but…” She trailed off, shaking her head. “I’m glad today was good for him.”

Logan hesitated, then spoke again. “It was good for me too. I… I’ve missed this. Spending time with you and Ethan. Like a family.”

Maya’s hands tightened on the wheel for a moment before she relaxed. “Logan, I know you want things to go back to the way they were. But it’s not that simple.”

“I’m not saying it is,” Logan replied quickly. “I just… I want us to try. For Ethan. For us.”

Maya sighed again, this time more heavily. “Logan, we’ve talked about this. You coming back was… unexpected. I’m still trying to figure out how I feel about everything.”

Logan turned in his seat, facing her more fully. “How you feel? Maya, I’m here now. I’m trying to be the father Ethan needs, the partner you deserve. Doesn’t that mean anything?”

Maya pulled the car into their driveway and shut off the engine, her fingers lingering on the keys. She didn’t answer right away, just stared straight ahead, her expression unreadable.

After what felt like forever, she finally spoke. “Of course it means something, Logan. But it’s not just about showing up now. You weren’t there before when things got hard. When I needed you, when Ethan needed you, you were gone.”

Logan clenched his fists, his heart sinking. “I know. I messed up, Maya. I was… lost, and I didn’t know how to fix things. But I’m here now, and I’m trying to make up for it.”

Maya shook her head. “It’s not that simple. You can’t just come back and expect everything to fall into place.”

Logan sighed, running a hand through his hair. “What do you want me to do? Tell me, and I’ll do it. I’ll do anything to make things right.”

Maya turned to face him, her eyes tired but resolute. “I want you to understand that it’s not just about what you do. It’s about how we both feel. And right now, I don’t know if I can trust you again. I don’t know if I can let myself believe that you won’t just disappear when things get tough again.”

Logan opened his mouth to respond, but Maya held up a hand, stopping him. “I’m not saying I don’t want to try. But it’s going to take time, Logan. Time for me to trust you again, time for us to figure out if we even still work together.”

He swallowed hard, her words hitting him like a punch to the gut. “I’ll wait,” he said quietly. “However long it takes, I’ll wait. I’m not going anywhere this time.”

Maya looked at him for a long moment, then nodded. “We’ll see.”

With that, she opened the car door and stepped out, walking around to the back seat to unbuckle Ethan. Logan followed her lead, opening the front door of the house so Maya could carry Ethan inside. The familiar weight of the conversation still hung heavy between them, but at least there was hope. A small glimmer, but it was there.

Inside, Maya carefully laid Ethan down on the couch, covering him with a blanket. Logan stood in the doorway, watching her as she moved, trying to think of something to say that wouldn’t make things worse.

As Maya straightened up, Logan cleared his throat. “Maya, I—”

She turned to face him, cutting him off with a gentle shake of her head. “Let’s not do this right now. Ethan’s had a good day, and I don’t want to ruin it by arguing.”

Logan sighed, nodding in agreement. “Okay. You’re right. Let’s just… focus on him.”

Maya gave him a small smile, then glanced over at Ethan, who was still fast asleep. “I think I’ll make some tea. Do you want any?”

Logan blinked, surprised by the offer. “Uh, yeah. Sure. Tea sounds good.”

He followed her into the kitchen, leaning against the counter as she filled the kettle and set it on the stove. The silence between them was more comfortable now, less charged with tension.

“I’m sorry,” Logan said quietly after a few moments. “I know I’ve said it before, but I really am sorry for everything. For not being there when you needed me.”

Maya didn’t respond right away, focusing on preparing the tea. After a minute, she turned to face him, her expression softer than before. “I know you’re sorry, Logan. I do. But it’s going to take more than that to fix things.”

Logan nodded, his heart heavy. “I understand.”

They stood in silence for a while longer until the kettle whistled, and Maya poured them both a cup of tea. She handed one to Logan, their fingers brushing for a brief moment as he took the cup from her.

“Thanks,” he said softly.

Maya nodded, taking a sip of her tea. “We’ll figure this out,” she said after a moment. “For Ethan’s sake, if nothing else.”

Logan smiled faintly, hope flickering in his chest again. “Yeah. For Ethan.”

They sat at the kitchen table, drinking their tea in quiet companionship. The road ahead was uncertain, but for the first time in a long time, Logan felt like they were at least moving in the right direction.