Page 37 of Before Dawn

Then I heard it—the soft, steady breathing of my nephew. His tiny fingers curled against her shirt, and she instinctively smoothed a hand over his back. The tenderness in her expression was something I’d neverseen before. Motherhood had changed her, softened the sharp edges, and for a moment, all the stress lining her face disappeared.

I took a sip of water, letting the moment settle before clearing my throat. “We leave at nine in the morning, so we need to be at the airport by seven-thirty to check in. There’s a two-hour layover in Salt Lake City, and we’ll get there around one in the afternoon.”

She lifted her gaze from Elijah to me. “Muchas gracias.12”

“You don’t have to thank me.” I studied her for a beat before asking, “You okay?”

She nodded, her voice soft. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

“I don’t believe you.”

She exhaled, finally meeting my gaze. “I’m fine, Mikkel. Really.”

I let it go, though something still felt off. Just as I turned back toward the fridge, she reached into her bag and pulled out an envelope.

I frowned. “What’s this?”

She held it out, avoiding my eyes. “I told you I’d pay you back for the ticket.”

I sighed, shaking my head. “It’s not a big deal.”

She frowned. “I ca—”

“Emilia.” My tone left no room for argument. “I’m not taking money from you.”

She hesitated, fingers tightening around the envelope before slipping it back into her bag. “Alright, but I’m paying you back someday.”

I leaned back against the counter, arms crossed. “You know I’ll always be here, right? For you and Elijah. Doesn’t matter how old we get or whatever happens,hermanita.13”

She glanced at me, her expression softening just a little. “I know. I just... I have to do this on my own sometimes.”

I nodded, my voice quieter now. “I get it. But if you ever need anything, I’ve gotyou, Emilia.”

Her fingers toyed with the hem of her sleeve, like she wanted to say more but couldn’t find the words. Then finally, after a pause, she spoke.

“Thanks, Mikkel.”

I gave her a small smile. “De nada.14”

Chapter Nine

Abigail-Ann

“The best love is the one that makes you a better person, without changing you into someone other than yourself.”

~Unknown

Iwoke up to an email from Emilia, the payment receipt attached along with a few other documents. After quickly skimming through them, I slid out of bed and dressed in my favorite pair of high-waisted, light-wash blue jeans that hugged my curves just right, pairing them with a crisp white bodysuit blouse. One last glance in the mirror, I ran my fingers through my hair, letting the curls fall loosely around my shoulders.

“Well, Azzy,” I said, stepping forward to hug her, “I’ll see you in about two weeks.”

My Uber was on its way, and though Azzy had wanted to come to the airport with me, work had other plans.

“Be safe, and make sure to call or text me,” she said, pouting as she pulled me into another hug. Then, with far too much volume, she added, “I love you! And don’t forget the goal of this trip!”

“The goal?”

“Abigail-Ann.” Her tone was scolding, but her eyes twinkled with amusement. “You’re going there to break it off, not give him a good-bye fuck.”

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