He looked at me for a second, as if deciding whether to ask more, then nodded. “Alright. Text me when you’re inside.”
“I will.”
I stepped out into the cold air and pulled my coat tighter around myself, waiting until his car disappeared down the street before turning toward the apartment. That was when I felt it, a small shift around me that made me pause with my hand near my bag.
I looked back down the street. It was nearly empty, with only parked cars, wet pavement, and streetlights reflected in the road. Nothing was out of place, nothing I could point to, yet my pulse still quickened.
It felt as if someone was watching me. I stood there for another second, listening to the distant hum of the city, then forced myself to move.
You’re imagining things.
Of course I was. Tonight had been too much, filled with memories I was not ready to face and the shock of being too close to Hayden again.
Still, the feeling did not leave at once. It stayed with me until I forced myself to turn away and step inside. Warmth met me as the door closed behind me, cutting off the cold and the unease that had followed me from the street. I exhaled and went upstairs, each step carrying me closer to the only part of the night that felt real.
The lock clicked under my hand, and before I could step fully inside, small footsteps rushed down the hallway.
“Mommy!”
Helena came running toward me, her silky straight hair tied into two ponytails that swung with each step, her arms already reaching for me. My heart softened at once.
“Hi, my love,” I murmured, dropping my bag as I bent to catch her.
She climbed into my arms and wrapped herself around my neck. “You came late.”
“I know. I’m sorry.”
“You said story.”
“I did.” I kissed her hair. “And I always keep my promises, don’t I?”
She pulled back and looked at my face with sudden seriousness. “Why are your cheeks red?”
I almost laughed. “Because it’s cold outside.”
She narrowed her eyes. “Hmm.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means maybe.”
I brushed a loose strand away from her forehead. “What did you do with Mrs. Graham while I was gone?”
“We watched the penguin movie,” she said, brightening at once. “And I had popcorn.”
“How much popcorn?”
She looked toward the kitchen, then whispered, “A lot.”
From the kitchen, Mrs. Graham called, “A perfectly reasonable amount.”
Helena leaned closer to my ear. “She says that because she helped me eat it.”
I smiled despite the heaviness still sitting in my chest. “Did she?”
Mrs. Graham appeared from the kitchen with a towel in her hand, smiling. “I’m being accused unfairly, I see.”
“You ate some,” Helena said.
