Fragile

Chapter 7 - Internship

"Where's the soccer field?" he asked suddenly.

I laughed. "You think people are just playing soccer in the airport?"

He shrugged. "Maybe."

We made it through customs, grabbed our bags, and headed toward the exit. A taxi was waiting for us, ready to take us to the temporary housing the hospital had arranged.

As I loaded our suitcases into the trunk, my phone buzzed in my pocket.

I pulled it out, unlocking it without thinking.

And then I saw it.

Leah Williamson has replied to your story.

My stomach dropped.

I stared at the notification for a second, my breath caught somewhere in my chest before my fingers hesitantly opened the message.

Leah: You're in London?

My throat went dry.

Of all the responses I had braced myself for—anger, silence, something cold—I hadn't expected just... that.

Simple. Direct.

I sat in the back of the taxi, staring at my phone as the car pulled away from the airport, Riggs chattering excitedly beside me about all the football he expected to see.

I should ignore it. I should pretend I never saw it. But my fingers moved before I could stop them.

Me: Yeah. Just got here.

I watched the three little dots appear almost immediately, my stomach twisting with nerves.

Leah: How long?

I hesitated.

Me: Six months.

Leah: Wow.

I swallowed. Then, before I could overthink it—before I could talk myself out of it—I typed one last message.

Me: I didn't think you'd respond.

I stared at the screen, waiting, my heartbeat loud in my ears.

Leah: I didn't think you would.

My fingers hovered over my phone, nerves twisting in my stomach. Leah's last message stared back at me, simple but weighted. I exhaled slowly, my thumb hesitating over the keyboard, unsure of what to say. There were too many things I could say, too many things I should say.

But before I could type a single word—

"Mom!"

I snapped my head up just in time to see Riggs darting away from the taxi, weaving through the crowd of travelers in the arrivals terminal.

"Riggs!" I scrambled out of the car, heart hammering as I chased after him.

"My Spider-Man suitcase!" he called over his shoulder, beelining toward the luggage cart where the brightly colored case sat.

I let out a breath, tension easing slightly as I reached him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Riggs, you can't just run off like that," I said, my voice firm but not unkind.

He looked up at me, eyes wide with innocence. "But I saw it!"

I sighed, ruffling his hair before grabbing the suitcase. "Next time, you tell me before you run, okay?"

"Okay," he mumbled, kicking at the floor.

I smiled despite myself, shaking my head before glancing back at my phone in my other hand. Leah's message was still there. Still unanswered. And the read notification was staring back at me. I swallowed, suddenly feeling like I had just made a mistake. Because now Leah Williamson knew I had seen her message. And I hadn't replied.