Chapter 12
It was well past eight o'clock when the headlights of Ethan’s truck swept across the living room windows. Claire was sitting on the sofa in the dim light, nursing a cold cup of tea, with Leo fast asleep in his bassinet nearby. The front door opened with a heavy click, and Ethan stepped into the entryway. He looked shattered. His red plaid shirt was stained with drywall mud and sweat, his hair rumpled, and his shoulders slumped forward as if carrying an invisible boulder. He dropped his keys on the table, expecting the house to be dark and hostile, but stopped when he saw Claire sitting quietly in the living room waiting for him. He took off his heavy work boots, dropping them by the door, and walked slowly into the living room, standing awkwardly near the archway. "I’m sorry," Ethan said, the words tumbling out of him before he even reached the sofa. His voice was raw, stripped of all stubborn pride. "I acted like a fool. I let my ego take over, and I made you pay for my insecurities." Claire looked up at him, her heart aching at the genuine remorse etched into his tired face. She didn't smile, but the hard tension in her shoulders finally eased. "You did," she agreed softly. "You let my father win from the grave. You let a piece of paper mean more to you than your wife and your son." Ethan flinched, stepping forward and dropping heavily to his knees beside the sofa. He buried his face in his hands, resting his forehead against her lap, his broad shoulders shaking with silent, restrained emotion. Claire reached out, her fingers tangling gently in his brown hair, feeling the rough warmth of his scalp. "I went to see Vance today," she whispered into the quiet room. Ethan’s head snapped up, his eyes wide with sudden panic. "Claire, what did you do?" "I ordered a new deed," she said steadily, looking down into his frightened, exhausted eyes. "A joint deed. Fifty-fifty. Just like we bought it." Ethan stared at her, tears finally breaking free and tracking down his dusty cheeks. "You didn't have to do that," he choked out, his voice breaking. "I told you, I was willing to sign it over," Claire interrupted gently, wiping a tear from his cheek with her thumb. "Not because of the law, Ethan. Because I love you. And it's time we stop letting dead men run our lives."
