Claire stayed outside after Gloria disappeared back into the house.
Not intentionally at first.
She'd genuinely escaped Phil's cryptocurrency lecture.
But once the patio door closed again and the noise softened behind the glass—
The silence between her and Gael settled differently than usual.
Claire leaned against the railing beside the pool and took a slow sip of wine.
Inside, laughter rose briefly from the dining room before fading again.
Then she spoke without looking at him.
"What happened?"
Direct question.
No joking around it.
Gael stayed still for a mont.
"Why do you think sothing happened?"
Claire gave him a look over the rim of her glass.
"Because I've known Gloria for years."
Fair answer.
The pool lights reflected softly across the patio while the weight of the question lingered between them.
Claire wasn't accusing him.
That was the uncomfortable part.
She sounded concerned.
Thoughtful.
Almost cautious.
"She's acting differently," Claire continued quietly. "And Gloria only gets careful when she already knows she's close to crossing a line."
There it was.
Not suspicion anymore.
Recognition.
Gael watched the water for a second before answering carefully.
"Nothing happened."
Claire held his gaze for another mont.
Then nodded slowly.
Interesting reaction.
Not fully relieved.
More like:
I believe you… for now.
She looked back toward the house again afterward.
"I think sotis people confuse being seen with being in love."
The sentence landed more personally than she intended.
Gael noticed imdiately.
Claire noticed him noticing.
That made her exhale softly and shake her head once.
"God. That sounded darker out loud."
"Still sounded honest."
A small silence followed.
Then Claire laughed quietly to herself.
"You know what's annoying?" She swirled the wine lightly in her glass. "I ca out here prepared to be protective and mature." Her mouth curved faintly. "Instead I think I just accidentally psychoanalyzed half my marriage."
That shifted the atmosphere slightly.
Less tension.
More vulnerability.
Claire looked tired again tonight.
Not physically.
Emotionally.
Like sobody who spent years keeping a family balanced so carefully she forgot how to examine her own life.
Then she glanced toward him again.
"You really do make people feel listened to."
The words ca softer this ti.
Not flirtation.
And suddenly Claire understood sothing uncomfortable herself:
Gloria wasn't drawn only to attraction.
She was drawn to relief.
To feeling emotionally visible again.
The realization unsettled Claire more than she expected because—
if she was honest—
she understood it too well.
Inside the house, Phil's voice suddenly rose loudly:
"BLOCKCHAIN IS BASICALLY DIGITAL TRUST FALLS."
Claire physically closed her eyes.
"There's my reminder to stay married."
That pulled a laugh out of him.
And sohow the sound relaxed her more than it should have.
Then she looked toward the patio door again but didn't move imdiately.
Instead she stayed leaning beside him near the railing while the night air drifted softly around the pool.
Comfortable silence.
Finally Claire straightened slightly and finished the last of her wine.
"You know," she said quietly, "this whole situation is probably a terrible idea."
The sentence sat carefully between them.
Not explicit.
Still aningful.
Gael t her eyes.
"Which situation?"
Claire held the look for a second longer than necessary.
Then she smiled faintly.
"The fact that my family likes you this much."
The line between warning and confession beca harder to separate.
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