The next morning began like most others, with Eli waking earlier than necessary and dragging his stuffed lion across the hallway, calling for breakfast before Aria had even stepped out of bed.
"I'm starving," he said dramatically, standing by her door.
"You say that every morning," she mumbled, rubbing her eyes.
"This time it's true. My tummy made two big growls."
"Two?" she asked, feigning concern.
"One was a roar. Like Thunder."
Aria chuckled, finally pushing the covers off. "Well, we can't let Thunder go hungry."
As she pulled on her robe and tied it around her waist, Eli walked into the kitchen ahead of her, still narrating his imagined tiger adventures.
By the time she placed a bowl of cereal in front of him, he was already explaining how Thunder had "jumped over a volcano and scared away ten monkeys."
"And how did he do that?" Aria asked, sitting beside him with her tea.
"His eyes glowed," Eli whispered, leaning in like it was a secret. "And he growled low, like... grrrrrrrr, but not too loud 'cause it was a sneak growl."
"Very stealthy."
"Yup. Like a ninja tiger."
She took a sip of her tea, her eyes briefly scanning her phone on the counter. No new messages.
She didn't let herself feel disappointed. At least, not visibly.
"Is Daddy coming again today?" Eli asked suddenly, halfway through his cereal.
Aria blinked. "I… I'm not sure. He didn't say anything yet."
Eli frowned. "But he said he would come today. For the new book."
"He might just be late," she offered gently. "Maybe he had work."
"He should still text," Eli said with a small pout. "It's the nice thing to do."
She smiled faintly. "You're right."
A beat of silence passed.
"Can we wait?" he asked, peeking up at her.
"We can wait a little."
They did. Aria made a second cup of tea. Eli returned to his jungle fort in the living room, flipping through his tiger book and occasionally roaring at the cushions he'd stacked into "rocks."
It was nearly 10:45 when her phone finally buzzed.
Elias: Hey. Sorry, for running late. Can I still come by?
She didn't answer immediately. She stood still for a moment, then typed back:
Aria: We're home. Eli was waiting.
A minute later, he responded.
Elias: Be there in 15. Bringing backup snacks.
"Was that Daddy?" Eli asked, poking his head into the kitchen.
"Yep."
"What did he say?"
"He's on his way."
Eli grinned and ran off to fix his fort.
Fifteen minutes later, there was a knock.
This time, Aria opened the door herself. Elias stood there, holding a small bag in one hand and a bouquet of tiny wildflowers in the other.
"For him," he said, holding out the flowers. "He said yesterday tigers like flowers."
Aria blinked, then smiled, despite herself. "Of course they do."
Eli came running at the sight of the bouquet. "Whoa! Are these jungle flowers?"
"They're tiger-approved," Elias replied.
Aria stepped aside to let him in. "I didn't know jungle flowers came from the convenience store."
Elias feigned offense. "They're exotic daisies. Very rare."
Eli was already placing them in a plastic cup of water on the dining table.
"Did Thunder say thank you?" Aria asked.
"He growled it," Eli said proudly. "That's tiger language."
"Well, I'm honored," Elias said, crouching beside him. "Want to read the new book now?"
"Yes! But first, Thunder needs his snack."
"I have just the thing," Elias said, pulling out a pack of cheese crackers shaped like animals. "Tiger bait."
Eli gasped. "Perfect."
While Eli set up a snack circle for him and "Thunder," Aria leaned against the kitchen doorway, arms crossed.
"You remembered the flower thing?"
Elias shrugged, glancing at her. "He said it quietly, but yeah. I heard him."
She studied him for a moment, then nodded.
They sat on the couch again, the three of them, reading the new book Eli had chosen—The Tiger Who Traveled the World. Elias did the voices. Aria took a few turns too, smiling slightly each time Eli leaned against her side.
When they got to the part where the tiger learned to swim in the Amazon, Eli declared, "I could swim too if I had floaties. Like the red ones at Aunty May's house."
"You did pretty well last time," Aria agreed.
"I only swallowed two mouthfuls," Eli added proudly.
"Strong lungs," Elias said with a grin.
Eli climbed down halfway through the book. "Thunder wants to finish the story later."
"Thunder's pacing himself," Aria murmured, sipping from her mug.
Elias leaned back, watching Eli run to his jungle fort again. "He's like two kids in one."
"He is," she agreed. "Keeps me on my toes."
There was a pause.
"He said you waited," Elias said quietly.
"I didn't say that."
"He said it."
Aria didn't respond right away.
"I guess he notices more than we think," she finally said. "He watches us. How we talk. How we move."
Elias looked over at her. "Then maybe he sees this too. Us trying."
She turned slightly, eyes meeting his. "Trying isn't the same as fixing everything."
"I know."
"And not everything can be fixed."
He nodded. "I still think it matters that we're trying."
There was a long moment of quiet. Eli's voice filled the room as he narrated a scene with Thunder escaping a storm made of pillows.
"I used to hate quiet," Elias said suddenly.
Aria raised an eyebrow. "Really?"
"It made me feel like something was wrong. Like I wasn't doing enough."
"And now?"
"Now it feels like a pause. Like… breathing."
She didn't say anything for a while. Then:
"Sometimes I miss noise. But not all of it."
They both looked over at Eli, who was now roaring at his stuffed animals in triumph.
"I think we're getting a good kind of noise now," Elias said.
Aria smiled faintly. "I think so too."
He glanced at the clock. "Do you want me to take him out for a bit? Give you some time?"
She hesitated. "You could take him to the bakery. He's been eyeing the tiger-striped cookies there."
"On it."
Eli was already halfway into his shoes when Elias called out the plan.
"Cookies!" he shouted. "Thunder demands them!"
Aria helped him zip his jacket while Elias waited by the door.
"Only one cookie," she warned.
"Two," Elias said, teasing. "One for him. One for Thunder."
She rolled her eyes. "Don't spoil him."
"Wouldn't dream of it."
She held Eli's shoulder as he bounced excitedly. "Be back in an hour."
"We will."
And they left, the door closing behind them.
For the first time that day, the house was still.
Aria returned to the kitchen, her tea now cold, and poured a fresh cup. She sat at the table, the small bouquet of wildflowers between her hands.
She turned one over slowly, thumb brushing the petals.
She didn't know what any of it meant yet.
But maybe that was okay.
Not having all the answers.
Just… sitting with the quiet in between.