Page 5 of Echoes of Us

“And disturb the sacred silence of your book haven? I’d be exiled in minutes.”

Ashley laughed, the sound light and unguarded. “Maybe. But I’ll allow you entry for special occasions.”

The food arrived shortly after, and for a time, the table was filled with the quiet contentment of shared meals. Ashley savored the rich flavors of her dish, occasionally sneaking a glance at Cole as he ate with his usual focus, his forearms resting casually on the edge of the table.

As the plates were cleared and dessert menus offered, Cole leaned back slightly, his expression softening. “I’m going to visit my mother in a few days.”

Ashley’s fork hovered over her plate. “Do you want me to come with you?”

He shook his head, his smile faint. “No need. You know how she is.”

Ashley nodded slowly, her appetite fading. “Yeah…” Her gaze drifted to the candle flickering between them, the warm glow casting fleeting shadows across the table.

Her mind drifted to Margaret, Cole’s mother.

They’d first met at his father’s funeral–an unfortunate introduction, to say the least. Margaret had been composed to the point of fragility, her grief so tightly contained that Ashley had wondered how it hadn’t spilled over.

Dressed in stark black, Margaret sat in the front row, her hands clasped tightly in her lap, her face pale and unreadable.

Ashley had stood beside Cole, unsure of her place.

He’d been a rock, his arm steady around his mother’s shoulders, his expression betraying nothing of the storm he must have felt.

When Margaret turned briefly to acknowledge Ashley, her nod had been polite but distant, as if she were seeing through her rather than at her.

Ashley had told herself it was the grief. Margaret had just lost her husband to a surprise heart attack and, not long before, her son. Surely, with time, the sharp edges would soften, and they could forge a connection.

Unfortunately, time hadn’t changed anything.

Even at their wedding, Margaret had been a shadow, present but unreachable.

She’d sat through the vows in the front row, her posture perfect, her hands resting neatly in her lap.

Ashley had searched her face for something–anything–a smile, a tear, even a fleeting glance of pride.

Yet Margaret remained composed, as though she were merely an observer rather than the mother of the groom.

It had been a beautiful day, though. Small, intimate, and utterly theirs. The sun had filtered through the canopy of oak trees where they’d exchanged their vows, just a handful of close friends and family gathered around them.

Sarah had stood beside Ashley, her laughter soft but steady as Ashley fought tears through the vows. Elliot, one of Cole’s closest friends from his PHD, had clapped Cole on the back afterward, his voice ringing with congratulations.

Ashley had loved every moment of it–the simplicity, the intimacy. The way Cole had looked at her when he said, “I do,” his voice was low but unshakable. It had felt like a promise not just to be her husband but to be her partner in every sense of the word.

And yet, even in the midst of that joy, Margaret had been there, silent and distant. Ashley had tried in those early years to reach her, to bridge the space Margaret seemed to live within. She’d told herself it was temporary, that Margaret’s quietness was just a wound that needed time to heal.

Margaret’s grief wasn’t something to overcome; it was something she’d made her home in, a world Ashley could never enter.

Cole rarely spoke of his mother. When he did, it was in short, neutral statements, as though saying too much might disturb the delicate balance they’d learned to live with.

Ashley sometimes wondered if he’d always been this way–silent and steady, carrying the weight of others without letting anyone carry his.

She glanced across the table at him now, his head tilted slightly as he studied her. There was curiosity in his expression, though he didn’t ask what she was thinking.

And she didn’t offer it.

“You’re sure you don’t want me to come with you to visit her?” Ashley asked softly, breaking the silence.

Cole’s fork paused briefly over his plate before he resumed cutting his steak. “Very sure,” he said lightly.

Ashley nodded again, her thoughts still circling.

“Maybe you should visit your parents while I’m gone,” Cole added, his tone warming. “We’re moving back there in a week–it’ll be nice to see them before everything gets crazy.”

Her lips curved slightly at the thought. “They’ll be thrilled to have me home,” she said. Her mind shifted to her parents, their home in Belmont, where her mother’s coffee and her father’s endless kitchen experiments had always made her feel safe.

Ashley glanced back at Cole, and his attention focused on the table as he swirled his wine absentmindedly. She reached for his hand, brushing her fingers against his. “Do you think your mom will ever come visit us once we move to the bigger house?”

He looked up, his gray eyes guarded. “Maybe. She’s not big on travel.”

Ashley studied him for a moment, sensing the tension in his posture. “You’ll tell her the door’s always open, won’t you?”

“Of course.”

Ashley opened her mouth to respond but stopped herself, sensing the tension that lingered in his posture. Instead, she reached across the table, her fingers brushing lightly against his. “I know it’s not easy,” she said softly.

Cole met her gaze, his gray eyes steady but unreadable. “It’s fine,” he replied after a beat, his voice calm. “She’s fine.”

Deciding to lighten up the mood, she offered, “Maybe you can join me at my parents’ house once you return. We can stay the whole weekend. Might even jump in to see the state of the renovations in our new home!”

Cole’s smile warmed slightly. “That’s a good idea. Your mom’s going to bake a small feast just for the occasion, isn’t she?”

“She’ll try,” Ashley replied, the corners of her mouth lifting. “And Dad will want to show you whatever gadget he’s added to the kitchen this month.”

“You’ll have to survive that one without me,” Cole teased, though his tone was gentler now.

As they left the bistro, the cool evening air wrapped around them, bringing a faint pink to Ashley’s cheeks. Cole slipped his arm around her waist, pulling her close as they walked.

“You’re quiet,” he murmured, his lips brushing against her temple.

“Just thinking,” she replied, leaning into him.

“Dangerous,” he teased, his hand tightening slightly around her hip.

Ashley rolled her eyes but smiled. “Always.”

They walked in step, the rhythm of their footsteps blending with the faint rustle of the trees overhead.

The streetlights cast fleeting pools of golden light along the cobblestones, but Ashley barely noticed.

Her thoughts tugged her elsewhere, back to the guarded way Cole had spoken about his mother.

It wasn’t what he said–it was the things he didn’t.

She glanced at him as they neared the car. His profile was calm, his gray eyes fixed ahead, his jaw set in quiet focus. She knew him too well to mistake the stillness for peace.

Cole stepped ahead to open the car door, his movements fluid and practiced. “Ready?”

Ashley hesitated, her gaze lingering on him as she slid into the passenger seat. He stood there for a moment, his hand resting on the edge of the door, his expression unreadable in the dim light.

Then, as if compelled by some unspoken thought, he leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her cheek. The touch was fleeting, his lips warm against her skin.

Ashley blinked, surprised by the gesture. She turned to look at him, her lips parting slightly, but before she could say anything, he straightened, closing the door.

Her hand brushed the spot on her cheek where his kiss had landed, a faint smile tugging at her lips.

As the car hummed to life, Ashley leaned her head against the window, her eyes drifting to the blurred outlines of the buildings as they passed.

She wanted to ask him, to press into the things he wouldn’t say, but she held her back, knowing better than to bring up demons people weren’t ready to face.

Cole’s hand rested casually on her knee, squeezed, and it sent a shiver through her. He glanced at her then, just briefly, his warm gray eyes catching hers before returning to the road. “We’ll be home soon.”

Home . The thought made her smile.

Pushing aside her questions, she folded her hands over her stomach, grounding herself in the steady rhythm of her breath and the tiny human being they were bringing together into this world.