"Nothing, baby. Everything's fine. I just—" I turn to look at her. "I just need you to go inside and play in your room for a bit, okay? Mama needs to think."
"But—"
"Please, Elena. Just for a little while."
She nods, sniffling, and climbs out of the truck. I watch her go inside, making sure she's safe, then I sit there with my head on the steering wheel.
They found the body. After a month of silence, of starting to believe we might be safe, they found him. It's only a matter of time now. Days, maybe. A week at most. Before someone identifies Draco. Before his people start asking questions. Before they trace his last known location to this area.
Before they come looking.
I need to tell Lupo. Need to warn him. But he's at the construction site and won't be home for hours. Hours we don't have. I pull out my phone with shaking hands. He doesn't have a phone. But I need to reach him. Need to tell him.
I'm still sitting there, paralyzed with fear, when I hear a vehicle approaching.
My heart stops.
Is it them? Already?
But when I look up, it's just a delivery truck, passing by on the main road. Not even slowing down. I'm being paranoid. They don't know yet. Can't know yet.
But they will. Soon.
I force myself out of the truck and into the house. Elena is in her room, playing quietly with her rabbit. I check on her, make sure she's okay, then go to the kitchen.
The tomatoes are still in the bag on the counter. The red pasta I was going to make for Lupo tonight.
I laugh, a slightly hysterical sound. Pasta. I was worried about making pasta while our entire world is about to come crashing down.
I need to think. Need to plan.
We could run. Pack what we can carry, take the truck, and disappear. Change our names again. Find another place to hide.
But Lupo's at work. We can't leave without him.
And even if we could, where would we go? How long before Draco's people find us again? How long before someone else shows up to threaten Elena?
I sink into a chair at the kitchen table, my head in my hands.
One month. We had one month of happiness. Of safety. Of pretending we could have a normal life.
And now it's over.
The only question is what we do next.
Do we run? Do we stay and fight? Do we wait and hope they don't connect Draco to this farm? I don't have answers. Don't have a plan.
All I know is that Lupo needs to come home. Now.
Because whatever happens next, we need to face it together.
I pull out my phone again and stare at it uselessly. No way to call him. No way to warn him.
All I can do is wait.
Wait for him to come home.
Wait for our fragile, beautiful life to shatter.
