Page 41 of Balancing Act (Soulmate #1)

FIFTEEN

BETH

Just checking that we’re still on for Sunday.

We’re so on. Can’t wait.

Jamie 8:36 PM

Perfect. I’ve got something fun planned, but it has a bit of a dress code. Please wear long pants, closed-toe shoes, and clothes you don’t mind getting a little sweaty in ;)

Beth 8:38 PM

Any hints, or are you planning on driving me crazy as I let my imagination run wild for the next 48 hours?

Jamie 8:40 PM

No hints, but I have a feeling you’re going to like what I have planned. And please, by all means, let your imagination do its thing.

It had only been a week since that rainy walk, but everything felt different.

She and Jamie had been texting every day, sometimes flirty messages, sometimes just sharing random moments.

It was new, uncertain, and exciting. She could feel that Jamie’s walls, while still up, were slowly coming down, letting her in little by little.

Sunday’s date felt like the first real step toward a possible future together, and Beth found herself increasingly imagining what a future with Jamie might be like.

The sound of footsteps padding into the room pulled her out of her thoughts. Lily appeared in the doorway, tablet tucked under one arm.

“Hey, love,” Beth said, glancing up. “You okay?”

Lily nodded, a thoughtful expression crossing her face as she sat across from her at the counter, fiddling with the edge of her tablet case.

“What do you want for dinner?” Beth asked.

“I’m not hungry.” Lily shrugged.

“Not hungry? Who are you, and what have you done with my Lily?”

Lily rolled her eyes. “Mom,” she groaned, but her small, playful smile gave her away. “I wanted to talk to you about something.”

Okay, now her interest was piqued. Lily didn’t usually start conversations like this, not unless what she had to say was important.

“Of course, love. What’s on your mind?”

Lily shifted slightly in her seat, then pulled her tablet into her lap, looking down at it. “My birthday’s in a couple of days...”

Beth smiled. “It is. Any special requests for the big day?”

Lily’s eyes brightened. “Actually, yeah,” she said, turning her tablet around.

A digital drawing of her room was on the screen—brightly colored, full of life and imagination.

“I was thinking, for my birthday, could we paint my room together? Like, really paint it? Fun colors, cool designs. Here! I drew some ideas...”

Beth blinked in surprise as her eyes took in the riot of oversized floral blooms and abstract shapes that danced across Lily’s screen.

It was a whirlwind of vivid pinks, deep greens, and splashes of bold yellow and black, like Lily had captured pure joy and chaos all at once.

For a moment, Beth was overcome by a surge of pride and love so strong it left her breathless.

“Lil, this is—this is amazing,” she said.

Alongside the pride came a wave of guilt.

When had Lily become so talented? When had she missed the quiet evolution of her daughter’s creativity?

The realization hit her hard: in the whirlwind of co-parenting and her own attempt to reignite her artistic passion, she’d lost sight of Lily’s.

Beth had spent so much time wrestling with the idea that Lily was becoming more like Sarah—precise, orderly, focused—that she had missed the part of Lily that was more like herself every day—the shared love for art in all its many forms.

Lily’s face flushed, a proud smile tugging at her lips. “You like it?”

“I love it,” Beth said, scanning the designs. “This is next level, Lils.”

Lily shrugged, but Beth could see the pleased glimmer in her eyes. “It’s something I’ve been working on. I thought it’d be cool to actually do it, you know? Turn it into something real.”

Beth handed Lily her tablet back and spread her hands across the cool marble surface of the countertop. She understood that feeling. The need to take the pictures in her mind and externalize them.

“When did you learn to do this?” she asked, glancing at the tablet. How had she not known about this talent of Lily’s?

Lily shrugged, grabbing an apple from the counter.

“Mom got me the tablet for my birthday last year, remember? I started watching YouTube videos and practicing. You know, trying different stuff out.” She cut the apple and scooped out peanut butter.

“I also learned a lot about art from watching and painting with you.” Her smile was sweet, and Beth’s heart melted.

The day she first saw that smile, she knew it would always have that effect on her.

Beth reached for one of the freshly cut apple slices and dipped it in peanut butter before biting as thoughts raced through her mind.

“So, can we do it? Will you help me paint my room?”

The fact that Lily wanted to do this together meant the world to her. To have Lily want to share her art with her—not only share it—but to have Beth be a part of it? It felt good to be trusted with that vulnerability again, like they were connecting in a new way, one Beth hadn’t fully anticipated.

“Absolutely,” she said, grinning. “I think that’s a fantastic idea. Want to go pick out paints tonight?”

“Oh my God, really? Yes! I’ve already measured the wall, and I think I’ve figured out how much paint I need for each color.” Lily bounced on the stool rapidly flipping through the rest of her designs, and Beth couldn’t help but laugh. “I love it. Seriously, Lily, this is amazing.”

They spent the next few minutes going over Lily’s ideas, Beth marveling at how much thought her daughter had put into every detail. It wasn’t until Lily flipped the tablet shut and leaned back in her chair that the conversation took a slightly different turn.

“I don’t think Mom liked my ideas for her new house,” Lily said, her earlier excitement replaced with disappointment.

“What do you mean?”

Lily shrugged, her expression closing off slightly. “When we picked colors for my room at Mom’s, she only gave me, like, two options—beige or light pink. She said it had to match the rest of the house.” Lily rolled her eyes and mimed throwing up.

Beth’s jaw clenched. Of course Sarah would insist on a color palette matching her aesthetic.

Everything in her life was curated, neat, and controlled.

It was a quality that had once made Beth feel equal parts safe and stifled during their marriage, but now, seeing how it stifled Lily, it only frustrated her.

She always encouraged Lily to express herself and embrace the messiness of life and art.

And here Sarah was, reducing their daughter’s creativity to two bland options—beige and pale pink.

Why does everything with her have to fit into a neat little box?

she thought, resisting the urge to say something sharper.

It wasn’t the time to make Lily feel caught in the middle.

“I’m sorry, love. I’m sure that wasn’t Mom’s intention, but I know it feels frustrating when you’re not heard. Sometimes she gets a little lost in the details,” Beth said softly. “But I hope you know that your room here is your space, and you can always make it feel like yours.”

“Yeah. I know.” She sighed, pausing for a moment. “It’s weird, since Mom moved here, her new house is so new . Like it doesn’t feel like home yet. But this house feels like my home and I can’t wait to paint my room.”

Beth’s heart squeezed. Lily had been spending more time here, but hearing it aloud made it real. It was bittersweet. Sarah wasn’t in tune with their daughter, but Beth was grateful that Lily felt safe enough to share this with her.

She reached across the table, gently placing her hand on Lily’s. “I’m happy to hear that, love.”

They sat there in silence for a moment, the rain pattering against the windows.

Beth squeezed Lily’s hand before letting go, her mind still spinning with everything Lily had and hadn’t said.

A subtle shift was happening, not just between her and Jamie but between her and Lily.

Their little home was becoming more than just a house—it was becoming their sanctuary, a place where Lily could be herself, where they could be a family.

“Did you find your inspiration again? I noticed you’re painting more lately.”

Beth smiled for a moment, touched by Lily’s perceptiveness.

“You know what? I think I did. Did you?”

“Yeah, I did, too,” Lily said.

Beth had Jamie’s flirty texts to look forward to, their upcoming date a bright spot on the horizon of her mind.

Still, as she sat here with Lily, feeling the warmth of their connection rekindling, she couldn’t help but wonder if this—this blend of motherhood and new love—was the future she had been hoping for all along.

Two days later, Beth stood at the window, nervously smoothing her sweater for the hundredth time.

She felt ridiculous. Giddy, like a teenager before prom.

After a week of flirty texts and bubbling excitement, her first actual date with Jamie was finally happening.

She glanced at the clock, when Jamie’s familiar van pulled into the driveway.

She grabbed her coat, stepping onto the porch as Jamie’s van stopped. Jamie got out, dark curls falling around her face as she glanced up, catching Beth’s eye and giving her a little wave.

“Hey,” Beth said softly, smiling as she walked down the steps.

Jamie flashed her that same cheeky smile from the night in the gallery—the night when all of this had been set in motion. “You look...” She paused, eyes scanning Beth from head to toe before letting out a soft laugh, almost like she couldn’t believe what she was saying. “You look beautiful.”

Beth grinned, her heart fluttering. “You don’t look too bad yourself.”

Jamie scratched the back of her neck, clearly flustered, her usual confidence feeling a little off. “I, uh, thanks,” she stammered, as a slow blush crept up her cheeks.

“Is that nervousness I’m sensing, Ms. Lyons?” Beth teased as they walked to Jamie’s van.