Chapter 8
The freezing wind hits Ethan's thin dress shirt like a wall of ice as he bursts through the lobby doors.
He scans the dark, empty street. Panic, a foreign and sharp emotion, claws at his throat.
Then, he sees them. Huddled under the dim, flickering light of the bus stop shelter.
Ethan breaks into a run.
As he gets closer, he sees Grace. She has stripped off her coat and scarf, wrapping them entirely around the sleeping child in her lap. Grace is wearing nothing but a thin, blood-stained sweater. She is shaking so violently her teeth are chattering.
Hearing his footsteps, Grace looks up. Her lips are a bruised purple.
She doesn't yell. She doesn't cry. Instead, she forces a weak, trembling smile.
"I'm sorry," she whispers, her voice hoarse. "I didn't know the door needed a card."
The apology is a physical blow to Ethan's gut. Guilt, heavy and suffocating, crashes over him. He has never felt this before.
He strips off his suit jacket and wraps it tightly around Grace's shivering shoulders. The jacket swallows her.
"Stand up," he commands, his voice rough.
He bends down and effortlessly scoops the sleeping Rosie into his arms. He nods toward the building. Grace follows him, clutching his jacket around her.
Inside the warm apartment, Ethan carries Rosie into the guest room and lays her gently on the bed, pulling the duvet over her.
He walks back into the living room. Grace is standing by the heater, rubbing her frozen hands together.
"I fell asleep," Ethan lies, the words tasting like ash in his mouth. "I didn't hear the phone."
Grace nods quickly, her eyes full of understanding. "It's okay. You had a long day. You work so hard."
Her absolute trust makes the guilt twist deeper.
To break the heavy silence, Grace points to the kitchen. "Are you hungry? I can make us a late dinner to say thank you."
Ethan wants to say no. He wants to order food from a five-star restaurant. But looking at her hopeful, thawing face, he swallows his refusal. "Okay."
Grace walks into the kitchen and opens the fridge. She gasps.
"Ethan! There's organic free-range chicken in here! And heirloom tomatoes!" She turns to him, her eyes wide with alarm. "I thought you were in debt! This is all from that absurdly expensive organic market downtown!"
Ethan coughs, shifting his weight. "They were on sale. Expiring today. I got them for a massive discount."
Grace sighs, looking at him with pity. "You have to be careful with your money. I'll make something simple so we don't waste the good stuff."
She pulls out a box of basic spaghetti and some tomatoes. She moves around the kitchen with practiced ease. Soon, the smell of garlic and simmering tomatoes fills the small apartment.
Ethan sits on the barstool at the kitchen island. He can't take his eyes off her.
For thirty years, women have dressed up for him, performed for him, tried to impress him with status. No one has ever stood in a cheap kitchen, wearing his oversized jacket, boiling pasta for him.
Ten minutes later, Grace sets a steaming plate of spaghetti in front of him.
"It's not much," she says shyly, handing him a fork.
Ethan looks at the red sauce. His palate is accustomed to Michelin-starred chefs. His stomach recoils slightly at the basic carbs.
But he looks at Grace. He picks up the fork. He twirls the pasta and takes a bite.
The acidity of the tomatoes and the warmth of the garlic explode on his tongue. It is simple. It is hot. It is the best thing he has tasted in months.
Ethan doesn't say a word. He eats. He eats fast. In less than five minutes, the plate is completely empty. He even uses the edge of his fork to scrape up the last bit of sauce.
Grace watches him, her eyes widening in surprise before softening into a genuine, radiant smile. The insecurity that had plagued her all night vanishes.
Ethan puts the fork down. He wipes his mouth with a napkin, his face returning to its stoic mask.
"It was acceptable," he says coldly.
But beneath his ribs, the ice that has encased his heart for years begins to crack.
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