She hadn’t wanted to drag Hadley into this. But Hadley had come anyway, bringing help and hope with her.

Elissa wasn’t strong enough to refuse that. She needed help—desperately. And what she couldn’t do, Eric might.

Tears welled up. She couldn’t stop herself. “Thank you. Thank you.”

Hadley gave her a soft smile, her eyes glinting with the same emotion. “When it’s over, I’ll make sure he knows how grateful you are.”

“And…” Elissa suddenly lifted her head, a thought rising that she couldn’t push down. “Locke,” she whispered. “My Locke.”

Hadley nodded, understanding instantly. “Of course. I know. You can’t leave without him.”

“I’ve already thought about that too,” Hadley said gently.

Elissa bit down on her lip, her eyes brimming with tears, nodding again and again. “Thank you!”

“Don’t cry.” Hadley reached for a tissue, gently wiping away the tears from Elissa’s cheeks. “You just need to hang on a little longer. Focus on getting better. You can barely stand right now, and that’s not helping.”

When Elissa had been discharged, the doctor made it clear—any further complications wouldn’t just endanger the baby, but Elissa’s own health could take a serious hit as well. Pregnancy was already hard on her body. Another scare might be too much to handle.

“Focus on getting stronger,” Hadley said softly. “Then we’ll talk about what comes next. Alright?”

Elissa nodded, wiping at the corners of her eyes. “Okay.”

“Laney,” Hadley said as she reached the bottom of the stairs, “Elissa says she’s feeling hungry. Can you have something made for her?”

“Really?” Laney lit up, her face brightening. “That’s wonderful news! I’ll get the kitchen started right away. Miss Pearson, looks like your words did the trick!” With a smile, Laney turned and hurried off.

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From across the living room, Ernest stepped forward, phone in hand. He had heard everything.

“Ernest.”

“Hadley,” he said, his tone warm. “Thank you. Truly.”

He had spent days trying to coax Elissa into eating, and nothing had worked—until now.

“You’re welcome. She’s my friend.” Hadley smiled. “I’ll be heading out now. Good night, Ernest.”

“Good night.” He walked her to the door and, with a slight smile, added, “I hope you’ll stop by more often to keep her company.”

Hadley paused. His kindness made her feel guilty about what she was planning.

“I will,” she said quickly. “I should go now. No need to walk me out.”

“Drive safe,” Ernest said, raising a hand in farewell.

Back on Jewel Avenue, Eric’s car waited outside her house.

When Hadley’s car pulled up, Eric stepped out right away, waving. “Hadley!”

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