Page 112 of Je T'aime, Actually

ninety-five

Monroe pressed the video icon and waited as it rang. She was already in bed, propped up on pillows, hair damp from the shower, with the glow of her bedside lamp soft against the room.

She’d left after dinner, leaving Poppy to put the kids to bed and enjoy her own quiet evening—something about a long bath, a glass of wine, and a book. That had sounded like a wonderful idea, and if Monroe hadn’t had a ton of work to catch up on, she might have considered it too.

Now, laptop cast aside on the floor, she was finally winding down.

Chloé picked up on the third ring. She was tucked up in bed as well—their bed—hair slightly messy, dark circles under her eyes, but still managing a tired smile.

“Hi, gorgeous,” Monroe said, settling the phone beside her on the pillow.

“Hi, you,” Chloé murmured back. “Still working?”

“Just finished. Figured I’d call before I crashed.”

“You should’ve taken the bath.”

Monroe smiled. “Mind reading now? I thought about it. But someone had to do the boring stuff.”

“Well…this is better than bubbles,” Chloé said, stretching. “But only just.”

Monroe laughed. “I’ll take that. You look knackered.”

“I am. But this helps.” Chloé’s voice softened, “Youhelp.”

“I’d reach through the screen if I could.”

“If you could, I’d never let go.”

They held each other’s smiles for a beat, the quiet intimacy stretching between them, until Monroe looked away, her expression shifting just enough for Chloé to catch it.

“Is everything okay? Frank?”

Monroe glanced back, nodding gently. “Yes. They think he’ll be able to come home next week.”

“That’s wonderful.”

“It is. Yes.” Monroe hesitated, her gaze drifting again. “The thing is…he’s going to need a lot of therapy. He won’t be able to get up the stairs or move around much. He’ll be non-weight bearing for weeks, maybe longer.”

Chloé exhaled softly. “I can imagine it’ll be a long road to recovery.”

Monroe nodded again.

“You’re not coming home, are you?” Chloé asked, her voice quiet, tinged with sadness.

“No,” Monroe said, honest and unwavering.

Chloé sat up a little straighter. “Are we breaking up?”

“No. That’s not what I want at all. But I need to be here, and you need to be there, and…it’s difficult, isn’t it?”

She closed her eyes and sighed. When she opened them again, they shimmered with tears.

“Don’t cry,” Chloé whispered. “I can bear this… But I can’t bear knowing you’re upset, and I can’t be there to hold you.”

Monroe let out a quiet laugh as she wiped at her eyes. “It won’t be forever.”

Chloé nodded, a small, determined smile forming. “It’ll just motivate me. There’s so much still to do…but I’ll get it done.”