Chapter 19 - Dinner Beneath The Magnolia TreeNearly a year after the thermostat argument, Serena hosted dinner beneath the magnolia tree.
Friends filled the backyard.
Lanterns hung from branches.
Children chased fireflies across the lawn.
Lucas was there.
As a guest.
Nothing more.
Not yet.
He helped carry plates.
Asked before entering the kitchen.
Never touched the thermostat.
Serena noticed the irony.
Later, they stood beneath the tree her father had planted decades earlier.
“I miss this place,” Lucas admitted.
Serena looked at him.
“The house?”
He shook his head.
“You.”
For a moment, she saw the man she had married.
But Serena had learned not to confuse love with permission.
“If we ever try again,” she said, “you don't come back because you need somewhere to live.”
“I know.”
“You come back because we build something different.”
Lucas nodded.
“From nothing?”
May you like
Serena looked toward the house.
“From truth.”
