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Assistant: Title: What Remains Between Us
        Author: z0kido z0kido 
        Chapter: 2/2 
        Summary: Three years after their divorce, Caitlyn and Vi have settled into a routine of short conversations and distant co-parenting. Yet one evening over a simple dinner the wall between them begins to crack — and something long-buried and forgotten stirs back to life. Can they get through the silence, mistakes, the past, and maybe be a family again?orCaitlyn and Vi are divorced for more than three years and barely see and talk to each other, yet one day long-forgotten and pushed down feelings start to bubble on the surface again.
        Contents: Chapter 2: Cracks in the Glass
    

    


      
        
          
          (See the end of the chapter for  notes.)
          
      
  

  
  
    
    The door clicked shut.Vi stood there for a moment, hands still buried in her pockets, fingers clenching and unclenching. Like she could squeeze the uncertainty out of herself if she just tried hard enough.Daisy was taking a bath. That much was normal. Something to focus on. Vi moved automatically into the kitchen and started cleaning up — loading plates into the dishwasher, wiping the table, stacking the leftover risotto into a container. Tasks. Movements. Things that didn’t require thinking.But the silence stretched heavy around her.Once everything was tidy, she sank into a chair at the table and rubbed a hand down her face.
  Gods. What the hell just happened?
It had just been dinner.That was all. A plate of risotto. Some light banter. A kid rambling about school. Just a normal evening. Nothing unusual. Nothing dangerous.Except... it wasn’t.Caitlyn had smiled at her — not the forced, polite smile Vi had grown used to during pick-ups and drop-offs. This one had been soft. Familiar. The kind of smile that used to make her knees weak back when they were stupid, reckless college kids sneaking around campus.And she had laughed. Really laughed. Vi couldn’t even remember the last time she’d heard it. Three years ago? Four? Longer?It had felt like a gut punch. Like turning on the radio and stumbling into a song you hadn’t heard since you were young and foolish and happy. The kind of song that could split you open with nostalgia and longing all at once.Vi leaned forward, elbows on the table, exhaling slowly through her teeth.She was losing it.And over who?Her ex-wife. The same ex-wife who had built a new life. Who was now living with someone else. Someone stable. Someone who wasn’t her.If Powder could see me now, she thought with a smile, she’d kick the sh@t out of me.This was stupid. Ridiculous. Dangerous. She’d fought so hard, for years, to finally stop thinking about Caitlyn — to stop wanting Caitlyn — and now, after all these years, her thoughts wouldn’t stop looping back to piercing blue eyes and a crocked smile, after one simple dinner together.Maybe Caitlyn hadn’t been flirting. Vi could accept that. Yes, it’s almost certain she wasn’t flirting at all. Probably just exhausted, too tired to keep up the usual polite wall. Maybe that was all it was.But then she thought about their fingers brushing when she handed over the cake. How she neither of them had pulled away, even though they hadn’t touched for years. How that simple contact had held the weight of something.
  Don’t do this. Don’t go down that road.
Vi’s chest tightened.It had taken her not months, but years to stop thinking about Caitlyn every morning. Years to stop checking her phone for messages that never came. Years to learn how to be civil, friendly, distant — for Daisy’s sake. To accept that Caitlyn had moved on. That she’d built something Vi wasn’t part of anymore.And now, one shared meal — one smile, one brush of fingers — and Vi’s walls were crumbling.Vi leaned back in the chair and stared at the ceiling.“I’m not doing this again,” she whispered into the quiet. And maybe it actually didn’t mean anything? She had just gotten too caught up in old memories. That was all. Muscle memory. Nostalgia messing with her head.Tomorrow, this would all feel like nothing. Just a normal night. Nothing to dwell on.The night will pass.So will this feeling.It had to. *** Caitlyn had parked five minutes ago but still hadn’t moved. The engine was off, keys in her lap, hands clenched on the steering wheel like she needed to brace for something.She hadn’t been in a rush to get home lately.Not tonight. Not for months, if she was honest.With a long, slow breath, she pinched the bridge of her nose and stepped out of the car.“Hey,” came a soft voice as she entered the hallway. Maddie. “I was—wait, where’s Daisy?”Caitlyn unbuttoned her coat, hanging it on the rack with a practiced motion. “She asked to stay at Vi’s. Some birthday thing with the neighbor kid. She wanted to stay an extra day and hang out.”“Oh.” A long pause. “I… made dinner. For three.”Guilt slipped in like crushed ice down her spine.“I… I’m sorry. I didn’t know. I already ate.”Maddie’s face faltered — not with anger, but that look of quiet disappointment Caitlyn had seen too often lately.“Yes,” Maddie said, voice softening with restraint. “I wanted to surprise you.”“I’m sorry,” Caitlyn repeated, but the words felt hollow as they left her mouth.She headed to the kitchen to tuck the cake into the fridge. A faint scent of roasted meat still lingered in the air. Home-cooked. Thoughtful. Undeserved.“What’s that?” Maddie asked from the doorway, casual. Maybe a bit too casual. “Takeout?”“It’s a cake,” Caitlyn said, trying not to sound defensive. “Vi made it for Daisy. She gave a slice for us.”“Oh. Okay…” Maddie’s voice stayed level, but the question was inevitable. “Where exactly did you eat?”And there it was — the shift. That subtle bend in tone Caitlyn recognized all too well.“With Vi and Daisy,” she said plainly, carefully.“I thought you were grabbing takeout or going through a drive-in.”“I…” Caitlyn caught herself, choosing her words too slowly. “Why are we even having this conversation?”She winced. That came out wrong — sharper than intended.Maddie flinched, just barely. Crossed her arms. Looked away.“I just…” She sighed, frustrated with herself more than anything. “You’ve been working late, you barely text, you walk in saying you’ve already had dinner — with another woman…”“With Vi,” Caitlyn cut in, gentler this time. “And Daisy.”“Yeah,” Maddie exhaled. “I know.”They stood there for a moment, the air thick.“Look, Maddie,” Caitlyn said. “I don’t want to argue. And there’s nothing to argue about, okay? I was tired and hungry, they had already dinner served. It’s just that simple.”Maddie’s posture eased, just slightly. She looked up at Caitlyn, voice softer.“I’m not trying to pick a fight. I just… I guess I was anxious. I made dinner. I was excited. And when I don’t hear from you, I get in my head. It’s not about Vi. I know that. I just… would’ve liked a heads-up.”Caitlyn felt her tension ease. Her shoulders dropped. “You’re right. I should’ve called. I guess I was too tired and wasn’t thinking.”Maddie stepped closer and brushed a kiss across Caitlyn’s lips. “It’s okay.”Caitlyn has let herself sink in this touch, in warmth of gentle hand caressing her face.But Maddie was wrong — it was not okay. *** Later, as steam fogged up the bathroom mirror, Caitlyn stood motionless in the shower, letting hot water soak through her hair, down her neck, down her spine — like it might wash off the confusion clinging to her.It wasn’t okay.She hadn’t just lost track of time tonight — she’d left it behind. Sitting at Vi’s kitchen table had felt like stepping into another life, one she wasn’t sure she’d ever truly left. She hadn’t been checking the clock. She hadn’t been thinking of Maddie. And that scared her more than anything.That was the thing. With Vi, it had always been easy. Natural. Uncomplicated, even when everything else had been messy. Even now, after years apart, that rhythm between them hadn’t faded. It was still there, quiet but undeniable, like some part of her had never forgotten how to fall into step the moment she walked through the door.It was like a dance they both knew by heart.Every step. Every turn. The subtle shifts, the give and take.They hadn’t rehearsed it in years. Had barely spoken. Had hardly been in the same room. And yet the moment they were, they moved in sync again without thinking. Without effort.Like they always had.And that terrified her more than anything.Vi had completely thrown her off tonight. They’d barely spent time together these last few years — barely talked, never touched. The last time they’d even sat at the same table had been the day they signed their divorce papers. That cold, formal meeting where everything between them was reduced to signatures and silence.And that’s what was making this evening even more confusing.Because somehow — after everything, despite the years, despite the distance — it had still felt like home.D@mn it, Caitlyn thought, pressing her palms to her face. It shouldn’t.She shook her head, turned off the water. Maybe she was just tired. Maybe it was nostalgia playing tricks on her. It was just a long day and maybe, it was not about Vi, who was so caring and nice today.
  Maybe.
But it was too many maybes.And Caitlyn Kiramman didn’t like uncertain ground. *** Caitlyn slipped into the bedroom quietly, towel draped around her neck, hair still damp. The lights were dimmed, casting the room in a gentle golden hue. Maddie was peacefully tucked beneath the covers, a book resting on her chest, trying her best to not fall asleep before Caitlyn is here.Maddie glanced up and smiled. “Hey. You look like you could sleep for a week.”Caitlyn gave a tired chuckle as she crossed the room. “Don’t tempt me.”Maddie scooted over, lifting the blanket in silent invitation. Caitlyn hesitated for just a second — her hair was still wet and she didn’t have the energy to blow dry it or wait for it to dry.Then she slid into bed.Maddie rolled toward her, head resting against Caitlyn’s shoulder. “Long day?”“Yeah.” It came out quieter than she intended. “Very long.”“I figured.” Maddie’s hand found Caitlyn’s, her fingers tracing slow circles across the back of it. “You’ve been in fifth gear for weeks now. You don’t have to do every single thing yourself, you know that?”“I know.”But that was a lie. Okay, maybe she did know that in theory, but she was always workaholic, always the one to control every single thing. And that was draining her like hell.Maddie’s voice was soft against her collarbone. “We could take a week off. Grab Daisy, go to the coast. Just imagine it — sea breeze, sun, Daisy building sandcastles, and you... lying back with some ridiculous cocktail with a tiny umbrella in it. Sounds nice, doesn’t it?”Caitlyn nodded, a lump rising in her throat that she couldn’t explain — or didn’t want to.“It does,” she murmured.Maddie kissed her shoulder. “I’m not saying you have to jump on that idea right now. Just... try to rest tonight and maybe think about it tomorrow, okay?”“Okay.”She needed to rest, yes, but her mind was anything but quiet.Her body was here, warm under Maddie’s touch, comforted by her nice voice — and still, she felt like a ghost in her own life. Like part of her soul had wandered somewhere else and forgotten to come back.They lay in silence for a while, Maddie’s breathing growing slower, steadier.Caitlyn stared blankly at the ceiling.
  What the hell was wrong with her?!..

  This is what most people could only dream about.
A nice quiet life. A kind, caring partner. A warm bed. A second chance.So why did it feel like she was only pretending to be part of it? Right now it felt, like she was a good actor — she learned the rules, she rehearsed the script, she was playing every part perfectly, yet something was always missing. A tiny piece, a small detail, yet she didn’t know what it was. Or was too scared to actually admit it.Vi’s voice still echoed in her ears — soft, amused — like a note that wouldn’t stop ringing. She didn’t think of Vi for years. So why now she couldn’t throw her out of her thoughts?Caitlyn shut her eyes.
  Maybe I’m just tired.
That was all. The long work hours, the stress, the late nights at the precinct. Lack of sleep could play tricks on anyone’s mind.Maybe it was just one of those nights — the kind where thoughts got tangled, old feelings crept in through the cracks, and nothing made sense. But she shouldn’t let these intrusive thoughts take over. They weren’t real. Just echoes from a past she’d already left behind and for a good reason.She was her ex-wife. And “ex” stood there for a reason. Their divorce happened for a reason — no — plenty of reasons.Caitlyn exhaled, feeling a little bit relieved. Yes, this was just a nostalgia. That’s all it is. A tangled ball of memories, not a feeling.And it was totally normal. Common. People romanticized the past all the time when they were exhausted. A soft smile. A shared laugh. The briefest touch. That was nothing. It only felt important because her mind was reaching for something comforting in the middle of all the chaos her life was at the moment.It didn’t mean anything.It couldn’t.Her eyelids grew heavier. Her breathing slowed, finally steadying. Sleep was pulling her under at last. But even as her mind began to shut down, it betrayed her one final time.An image drifted up, vivid and bittersweet — her and Vi, sitting on the porch with a much smaller, giggling Daisy between them. The sun warm, the air soft, laughter filling the space where words weren’t needed.It felt like nothing in the world could ever ruin their quiet little “happily ever after.”
  
  

    
      
        
        
          English is my third language, so there can be plenty of mistakes. I'm sorry about that :c'
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