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Chapter 7: The Late-Night Text
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2026-01-22 15:23:15Elena couldn't sleep. Again. The apartment was quiet except for the hum of the fridge and Theo's soft snores down the hall. She lay on her back staring at the ceiling fan, blades turning slow circles. The stuffed wolf sat on the nightstand now. Theo had named him Shadow. Insisted he sleep with it every night.
She rolled over. Grabbed her phone. The screen lit up her face. 1:47 a.m. No new messages. She opened the thread with Alexander anyway. Read the last one again. Thank you for today. Best birthday I've had in years. - Alex She'd replied with a simple You're welcome. Nothing more. Too afraid to say anything else. Her thumb hovered over the keyboard. She typed. Deleted. Typed again. Theo asked about you at bedtime. Said he wants you to read him a story next time. She stared at the words. Heart thumping. Hit send before she could talk herself out of it. The three dots appeared almost immediately. He's welcome anytime. Then another message. You okay? She bit her lip. The question felt too gentle. Too much like he cared. I'm fine. Just can't sleep. Why? Birthday stuff. Thinking too much. About what? Everything. She waited. No dots. Then: Can I call? Her stomach flipped. It's late. I know. She stared at the screen. Thumb shaking a little. Okay. The phone rang two seconds later. She answered on the first ring. Kept her voice low. "Hello?" "Hey." His voice was rough. Tired. Like he'd been awake too. "Hi." Silence for a second. Not awkward. Just full. "You really okay?" he asked. She exhaled. "I don't know." "Tell me." She pulled the blanket up to her chin. "Theo's happy. Really happy. And that scares me." "Because of me?" "Because of how fast it's happening. He asks about you every day now. He drew another picture. You, me, him. Again." Alexander was quiet. "What did you tell him?" "That you're a friend. A good one." Another pause. "Do you want me to step back?" he asked. She closed her eyes. "No." "Then what do you want?" "I want to trust this. But every time I start to, I remember the photo. The headlines. The life you have. And I think, how long before he gets hurt?" "I'm not going anywhere, Elena." "You said that four years ago too." "I know." His voice cracked just a little. "I was wrong then. I'm not now." She didn't say anything. "Elena?" "I'm here." "Can I see you? Tomorrow. Just us. No Theo. Coffee. Somewhere quiet." She swallowed. "Why?" "Because I need to look at you when I say this stuff. Not over text. Not over the phone." She thought about it. Thought about the way he looked at Theo today. The way he looked at her when Theo fell asleep between them. "Okay," she said. "Tomorrow. After work. There's a café near the office. Small one. 6 p.m." "I'll be there." She nodded even though he couldn't see. "Goodnight, Alex." "Goodnight." He didn't hang up right away. Neither did she. Then the line went quiet. Elena set the phone down. Stared at the ceiling again. The fan kept turning. She didn't sleep much. The next day dragged. Meetings blurred together. She kept checking the clock. At 5:45 she grabbed her coat. Told the team she had an appointment. The café was small. Corner table. Window seat. She got there first. Ordered tea she didn't drink. Watched the door. Alexander walked in at exactly 6. Same dark sweater. Hair a little messy. He saw her. Smiled small. Came over. Sat across from her. No words at first. Just looking. "You came," she said. "I said I would." She wrapped her hands around the mug. "What did you want to say?" He leaned forward. Elbows on the table. "I want you to know I'm serious. About Theo. About you. About all of it." She looked down at the tea. "I know you mean it right now." "But?" "But right now isn't forever." He reached across. Didn't touch her. Just let his hand rest near hers. "I'm not asking for forever yet," he said. "I'm asking for a chance. To show you I can be the man you need. The father Theo deserves." She met his eyes. Saw something raw there. Something scared. "What if you can't?" she asked. "Then I'll walk away. But not before I try." She believed him. Or wanted to. "Okay," she said. "Okay?" "One date. No promises. No big gestures. Just... us." He smiled. Slow. Real. "One date." They talked for an hour. Nothing heavy. Work. Theo's favorite toys. The way he laughed at bad jokes. Simple things. When they left the café it was dark outside. Cold. Alexander walked her to the subway entrance. "Thank you," he said. "For what?" "For this." She looked up at him. Streetlight catching his face. He leaned in. Slow. Gave her time to pull away. She didn't. His lips brushed hers. Soft. Careful. Like he was afraid she'd break. Then he stepped back. "Goodnight, Elena." "Goodnight." She went down the stairs. Heart racing. On the train home she touched her lips. Still felt him there. Theo was asleep when she got in. Mrs. Alvarez had left a note: He was an angel. Wolf tucked in tight. Elena sat on the edge of his bed. Watched him breathe. She pulled out her phone. Opened the thread with Alexander. Thank you for tonight. Dots appeared. Anytime. She smiled. Small. Put the phone away. And for the first time in a long time, the future didn't feel like something to survive. It felt like something to step into.
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