Richard watched her retreat to the kitchen, a silent gratitude welling up within him. He turned back to Oliver. “Hey, how about we do something together tonight? Just the two of us.”

Oliver’s eyes lit up, the earlier tears replaced by a sparkle of excitement. “Really? Can we watch the new superhero movie?”

“Absolutely,” Richard said, feeling a warm resolve in his chest. “And maybe we can order some pizza. What do you think?”