Clara hesitated.
"Just the two of us?"
"Axiel too," he interrupted quickly. "The three of us can do something fun together."
Her eyes brightened.
"Can we go bowling? We used to do that a lot with our parents before… before…" Her voice trailed off, but the spark in her gaze lingered. "Axiel might actually enjoy it."
Ethan nodded and excused himself for a shower. While he was in the bathroom, Clara picked up her phone and dialed Riley.
"Hey, Riley. I'm sorry about the other day. Can I bake you a cake as a peace offering?"
"That's what friends are for," Riley replied warmly. "And yes, I'll still take the cake."
They caught up, and Clara mentioned she was thinking about going back to work soon.
"Sitting at home is boring and depressing," she admitted.
By the time Ethan stepped out of the bathroom, towel around his waist, Clara was still on the phone. She glanced up once, quickly looking back down at her tablet to read the news instead.
"It's okay, you can look," Ethan teased, smirking. "We're married anyway. Sooner or later..."
"I wasn't looking," she shot back defensively, eyes fixed on the screen.
The air between them shifted. Lighter, but still charged.
"Let's go down for dinner once I'm dressed," Ethan said casually.
Clara knew the Ashfords had noticed her drinking earlier that day, and it made her feel awkward through the entire meal. The conversation around the table was polite, but she could sense the quiet glances being exchanged when they thought she wasn't looking.