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They didn't touch right away. Athena rinsed the knife and set it in the drying rack. Carol wiped the counter where fig juice had darkened the wood, careful thorough. The rain kept up its soft percussion against the roof, steady enough to fade into the background. "I'll do the dishes," Carol said. "You always say that," Athena replied, not teasing. Just observant.

Carol paused, then handed her the towel instead. "Okay," she said. "You wash. I'll dry." It felt like a truce made of muscle memory. They worked side by side in the narrow space, shoulders brushing occasionally, not apologizing. Athena passed plates back without looking. Carol caught them every time. At some point, Athena started humming—something tuneless and familiar, like she wasn't even aware she was doing it.

Carol realized, with a quiet jolt, that she wasn't replaying the argument. Her chest felt loose. Unbraced. "That thing earlier," Carol said, voice low, timed between movements. "I didn't mean to make it about control." Athena didn't stop washing. "I know." "I just—" Carol swallowed. "When something's open, I feel like I should be watching it." Athena nodded once. "You were." Carol blinked. "What?"

"You were watching it," Athena said, gentle. "And then you told me. That's different than doing it alone." Carol let that settle. The last plate went into the rack. Athena turned off the water, shook her hands dry, then leaned back against the counter. "Hey," she said. "I'm not going anywhere." Carol looked at her, really looked. No guarded edges. No waiting for the other shoe to drop. "I know," Carol said. And for the first time, she meant it without adding but.

Athena reached for her then—not pulling, just touching. Fingers warm at Carol's wrist. "Come sit with me." They ended up on the couch, knees touching, the blanket pulled up more for habit than need. Athena rested her head on Carol's shoulder. Carol adjusted without thinking, arm settling around her. Outside, the rain softened. Inside, the space between them stayed open—and safe enough not to watch.