Aria's POV
"Is he breathing okay?" I asked for the third time, voice hushed as I bent over Leo's bassinet, trying to still the storm in my chest.
Elias sighed, somewhere between exasperation and amusement. "Yes, Aria. He's just dreaming. You want me to check again?"
I hesitated. My fingers hovered just above Leo's tiny stomach like I could calm the rising tide in my heart just by feeling him breathe. Then I nodded.
Elias crouched next to the little crib and gently pressed two fingers to Leo's chest. "Heartbeat's fine. Breathing's steady. He's a champ. Just like his mom."
I shook my head and gave a soft, humorless laugh. "I'm not sure about the 'champ' part. Look at this place."
The apartment echoed with an uncomfortable silence. The walls were scuffed and peeling. A single bulb flickered overhead like it was protesting its existence. Somewhere near the corner, a cockroach skittered across the floor with far too much confidence.
"Could be worse," Elias offered as he stood up. "At least we've got walls."
"And a toilet that sounds like it wants to explode every time I flush."
He smirked, leaning against the wall. "Adds character."
I managed a small laugh and sank down onto the mattress…a flimsy thing on the floor with two layers of secondhand sheets and my stubborn pride holding it together.
"I thought things would feel better once I left," I admitted, watching Leo stir a little before settling again.
Elias dropped beside me, elbows on his knees. "Do they?"
I thought about that. About the cold nights. About the fear. About the heavy silence when Leo cried and there was no one else but me to hold him. "No. But they feel real. For the first time in years, I'm not holding my breath."
Elias looked over at me, expression softening. "You need anything, you tell me. Money. Formula. A hug. Hell, I'll punch Damien in the throat. Twice if it makes you smile."
I laughed more genuinely this time. "I need... space. To figure out what's next."
He nodded. "Are you thinking of starting up again?"
"Eventually. I have ideas. I want to build something. For Leo. I don't want to keep surviving. I want to live."
"You sure you don't want to crash with me a little longer? This place... it's rough."
I glanced around. The broken heater wheezing in the corner. The curtain that was actually just an old sheet tacked to the window frame. "I need to know I can stand on my own."
Leo stirred, letting out a little grumble. I was up in an instant, scooping him into my arms. He nuzzled into my chest with a sigh that made me smile.
"Hey there," I whispered. "Are you hungry again?"
Elias pushed off the wall. "I'll get water boiling for your tea."
I looked over my shoulder. "Thank you. For everything."
He paused in the doorway. "You're not alone, Aria. Not ever."
LATER THAT NIGHT
"Leo, have you ever heard a heater wheeze like a dying walrus?" I asked, pacing the creaky floorboards with him in my arms. "I swear this place was built to haunt itself."
The lights flickered. The wind howled outside like it had a vendetta against my windows. Leo shifted and then went still again, asleep against my chest.
A soft knock came at the door.
I froze.
Three slow knocks. Not urgent. But not friendly either.
I moved quietly to the door, peering through the peephole.
No one.
Then another knock. From the back window this time.
My skin prickled. My arms tightened around Leo.
"Okay. Too many crime dramas, Aria. Chill."
Still, I grabbed my phone and texted Elias: "Someone knocked. Didn't see anyone."
His reply came fast: "I'm on my way."
I locked the door. Then triple-locked it. Drew the curtains. Sat on the floor, heart racing, with Leo pressed tightly to my chest.
I didn't sleep that night.
MORNING
Elias arrived just after sunrise, holding a paper bag in one hand and a small space heater under his arm.
"Spoils of war," he said with a grin. "Bagels, peanut butter, and this little guy I wrestled out of a pawn shop."
"Thank you, hunter-gatherer," I replied, managing a tired smile as I took the bag.
He nodded toward my laptop, perched precariously on a crate that doubled as a table. "Are you working on something?"
I nodded. "Brand strategy layouts. Nothing big. Just trying to pick up freelance gigs. If I can save enough, I might be able to launch a micro-consultancy. Tiny. Remote. Just me and clients who pay on time."
"Nothing big... yet," Elias corrected.
I chuckled. "Yet. Right."
Leo burbled in his bassinet. I turned to look at him, reaching down to brush a finger along his cheek.
"Think he'll remember any of this?" I asked softly.
"Not the peeling paint or the flickering lights," Elias said. "But he'll remember how hard you fought. He'll feel that kind of love. It lingers."
I swallowed the lump in my throat. "I just want him to know I didn't give up."
Elias leaned against the wall, arms crossed. "You didn't. You chose yourself. That's power, Aria."
AFTERNOON
Leo finally napped long enough for me to get back to work. I opened my inbox, ready to send a pitch to a sustainable skincare startup that needed help with branding.
But then I saw it.
A new message, blinking at the top.
Unknown Sender: You can't hide forever.
My fingers went cold.
I stared at the screen, chest tightening.
Another message appeared almost instantly.
We know where you are.
My breath caught.
I shut the laptop. My hands trembled as I reached for my phone.
Just then, it buzzed.
Blocked ID: Answer me, Aria.
My heart pounded so loudly I thought it would wake Leo.
Another buzz.
Blocked ID: Or your baby won't be safe.
I stared at the message, unable to breathe.
My hands were shaking too hard to type.
I looked at Leo… so small, so vulnerable. My entire world, wrapped in cotton and innocence.
Then I grabbed my phone, opened a new message, and typed two words to Elias:
"We're not safe."