27. Chapter 27
Chapter 27
Noah
I hear the phone ring, but my heavy eyelids refuse to open. It keeps ringing insistently until I can no longer ignore it. I fumble for it, blinking at the bright screen: Sam , at three o'clock in the morning? This can’t be good.
"Sam?" I answer, my voice thick with concern as my mind snaps awake.
"Noah, I’m really sorry to wake you, but I just got off the phone with Zoe."
"Zoe?" I murmur, momentarily forgetting who she is, but then dread coils in my stomach like a serpent tightening its grip. I brace myself for whatever comes next.
"There’s been a fire."
My heart pounds in my chest as icy dread seeps through my veins. "Oh no," I whisper, raking my fingers through my hair, clinging to the hope that this is just a bad dream.
"Zoe’s there now, and I’m on my way," Sam continues.
"I’ll be right there," I say, my heart racing as I throw off the covers.
"No," Sam’s voice is calm but firm. "Stay with Davey and Lily. She's going to need you."
"Oh my God. Lily ," I mutter, the weight of the news sinking in like lead. "How am I going to tell her?"
"I don't know," Sam adds, his voice laced with sympathy. "I'm so sorry."
"What the hell happened?" I ask, frustration and helplessness seeping into my tone.
"I'll know more in the morning," he says. "The fire department got there fast and stopped it from spreading to the studio, but the daycare… it’s gone."
I sit up in bed, the shock settling over me. The vision of everything Lily’s worked so hard for vanishing in flames grips my heart. How am I going to tell her that everything she’s built, everything she’s dreamed of, is gone?
***
Marian was supposed to drop off Davey an hour ago. I glance at my watch again—five past eight. My stomach tightens as I pick up the phone and call again. "Marian, it's after eight. Where's Davey? What time is your flight? Please, call me back."
I pour myself another cup of coffee just as Lily walks in the door. Her smile lights up the room, completely unaware of the weight sitting on my shoulders. The knot in my chest tightens as she draws closer. She looks radiant, her blue eyes sparkling with happiness, and it guts me to know I’m about to shatter everything.
"Good morning!" she chirps, her voice full of warmth and cheer.
"Good morning, Sweetheart." I force a smile, pulling her into my arms the moment she steps up to me. I hug her tight, pressing a gentle kiss to her lips, savoring the moment before everything changes.
I take a deep breath, steadying myself, and then I pull back slightly, holding her gaze. "Lily… something happened last night."
Her brows knit in confusion, and the happiness in her eyes begins to fade as she reads the seriousness in mine. I feel my heart crack as I prepare to deliver the news that will completely break hers.
"What?" she asks, her eyes darting around the room, searching. "Where's Davey?"
The panic in her voice sends a wave of guilt crashing over me. Her love for my son is undeniable as if she were already his mother. Her first thought, her first concern, is about him. It’s one of the reasons I love her so deeply, but right now, it only makes what I have to say harder.
"Sweetheart," I say, gently gripping her shoulders. "This isn't about him."
Her gaze softens slightly, but the fear remains, her body tensing beneath my hands. "Then what is it? What happened?" she asks, her voice trembling, bracing herself for the worst.
***
"It was Marian," Lily murmurs, shaking her head slowly, disbelief darkening her tear-filled eyes. "She took the enrollment form that day and waited for the perfect moment to strike. She warned me. She said she'd make me sorry."
I open my mouth, the words tumbling out before I can stop them. "You can't accuse her of something so sinister, Lily."
The look she gives me in response freezes me in place, a flash of hurt and anger igniting in her gaze—similar to the one she wore when we first met on that dusty road. I can see the betrayal she feels, the pain of my hesitation cutting deeper than I ever intended.
"You don’t believe me," she says softly, but there’s an edge to her words that makes my chest tighten.
I take a deep breath, stepping closer. "It’s not that I don’t believe you, Lily. It's a big accusation. I just... we need to be certain."
Her eyes narrow slightly. "I'm certain," she whispers.
I rake my fingers through my hair, saying nothing. Instead, I take a deep breath, struggling to keep my frustration in check.
"I'm going to the studio," she says, rising to her feet, the resolve crystal clear in her voice.
"I think we should wait," I suggest, standing too. "Let's wait until we hear from Sam."
"No," she says, her determination hardening. "I’m not going to wait. I have to talk to the Clays." Tears begin to roll down her cheeks, each one a reflection of the pain she's experiencing as the magnitude of what this means sinks in. "I have to call the bank. I need to contact the insurance company. I have to reach out to twenty-two parents and tell them they’ll need to find a different daycare for God knows how long. And I have to break the news to the three employees who won’t have jobs come Monday morning. So no, Noah, I can’t just sit around and wait."
"Lily, please." My voice is softer, pleading with her to slow down and let us face this together.
She pauses only for a moment, her eyes meeting mine, full of an intensity that burns. "How long will you sit here and wait for Marian to return your calls? Davey should’ve been home hours ago. Is that sinister enough for you?"
Her words hit me hard. I can see the hurt in her eyes, the weight of everything crashing down. I feel torn, knowing she’s right but still trying to hold it together for both of us.
When I remain silent, she grabs her purse and strides toward the door. I should rush after her to be there for whatever she needs, but I stand rooted in place. The words she uttered pierced me like a thousand arrows. Where's Davey?
I call Marian again, leaving yet another message, my voice growing more frantic with each call. My heart races as I hang up, dread knotting tighter in my stomach. Then, I hear the door click open. I rush to the living room, praying it's Davey—but it's Lily. She's standing there, eyes swollen from crying. The moment our gazes meet, the tension between us dissolves. "I'm sorry," she whispers, her voice breaking. "I'm so sorry." I open my arms, and she falls into them, her sobs shaking us both.
"You came back," I manage, emotion thick in my throat.
"Noah, the daycare is gone—but it's just a building," she says softly. "If what I think is true, this is where I need to be." As her words sink in, so does the awful truth. Marian has taken my son.
"Call Bethany," Lily pleads, her voice sharp with urgency.
I call Bethany and rush through the chaotic details in one breathless stream. "Okay, Noah, take a breath," she says in a calm voice. "The first thing you need to do is call the police and file a report."
"How the hell did she get him out of the country?" I burst out, my frustration boiling over. "I have sole custody. How can it be so easy for someone to just take a child like that?"
"Marian is his mother and she planned this," she says, her voice certain. "She knew the airport would be packed on Labor Day weekend. Security should be stricter, but sometimes it works against itself. People slip through when protocols aren’t followed. I’m so sorry, Noah."
"I let my guard down," I say, berating myself for my lack of judgment.
"Call the police right now," she insists, steering me back on track. "I'll call you in an hour. And, Noah, we’re going to get him back."
After I speak with the police and Bethany again, Lily sits beside me, her hand gripping mine tightly, unwavering. She’s set aside all her own worries, pouring everything she has into what matters most to me—but I know it matters just as much to her. She was right—the fire has caused more than just a burnt building. Lives have been affected, and the financial toll must be pressing heavily on her mind. Yet here she is, staying strong, trying to be my anchor when I know she's struggling too.
According to Bethany, the next step is to initiate proceedings under the Hague Convention on International Child Abduction. I have no idea what that entails, so Lily and I are pouring over articles online, trying to make sense of it all to understand what we’re up against.
"I have to go," I say, meeting Lily’s worried gaze. "I need to talk to someone at the consulate, and if going to court is necessary, I’d rather be there now—prepared."
She nods, gently twisting the ring around her finger. "I’ll be back, Sweetheart. I’ll be back in time to put the other ring on your finger."
"I know," she smiles, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. "Go and get our boy back."
"What about everything you’re facing?" I ask, worry and regret knotting in my stomach. "I hate leaving you when you need me most."
"Davey needs you most," she replies, her hand squeezing mine reassuringly. "I have Jon and Sharon and the rest of the family. They’ll help me get through this."
***
I book the next flight to London, gathering all the documents I might need—Davey's birth certificate, passport, and custody agreement—along with a copy of the paperwork Bethany is filing on my behalf. I find the letter Marian left me a year ago, the one where she tells me she’s leaving us. I unfold it and read it again, but the words no longer have the same impact—they're just hollow echoes of a pain that has long since faded.
Dear Noah,
I wish is could say something to make this easier, but there isn’t.
I love you, Noah, and I love David, but I feel trapped in a life I never chose.
I thought being married and having a child would fulfill me and make me feel complete, but I feel just as hollow now as I did the day I met you.
It’s not you, Love. It’s me. I miss London. I miss my old life, and I owe it to myself to go find whatever it is I’m searching for.
I haven’t been the best wife or mother, and I can admit that.
I crave freedom of thought and action. I’m not getting any younger, and if I don’t do this now, I will regret it later, and I’ll blame you.
The miscarriage made me realize you never loved me, and if you don’t love me, what am I still doing here?
David loves you, and even though I’ve done my best to bond and connect with him the way you have, I haven’t quite accomplished that.
He should live with you. I can admit that, too. I hope you’ll let me see him whenever possible.
Marian
P.S. Give David a big hug and kiss for me, and tell him I love him.
***
Lily insists on driving me to the airport, but now that it's time to say goodbye, the thought of not seeing her for what might be weeks or, worse, months is more than I can bear.
I look down at her beautiful face and trusting blue eyes, holding her close, determined not to let the word "goodbye" escape my lips.
"You realize not a single day has gone by without us seeing each other since the day we met?" I ask, forcing a smile, trying to keep the tears at bay for both our sakes.
She nods, a smile spreading across her face until the dimple on her cheek appears. "Ninety-seven days, fourteen hours, and twenty-seven minutes, to be exact," she says, glancing at her watch. But when she looks up, a single tear escapes and rolls down her cheek. I catch it with a kiss, then move my lips to hers. I take my time, savoring this moment—her lips, her sweetness. My hand glides up her arm and rests on her nape, deepening this amazing, intoxicating kiss that will have to anchor us together until my return.
She responds, her arms slipping around my neck, drawing me close. Her fingers weave a lazy pattern through my hair that sends shivers down my spine.
"I love you, Noah," she whispers against my lips.
"I love you too, Sweetheart," I reply softly. "I'll be back soon."
When I pull away, our eyes lock, and we both know this is it. I let the ugly word slip out, "Goodbye."