Chapter 40 Unfinished business
Chapter 40 Unfinished business
June started hot and loud.
The city was in full summer and the merger offices had the AC running too cold to compensate.
Emily didn’t notice. She was too busy trying to keep Emi’s Couture from imploding during fashion week.
The new collection was supposed to debut in Milan.
The shipping container with half the samples got held in customs in Rotterdam.
Mara came into Emily’s office at 7:13am with two phones and bad news.
“Ms. Hart. Customs. And the venue wants a final headcount by noon.”
Emily rubbed her eyes. “Send legal to Rotterdam. Tell them I’ll be on the next flight if they don’t clear it.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
The door closed.
Her phone buzzed.
Ethan: You alive?
Emily: Barely. Container stuck.
I know a guy in Rotterdam logistics. Want me to call?
Emily stared at the text. Old Ethan would have waited to be asked. New Ethan just offered.
Please, she typed.
On it.
By 10am the container was moving.
By 10:15, Ethan was in her office with coffee.
“You didn’t have to come down,” Emily said.
“I was already in the building,” Ethan said. “Board meeting.”
He set the coffee down. Black. One sugar. The way she drank it now.
“Thank you,” Emily said.
Ethan nodded. “You look tired.”
“I am tired.”
“Come to Milan?”
Emily looked up. “What?”
“The show. Come. We can handle the Q3 review from there.”
Emily shook her head. “I can’t leave Liam.”
“Liam’s with me Thursday to Sunday,” Ethan said. “And my mom offered to take him next week. She’s been asking.”
Emily blinked. “Your mom?”
“Yeah,” Ethan said, scratching the back of his neck. “She saw the interview. Said she wants to meet her grandson properly. Without cameras.”
Emily didn’t know what to say to that.
“Think about it,” Ethan said. “No pressure.”
He left.
Emily drank the coffee.
That night she told Liam.
“We might go to Italy, baby. For work.”
Liam’s eyes went wide. “With pizza?”
Emily laughed. “Probably with pizza.”
“Can Dad come?”
Emily paused. “Maybe.”
Liam nodded like that solved everything.
Thursday, Ethan picked Liam up at 4.
Emily was still at the office when her phone rang at 6:30.
Ethan’s mom.
“Emily? This is Diane Blake.”
Emily straightened. “Mrs. Blake. Hi.”
“Call me Diane,” she said immediately. “Ethan told me about the trip. I’d love to have Liam for a few days. If you’re comfortable.”
Emily was quiet.
“I know we got off to a bad start,” Diane said. “I believed things I shouldn’t have. I’m sorry for that. I’d like to make it right. With you. With him.”
Emily closed her eyes. “Okay,” she said. “Okay. Thank you.”
“Good,” Diane said, and Emily could hear the smile. “I’ll pick him up Sunday.”
Sunday, Diane came.
She brought flowers. Not for Emily. For the apartment.
“To brighten the place,” she said.
Liam ran to her. “Grandma!”
Diane hugged him and then looked at Emily. “You raised a good boy.”
Emily nodded. “Thank you.”
When they left, the apartment was too quiet.
Ethan texted at 8pm. She’s happy. He’s happy. You should go to Milan.
Emily didn’t reply.
Monday she booked the flight.
Milan was chaos in the best way.
Lights. Cameras. Last-minute hem adjustments.
Emily was backstage when Ethan found her.
He looked out of place in a suit among the racks of fabric.
“You came,” he said.
“I came,” Emily said.
He handed her water. “You nervous?”
“Terrified.”
“Good,” Ethan said. “Means it matters.”
The show started.
The clothes moved.
People clapped.
Buyers placed orders.
After, in the small office behind the runway, Emily sat down and put her head in her hands.
“We did it,” she whispered.
Ethan sat beside her. “You did it.”
Emily looked at him. “We did it.”
For a second neither of them spoke.
Then Ethan’s phone rang.
Diane.
“He’s fine,” Ethan said into the phone. “He made me pancakes again. Burnt.”
He laughed. “I’ll send pictures.”
He hung up.
Emily was watching him.
“What?” Ethan asked.
“Nothing,” Emily said. “Just… you look different with her.”
“Softer?”
“Human,” Emily said.
Ethan looked away. “I’m trying.”
They flew back together. Red-eye.
Emily slept for two hours with her head against the window.
She woke up to Ethan draped in a blanket she didn’t remember taking.
“Did you sleep?” she asked.
“A little,” Ethan said.
“Thank you. For Rotterdam. For Milan. For…”
“For showing up?” Ethan finished.
Emily nodded.
Ethan reached over and took her hand. Just for a second.
Then let go.
They landed at 6am.
Diane dropped Liam off at 9.
He was carrying a stuffed bear and a drawing.
“Mommy! Grandma taught me how to make pasta!”
Emily hugged him. “That’s amazing.”
Ethan stood in the doorway. “I should—”
“Stay for breakfast?” Emily asked before she could think.
Ethan hesitated. “Yeah. Okay.”
They made pancakes. Burnt ones.
Liam declared them “extra special.”
After, Ethan helped with dishes.
Emily leaned against the counter.
“I got an offer,” she said.
Ethan stopped drying. “What kind?”
“A buyout,” Emily said. “Big one. From a luxury group in Paris.”
Ethan set the plate down. “That’s huge.”
“I don’t know if I want it,” Emily said. “It means moving. Or selling. Or both.”
Ethan was quiet. “What do you want?”
Emily looked at Liam in the living room, building with his bear.
“I want to keep building this,” she said. “Here. With him. With…”
She didn’t finish.
Ethan didn’t push.
“Whatever you decide,” he said. “I’ll support it.”
Emily nodded.
The next week was a blur of meetings and fabric and press.
The buyout offer sat in her inbox.
She didn’t open it.
On Friday, there was a problem.
One of the new manufacturers missed a deadline.
Half the fall line was delayed.
Emily was on the phone for three hours trying to fix it.
At 7pm, Ethan showed up with takeout.
“You heard,” Emily said.
“I heard,” Ethan said. “I also heard you’ve been in this office since 5am.”
Emily sighed. “I can’t lose this deal.”
“You won’t,” Ethan said. “But you will lose yourself if you don’t eat.”
They ate on the floor.
Ethan told her about a board member who brought his dog to the meeting.
Emily laughed.
When she was done, Ethan said, “Come home. Sleep. I’ll have legal look at the contract in the morning.”
Emily shook her head. “I have to—”
“Emily,” Ethan said. “Let me help.”
Emily looked at him.
She nodded.
They left together.
At her apartment, Liam was asleep.
Emily checked on him, then came back out.
Ethan was still there.
“You don’t have to stay,” Emily said.
“I know,” Ethan said. “I want to.”
They sat on the couch.
No TV. No phones.
Just quiet.
“I’m scared,” Emily said suddenly.
Ethan turned. “Of what?”
“Of saying yes to the buyout and losing this,” she said. “Of saying no and regretting it. Of… this. Of us. Of messing it up again.”
Ethan reached for her hand. This time he didn’t let go.
“Then we don’t mess it up,” he said. “We talk. We fight fair. We go to therapy. We show up.”
Emily squeezed his hand. “That’s a lot.”
“I know,” Ethan said. “I’m in for all of it.”
Emily leaned her head on his shoulder.
She fell asleep there.
She woke up at 5am to an empty couch and a note on the coffee table.
Gone to handle the manufacturer. Legal will call at 9. You sleep. – E
Emily read it twice.
By noon the manufacturer issue was resolved.
By 3pm, Emily declined the buyout.
She sent one line to the Paris group.
Thank you. I’m not for sale.
That night, Ethan came over with pizza.
Liam was thrilled.
After he was in bed, Emily and Ethan sat on the balcony.
The city was warm.
“I’m proud of you,” Ethan said.
“For what?”
“For choosing,” Ethan said. “For not running.”
Emily looked at him. “I’m still scared.”
“Me too,” Ethan said.
He took her hand again.
This time he didn’t let go.
They sat there until the stars came out.
No promises. No big declarations.
Just two people, choosing to stay.
Choosing to try.
Choosing each other, one day at a time.
Inside, Liam stirred in his sleep.
Emily stood. “I should check on him.”
Ethan stood too. “I’ll wait.”
Emily paused at the door. “You don’t have to.”
“I know,” Ethan said. “I want to.”
Emily smiled. Small. Real.
“Okay,” she said.
And she went inside.