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SEVEN

ALEJANDRA

The house is silent except for the faint hum of the refrigerator downstairs coming through the open bedroom door.

It’s almost three in the morning, and Zoe’s soft breathing is the only sound in the room as she sleeps, nestled into the crook of my arm.

The world outside feels like it’s holding its breath, waiting for something to happen.

I’m exhausted, but I don’t want to sleep.

My mind is too full, too tangled in a hundred thoughts—some about Zoe, some about Gage, about my own family.

Just as I’m beginning to feel the sweet embrace of sleep, my phone buzzes with a sharp, insistent vibration that startles me awake.

Gage.

I sit up slowly, careful not to disturb Zoe, and press the phone to my ear. “Gage?”

There’s a slight pause, a crackle on the line, before I hear his voice.

“Ale…” His voice is rough and strained, like it’s coming through thick fog. He sounds... distant. I feel a twist of worry in my chest, an instinct I don’t know how to name. “I only have a few minutes.”

I sit up straighter, suddenly wide awake. My fingers curl tighter around the phone. “What’s wrong?” The words slip out before I can stop them. I don’t want to sound frantic, but I am. Something about the way he said my name, like he’s about to drop a bomb, has my stomach flipping.

“I’ve been called out for a high-priority mission,” he says, each word heavy with that same tension. “It’s going to be quick, but it’s going to be... complicated. I don’t know when I’ll be able to call again.”

I bite my lip, the world narrowing to just his voice on the other end of the line.

The words landed like a physical blow, a punch to the gut that stole the air from my lungs.

I’ve been preparing myself for the two weeks he’s been gone for something like this, but hearing it makes it real.

Gage won’t be home for a while. This time it’s not training; no, this time he’ll be somewhere dangerous.

And I’ll be left here, with Zoe, with no real connection to him, nothing but an uncertain silence between us.

“Gage, no…” The protest leaves my lips before I can stop it.

The words feel too soft, too weak. I don’t know if it’s about him or about the fear that tightens in my chest whenever I think about him not coming back.

It doesn’t make sense. He’s just my boss.

He’s just the father of this little girl who’s growing to mean the world to me.

But even knowing that, I can’t shake the knot in my stomach.

He sighs, a deep sound that carries so much of his exhaustion. “I know, I know. I wish I had more time to prepare you, but this came up fast. I don’t know how long I’ll be gone, but it could be days, maybe weeks. I won’t be able to check in. I’ll be... off the grid.”

Off the grid. The words fall like ice in my veins. It’s what I’ve feared the most—being left in the dark, left wondering. Gage is used to this. He’s trained for this. But for me? For Zoe? This isn’t easy. It doesn’t matter how prepared or capable I am. The uncertainty bites at me.

“I’ll take care of Zoe. I’ll make sure she’s okay,” I say, and even though I mean every word, there’s a part of me that feels like I’m saying it to reassure myself as much as him.

Gage’s voice softens, and there’s a crack in his usual stern tone.

“I know you will. Look, I’ve transferred enough money to you to make sure you're paid up and things like food and gas are covered. Just in case. You have the guardianship paperwork to make appointments for her, everything should be good to go.” His words hit me like a rush of warmth, like they’re meant to settle something inside me.

But the weight of them only makes the feeling inside me grow.

It’s something more than just gratitude or professional respect.

I want him to say more, to tell me everything will be fine, that this is all just another thing to get through, but I know he can’t.

I know he’s holding onto his own fear, his own uncertainty.

I clear my throat, trying to shake off the tightness in my chest. “Just promise me you’ll be careful, okay? Promise me you’ll come back safe.”

There’s a long pause before he answers. His hesitation is almost tangible. “I’ll be as careful as I can,” he finally says, the words laced with something darker, something I can’t quite place. “I don’t make promises I can’t keep, Ale.”

His honesty stings, but I need it. We both know the reality of his job—the dangers, the risks. But hearing it out loud from him—it’s a bitter pill I don’t know how to swallow.

“I’ll… I mean, we’ll be waiting for you when you get back,” I say, my voice quieter now. The words sound hollow, like they don’t quite fit. But they’re the truth, and I need him to know it. I need him to know that I’m here.

“I know,” he replies, the words simple, but somehow, they carry so much weight. “I’ll get back to you as soon as I can. Take care.”

I hear the line crackling, a sign he’s about to end the call. It’s a stupid thing to say, but I can’t help it. “You too, Gage.”

There’s a slight pause before he responds. “I’ll talk to you soon, Ale. Take care of my girl.”

The words hang in the air, a silent promise between us, one that neither of us is sure we can keep. But it’s all I have. It’s all we have.

And then the line goes dead, leaving me with nothing but the dark quiet of the room and the still, peaceful breathing of Zoe as she sleeps beside me.

I sit there for a moment, the phone pressing to my ear long after the call has ended. My heart is thumping in my chest, my mind racing with thoughts that I can’t seem to slow down. Gage is out there. And I’m here. It feels like the world has shifted again.

I set the phone down slowly, my fingers numb and my heart heavier than it was a moment ago. I glance over at Zoe, so small, so innocent. She’s the reason I’m here. She’s my responsibility now. And I’ll do everything in my power to make sure she’s safe, to make sure she grows up strong and happy.

But the more I care for her, the harder it gets to keep my own emotions in check.

The more I see Gage with her, the more he’s getting under my skin.

It’s not just about being her nanny. It’s about something deeper, something I can’t quite define.

Something that makes me want to protect them both, even when I know I’m only a small part of their world.

I take a deep breath and shift Zoe gently in my arms, tucking her closer. “We’ll be okay,” I whisper to her, more to convince myself than anything else. I kiss the top of her head, inhaling her scent—that sweet baby smell that’s more comforting than anything else in this world.

Despite the chaos brewing in my heart, I close my eyes and try to sleep. The night is long, but it’s all I can do until Gage is back.

Until the silence is broken.