AgnesElijah pulled the car into the parking lot, and the moment I recognized the neon sign above the diner entrance, my stomach twisted. The lights buzzing over the glass door were the same ones that used to flicker every night at the end of my shift, casting dim halos across the cracked pavement.
AgnesI stared down at the small cake in my hands, unsure of what to make of it all.“I’m sorry.”Was this what Elijah was doing earlier when he stayed behind in the diner? Was this cake supposed to be some kind of apology for… what? Yesterday? Or everything?“Agnes,” Elijah said softly, his voice c
“Agnes—”“I want to stay,” I said firmly. “I’m not… thrilled about the situation with Olivia, I won’t lie. But I made a promise. And I think it’s best for Thea if I’m here. In the home. Full-time. As…” I hesitated, and felt a slight heat creep into my face at the thought. “As her mother.”Elijah was
AgnesI blinked at Elijah in stunned, terrified silence for a long moment.He knew. He knew the truth.He knew about my lies.I wasn’t sure if I should admit to it or not. If I did, I feared that it might alienate me from Thea for good—that perhaps he would accuse me of trying to take her away, have
“I wasn’t saying that,” I said quietly. “I just—” I stopped, shaking my head. I wasn’t even sure what I was going to say.Elijah stepped closer, his voice softer now. “Then what are you saying?”I hesitated for a moment too long. I didn’t want to say it. I didn’t want to open that door.But Elijah’s
AgnesThe sunlight poured through the large windows of the shopping mall, glinting off the polished tiles and creating a light, cheerful atmosphere. It was hard to feel anxious here, surrounded by the happy hum of families and the occasional laughter from kids darting past us. And yet my nerves were
Elijah held the door open for us, his hand brushing lightly against my back as I stepped inside. The contact sent a small jolt through me, but I pushed the feeling aside, focusing instead on Thea as she darted toward the bins of plush animal skins.“Which one are you going to pick?” I asked, crouchi
AgnesThe officer at the desk stared up at us for a moment, his eyes flicking back and forth between me and Elijah. My pulse was pounding a mile a minute beneath my skin in that weighted silence, and I immediately regretted coming here. I regretted it even more when the officer said those next words
AgnesThe scent of garlic and tomatoes greeted us as we stepped inside the house later that evening. Elijah was already at the stove, stirring a pot of what smelled like spaghetti sauce with the white sleeves of his button-down rolled up to his elbows, exposing his muscular forearms. He looked up as
“Thea, sweetheart… We’ve talked about this before. I would love nothing more than to be your biological mother. But…” I swallowed hard. “I’ve already had you tested. You’re not my biological daughter, no matter how much I want you to be.”Her face crumpled, and tears spilled down her cheeks. “But wh
AgnesThe following morning, I stood in the design department’s fabric storeroom, surrounded by endless bolts of luxurious materials. How long had I been in here? Minutes? Hours?The sketches for my new dress were complete, and the patterns were cut, but I still couldn’t decide on a color. After the
When we came together, it was like a dam breaking—intense, overwhelming, leaving me trembling in his arms. My chest heaved as I caught my breath, and Elijah held me close, his lips pressing soft kisses to my forehead, my cheeks, my lips.His touch was gentle now, a stark contrast to the ferocity of
AgnesI followed Elijah up the stairs, our fingers intertwined and our footsteps soft and quiet. The house was silent around us, save for the faint creak of the steps and the distant hum of crickets beyond the windows.But then there was my heart, pounding so hard against my ribs I thought for sure
“I’m glad,” he said softly. “You both needed something good after yesterday.”I leaned against the island, thinking about the sweet evening with Thea. “She called me her hero, you know. For coming to save her.”Elijah smiled. “Well, you were.”I shook my head. “I don’t feel like one after that incid
AgnesI rushed toward Elijah, my heart hammering in my chest. Even in the dim light of the entryway, his black eye was startlingly obvious—a dark, angry bruise circling the socket. He was slumped against the door, looking exhausted, but he straightened when he saw me, grimacing slightly from the eff
“Just like yours,” she said happily.“Just like mine.”Next came hair braiding. Thea sat on the floor between my knees as I gently worked through the tangles of her dark hair, separating strands for a French braid. My fingers moved automatically, muscle memory from years of doing my own hair. I humm
AgnesI pulled into the driveway around seven, exhausted after a long day of sewing, designing, and avoiding Maria’s knowing glances.The bathroom incident with Elijah had been the talk of the design department by lunchtime—whispers and stifled giggles following me throughout the afternoon. I’d buri