Tato Potato, thank you for your review and for sharing a bit about what happened to you. It's a bit outside my experience so it's helpful to know I'm not getting it wrong. I think Ethan is just a great person! I'm sure he'll be a great listener if Lily trusts him enough to open up.
Tanith Panic, I suppose the people who push us provoke the strongest reactions - and one of the strongest emotions is love. I hope Ethan can help Lily relax, but she's probably never relaxed in her life. Thank you for your review!
CBloom2, Ethan always does seem to be lovely! I might even find it annoying if he wasn't so... well, lovely. Thank you for your review!
theverystuffoflife, I agree with you - I really love the patience Ethan has for everyone except Cal! He always did seem very understanding of Lily until she took against Honey. Thank you for your review!
Becs2202, thank you for your review - I'm really glad I've been able to bring Lily's sadness across. Lily does need to let go... if only she can!
xMissWhitneyBexx, you could be right! Read on and you'll find out. Thank you for your review - I'm really glad you're enjoying it.
fiveby10eighty3, I've always sympathised with Lily as I have problems socially too, but I've also always understood why a lot of people wouldn't like her. But I'm glad you're starting to like her a bit now. Thank you for your review!
Ethan was standing in the doorway. He looked as though he hadn't slept, but he was smiling. "Hi, Lily. How are you feeling?"
"Ready to work," said Lily firmly.
"Excellent," said Ethan, though he did look a bit worried. "I'm sorry I didn't want for your answer to my text. Cal is… he's quite stressed this morning and I was quite glad to get out of the house. Well, if I'm honest, he actively encouraged me to leave. We've had quite an eventful night."
"I'm sure that happens often when you live with Cal," said Lily distastefully. "I assume he brought a girl home with him."
Ethan laughed a bit shakily. "Well, actually, yes, he did – though not in the way you think." He yawned. "Sorry, Lily."
Something of his condition penetrated the fog of Lily's mind. "Ethan, did you have any sleep at all? I'm really not sure you should be working, but come in and I'll make you a coffee."
"Thanks," said Ethan. He followed Lily into the living room and sat on the sofa.
"Does Cal even know her name?" said Lily, more because she felt she ought to say something than because she cared.
"Well… actually… no," said Ethan, through another enormous yawn. "But it's not what you think. I'll give you the condensed version because I know you've got enough to think about at the moment. Did you ever meet Cal's girlfriend Taylor?"
Lily shook her head blankly. She'd seen Cal with so many girls.
"Well, she's a con-artist and she's just had a baby," said Ethan. "She's not sure who the father is, but she gave her to Cal and then disappeared. So now we have an as-yet-unnamed baby girl and we've spent the whole night working out how to heat up milk and change nappies."
"I see," said Lily. "I'm surprised it hasn't happened sooner. I'll go and make your coffee."
She went into the kitchen, switched the kettle on and leaned against the counter for a moment, her eyes closed. She didn't know why the news about Cal affected her so much, but it reminded her that once she'd been the baby girl in her father's arms, thrown into a new world she couldn't begin to understand, utterly dependent on her parents.
For some reason, Lily felt a bit like that now. She had no father, but that was enough to make the world seem different and strange. Part of her raison-d'être had vanished, leaving her cut adrift, abandoned, no longer sure of anything.
She was a doctor because that was what had father had always wanted, but what did Lily want?
Did that even matter?
She realised the kettle had boiled and quickly made the tea. She returned to the living room to find Ethan stretched across the sofa, fast asleep. Lily stood and watched him for a moment. It was clear to her that he was in no condition to work, but although the shadows under his eyes remained, some of the stress and worry had been smoothed from his face as he slept.
Lily crept closer. She knew from experience what a bad idea it was to fall asleep in glasses. She knelt beside him and leaned in close. She wasn't sure she'd ever been this close to him before: at least, not to his face. She saw the smoothness of his skin; the triangle of three moles on his cheek that somehow seemed to pinpoint the perfect place to kiss him. She breathed in the scent of his cologne, wondered briefly if it was shampoo, then found herself moving her nose closer to his hair to make sure.
It must be his cologne for his hair smelled different: lovely, sweet, fresh… but manly. He looked… he looked…
Lily suddenly realised what she was doing and drew back from him. Now her senses were no longer being assailed so strongly, she was able to remember her original purpose. She reached for his glasses and felt her fingers brush his skin, then his hair.
She trembled violently and the movement disturbed Ethan. He opened his eyes to see Lily's face and although his deep brown eyes filled with surprise, he looked far from unhappy and there was a smile on his face.
Lily's eyes were drawn to his lips and she felt herself moving closer, her hands in his hair, and…
…and then she remembered.
Her father had died. She was in mourning. This was not the correct way to behave.
She sat back on her heels and tried to speak through her confusion. "I... I was trying to take your glasses off…"
"Oh, I see," said Ethan. His voice sounded strange, but that was probably because he'd been asleep. "Thank you, Lily. Falling asleep in glasses is never a good idea." He frowned slightly as he sat up and looked around him. "What happened? What am I… did we…" A look of comprehension came into his eyes. "Oh, I remember now. I'm sorry, Lily. I didn't mean to fall asleep."
"It's all right," said Lily. "You explained you were seeing to the baby all night."
"Spending the night trying to comfort a crying baby isn't easy," said Ethan with an awkward laugh. "Especially not when he's your big brother. Not that I blame Cal at all - it's understandable that he's emotional after everything that's happened - but the actual baby is an angel in comparison."
And so are you, Lily couldn't help thinking. It wasn't just his looks. The poor man had hardly slept and he looked very worried about Cal, despite the jokes, but he'd still taken the time to support a bereaved colleague.
He really was an angel.
Their eyes locked again.
"Lily…" said Ethan huskily.
"I… I made you some coffee!" said Lily, and went to get it.
Ethan sat up and accepted it gratefully. "Thanks, Lily."
Lily stood and watched him drink it. "I don't think you should be working today. You're too tired."
Ethan gave her a sweet smile. "I don't really have much choice. Cal is staying at home with the baby – or staying at home ill, as I've got to tell Mrs Beauchamp." He sighed wearily and pushed his hands through his hair.
"You shouldn't lie for him," said Lily. "Cal should not need you to solve his problems for him."
"This problem is too big for Cal to deal with on his own," said Ethan. His eyes looked into Lily's for a moment. "Some problems are. Sometimes even the strongest people need support."
Lily knew what he meant. "I don't need support," she said.
Ethan looked doubtful, but then he smiled. "Of course not. I shouldn't presume." He had some more of his coffee. "I'm sorry: in all the excitement, I forgot to ask you. Would you like a lift to work today?"
"I'm not sure you should be working," said Lily.
"I'm not completely sure you should be either," said Ethan. "But we're both alike in that way. Our sense of responsibility is very strong."
Lily nodded. "Yes. It is."
Ethan yawned again. "Excuse me, Lily. So, assuming we can't persuade each other to take the day off, would you like a lift to work?"
"That would be very kind, Ethan," said Lily.
