The house felt different.
Not silent, not empty—but… paused. As if it was holding its breath between heartbeats.
Will poured two mugs of coffee while Eliza stood barefoot by the window, watching the soft morning light roll in. The quiet wasn't something they were used to. Not anymore.
"She's fine," Will said, offering her the cup. "Probably charming her way through snack time."
Eliza smiled faintly. "She probably already has a best friend."
"And a following," he added. "She's a bit of a leader. Gets it from me."
She turned, amused. "Oh, is that what you're calling it?"
"I mean, she's also bossy and loud. So I'll let you claim those."
Eliza chuckled and stepped closer. "She's wild and sweet and fearless. We made someone amazing."
Will's gaze softened. "We really did."
They stood like that for a beat—two cups of coffee, two parents slowly remembering the couple they used to be before nap schedules and sippy cups.
"You know…" he said, setting his mug aside, "we have a few hours. Just us. No interruptions. No work. No child yelling for snacks or demanding to see bugs."
Her brow arched. "And?"
"And it would be a shame to waste it doing grown-up things like laundry."
Eliza smirked. "What are you suggesting, Mr. Bennett?"
He stepped forward, slow, deliberate, until his hands found her waist. "I'm suggesting we revisit one of our greatest hits. Like the time we didn't even make it out of the living room."
She laughed. "That was before Lyra started barging in unannounced."
"She's not here," he whispered, brushing his lips over her jaw.
"No, she's not."
They kissed—tentative at first, then deeper, as if months of tiptoeing around toys and being half-asleep were suddenly behind them.
Clothes trailed across the hallway. The bedroom door stayed open.
And by the time the clock hit noon, Eliza lay tangled in warm sheets, breathless, her skin glowing in soft daylight.
Will propped himself up on one elbow beside her, brushing a damp strand of hair from her temple.
"We still got it," he murmured.
She rolled her eyes but smiled. "We never lost it."
"No," he agreed. "We just pressed pause for a while."
Eliza turned to him fully and rested her head against his shoulder.
"I missed this," she whispered.
"Me too."
Outside, the world kept moving—but inside, in the hush of their shared life, Eliza and Will found each other again.
And when the alarm chimed—reminding them it was time to pick up Lyra—neither moved right away.
They were already planning the next quiet morning.