Between Us

☆ part thirty ☆

Walking into the Anderson house, I wasn't sure what to expect. My chest was tight with worry, my thoughts swirling around Lark and everything that had gone unsaid between us. As soon as the door shut behind us, I was enveloped in a hug so sudden and warm that I almost stumbled. "Sophie, sweetheart!" Karen's voice was as comforting as ever, her arms squeezing me tightly.

"Hi, Karen," I said, managing a small smile.

She pulled back, holding me by the shoulders as she looked me over with the care only Karen could muster. "You look lovely, as always. How was school today?"

"Good," I lied smoothly, but she didn't seem to notice.

Karen released me and turned her attention to Liam, who was still kicking off his shoes by the door. "There's my handsome boy," she said, wrapping him in a hug just as fierce as the one she'd given me.

"Hi, Mom," Liam said, his tone amused but affectionate.

Once Karen was satisfied with her greetings, she motioned toward the living room. "Go on, the both of you. Lark's in there. She'll be thrilled to see you."

My heart skipped at the mention of Lark, but I kept my expression neutral as Liam and I made our way toward the living room. The moment I stepped through the doorway, my eyes locked onto her. Lark was curled up on the couch, her legs tucked beneath her, with something small and fluffy wriggling in her lap. Relief washed over me so strongly that it nearly brought tears to my eyes. She looked fine. She looked okay. She was stroking a puppy—a puppy I instantly recognized. My mind raced, piecing it together. It was the dog from the animal shelter, the one Lark had been so taken with the day she'd dragged me along. My lips parted in surprise, but before I could say anything, Liam broke the silence.

"We have a dog?" he asked, sounding incredulous.

Lark turned her head toward us, her expression unreadable for a moment, before she gave Liam a small, almost shy smile. "Yeah," she said simply, her voice soft.

I walked forward without hesitation, drawn to the little bundle of energy in her lap. As I knelt beside her, the puppy wriggled in excitement, his tiny tail wagging furiously. "Oh my god," I breathed, reaching out to scratch behind his ears. His fur was warm and soft, and his little tongue darted out to lick my hand. "You actually adopted him."

"Yeah," Lark said again, this time with a little more conviction.

I glanced up at her, studying her face. She looked tired, like she hadn't slept much, but there was a quiet light in her eyes that hadn't been there the day before. Relief flooded through me again, leaving me almost dizzy. "You okay?" I asked softly, my hand still resting on the puppy's back.

Lark nodded, her fingers trailing over the dog's fur. "I'm okay," she said, meeting my gaze briefly. "Better now."

Her words made my heart twist in my chest. I wanted to say something, to tell her how worried I'd been, but Lark spoke before I could. "What do you think of him?" Lark asked, turning her attention to her brother.

Liam shrugged, though a small smile tugged at his lips. "He's cool. What's his name?"

"Bob," Lark said, her voice deadpan.

Liam stared at her for a moment, then laughed. "You named him Bob?"

"Yep."

"That's cute," he said, still chuckling. "That's real cute." I couldn't help but smile at their exchange, my hand still absently petting Bob as he settled into Lark's lap again. The tension that had been coiling inside me all day was slowly unraveling. Seeing Lark like this—seeing her smile, even if it was small—was more of a relief than I could put into words. I stayed on the floor, my shoulder brushing against Lark's leg as we both fussed over Bob. Liam stood back, watching us with an amused expression, but I hardly noticed. All I could think about was how close I was to Lark, how her quiet presence soothed something deep inside me. For the first time all day, I felt like I could breathe again.