I checked the clock, seeing it was past eight. What Simon had said would only be an hour or two had turned into five. I wondered when he’d be home, deciding to make myself useful and tidy a bit. I washed the dishes, sealing and putting the leftovers in the shockingly bare fridge. It was covered in colorful pictures Maya had drawn of geometric houses and disproportionate flowers.

I stopped, looking at the photo that was magnetized to it. My eyes fell first on Simon, looking happy in a bunny ear headband, holding Maya, who was laughing. My gaze slid to the woman I had only known briefly in high school...

The girl he had chosen, married...lost.

Though it had been nearly ten years since Simon and I had spoken, it had taken more than half that time for me to forget my feelings for him. To accept that I hadn’t been the one for him… To know that I would likely never see him again.

But here he was…and it was far too easy to step back into my usual role in helping him from the sidelines.

‘Don’t think about it,’ I reminded myself, walking away from the kitchen and into the living room, ready to begin organizing it as I did my own classroom.

At a quarter to eleven, just as I was putting away the last of the stuffed toys, I heard the front door open, my heart pounding.

The sound didn’t just draw my attention; the dog who had been watching me warily from a plush bed bolted up to race to the front door. The beginning of happy barking was stopped by a stern command, Simon’s voice tired but firm as he told his dog to be quiet. It was hard to hear what he was saying, with his voice low to keep from causing a disturbance so late, but I could have sworn I heard him threatening to skip dinner for a few days if the dog woke Maya.

Simon was still muttering to the dog when he appeared in the living room, and it took a moment for his gaze to raise to me. When it did, his eyes widened and his face paled. “Jared…”

My name came out on a whisper, and he closed his eyes for a moment, grimacing.

I didn’t say anything, waiting to hear what he had to say.

“We ran later than I hoped, and I forgot… I’m still so used to having somebody here with her to stay the night. My parents or… I didn’t mean to keep you here. What time is it?”

“Late,” I said, nervously laughing as I stood from the couch, pillows neatly fluffed. “Don’t worry about it, really, it’s fine.” Was it fine?

Simon didn’t seem any less concerned, despite my assurance. He searched through the pockets of his suit jacket to find his phone and cursed under his breath when he saw the time on the screen. “I’m so sorry. You probably don’t drive, and it’s so late. I hope Maya wasn’t any trouble, she was upset already this morning and I didn’t keep my promise for dessert. I didn’t mean to cause so much trouble.”

“She was great. Really. She went straight to bed.” I didn’t know what to say.

All I could focus on was how Simon was pulling at the sleeve of his suit jacket again, his gaze turning to the hall which led to the bedrooms—only to pause halfway, blinking a couple of times as if he couldn’t believe what he saw. “Jared did you… clean? You didn’t have to— I only meant— I’m so sorry.”

I could hear the guilt in his voice and see the worry on his tired face. “Only a little. I know I didn’t have to, I just thought it might make things easier.” I looked around the floor, gesturing to Maya’s organization bins. “I put her toys away and I scrubbed the scribbles off the wall.” I walked over, smiling as I bent down and pointed at the baseboard. “Except this one. I think it’s supposed to be Bear. I thought maybe you’d want to take a picture or something so I left it.”

I straightened, trying to act normal as I felt his eyes on me. He couldn’t control his emotions as well when he was tired, and the look he was giving me made my heart strain.

“I, uh, also made some dinner. There wasn’t much, but I put some leftovers in the fridge for you. I thought maybe you could take it to...work…” I swallowed as my gaze landed on the fridge, remembering how Maya had told me that she missed her mom. “Maya’s such a sweet girl. She was no trouble…” I faltered as I pushed my glasses up my nose, looking up at him. I cleared my throat, muttering, “I’m sorry...I should go, it’s late, and you’re tired…”

Simon pulled in a breath, starting to reach out before dropping his hand quickly. “Yeah… I’ve made you stay here long enough. It probably wasn’t how you were expecting to spend your night.” He looked away from me, his gaze dropping to the floor and his shoulders slumped. “Thank you, for everything. I’m sure Maya appreciated it, even if she didn’t say it. She hasn’t had a real dinner since—” Simon’s voice cracked, and even with his face turned down I could see how much it hurt him.

‘Don’t make that face...please don’t look so sad.’ I felt my throat tighten as I thought of everything he’d been through, how suddenly things must have changed for him. It was true, it had been years...but Simon was my oldest friend—he’d been my best friend—and I couldn’t stand to see that expression any longer.

I paused, taking a deep breath as I took a step towards him. “You know, Simon...I really don't mind watching Maya. You don’t need to feel guilty asking me, I’m not exactly one to make evening plans.” I gave a small smile, hoping to lift his spirit even slightly as he looked up at me. I nodded as if to reassure him. “I like spending time with her...and I like helping you. So please, if you need anything...don’t hesitate."

Simon’s eyes shone, and not in the way I was used to, full of light and laughter; he was holding back tears, his lips pressed tightly together before he found his voice. “Jared, are you… sure? After the way I treated you, the way I left things— I can’t ask you to go out of your way for me. It means everything, to not be alone after… after all this. But I can’t take advantage of you like that.”

I felt the jolt as he brought up the past, the pressure in my chest suffocating me. I walked over to Simon, hesitating for only a split second before I put a hand on his shoulder. My brow was tight and furrowed as I looked up into his hazel eyes. “Of course, you can ask me. You’re not taking advantage. I’m offering it to you…” I tried to smile but my mouth couldn’t make it past a pitiful twitch. “I... I can’t begin to imagine what you went through. What you’re still going through. And...” I looked towards the bedrooms, then back to Simon. I couldn’t tell him what Maya had said about her mother, how she had cried for her—it would break him to hear that right now. Instead, I whispered quietly, “It might make things easier on Maya if you had the extra hands.”

Simon gave an awkward, half-hearted laugh. “Always the smart one; look at you, using my daughter against me,” he said. It was a relief to finally see something of a smile, even if it didn’t reach his eyes. “I guess I’ll have to make sure there’s real food in the fridge. Don’t suppose you’re much for microwave meals.”

I smirked slightly. “No, not really.”

He made a face. “They’re not all bad, you know; better than everything being burned to a crisp. But I’ll make sure those refined taste buds aren’t insulted when you come here.” His tone was much lighter, his shoulders a little straighter. “Thank you, Jared. I’m sure I’ve said that too many times already, but I really mean it. I’ll try not to bother you too often. And we’ll have to find a way to get you home this late—” He looked at me, a thought crossing his mind as he said, “Unless... you wanted to stay the night?”