"Elvis can you open the gates, I'm going out."
"Yes ma'am."
Elvis, the security man, stood up from where he was sitting at the summer hut of Lily's house and went to open the gate.
Lily sat inside the car, dropped her bag and keys on the front seat, and sighed.
Hope this dinner is worth it.
Lily's mother, Theresa Richards, had called her the week before her meeting, trying to invite her for dinner.
"Mom, I'm sorry, I don't really think I can come. I mean I have to prepare for this huge presentation so…"
Theresa sighed on the call and looked at her daughter's face.
"When is the meeting?"
"Next Friday."
Well, she lied. It was actually on Monday. And she wasn't really in the mood to see family right now, even though she wasn't lying about the presentation.
Theresa frowned.
"What?"
Lily froze.
"Your eyebrow is twitching. I think you're forgetting I'm your mom, Rosa."
Shit. She saw right through it. Lily was a bad liar, and every time she did, she always got caught.
"Fine… it's next week Monday."
"Oh good, then you can still come and I'm not taking no for an answer, Rosa."
"Oh Mom…"
"Uh huh. Please just come. Your dad and I are worried. You've just been in the house pretending everything is alright. We just want to see you."
Lily sighed.
"Fine, but I hope it's only the two of you and not any other family members."
"Oh, and Aunt Susanna will be there."
"Mom!"
"You can't back out now, you already agreed. See you on Friday!"
Theresa gave a mischievous grin and hung up the call.
Lily parked in her mom's driveway, right behind her dad's car.
She looked at the house and smiled softly.
She hadn't been here for a proper visit since Jonathan died.
She turned off the engine, took her bag, got out, and locked the car.
She walked to the front door and rang the bell.
"I'm coming."
A middle-aged woman with a pixie cut opened the door. She smiled and immediately pulled Lily into a hug.
"Aren't you going to let me in?" Lily asked, still in the hug.
"Hold on… let me savour this moment."
Theresa finally released her and let her inside.
Nothing had changed.
Before Lily could even move, two small figures ran toward her.
"Aunty Lily!"
Mariam and Bryson hugged her.
She hugged them back.
But one was missing.
Dylan.
Lily noticed him immediately.
He was sitting in the corner of the room.
Quiet.
Which was strange.
Dylan was usually the loudest one—the troublemaker, the funny one, always full of energy.
But today, he looked like something heavy was sitting on him.
Lily gently pulled the twins aside.
"What's wrong with him?"
Bryson shrugged.
Mariam frowned.
"He doesn't want to play with us anymore."
Lily walked over and crouched in front of Dylan.
"Hey troublemaker. Everything alright?"
He just stared at her.
"You know we've never kept secrets from each other. Come on, tell me. I'm worried."
His eyes started to water.
"My mo—"
"Rosa! Come help me with the chocolate cake!"
Lily sighed, then gave him a soft smile.
"Let's continue this after dinner, alright?"
Dylan nodded slowly.
"Amen!"
Everyone echoed as Theresa finished praying.
"Well, this smells good! You've outdone yourself today, Theresa."
Susanna nudged her as everyone started serving food.
"Lily, pass me the chicken."
Susanna took the plate and suddenly paused.
"Wait, I just remembered… I saw you in a picture with Rodney Vanguard. What's happening between you two?"
"Ooooh," Theresa leaned forward immediately.
Lily rolled her eyes.
"I've been selected this year to work with the CEO. It's a project both companies do every year."
"So no lovey-dovey or anything?" Susanna teased.
"Aunt Susanna!"
Susanna shrugged.
"I'm just asking. I haven't really heard from you since Jonathan."
The room shifted slightly at the name.
"Oh, that's great, Rosa! I'm proud of you," her dad said warmly.
He gave her a side hug.
"Thanks, Dad."
Daniel Richards was always like that—supportive, calm, pushing her without pressure.
Theresa looked at her suspiciously.
"So there's no one you're seeing? You didn't go and meet somebody?"
Lily sighed.
"Yes… and it was not interesting, honestly."
"Spill the tea, my dear," Susanna said immediately.
****
Two months ago, Tessa had been relentless.
Calling her. Texting her. Showing up.
At one point, Lily stopped even letting her into the house.
But Tessa didn't stop there.
Somehow… she manipulated Elvis into giving her the spare key.
So now she just walked in like she owned the place.
"Lily, you can't keep doing this," Tessa said, dropping her bag.
"I'm fine," Lily muttered, not looking up from her laptop.
"No you're not. You're just locking yourself in the house. You've even stopped taking those annual leaves that let you go on vacation."
Lily continued typing, unbothered.
"Well, remember our yearly favour that we do for each other? So—"
PING
She paused and looked at her phone.
Tinder.
Lily groaned.
"Tessa, no you didn't!"
"Well yes, and I'm not taking no for an answer. We made a pact to always do that favour, so you have to do it."
"Oh Tessa, come on. I'm not ready to be out there yet."
Tessa picked up her bag, already halfway out the door.
"Well," she said as she applied another layer of lip gloss,
"sometimes I have to make the decisions for you. See you at 9pm."
"Wait—why?"
Tessa turned at the door, smiling like chaos itself.
"That's when you're meeting the guy, duh."
And just like that, she left.
At 9pm, she showed up at the place the guy had arranged for the date
"The Clover Bistro."
She walked in and scanned the room.
A man waving at her immediately caught her eye.
He was tall, muscular… and blonde.
From the start he looks like a total playboy, she thought with a sigh as she walked over and sat opposite him.
"Wow… you look even better than your profile picture."
Lily smiled politely.
"Thank you."
The waiter arrived with a small writing pad.
"What would the handsome gentleman and the stunning lady like tonight?"
The man smiled.
"I'll have red wine, please."
The waiter nodded and wrote it down, then turned to him.
"And for you, sir?"
"I'll be fine, thank you."
"I'll be back with your wine, madam."
He walked away.
The man leaned back casually.
"Yeah, I don't drink. I only do healthy smoothies. Gotta keep myself in shape."
He flashed a flirty smile.
"Your name is Lily Richards, right?"
"Um yeah… and you are?"
"Hudson. Hudson Quagmire."
Lily introduced herself, her work, and a bit about her life.
He looked like he was listening—but every now and then she caught him checking himself out, flexing slightly like his own reflection was sitting across from him.
When it was his turn, he talked about his job.
He owned a gym in the city.
And from there… it just became protein. Carbs. Calories. Muscle growth. Repeat.
Lily nodded along, pretending to care, but inside she was slowly fading.
When the waiter brought the wine, she used the moment to grab her phone under the table.
[Lily]: No. He will not do. Health freak.
It didn't even take a second.
[Tessa]: should I call you like it's an emergency?
[Lily]: It's fine. I'll just get it over with.
She slipped her phone back into her bag and kept listening to him talk about abs like it was a life philosophy.
She even nodded occasionally.
She even contributed once or twice.
"Yeah… protein balance makes sense."
She didn't know who she was becoming.
***
"Damn… well that was bad," Susanna said, finishing her food.
Theresa was already laughing.
"Okay, so how did you even get home then?"
Lily rolled her eyes.
"I was going to order an Uber… but he said he'd walk me home to 'cover his steps in'."
That was it.
Theresa and Susanna BURST into laughter.
Lily just sighed and kept eating.
After dinner, Lily finally exhaled.
The house was loud again—plates, laughter, Theresa and Susanna still teasing each other like nothing serious ever existed in the world.
But Lily wasn't fully there anymore.
Her eyes kept drifting.
Dylan.
He wasn't at the table anymore.
That was wrong.
She stood up quietly and stepped away from the noise.
"Dylan?" she called softly.
No answer.
She checked the living room.
Empty.
Then the hallway.
Nothing.
Finally, she walked toward the backyard.
And there he was.
Sitting on the swing set.
Not moving.
Just… sitting.
Lily's steps slowed.
She already felt it before he even spoke.
Something was off.
She walked over and sat beside him gently.
"Hey," she said softly.
Dylan didn't look at her at first.
His hands were clenched together.
Like he was holding something in.
Too much.
Then—
"Mum and Dad are getting a divorce."
The words didn't come loud.
But they hit like one.
Lily froze.
"…what?"
Dylan swallowed hard.
"She said it this week. That things aren't working anymore. Dad didn't really argue it."
Silence.
Only the swing creaking between them.
Dylan finally looked at her.
And his eyes were glossy.
"I don't know how to feel."
That was the worst part.
Not anger.
Not shouting.
Just… confusion.
Lily slowly moved closer and pulled him into her arms.
He didn't resist.
He just… collapsed into her.
"I don't want them to split," he said quietly.
His voice broke halfway.
And that broke her too.
"I know," Lily whispered.
Her hand rubbed his back slowly, grounding him.
The night felt heavier now.
Like the house itself had changed temperature.
Dylan wiped his face quickly like he was embarrassed.
But it didn't work.
"I thought they were okay," he muttered.
Lily swallowed.
"Sometimes… adults look okay even when they're not."
That made him go quiet.
The swing moved slightly with the wind.
Dylan leaned into her shoulder.
"I don't know what happens now."
Lily tightened her hold just a little.
"You don't have to figure it out today."
A pause.
Then softly—
"But I'm scared."
Lily closed her eyes for a second.
She looked up at the sky.
Then back at him.
"They still love you," she said gently. "Even if they don't live together anymore."
Dylan sniffed.
"…really?"
"Yes."
Another pause.
Then a tiny, shaky breath.
"Okay."
Not fixed.
Not healed.
Just… held.
And that was enough for now.
Lily stayed with him on the swing, rocking slightly, like if she stopped moving, everything would fall apart again.