In the meantime, I had to figure out how to get the cat to stop scratching Nora’s furniture.
Steve gave me a sympathetic smile from across the aisle. He’d given me the update on the Millie and Clovis situation—they still hissed at each other, but he was convinced they’d learn to love each other as much as he loved Clovis’s mommy. It was so adorable.
But I’d also had to rush to the bathroom so I didn’t burst into tears in front of him. He was in love and I was happy for him. And I couldn’t help but be sad for me.
When I’d come back from my mini-breakdown, he hadn’t said a word. Steve was nice like that. But obviously he knew something was wrong.
Nina came to my desk with a large box and set it in front of me. “This just arrived for you.”
“Thanks.”
She went back to the front and I eyed the box, wondering what it was. There was no shipping label, which meant it had been hand-delivered. Which could mean…
But what would he have sent me in a box like this?
I didn’t want him to send me presents. I didn’t know what I wanted from him. Well, I did, but it was clear I wasn’t going to get it.
I wanted him to want me.
Nora had talked to Oliver, so I knew Cox had fired Althea. That was good news. But it didn’t mean we weren’t still getting divorced. Not that I’d done anything with the papers. I hadn’t been able to bring myself to sign them yet.
With a sigh, I popped the tape and opened the box.
Inside was packing material and a smaller box. A note on the top read fragile, open with care.
It probably was a present. I didn’t know why I was so disappointed, but I was. If this was from Cox, it meant he was finally reaching out. But was this what he thought I wanted? Gifts to make up for what had happened?
Still, I was careful. I put the box on my desk and gently opened it.
Whatever it was inside, it was covered in bubble wrap.
I unwound all the packaging and stared through the tears suddenly filling my eyes. Oh my god. It was my mother’s music box.
All the damage had been repaired. In fact, you almost couldn’t tell where it had been broken. I set it down gently and ran my fingers over the top and sides. It wasn’t just repaired. It looked better than it ever had.
Holding my breath, I turned the handle. The notes tinkled, playing the sweet little tune.
A few tears ran down my cheeks, but I couldn’t help it. My mom had loved this music box. It was one of the few things I had that was hers—one of the only links I had to the mother I barely remembered.
I opened the lid and a note was tucked inside. It read, Can I please see you? He’d written an address underneath, but it was way out in Woodinville. That was odd. It was probably thirty or forty minutes outside the city. Why did he want me to meet him there?
I caught sight of Mr. Calloway leaning against the doorway to his office. He had the hint of a smile on his face.
“I’m sorry,” I said, trying to quickly wipe away the tears.
“Everly is working from home today,” he said. “Her back has been bothering her, so I think I’ll go home for the afternoon. You might as well leave early.”
“Are you sure? I missed last week and—”
“Sophie,” he said, cutting me off. “Go.”
Did he know what was going on? Had he talked to Cox? I had so many questions, but instead of blurting them out, I swiped my fingers beneath my eyes again. “Thank you.”
I gently packed up the music box and carried it down to my car. Then I plugged in the address. It seemed like it was in the middle of nowhere.
My heart didn’t stop racing the entire drive. Why did he want to see me? What was going on? Had he hired a new lawyer and wanted me to meet him in person to finalize the divorce? That thought made my stomach churn, although logically I knew it didn’t make very much sense, not with where I was going.
But I was so afraid to get my hopes up.
The map had me exit the freeway, then took me down a long two-lane road. It reminded me of the drive we’d taken in the McLaren.
Finally, I turned onto a long driveway. At first, I couldn’t see anything. Just trees on either side. Then the view opened onto the most beautiful house I’d ever seen. It looked like a country estate. Behind it, the blue water of a small lake sparkled in the sun.
Parked in front of the house was Cox’s car.
I got out and looked around. Birds chirped in the surrounding trees, and frogs croaked in the distance. The air was fresh and the sun was warm. It was like something out of a fairy tale.
Cox got out of his car and my heart leapt at the sight of him. A flurry of emotions hit me all at once. I was hurt and angry, but I’d missed him so much.
I wanted to believe he’d missed me too. I wanted it so badly. To be enough. To have this one thing in my life not end in disaster.
Was that too much to hope for?
“Hi,” he said, his voice tentative. “Thank you for coming.”
“I just realized your note didn’t say what time. But you’re here.”
“I’ve been here since this morning. Figured I’d wait as long as it took.”
He shut his car door, so I did the same.
“Thank you for getting my music box repaired. Whoever you took it to did an incredible job. It’s better than new.”
“I didn’t take it to anyone. I fixed it.”
“You did? Since when do you know how to fix music boxes?”
He shrugged. “It was mostly the wood that was damaged. I’ve done that sort of thing before. Sometimes working with my hands helps me think.”
“So you really do use that workshop in your garage.”
He nodded. “I was afraid you’d notice it was gone before I got it finished.”
“No, I thought it was still put away.” I glanced around, increasingly confused as to why we were out here in front of this idyllic home. “Where are we, by the way?”
“I have something to show you.” He gestured behind him, toward the lake. “This way.”
I followed him on a path that led around the house. It was so pretty here. Fir trees surrounded us and the lake was a big blue oval in the wide clearing. Behind the house was another, smaller building right on the bank, with a dock stretching out into the water.
Cox led me all the way to the second building—a cute little cottage. He pulled a single key out of his pocket and opened the door.
“Fishing, right?” he asked.
“What?”
“Your dad. He likes fishing?”
“Yes, but why?”
He gestured inside. “No stairs. Lots of light. Two bedrooms and a fully remodeled kitchen. Only one bathroom, but it’s big. And the dock is right through the back door. No stairs there either. You also said nice neighborhood, and I don’t know if this counts, since there’s only one neighbor. But I thought the dock for fishing might make up for it.”
“You found this for my dad?”
“Yeah. Do you want to see inside?”
I nodded and followed him in.
The cottage was so perfect, I couldn’t have dreamed up a better place for my dad. Big windows let in lots of light. The living room had the perfect spot for his recliner. And no stairs. There was a bedroom right off the living area, so he wouldn’t even have to walk very far to go to bed. The style was rustic, like a getaway cabin, but he’d love that. And just a few steps from the back door, he could walk out onto the dock and go fishing any time he wanted.