It’s nearly dinnertime when Travis walks into the family room. I’ve got a pot of chili simmering on the stove, but he’s made it home in time for dinner after workouts and classroom time every day this week, so I assumed today would be the same even though communication between the two of us hasn’t been stellar lately.

Harper and I have music blaring as we scream the lyrics to “Thunder” by our favorite band, dancing around the room like maniacs, and I half expect him to walk in and turn the music down.

I freeze for a beat as I wait for the storm cloud that seems to be following him lately to settle over the room.

But it doesn’t.

Instead, he breaks out into a grin and then he joins us.

He starts clapping his hands to the beat, and Harper dances in circles around him. I can’t help but laugh as I live in the moment.

Things have been strained between us. I slept in my own casita last night for the first time since we got married. We haven’t talked since he walked out of the casita last night.

But this feels like progress. This feels like the old Travis…the one I fell for.

He grabs Harper’s hands and swings her around, and then he does it to me next. I never want the song to end, but just like all good things, eventually it does.

I click off the music. “Who’s ready for dinner?”

“Aww, one more song, puh-leez?” Harper begs.

I giggle. “You said that three songs ago. Go wash your hands.”

She trudges out of the room, and Travis moves toward me and wraps a hand around my hip before pulling me into his chest.

He drops his lips to mine.

“Whoa,” I say, and I swear I see stars. “What was that for?”

“A reminder that you sleep in my bed now, Hartley.” He offers a smile before nipping another kiss to my lips.

“I’m sorry,” I say softly. “I just wasn’t sure—”

He shakes his head. “Don’t apologize. It’s fine. I know we’re going through a rough patch, but I also know we’ll find our way out of it.”

I nod. “I hope so.”

I really want this to work.

When things are good with us, things are really good. But the reverse is also true, and I think Travis Woods has the ability to hurt me in ways nobody else ever could.

It’s a terrifying dynamic.

We sit down to chili, and after he takes a few bites and rolls his eyes in ecstasy, Travis says, “I have some news.”

I raise a brow. “About?”

He points his spoon in my direction. “You.”

I hold a hand to my chest. “Me?”

He nods. “I talked with Ellie, and she said she needs some help at Prince Charming Public Relations. Right now it would mostly be assistant tasks, but it could turn into more later. It did for Tristan’s wife, Tessa, and she’s a junior publicist now.”

“Some help?” I echo. “Like…a job?”

He nods, and he looks a little nervous for a beat, like maybe he overstepped.

And maybe he did.

But…I’m grateful he did.

I need this. I need to work. I need my identity back, even if this means it’ll be tied more closely to his.

“Really?” I ask.

He nods again. “Really.”

“You got me a job?” I don’t bring up the fact that he lost me the other one. This is something. This is a step in the right direction, and maybe life is forcing a change on me I didn’t even know I needed.

Maybe I needed this more than I thought I did.

I remember not so long ago complaining about the mountains of paperwork and how I didn’t really feel like I was making much of an impact on kids.

And then Harper came along.

I wanted the district position so I could change the way things were done…but that would’ve taken me out of the classroom where I got to do the one thing I loved most about my entire career path.

And from here, I’ll still get to work with Harper. There are other ways I can help kids love to read that don’t involve working in a school or working with district personnel who make rash judgments about a person and rescind offers because paperwork hasn’t gone through yet.

Maybe I’m better off in this boat, but I’ve been so sad at the loss of what I thought was my dream job that it didn’t hit me until this moment.

Until my husband came home with an alternative for me.

But maybe this is all for the best. Maybe this is all how it was meant to happen.

I leap up from my spot at the table and I race around to his side.

I kiss his face all over, and Harper makes a pretend gagging sound, and we all giggle in yet another picture perfect family moment.

Things are starting to look up here in the Woods household.

I just wish the feeling could last a little longer.

I get in touch with Ellie and get all set up for my new position, and she needs immediate help, so I’m all set to start my training with her tomorrow. Travis makes arrangements for Harper to hang out with Bella for the rest of the week so I can get started on my new job, but Ellie lets me know that if I ever need to, I’m welcome to bring Harper with me or I can work from home.

The flexibility alone feels positive, and I’m excited to embark on this new position I never really saw as part of my future.

In one way, it feels like I’m drawing even closer to Travis because of it. In a way we’ll be working together now and I’ll be getting to know more of the players on his team through Ellie.

And I’ll be making a new friend in her, too. I only see the positive sides of this new position, and it feels like Travis and I are on a much better track than we were because of one simple gesture on his part.

Except it also feels like I’m starting to wind my way into his life in ways that could potentially make it harder and harder to extract myself if the time ever comes.

It’s amazing how one little action can go such a long way to fix things—like when Travis got me this job.

And it’s just as amazing on the flipside how one little action can go such a long way to tear everything completely apart.