CHAPTER 2: The Unspoken Offer
Later, Elias bandaged Maya’s wound. Nathaniel slept nearby, exhausted but calm.
“She didn’t just stop the storm,” Rosa whispered.
“She let him hold on,” Elias replied.
When Vanessa mentioned “protocols,” Elias cut her off. “She reached him in minutes. Eight months of therapy didn’t do that.”
Maya met him evenly. “He doesn’t need walls. He needs someone who stays.”
Elias’s voice dropped. “You didn’t sign up for this. You clean houses.”
“I go where I’m needed,” Maya said simply.
“You’re more than needed here,” he murmured. “You’re irreplaceable.”
Nathaniel stirred. Maya was there in an instant. “I’m here, sweetheart.”
Elias watched his son finally curl into comfort. “I haven’t seen him like this since Elena.”
“She’s opening the door again,” Maya said softly. “Doors don’t stay shut forever if someone keeps knocking.”
Elias exhaled, worn but certain. “I don’t know what comes next. But I know I don’t want you to leave.”
Maya glanced at Nathaniel. “Then don’t send me away.”
“I won’t,” Elias promised.
Outside, the California sun sank low, bathing the estate in gold. Inside, something long frozen began to thaw. A new family—chosen, not born—was quietly forming.
For illustrative purposes only
What do you think will happen next with Elias, Nathaniel, and Maya? Share your thoughts below!