The following day after her therapy session, the three went bowling. By the time they got home, Clara was too tired to do much of anything. Her body craved nothing but a long, uninterrupted stretch of sleep. She, Ethan, and Axiel had been out since late morning, and now, at six in the evening, the weight of the day was settling in.
They had more than their fair share of fun, especially Axiel, who had been grinning from the moment they stepped into the bowling alley. It was his first time, and Clara had taken it upon herself to teach him the basics. To her surprise, he'd caught on quickly, even managing a few strikes by the end of the day.
Ethan had been different too. Somewhere between the laughter, the friendly competition, and the fast-food snack they grabbed afterward, he had shed that polished, untouchable Ashford CEO exterior. For brief moments, she saw glimpses of someone else, the boy she once knew. The last time she had seen that side of Ethan was at their final high school party, nine years ago, when the two of them had retreated away into Jones' bedroom for a night that had haunted her ever since.
Now, sitting cross legged on their bed, freshly showered and wrapped in the faint scent of flowers, Clara glanced toward the bathroom door. Things between them were still tinged with awkwardness, but the stiffness had eased since the start of the day. Their small talk after bowling, about her previous cases at the DA's office, about his insistence she take more days off, had left her feeling unexpectedly light.
The bathroom door swung open, and Ethan stepped out, a towel hanging low on his hips.