“Car accident,” I explain quietly.
Lucy nods once. “And after that . . . I just never looked at anyone else the same way.” Her fingers curl loosely around her wine glass. “Nobody ever came close to making me feel what John did.” The sadness in her voice aches somewhere deep in my chest. “But I was never short of love,” she adds quickly, reaching across to squeeze my hand. “After Carol died, I moved in withmy brother to help raise this one.” She smiles at me fondly. “And we’ve been stuck together ever since.”
I smile back softly. “Losing John is what pushed Lucy into nursing,” I tell them.
Ray nods thoughtfully. “I imagine that’s incredibly rewarding work.”
Lucy looks at him for a long moment before speaking again. “John and I were actually in the process of adopting before he passed.”
I blink in surprise. “You never told me that.”
A sad smile touches her lips. “There are too many children out there who deserve safe homes.” Her gaze flicks briefly towards Ray. “It felt like the right thing to do.”
Something unreadable passes across Ray’s face.
“But after John died,” she exhales slowly, “I lost my fight for a while. I convinced myself I couldn’t do it alone.” Her fingers tighten slightly around her glass. “It’s one of the biggest regrets of my life.”
Quiet settles around the table again, then Ray speaks.
“It’s something I’ve thought about before too.” Lucy’s brows lift slightly. “But with Sebastian and Anika, life always got busy.” His gaze drops briefly to the table before lifting again. “Maybe one day.”
I glance towards Lucy and catch something surprising in her expression.Admiration.And suddenly, my chest feels strangely full. Maybe tonight really is changing something.
“He already does more than most people realise,” Catherine says proudly. Ray visibly stiffens beside me. “He donates to three local children’s homes,” she continues. “And several charities supporting children in care.”
“Catherine—”
“Oh, hush,” she waves him off. “You’d never tell anyone yourself because apparently modesty is one of your many emotional repression techniques.”
Lucy snorts into her wine. And beside me, I swear I feel Ray trying not to smile. Lucy studies Ray over the rim of her wine glass for a long moment.
“What?” he asks dryly.
Lucy hums thoughtfully. “I’m trying to decide whether you’re secretly decent or whether this is all a very elaborate performance.”
“Lucy,” I mutter.
“What? I’m evolving. This is me making an effort.”
Ray actually lets out a quiet laugh beside me, low enough that I almost miss it. “Well, that’s terrifying,” he says.
Catherine smiles into her wine while Lucy points at him. “See? That. You should do that more often.”
“Do what?”
“Act like a human being.”
I choke slightly on my water. Ray drags a hand over his jaw, but I catch the smallest twitch at the corner of his mouth.
“So,” she says, leaning back in her chair, “what do you actually do when you aren’t glaring at people or emotionally repressing yourself?”
“Lucy,” I warn again.
“What?” she asks innocently. “I’m getting to know him.”
Ray looks strangely unbothered now. “I work.”
“Obviously. That apartment doesn’t come cheap.” She pauses a moment then adds, “Does it come with the fancy casino?”