EVERGLOW

XXVI. How to dance on the brink

"My publisher called," she began as she slid between the covers.

It had been a few nights after their day trip. She'd just finished packing for them both for Jia and Caesar's beach wedding in Thailand.

Cai's light snores filled the room. Unfortunately, they couldn't take her. They couldn't process her passport while her adoption wasn't final yet.

Dylan remained quiet. She feared she might have taken too long in the bathroom and he'd fallen asleep. She'd wanted to bring up the subject before they had to leave for Phuket the next day. She'd put it off long enough.

She sighed quietly as she lay on her back. For some reason, she dreaded telling him about it. She wouldn't even have considered it. But now that her mother and father were here to care for Cai, she thought she might hit two birds with one stone and tie up a few loose ends back in New York.

She wrote her books under a fake name - Luna Llena, an indirect translation of Wang Yue, which meant full moon. And she always pretended to be a random employee during her book launches - a bookstore staff, an usherette. Once she even dressed as the café's mascot.

Ms. Llena never showed her face anywhere. The only thing keeping it from starting obsessive conspiracy theories was that her market was mainly parents too busy with their kids to even think about trying to dig up her identity.

She has yet to miss a single launch. But she would readily do so if it meant staying home with Dylan and Cai. So she had to do everything she needed to on this trip.

She started as he rolled to his side and pulled her close, burying his face in her hair.

"Yeah?" His voice was rough, and she felt bad for putting it off until it was time for bed.

"They've set the date for a book launch. Next week. I thought I'd take the time to take care of a few stuff back there. Bring back some stuff I'd left because I thought... I have a cat I share complicated ownership with a neighbor. I need to hand in my resignation for a part-time teaching job. Close up the papartment properly, maybe put it up for rent."

She was rambling. But he wasn't speaking, and keeping too still.

"I'll be right back. It's just for two days."

"Okay."

She blinked. He couldn't possibly mean it. Not this quick.

She was relieved and she knew he wasn't unreasonable. But she had been prepared for a little resistance.

She twisted around to search his face in the dim light.

"Are you sure?"

He raised a brow. Aside from that, there was nothing on his face to give her a clue about what he was thinking.

She knew that mask. He wasn't telling her everything.

"Dylan, if you don't think -"

"Yue, you have a job. So do I. Yes we have Cai now, but I never expected you to give up anything. We can work around it."

She let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. He could be reticent about his reservations but he never said things he didn't mean.

"Okay," she replied cautiously. "Thank you."

He closed his eyes and she placed a hand over his arm around her waist, content to spend a few more minutes watching him drift off before sleep came for her.

"I'll miss you though."

She smiled. "I will too."

It was his turn to smile. "Don't be silly. It's just two days."