Chapter 4

Daphne

The air still smelled like smoke.

It clung to my hair, my clothes, even the inside of my throat. I stood on the sidewalk with my apron still tied around my waist, staring at what used to be the bakery. Flames no longer licked the walls, but the windows were blackened and the air shimmered with heat. Steam hissed as firefighters sprayed the last stubborn embers.

Someone beside me was crying.

My co-worker, Lila, had her face buried in her hands. She was still wearing her flour-dusted uniform, mascara streaked down her cheeks. I reached for her and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. She shook under my touch.

“I don’t know what we’re going to do,” she said, her voice breaking.

I didn’t have an answer.

The owner, Mr. Whitaker, stood a few feet away. He looked lost, the way a man does when everything he’s built just disappeared in front of him. His hands were covered in soot, his eyes glassy. When he finally looked at me, guilt flickered across his face.

“Daphne,” he said softly, stepping closer. “I’m so sorry. I know you needed this job. You and your little boy…”

I shook my head before he could finish. “Don’t apologize. You lost everything too.”

He looked down at the pavement and nodded, unable to say more. The air around us was filled with the sounds of cracking wood and distant sirens. For a long moment, none of us spoke.

I didn’t cry. I thought I might, but there was nothing left to give. I had cried too much in my life already.

By the time I got home, the afternoon sun had dulled to a soft orange. My clothes still smelled like burnt sugar and smoke.

Our apartment was small—just two bedrooms, a kitchen barely big enough to turn around in, and walls so thin you could hear the neighbors argue about the same things every night. Rent was cheap, which was the only reason we could afford it.

I kicked off my shoes by the door and leaned against the wall for a moment, closing my eyes.

“Mommy!”

That small, bright voice hit me before I even saw him.

A tiny blur rushed from the living room and crashed into my legs. I opened my eyes and looked down at a pair of wide brown eyes staring up at me, full of light and life.

Caleb.

My whole world.

He was four now, all chubby cheeks and wild curls, his smile missing one tiny front tooth. He was holding his favorite toy car in one hand and clutching my apron with the other.

“Hey, baby,” I whispered, scooping him up. He giggled and wrapped his arms around my neck, his hair tickling my chin. The warmth of his small body against mine melted everything else away for a moment—the smoke, the fear, the exhaustion.

“You smell funny,” he said, nose wrinkling.

I laughed weakly. “I know, sweetheart. Mommy had a long day.”

From the kitchen, my roommate called out, “Long day? You look like you went inside a chimney!”

I glanced over and saw Serena leaning against the counter, arms crossed, a half-smile tugging at her lips. She was still in her oversized hoodie, her blonde hair tied in a messy knot. She worked nights at a bar downtown and always looked half asleep during the day, but her eyes were sharp and kind.

“Thanks,” I said dryly, lowering Caleb to the floor. “That’s exactly what I needed to hear.”

She shrugged, grinning. “I call it like I see it. What happened?”

“The bakery,” I said quietly. “It burned down.”

Serena’s smile faded. “What? Oh my god, are you serious?”

I nodded and sank onto the couch. “It’s gone. Completely. Mr. Whitaker said it started in the back oven. Electrical issue, maybe.”

She swore under her breath and sat beside me. “I’m so sorry, Daph. That was your main gig, right?”

I nodded again, pressing my palms together. “Yeah. I don’t know what I’m going to do now.”

“You’ll figure it out,” she said, bumping her shoulder lightly against mine.

I smiled faintly but didn’t reply. Caleb had climbed onto the couch beside me, humming to himself as he drove his toy car along the cushion. His little brow furrowed in concentration. The sight of him made my chest ache in that familiar, beautiful way.

He was the reason I kept going. The reason I never let myself fall apart completely.

I had gotten pregnant the same year I was supposed to graduate. Everyone said it was a mistake, that my life was over, but they were wrong. My plans had changed, yes—but one look at Caleb, and I knew I could never regret him.

I just regretted everything that came before.

Serena reached for the remote and muted the TV. The sudden silence made the apartment feel smaller. “You know,” she said carefully, “I don’t want to pry, but… you could always tell his father.”

I froze.

“We’ve been over this,” I said quietly.

“I know,” she replied, leaning forward, resting her elbows on her knees. “But seriously, Daph. You’re struggling. I get it—you don’t want to work where I do, fine. I totally get it. But if you won’t take the bar job, at least talk to the guy. Maybe he’d help.”

I laughed, but it came out brittle. “You make it sound so simple.”

“Isn’t it? He deserves to know, doesn’t he?”

I stared down at my hands. They were trembling again.

She watched me, curiosity flickering in her eyes. “Who is he, anyway? You never talk about him. What, was he married or something?”

“No,” I said quickly. Too quickly.

She raised an eyebrow. “Then why all the mystery? You make it sound like he’s a spy.”

“Because it doesn’t matter,” I said, cutting her off. I stood up, forcing my voice to stay steady. “It’s done. He doesn’t need to know, and I don’t need him.”

Serena sighed, leaning back. “Fine. But if I ever find out he’s some deadbeat living two blocks away, I’m personally gonna—”

“Serena.”

“Okay, okay. I’ll shut up.”

Caleb looked up from his toy, blinking between us. “Mommy, are you mad?”

My heart twisted. I knelt beside him and brushed his hair out of his eyes. “No, baby. Mommy’s not mad. I’m just tired.”

He smiled, showing that tiny gap in his teeth again. “Can we have pancakes for dinner?”

I laughed softly, the heaviness in my chest easing just a little. “Yeah. Pancakes sound perfect.”

Serena stood up, stretching. “See? That’s my cue to go nap before work. Don’t burn the place down, okay?”

“Too soon,” I muttered, and she laughed, disappearing into her room.

I turned back to Caleb, who was still grinning at me like the world was simple and safe. I wished I could see it the way he did.

As I whisked the pancake batter in the small kitchen, the smell of smoke still lingered faintly in the air. Outside, the sun dipped lower, throwing long shadows across the walls.

Life had taken so many things from me already. But it hadn’t taken him.

And as long as I had Caleb, I could keep going.

Even if I had to start over again and again.