Chapter 1
Finding Ground
Maliyah
I crossed the main lobby of Harbor House Road toward my office, still pinching myself that this was real.
Even so, I caught myself eyeing the entrance every few minutes, scanning faces.
It was a vigilance I thought I'd moved past after living in Florida for so long.
But being back in Boston had reawakened old instincts—and old habits can be hard to break.
Getting started had gone smoother than I'd expected—Carmen had been incredibly helpful with the handover before she retired, and my replacement in Florida had only had a few questions after I'd turned the reins over. Everything was falling into place perfectly.
Lucas was still adjusting to his new school after we switched last week, but he was doing okay and he liked his teachers. Zoe loved the on-site childcare—so did I, for that matter. For the first time in years, everything felt like it was exactly where it should be.
The conference room was already half-full when I arrived for our weekly staff meeting.
Delilah sat at the head of the table with her laptop open, fingers flying across the keyboard.
Keisha had claimed the seat nearest the coffee pot, cradling a mug that read "Relax, I’m a social worker.
I’ve seen worse." Martin sat opposite Keisha and was thumbing quickly across his phone, while Diana sat looking like she needed a nap.
I breezed into the room with a smile that felt stretched across my face, the third cup of morning coffee still warming my palm.
"Morning, everyone!" My voice rang out a notch too bright against the Monday faces around the table.
I slid into my chair, smoothing my skirt under me, and glanced at my watch.
"Let's keep this quick—I can see Diana's already eyeing the door. "
Delilah pulled up the monthly report on the projector. "Intake numbers are up twelve percent from last month. We're at capacity for residential beds, with a waitlist of seven."
"Childcare enrollment is steady," Diana added. "We had two new kids start this week."
Keisha tapped her pen against her notepad. "Counseling sessions are booked solid through the end of the month. I was thinking we could do some groups for those who don’t need the same level of individual care. Maybe offer evening hours."
"Good problem to have. Why don’t you put some ideas to paper and we can see what might work," I said. "Martin, anything on your end?"
"Security audit's complete. Made some recommendations for the residential site—better lighting in the parking area, need to fix a broken camera. We’ll be ready for the building safety assessment next month."
I tapped out everyone’s comments on my screen. My fingers hovered over the keyboard as I lifted my gaze to scan the tired Monday faces around the conference table. "Anyone else?"
Silence. Diana shuffled her folders. Keisha took another sip of coffee.
"Alright then. Good work, everyone. Let's—"
"Oh!" Delilah's face lit up. "Before we go, I have to show you what my grandson did yesterday." She pulled out her phone, scrolling through photos. "He took his first steps on camera! Waddled right to me!"
"Oh Lord, I’m guessing Crystal isn't ready for him to be running around already," Diana said, leaning in.
"Nope! But I am! I’m over the moon to start running around with him." Delilah beamed.
Keisha laughed. "That's adorable. Meanwhile, I texted my son to take out the trash yesterday and got back 'k' with a thumbs-up emoji. Found the same trash still sitting there when I got home. He was real surprised when I swiped his headphones off and distracted him from his video game. His avatar ran right into the grenade he’d thrown.
Boom! Dead avatar equaled time to take the trash out! "
"Teenagers." Martin shook his head. "My daughter used to hang on my every word.
Now I'm apparently the most boring person on the planet.
Asked if she wanted to go to the Red Sox game with me last weekend—you know what she said?
After the longest stare of my life, she finally says, 'That sounds like a you thing, Dad. '"
"A you thing?" Diana pressed her hand to her chest. "That hurts."
"Tell me about it."
"I miss when she was little," Diana said, her voice softening. "Remember when she used to come here after school? She'd run around the lobby pretending to be the receptionist, answering the fake phone."
Martin's expression shifted, something tender replacing his usual stoic demeanor. "Yeah. She was here for daycare until she was five. Those were the days."
"They grow up so fast," Delilah said quietly.
The room quieted, and Diana elbowed Martin, making a joke about him having to worry over prom and boys.
Delilah smiled at her phone screen one more time before tucking it away, while Keisha caught my eye and gave me a slight nod, as if to say, "You're one of us now.
" I felt my shoulders relax for the first time that morning.
I thought about Lucas and Zoe. How Lucas was already losing his baby face, how Zoe was starting to read simple words. How quickly they were becoming themselves—independent, opinionated, growing.
"They really do," I agreed, then cleared my throat. "Alright, for real this time—let's get the day moving."
I was picking up intake files from the front desk when I heard a familiar voice behind me.
"Maliyah?"
I turned to see Detective Reed Morrison approaching, his expression shifting from professional to something warmer when he saw me. He was escorting a young woman who looked to be in her early twenties, her left eye bearing the telltale yellowing of a healing bruise.
"Detective Morrison." My voice came out higher than I intended, and I found myself tucking a strand of hair behind my ear.
I'd wondered if I would run into him again with my new job.
He'd been the cop assigned to help my sister with Macy, and I might have hoped to run into him again when I moved here.
That hope coming true sent a little thrill through my body.
"What brings you in today?" Stupid question, Maliyah.
A blush crept up my cheeks as I looked back at the young woman with him.
He glanced at the woman beside him, then back to me. "Just helping someone get connected with resources." His voice was gentle, the way it got when he was in protector mode.
I nodded, understanding immediately. I'd been in this business long enough to recognize the signs—the way the young woman held herself, the careful distance she maintained from Reed despite his obvious attempts to be non-threatening.
"Nadine," Reed said to his companion, "this is Maliyah Davenport. She's the director here." He looked back at me. "Actually, Maliyah might be exactly who you want to talk to."
I stepped forward, offering what I hoped was a reassuring smile. "Hi there. I'm Maliyah. Would you like to sit down and talk for a few minutes?"
The relief that crossed her face was immediate. Sometimes, women just needed to see another woman to know they weren't alone.
"Reed, thank you for bringing her in," I said. "We'll take good care of her."
"I know you will." His eyes held mine for a moment longer than necessary, and I felt that flutter again. "I'll, uh, maybe I'll call you later? You know, like to check in?"
I blushed—again. "I'd like that." Professional director of a trauma shelter, reduced to a teenager with a crush in thirty seconds flat.
After Reed left and I'd gotten Nadine settled with one of the intake counselors, I realized Lucas would be in soon.
My first two weeks as director had been a whirlwind, but moments like this—helping women find safety and resources—reminded me exactly why I'd made the right choice coming here.
As we walked to the car, I couldn't help but smile.
Everything about my new life felt right—the job, being here in Boston, even these unexpected moments with Reed that left my heart racing.
"Mama, can we get ice cream?" Zoe asked as she popped into my office once things had quieted down after introducing Nadine to one of our counselors.
I tapped my watch and shook my head. "First, we need to boil water at home, tesoro." I brushed a stray curl from her forehead, tucking it behind her ear.
"Can we make the twirly kind?" Zoe twisted her finger in the air, mimicking the spiral of fusilli.
"Si, signorina." I winked, remembering her homework sheet covered in food vocabulary.
"And you can be my little chef and tell me the names of everything in Italiano.
" One day Italian vocab, the next flower names.
Keeping up with the kids' curriculum was exhausting for me as a single mom, but I did my best—and made it fun where I could.
Zoe clapped her hands, her silver bracelet jingling against her wrist. The front door banged open, followed by a stampede of sneakers squeaking across the lobby floor.
"Mom! They have a real science lab with actual microscopes!
" Lucas' voice rose above the chaos of all the shouts and laughter, breathless with excitement.
His backpack hung off one shoulder, papers spilling from the unzipped top.
Diana appeared in my doorway, her cardigan buttoned wrong and hair windblown. "Made it back in one piece," she said, glancing at her watch. "Though I think Mrs. Abernathy's spelling test might be a tough one to prep for tomorrow."
I laughed and rolled my eyes. "Great!" Yup, mom-life.
I went about getting the kids settled so I could finish my day out.
Even as I chopped vegetables that night, part of me kept glancing at my phone. The kids had their routine, I had my dream job—and maybe, just maybe, something else was beginning too.