Chapter 29
This is just a Monday
Finn
I woke to empty space where Alex should have been.
Not startled—just aware. The bed felt different without her beside me, and there was soft light seeping under the bathroom door. I checked my phone—three-sixteen.
Quiet sounds filtered through the door as I moved toward it. Not distress exactly, but discomfort. I was worried she was trying to keep from waking me.
“Alex? Everything okay?” I called softly.
“Yeah,” she answered after a beat, her voice slightly strained. “Just... give me a minute.”
Another soft sound that decidedly wasn’t okay. I moved closer to the door. “Sweetheart—”
“I’m fine, I just—” Her voice cracked slightly. “Fuck.”
“What do you need? Can I come in?”
“No… please,” she sniffed.
“What do you need?” I swallowed.
“There’s a bag in the top drawer of the dresser. Black with pink trim,” I heard her take a deep breath. “Will you get it for me?”
I turned on a lamp as I moved to the drawers she’d unpacked into. The small bag was right at the front—I unzipped it to double check before taking it back to her.
I knocked softly on the door. She opened it a sliver and I pushed the small bag through the crack.
“Thank you,” she whispered. “Give me a minute and I’ll be out.”
I pulled the door shut and moved away to give her more privacy, pacing back and forth in front of the beds.
She’d probably need more supplies, judging by the scant amount of product in the pouch.
I dug through my bag for ibuprofen and grabbed a small bottle of water from the minifridge.
I heard the toilet flush, door open, and then the water running.
I walked back over to see her scrubbing her hands furiously, face blotchy from crying.
Hair was falling out of the bun she’d put it in before bed. She glanced up at me in the mirror.
“Sorry,” she managed a soft shrug, brows draw together. “I must have lost track of my cycle while I was dealing with… everything else.”
“Nothing to be sorry for,” I answered gently, holding up the pain medication and water as she dried her hands. “I have drugs.”
“I don’t know if they’ll work.” The words came out slightly frustrated as her eyes grew teary. She wiped at them. “My ADHD makes pain management really hard and the reduction in my medication is going to make it worse.”
I hadn’t even considered all the physical ways she might be affected by this plan to decrease her medication. “Would they at least take the edge off?”
“Maybe. A little.”
“Here,” I handed her the bottle and waited while she shook 800 mg worth of ibuprofen into her hand and swallowed them with the water. “Did you bring a heating pad or anything?”
She shook her head. I knew it was a longshot.
“I’ll see what’s at the house later. Body heat and a bit of pressure’ll do for now. Do you want to try lying down again?”
“I’m going to be really wiggly,” she hedged as I took her hand, pulling gently.
“That’s okay,” I reassured her.
“But you need sleep,” her voice was small, frustrated.
“Darlin’, I spent thirteen years sleeping on carriers in the middle of the ocean with all sorts of bunkmates. I’ll be fine.”
That earned me a watery half-smile as she let me lead her back to bed.
I settled against the pillows and opened my arms. She crawled in carefully and I guided her to rest her back against my chest as I spooned her gently. My hand settled flat against her lower abdomen as she pulled the covers over us.
“Better?”
“Yeah,” the word came out on a shaky exhale. “I’m sorry about this.”
“Alex, there’s no need to apologize,” I pulled her tighter against me.
She was quiet for a moment, then shifted restlessly. Her leg moved, foot flexing and pointing under the covers.
I adjusted my position to give her more room to move, hand staying steady on her abdomen. “You need to move, move. I’m not going anywhere.”
“This is miserable,” she whispered—I could hear fresh tears in her voice. “Three days off my meds and now this. I feel like everything hurts.”
“I know,” I pressed a gentle kiss to the top of her head. “I’m sorry.”
Her foot kept moving under the covers—shake, flex, point, repeat. Restless energy working through her system. I stayed still and let her fidget.
“I might have to just stay in bed for a day or two,” she said after a while.
“Whatever you need. There’s no pressure to do anything while we’re here.”
She shifted against me, getting more comfortable, and I felt some of the tension start to leave her body.
“Thank you,” she murmured, “for not making this weird.”
“Sweetheart, I’ve seen a lot worse than period cramps. This is just a Monday.”
That got a small laugh as she settled deeper into my arms. I stayed awake until I felt her breath even out—her movements slowing and then stopping as she relaxed enough to rest.
I woke to sunlight bleeding around the edges of the curtains in our room.
Alex had turned over and was curled against my chest—finally sleeping soundly.
I checked my phone. Just after eight—later than I usually slept when I was here, but she’d been restless until almost five.
The main house would be buzzing with breakfast. I eased away from Alex, leaving a note on the nightstand that I’d be back soon.
The ranch was already alive with activity as I stepped into the cool morning air—workers moving cattle in the distance, equipment firing up in the barns, a few guests heading off to morning activities. I headed toward the kitchen of the family home.
“Morning, Uncle Finn!” Belle called from the back porch where she was feeding chickens. “Where’s Alex?”
“She’s sleepin’ in today,” I smiled, ruffling her hair as I climbed the porch steps.
Inside, Mom was scrambling up eggs and bacon while Elowyn made toast. They looked up when I walked in.
“Coffee’s fresh,” Mom nodded toward the pot. “Alex not feeling up to breakfast?”
“Rough morning,” I poured myself a mug and leaned against the counter. “Period caught her off guard.”
Elowyn set the butter knife down and turned to me. “Does she have what she needs?”
“Just an emergency stash, and no heating pad,” I took a sip of my coffee. “You got anything you can spare?”
“Yep. Follow me,” Elowyn wiped her hands on a dish towel and picked up a reusable grocery bag. I set my mug on the counter. “Boys!” She called out as we climbed the stairs, “breakfast is ready, and you need to eat so you can go help Hank!”
I followed her to the linen closet where she pulled out an electric heating pad and plush throw blanket and stuffed them in the bottom of the bag.
Next, she moved to the bathroom at the end of the hall where she pulled out boxes of tampons and pads from the cabinet under the sink and dropped them in the bag.
“How bad is she?” She pulled a bottle of Midol from the medicine cabinet.
“Pretty miserable,” I swallowed, following her back downstairs. “She was up at three, hidin’ in the bathroom so she wouldn’t wake me. Pain meds don’t work well for her—something about her ADHD.”
“Poor thing,” Elowyn added a packet of chamomile tea and a small container of honey to the bag before turning and handing it to me. “You tell her if she needs anything else, she can call or text me directly.”
“Here,” Mom handed me another bag and I looked inside—breakfast packaged up with utensils and a thermal jug I assumed was full of coffee.
“Thank you,” I kissed her cheek and then Elowyn’s. “I’ll tell her to come to the house if she feels up to it.”
I headed back toward the lodge, Maggie falling into step beside me as if she knew exactly where we were headed. Lou emerged from the guest services office as I reached the lodge—looking up at the sound of my boots on gravel.
“Finn, I didn’t realize you were—” her gaze dropped to the bags in my hands. “Oh.”
Maggie sat down between us, tail thumping against my leg.
“Everything okay?” Lou asked, her voice carefully flat.
“Alex isn’t doin’ great this morning,” I lifted a shoulder, feeling some guilt at her finding out we were staying at the lodge this way.
“Ah,” Lou’s expression shifted, her cheeks darkening slightly. She glanced toward the lodge, then back at me. “Well. I hope she feels better soon. If she needs something, she can ring guest services.”
“Thanks, Lou,” I offered her a smile before heading into the building with Maggie trotting beside me.
I stopped by the restaurant kitchen and found an unopened carton of oatmilk. I added it to the bag with breakfast and looked for a large glass next.
“Can I help you?” I spun around at the voice of one of the waitresses.
“Hi,” I grinned sheepishly. “I’m Finn… Walker. Is there a glass and tall spoon or metal straw or something I could have? Or a takeaway coffee cup? And some ice?”
She pulled out a tall clear disposable cup from the cabinet and scooped ice into it until it was half full. Was the perfect iced coffee ratio something all women just knew? “Do you just want ice, or coffee too?”
“Just the ice. Actually…” I set the bags down as Maggie settled next to them. I pulled out the insulated jug and oatmilk. “Maybe I could just make it here?”
She set the cup down and I filled it with coffee and then oatmilk, mixing it with the stirrer she handed me.
“My girlfriend,” my cheeks warmed as I said the word out loud to a stranger, “she’s very particular about her coffee.”
“My brother’s the same way,” she handed me a lid and straw. “Has to be exactly right or it throws off his whole day.”
I thanked her and picked up the bags in one hand as Maggie stood again, ready to go.
Back at our room, I knocked softly before using my key. “It’s me.”
“Come in,” Alex called, voice still thick with exhaustion.
She was propped against the pillows, phone in her hands—pale but more alert than when I’d left. The covers were pulled up to her waist and I noticed she’d opened the curtains a bit.
“How are you feeling?” I set the bags on the dresser and held up the coffee. “Brought you the good stuff.”
Her face lit up as I handed it to her before brushing my lips against hers. “You didn’t.”
“I did,” I smiled as she took a sip—her shoulders relaxing slightly. Maggie moved around the room, inspecting with her nose.
“This is perfect,” she murmured, taking my hand. “Thank you.”
I moved to sit on the edge of the bed. “Mom sent breakfast too, and El sent supplies. Pads, tampons, heating pad, and a blanket.”
“Your sister is an angel,” Alex took another sip of coffee. “I texted Tabitha and told her I won’t be online for a couple of days.”
“Good,” I studied her face, evaluating her current state. There was still tension around her eyes, and she moved gingerly. “You don’t have to do anything today. Just rest.”
“I know,” her eyes fell to the side. “I just hate feeling useless.”
“Do you even relax when you go on vacation?” I teased gently, getting up to get breakfast.
“Bold of you to assume I ever take vacations,” she quipped back before sighing. “But I’ll try to relax while we’re here.” I brought her the container of eggs, bacon and toast along with a fork.
“Sorry, I don’t think the toast is crisp anymore.”
“Oh I don’t care,” she picked it up and took a bite. “This is great.”
I sat down on the edge of the bed again and we ate in companionable silence. I took the container when she was done and offered to refill her coffee, which she accepted eagerly.
Maggie reappeared at the side of the bed, resting her chin on the mattress near Alex’s hip. Her tail gave one careful wag.
Alex looked down at her, then back at me as I set her coffee and the TV remote on the nightstand. “What’s she doing?”
“Waiting for permission,” I scratched behind Maggie’s ear. She made a small whimpering sound. “She wants to come up and keep you company, but she won’t without an invitation. She’s good at knowing when people need comfort.” I met Alex’s eyes. “Up to you, though.”
Alex looked down at Maggie again, who was maintaining her perfectly still position—chin on the bed, large brown eyes hopeful but patient.
“Okay,” Alex said softly. “You can come up, girl.”
Maggie’s tail thumped once before she jumped up gracefully, circling twice and settling against Alex’s legs over the covers. She laid her head on Alex’s thigh and sighed contentedly.
Alex reached down to pet Maggie’s head, fingers threading through the soft curls as her body visibly relaxed more against the pillows. “This is... actually really nice.”
“She’ll stay with you while I’m working,” I checked the room one more time. “I sent you El’s number. You can text her or me if you need anything. I’ll have my phone. If Maggie needs to go out, just have El send Belle over to fetch her.”
“What are you going to do today?”
“I was in the middle of fence repairs before I came down to see you. I want to get them finished while we’re here.” I leaned down to kiss her forehead. “But it’s nothin’ that can’t wait if you need me.”
“I’ll be fine,” she said, but her free hand caught mine. “This is... thank you, Finn. For taking care of me.”
“Partners,” I said simply. “Get some rest.”
I closed the door carefully and headed back out to get some work done.