Page 36 of Balancing Act (Soulmate #1)

“I’m not sorry about the house, though.” A small, cocky grin pulled at her lips. “I think being a little closer will be good for all of us, even if it’s not how I originally thought.”

Beth smiled weakly. Her response was so Sarah—self-assured and a little bit cocky. But Beth agreed.

“Go talk to Lily,” she said gently. “I’ll be there in a minute.”

Sarah offered a small, bittersweet look before turning and leaving the kitchen. The sound of her footsteps echoed down the hallway, fading as she reached the door to the basement where Lily was waiting.

Beth stood there for a moment, feeling the quiet hum of the empty kitchen around her.

She pressed her palms against the cool countertop, staring down at the remnants of their dinner—the half-chopped vegetables, the unfinished sauce, and the table ready for their meal.

It had been such a lovely evening, but it had been built on borrowed time.

She let out a slow breath, her heart still heavy but lighter now that the truth had finally been spoken. She knew what she wanted—what she’d known all along, really—but it had taken this moment, this complicated conversation with Sarah, to make her realize it.

With a final glance around the kitchen, she wiped her hands on a dish towel, bracing herself for the conversation with Lily.

She descended the stairs to the lower level and found Sarah sitting next to Lily on the couch, her arm wrapped around their daughter’s shoulders. Lily’s face was tense, her arms crossed over her chest in that defiant way she always did when she was upset.

Beth crossed the room and sat on the armchair’s edge across from them, catching Lily’s eye. “Alright, love. Let’s talk.”

Lily’s eyes darted between her two moms, suspicion clouding her expression. “About what?” Lily’s brow furrowed, her voice cracking with frustration. “I told you I don’t want you two to get back together. I like it better this way!”

If it weren’t so devastating, she would have laughed at Lily’s blunt honesty. There was a strange relief, but also an ache she couldn’t quite name—the kind that comes when the truth is both a gift and a wound.

“I know, love,” Beth said softly, leaning forward. She glanced at Sarah, who gave her a reassuring nod. “Your mom and I want you to know we’ve heard you. And—not because it’s what you want, but because of us—we’re not getting back together.” She paused.

Lily’s lips trembled slightly as she looked down at her hands clenched tightly in her lap. “Good. I don’t want things to be messy again,” she whispered. “I like how we are now. Everyone is better this way.”

Beth stood and knelt in front of Lily, resting her hands on her daughter’s knees. “We’re not going to let things get messy. I promise. Your mom and I, we’re still a team. Nothing’s going to change that.”

Sarah nodded in agreement. “We’re always going to be here for you, Lil. No matter what.”

Lily shook her head slowly, body relaxing a little, but she still seemed wary. “Okay,” she whispered.

Beth leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her daughter’s forehead.

“And you know why?” She smiled as she glanced at Sarah. “Because we’re the Gallagher girls.” She put her hand out before her. A smile stretched across Sarah’s face as she realized where Beth was going with this. She placed her hand on top of Beth’s.

“Together forever, a family no matter what,” she said, picking up the line of the practiced chant they had said many times before.

Lily rolled her eyes and placed her hand on top of Sarah’s.

“Us against the world. Always.” They all raised their hands at once, and as Beth stood, taking in their little family once again, there was no animosity between her and Sarah—only an understanding, a mutual respect for the family they had built together. It wasn’t perfect, but it was theirs.

“Guys, our family cheer is kind of lame. It doesn’t even rhyme.” Lily laughed as she wrapped her arms around Sarah, leaning into her.

“I think you’re right, love,” Beth said softly, looking between her daughter and ex-wife. “I don’t know about you two, but I sure am hungry,” she said. “Maybe we can figure out a new chant over dinner.”

For the first time in a long time, Beth believed everything with their little family was going to be okay.

The following evening, Beth’s studio was filled with the soft hum of music, notes drifting lazily through the air, blending with the rhythmic sound of her brush against the canvas.

Each stroke of her brush came easily, effortlessly—her thoughts, emotions, and everything that had been swirling in her mind over the past few weeks poured out onto the scene before her in vibrant blues, rich greens, and streaks of warm gold.

The evening was shaping up to be the kind of night she could paint forever—where time didn’t exist, and the world beyond her studio walls faded into nothingness.

She swayed with the music, letting it flow through her as her brush moved freely.

She didn’t even notice the sound of the doorbell until it came a second time, echoing through the space.

She glanced toward the hall, her brow furrowing. It was late—too late for an unexpected visitor. She set down her brush, wiped her hands on the paint-stained cloth hanging from her apron, and headed for the door, smiling as she pulled it open.

Sean stood there, leaning casually against the doorframe, wearing his signature grin. The collar of his jacket was turned up against the chilly December winds.

“What are you doing here?” Beth asked, her voice laced with surprise but not displeasure.

Sean shrugged, slipping his hands into the pockets of his coat. “I was in the area.”

Beth raised a questioning eyebrow, leaning against the door and crossing her arms. “You were in the area? Since when do you happen to ‘be in the area’ all the way out here? You’re a long way from Capitol Hill.”

He didn’t even try to hide his amusement. “Alright, you caught me, darling. Maybe I wasn’t just in the area .”

Beth narrowed her eyes playfully at him, trying to extract more information. Sean hesitated, glancing around before stepping inside and closing the door behind him. He rubbed the back of his neck, a small smile tugging at his lips. “I’ve been seeing someone.”

Beth’s eyes widened in surprise, a teasing grin on her face. “Wait—what? Since when? And who?”

He shook his head, clearly amused by her sudden interest. “It’s new. Very new. And I’m not telling you who. Not yet, anyway.”

“Oh, come on!” Beth teased, nudging his arm as they walked farther into the studio. “You can’t drop that and then give me nothing.”

Sean chuckled, shaking his head as he walked to the table cluttered with paint tubes and brushes. He picked up one of the brushes, twirling it between his fingers. “You’ll meet him soon enough.”

Beth leaned against the worktable. “Oh. Him.” She beamed. “Well, I’m happy for you, and I can’t wait to meet him ,” she said, with an added emphasis.

“Thanks, Beth. That means a lot.”

They fell into a comfortable silence that only came with years of friendship.

Sean wandered around the studio, glancing at the various canvases scattered about, his eyes scanning the one Beth had been working on before he arrived.

“You’ve been busy,” he remarked, nodding toward the half-finished painting.

“Seems like you’re pulling yourself out of that creative rut.

I like the direction you’re heading with these.

” He picked up one of the canvases, examining it before setting it back down.

Beth smiled, her chest swelling with a sense of satisfaction. “Yeah. Things have been slowly getting better. Tonight’s been good.”

Sean gave her a knowing look. “Does that mean you’ve sorted things out with your love-triangle situation?”

Her smile faltered slightly as she exhaled, wiping her hands on the cloth again, though they were already clean. “It’s not a love triangle, Sean.”

“Are you sure about that?” He drew a triangle in the air between them with a wide smirk, causing her to roll her eyes.

“Okay, fine. It may have been triangle-shaped when viewed from certain perspectives. But it’s not anymore.

We’re three separate points now,” she said softly.

“I ended things with Sarah.” She ran her fingers through her hair as she thought about her conversation with Sarah the previous night.

“God, Sean, she bought a house here without talking to me first! Can you believe that?”

At first, Sean didn’t say anything. He crossed the room to stand beside her, leaning against the worktable, then let out a slow breath, nodding. “I can. And, to be frank, it’s about time you ended things with her. I told you this was a bad idea, didn’t I?”

Beth huffed out a soft laugh, shaking her head. “Yeah, I guess so.”

“Darling, you’ve been walking around in a fog for months, maybe years. I’m proud of you for finally seeing through it,” Sean said, his voice softer now, more serious. “I know how hard that was for you to do.”

Beth’s chest tightened at his words, a mixture of relief and sadness swirling in her chest. “Honestly, it shouldn’t have been that hard.

Lily didn’t even hesitate, Sean. She told us point-blank she didn’t want us back together.

If our own kid can see how wrong we are, why the hell couldn’t I? ” She smiled weakly.

“God, remember when we thought toddlers were hard? I swear teenagers are going to be the death of me. The biting honesty is brutal,” Sean mused, as Beth leaned against her friend.

Sean looked down at her, his expression thoughtful. “So, with Sarah out of the picture...” His voice trailed off, and Beth knew he was asking where things stood with Jamie. And the honest answer was that she didn’t know.

“It’s not that simple.” She groaned.

“It never is, but that’s not the point. Are you going to keep hoping your problems are going to solve themselves? Or are you going to do something about it?” He crossed his arms, watching her closely.