MasukThe soft glow of the nursery lamp hummed quietly as Andrea rocked Sophie back and forth, her mind far away in the sterile halls of Saint Matthew’s Hospital. Every minute felt like an hour as she waited for the sound of the front door.Around eight in the evening, the quiet rustle of keys signaled Henry’s arrival.He slipped off his suit jacket, rolling up his sleeves as he walked into the nursery. He looked tired—his sharp shoulders slightly sloped from a long day of high-stakes corporate meetings."Hey," Henry murmured softly, stepping up behind Andrea and resting his chin gently against her hair. "How are my girls doing?"He leaned down to press a kiss to Andrea’s cheek, but as he pulled back, his dark eyes locked onto her face. Her posture was tense, her gaze fixed blankly on the wall, and her eyes red-rimmed from crying.Henry’s gentle expression instantly shifted into deep concern. He knelt beside her rocking chair, placing a warm, grounding hand over hers."Andi," Henry said qui
Standing near the floor-to-ceiling windows, Andrea held her phone with trembling hands. Her heart pounded against her ribs as she opened the text message thread with the unknown number.Her finger hovered over the keyboard. Following Grandma Grace’s advice, she typed out a brief, distant message:Andrea: If this is really you, we can meet briefly tomorrow afternoon at the Grand Hotel lobby.She pressed send.Not even ten seconds passed before her phone violently vibrated in her hand. It wasn't a text back—the screen lit up with an incoming voice call from that exact same unknown number.Andrea gasped softly, stepping back from the coffee table as if the phone were about to burn her. Her immediate instinct was to reject it, but as the phone continued to ring, her chest tightened. Seventeen years of buried memories—birthday cakes, art supplies, and the sudden empty study—rushed into her head all at once.With a shaky, trembling finger, she slid the green icon to answer and slowly presse
"Yes," Andrea choked out, a single hot tear finally escaping down her cheek. "He texted me as if nothing ever happened, Grandma. As if he didn't tear our lives apart and walk out on us seventeen years ago."For a long moment, the only sound on the line was Grandma Grace's heavy, ragged breathing. When Grace finally spoke again, the gentle, soft-spoken matriarch was completely gone. In her place was a woman whose voice vibrated with a cold, terrifying fury that Andrea had rarely ever heard."Where did he get your private number, Andrea?" Grace demanded, her voice tight and trembling with anger. "How dare that man... how dare he resurface now, after everything he put your poor mother through?! After leaving you with nothing!""I don't know how he found my number, Grandma," Andrea sobbed softly, wiping her cheek with the back of her sleeve. "I haven't replied. I haven't said a word to him. But my head is spinning. Every time I look at Sophie, I just... I think about how a father could ev
The bedroom was silent, bathed in the dim, cool hue of the midnight moonlight filtering through the expansive floor-to-ceiling penthouse windows.Beside her, Henry’s dark eyes were closed, his heavy, rhythmic breathing steady against the quiet room. His long, muscular arm was draped protectively across her waist, pinning her gently to his side, keeping her anchored against him just as he had promised before they fell asleep. The steady warmth of his body radiating against her back was usually enough to make all her anxieties melt away.But tonight, Andrea’s eyes were wide open, staring blankly at the dark ceiling overhead.Every time she closed her eyes, the cold, stark text on her phone screen flashed behind her eyelids like a burning flare, searing itself into her brain:Hello, Andrea. This is your dad. I heard about the baby and your marriage. I’m back in Chicago. Can we talk?How could he?How could he just step out from the shadows after seventeen long years with a casual, offhand
In the soft light of the nursery, Andrea held Sophie close to her chest, her heart melting as their five-month-old daughter let out a series of high-pitched, bubbly giggles. Sophie’s tiny hands kicked in the air, her dark eyes wide and full of delight as if she completely understood the joke."Look at her," Andrea laughed, looking down at her daughter and then turning back to Henry with a mischievous grin. "She's laughing at you! Do you think your daddy is lazy, Sophie? Hmm? He couldn't even handle your little dressing!"Sophie babbled in response, kicking her feet against Andrea's stomach, which only made Andrea throw her head back in pure, bright laughter.Henry crossed his arms over his chest, trying his best to hold a serious, dignified expression, but seeing both of his girls laughing together completely dissolved his stern exterior. A soft, affectionate smile broke across his face as he stepped closer, leaning down to nuzzle his face against Sophie’s neck, blowing a gentle raspb
The late afternoon sun filtered through the sheer curtains of the Grand Avenue penthouse, painting the living room in warm, golden hues.Andrea stepped off the private elevator, letting out a long, quiet breath as she slipped off her flats. She had just returned from an intense, breakthrough psychology session with Dr. Foster. Working through her postpartum anxiety was mentally exhausting, but for the first time in months, her mind felt clear, light, and anchored.Hearing soft footsteps in the hallway, Henry stepped out of the study, dressed down in a crisp white shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows."How was the session with Dr. Foster?" Henry asked, stepping over to wrap a supportive arm around her waist, pressing a gentle kiss to her temple."It was really good," Andrea murmured, leaning her head against his shoulder. "We worked on cognitive reframing today. But I am completely running on empty, Henry. My brain is mush.""Then go lie down," Henry said softly, rubbing her
Andrea had been staring at the same training slide for almost ten minutes. Something about workplace compliance policies or data structure or maybe cybersecurity. At this point, she honestly had no idea anymore because every time she tried to focus, her mind drifted straight back to the man from t
The elevator doors opened with a soft chime and Andrea stepped out onto the fiftieth floor, clutching the orientation papers against her chest. The atmosphere upstairs felt completely different from the rest of the company. The lower floors had been busy and noisy, filled with ringing phones and ca
Andrea woke with a sharp inhale, her body jolting upright before her mind fully caught up. For a brief second, everything felt still, almost peaceful… until reality crashed back in. Her phone lit up beside her. 7:37 AM. “Shit.” The word slipped out under her breath as her heart kicked hard a
Andrea’s hands trembled as she reached Caleb’s apartment door, her mind still trying to come up with excuses for why he hadn't texted or called her yet on her birthday. Maybe his phone died. Maybe something happened. Maybe there was a reason he had left her sitting alone at Giovanni’s on her birt







