"Dom! Dom, where are you?" Annabelle yelled into the apartment from the bedroom and she almost immediately heard Dom's footsteps hurrying towards her. Sobs shook her body as she ripped her suitcase out of the closet and started piling things into it.
"What's going on, love?" he asked her gently, obviously instantly able to tell that something was wrong.
"My mom... my mom is sick, I guess. Nora just called. I guess she has cancer but didn't want us to worry about her? But now she's in the hospital and by the sound of Nora's voice, I don't think it's looking good," she explained, barely able to get the words out.
"Oh my god, Belles, I'm so sorry..." Dom trailed off, closing the gap of space between them and pulling her tightly into his arms. She let him hold her for a second and then broke free to continue packing. "I'll come with you."
"No, you can't. You've already gotten unscheduled days off for me. I have to go by myself and I'll be fine," she said, and he shook his head.
"No, I'm sure I can get a few days. I don't want to make you go alone," he told her, reaching for her again. She shook him off and zipped her suitcase.
"No. You're going to stay here and work and I'm going to go see my mom and sister. It's okay, Dom," she told him, leaning in to give him a small kiss on the lips. He grabbed her as she did so, holding her close to his chest. She let him keep her there for a long moment, wrapping her arms around him.
"You'll be okay?" he asked, and she knew he was talking about a lot more than just plane safety.
"Yeah, Dom. I'll be okay. I promise," she assured him, standing on her tiptoes to kiss him again before turning and heading out of the apartment.