Page 39 of The Coffee Bar on Camellia Court

Alex settled his bulk onto the too-white sofa, feeling out of place among the pristine furnishings. There was an enormous clock on the wall beside the mantle that marked the minutes as they passed. Lena had landed on a cartoon about a gang of heroic dogs and cats, and had curled up in a ball beside him, looking small against the oversized cushions. Her eyelids were already drooping despite her earlier enthusiasm.

Twenty-five minutes later, the episode ended, and Lena's head rested heavily against his arm. Alex thought he should put her in bed, but every time he tried to get up, she shifted and started to wake up.

Fine. He'd let her sleep here on the couch for now. Surely, Melissa would be home soon. He'd carry her to bed then.

He wasn't about to put himself through the torture of another episode of the cartoon, though. He found a nature channel, instead, and settled in to gain some insight into the lifestyles of tropical rainforest birds. A few minutes later, the day started catching up to him, too, and he slouched a little lower so he could rest his head back against the cushions.

The trumpet of an elephant startled him awake, and he rubbed his eyes at the safari scene on the television. Hadn't he just been watching something about the rain forest? Then he glanced at the clock on the wall.

Alex straightened abruptly, making Lena grumble in her sleep beside him. It was almost 11:30 PM, and he'd been asleep for more than an hour.

Juno. He groaned and scrubbed his face with his hands. Even though it was an accident, he'd pulled a no-show. He should have texted or called her an hour ago, but instead, he'd let himself drift off in front of the television.

And now it was too late to call. She'd be in bed already, he had no doubt. The woman had been up since before dawn that morning to open her coffee shop, and he'd already been responsible for depriving her of sleep last night. But he could text.

It took him several attempts to come up with the right words, but finally, he hit send.

I'm so sorry for bailing on you and for not calling earlier. Melissa wasn't back when we got here, so Lena and I decided to watch a little television while we waited for her. We both fell asleep on the couch, and I just woke up. Unfortunately, M still isn't back, so I'm staying here with Lena for now. It's late, so please don't worry about responding. I will call you in the morning.

If she'd even take his call.

He texted Melissa.Where ARE you?

When she didn't respond, Alex decided to put Lena to bed. He could try calling Melissa when he didn't have to worry about Lean overhearing, because he had a few choice things he'd like to say to the woman.

He gently lifted the little girl, surprised by how light she felt in his arms, and carried her to her bedroom.

Unlike the rest of the condo, Lena's room showed signs of personality. The walls were still white, but there was a stack of books on the nightstand, and a collection of stuffed animals was lovingly arranged on the bed. The closet door stood half-open, displaying a full array of girls clothing and shoes, and on a desk near the window was a box of crayons and colored pencils and several sketchpads. Still, it lacked the lived-in feeling of a child's sanctuary. No artwork taped to the walls, no toys scattered about. The room was little more than a display in a furniture store.

Alex carefully tucked Lena into bed, pulled the covers up to her chin, and arranged her animals around her again. She didn't stir, exhausted from the evening's excitement. He brushed a strand of hair from her cheek, overwhelmed by a surge of love and protectiveness, then pulled out his phone and snapped a picture of her angelic face.

He leaned over and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "I'm going to fix this," he whispered. "I promise."

Back in the living room, he hit the call button. The phone rang five times and then went to voicemail. "I need to hear from you, Melissa. I'm at your condo with Lena. Where are you?"

Fifteen minutes later, he tried again. Then he also texted. A moment after he hit the send button, his screen showed that she'd read his text. Finally! When she still didn't respond right away, he got up and paced, checking his phone every few minutes.

By midnight, when he wasn't sure whether to be concerned or livid, he sent her a barrage of texts.

Pick up the phone.

Answer your phone.

I know you are seeing my texts.

Melissa, this is NOT cool.

Do I need to call the police?

Call me. I need to know that you're all right.

Except that he wasn't really worried about her, he had to admit. In fact, he was pretty sure she was doing just fine and simply didn't want her lovely evening to end. She knew Lena was safe with him, and he'd told her on many occasions that she didn't have to hurry home when he was with Lena, and more often than not, Melissa took advantage of his offer. So in a way, this was par for the course, wasn't it?

But Alex had wanted more than anything to get back to Juno's to make amends, and now, Melissa's behavior had ruined his chance.

Alex wasn't just angry about his own situation, though. Is that what Lena meant about her leaving her alone with the nanny all the time? What kind of mother stayed out this late without checking on her child? Why hadn't she at least let him know that she was alive, or asked if he was okay to stay a little later than originally planned?

His phone buzzed at 12:23 AM and a text from Melissa popped up on his screen:Stop blowing up my phone.

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