Chapter Four: Fading Away.

For two days, Aurora didn’t see Xavier.

He was in the same hospital, but it was as if they lived in two separate worlds. He went to work, came back, and always stopped at Jaxon’s ward. Not once did he walk into Elara’s room. Aurora told herself she shouldn’t be surprised, but each passing hour still tore something inside her.

When Elara was finally discharged, Aurora held her hand as they walked the hall. The little girl leaned heavily against her mother, her steps dragging.

They passed by Jaxon’s ward just as Elara tilted her tired face upward and whispered,

“Mommy, why isn’t Daddy the one picking us up?”

Aurora forced a smile and stroked her daughter’s head, silently thanking heaven that Elara wasn’t tall enough to see through the glass door. Because inside, Xavier sat on a chair, carefully feeding Jackson orange slices, his face softened with patience Aurora hadn’t seen in years.

“He’s at work, sweetheart,” Aurora said gently, her throat tightening. “Daddy will come as soon as he can.”

Elara nodded, small and trusting. Aurora lowered her gaze, swallowing the bitterness that burned her chest, and led her daughter out.

At home, Elara seemed weaker than before. Since the allergic reaction, her body had grown frailer, her breaths slower. She could barely walk without Aurora lifting her.

“Baby, what do you want for lunch?” Aurora asked as she laid her daughter on the couch.

Elara shook her head weakly. “I’m not hungry… I just want to sleep.”

“No, sweetheart, you have to eat something,” Aurora pleaded, crouching so her eyes met her daughter’s dim ones. “You’ve barely eaten. Please.”

Elara hesitated, her voice faint. “Can you… can you make your famous chicken soup? The one with pepper?”

Aurora’s lips curved into a trembling smile. “Of course, my love.”

She carried Elara to the barstool, propping her gently while she cooked. Elara’s small arms rested limply on the counter, her eyelids heavy. Aurora stirred the pot, each movement heavy with desperation and silent prayers over the steam.

When the soup was ready, she fed Elara spoon by spoon. The girl managed a few bites before exhaustion claimed her again. Aurora carried her to bed, tucking her in, brushing a kiss against her damp forehead.

Afterward, she sat in the kitchen with her phone clutched tightly in her hand. Her eyes were swollen from lack of sleep, her body trembling as she dialed the same number she had been calling for two years. This time, it connected.

A familiar voice answered. “Aurora?”

Her heart stilled. Tears blurred her sight as her hand flew to her mouth. “Oh my God… Cole? Is it really you?”

“Yeah, it’s me.” His tone was laced with shock. “It’s been years.”

Aurora let out a shaky laugh that broke into sobs. “How have you been?”

“I’m fine. But what about you? Why are you crying?”

Her breath came in fragments. “I’ve been trying to reach you for two years. Cole, it’s Elara. She’s sick. They can’t figure out what’s wrong with her. Please, Cole, she’s dying and I can’t do anything.”

There was a pause. Then his voice turned firm.

“Calm down, Aurora. I wish I had known earlier. I wasn’t in the country, I had to go to Africa, there was an outbreak. That’s why I’ve been unreachable. But I’m back now. Tell me everything.”

Aurora pressed her forehead to the counter, clutching the phone like it was her last lifeline.

“She’s so weak, Cole. She can barely walk, her hair’s falling out, and the doctors don’t even know what it is. I don’t have the facilities, I don’t—”

“Hey,” he cut in gently. “Breathe. I’ll help you. I promise. I’m not in New York at the moment, but next week I’ll fly down and take a look at her myself.”

Fresh tears streamed down Aurora’s face. Relief made her shoulders shake. “Thank you… oh God, thank you.”

When the call ended, Aurora wept into her hands, whispering gratitude into the empty kitchen.

—

She finally saw Xavier again a few days later. He walked into the house, his face drawn from sleepless nights. Aurora sat at the kitchen counter, a glass of wine in her hand, her eyes hollow.

“How’s Elara?” Xavier asked cautiously, studying her tired figure.

She turned, her gaze sharp, rimmed red from tears and exhaustion. Her lips twisted into a bitter smile.

“So now you remember you have a daughter? Or are you done playing house with Lilith and her son?”

Xavier’s jaw clenched. “You’re drunk.”

“Don’t give me that crap,” Aurora snapped, slamming the glass down. “I’m not drunk, Xavier. Your daughter was in the hospital, and you were there too. But you never came once. Not once.” Her voice cracked. “When we walked past your ward, Elara asked why her daddy didn’t come to pick her. Do you know how that felt?”

Guilt flickered across his face. His eyes dropped, as they so often did lately. “Please, Aurora… I’m exhausted. Just… how is she?”

“Of course you’re exhausted,” Aurora laughed bitterly. “Exhausted being a father to a boy that isn’t even yours.” She pointed upstairs, her voice breaking. “Your daughter is in her room. Do well to check on her.”

Xavier said nothing. He just went upstairs, his steps heavy.

When he entered Elara’s room, his chest tightened. For the first time, he really looked at her. She lay curled beneath the blankets, her face was pale and her cheeks were hollow, her chest rising shallowly with each breath. He lingered at her bedside, staring, before exhaling sharply.

It’s probably just the allergic reaction, he told himself. She’ll be fine.

But something deep in his gut whispered otherwise.

The following week came quickly.

Aurora and Elara met Cole at a restaurant. When Aurora saw him, relief and familiarity washed over her. He embraced her warmly, then knelt to Elara’s level.

“You must be Elara, I have heard so much about you.” He said softly, his smile tender.

Elara blinked up at him with wide, tired eyes. “Are you Mommy’s friend? She said you’ll make me feel better soon.”

Cole’s throat tightened. “Yes, I’m your mommy’s friend. And yes, I’ll make you feel better.”

But before they could sit down, Elara doubled over in a fit of coughing. Aurora’s heart stopped as red stained her daughter’s lips. Blood.

“Elara!” Aurora screamed, catching her just as her small body convulsed violently.

People rushed around them as Cole grabbed his phone, calling for an ambulance. Aurora cradled her daughter, her tears wetting the little girl’s hair. “Stay with me, baby. Please, stay with me!”

In the chaos, Aurora dialed Xavier again and again. The line rang, unanswered. She called once, twice, ten times, screaming into the phone. “Pick up, Xavier! Your daughter….your daughter needs you!”

Still, nothing.

By the time the ambulance arrived, Elara was unconscious. At the hospital, she was whisked into the emergency ward, leaving Aurora shaking and desperate. She kept calling Xavier, her fingers trembling, her heart cracking with each unanswered ring.

Cole tried to soothe her. “Don’t worry. She’ll be fine.”

But when the doctor emerged minutes later, his face grim, Aurora already knew. Her knees weakened, her entire body cold as ice.

“I’m sorry,” the doctor said softly. “We lost her.”

Then the world shattered around her.