Stealing Home

Chapter 5 : The Morning After

Light came in slowly.

Not harsh—just enough to pull Hannah out of sleep piece by piece.

She shifted under the covers, her body heavy, her mind slower than usual. For a moment, she didn’t move. Didn’t open her eyes. She just existed there, caught between sleep and awareness, suspended in that quiet space where nothing felt urgent.

It didn’t last.

Memory came back in fragments.

The plane.

The drop.

The water pressing in.

Voices. Movement. Hands pulling, guiding.

Her breath caught faintly—not panic, not fully—but something close to it.

Her eyes opened.

The ceiling above her was still.

The room didn’t move.

The quiet wasn’t broken by alarms or shouting or rushing footsteps.

Just silence.

She was here.

Alive.

Safe.

Her gaze drifted to the side, landing on the small table near the window.

The pizza box sat open, edges slightly bent, untouched since the night before. Two glasses sat beside it, both nearly empty.

Proof.

That it hadn’t been imagined.

That it had actually happened.

Everett.

Her chest tightened slightly—not sharp, not overwhelming—just enough to notice.

The way he had stayed calm.

The way he hadn’t pushed.

The way he had asked questions like he meant them.

Her fingers curled lightly into the sheets before she pushed herself upright, the motion slower than usual.

Her body protested in small ways—tightness in her shoulders, a faint ache through her legs—but nothing she couldn’t ignore.

She sat there for a second, grounding herself.

Then stood.

The floor was cool beneath her feet.

She crossed the room without rushing, each step steady, controlled.

The mirror in the bathroom caught her reflection as soon as she stepped inside.

She turned on the sink first, letting the water run, watching it for a second before leaning forward and splashing her face.

Cold.

Sharp enough to pull her fully into the moment.

She reached for the toothbrush the hotel had sent up with the clothes, squeezing on toothpaste before brushing. She was glad they’d included it—she hated the feeling of unclean teeth in the morning.

When she finished, she rinsed, setting everything back where it had been.

Then she looked up again.

Her reflection stared back at her—slightly softer than usual, less guarded around the edges.

Her jaw shifted slightly.

Her expression followed.

Controlled again.

Recognizable.

She reached for a towel, drying her face slowly before stepping back into the main room.

A knock sounded at the door.

Her head lifted immediately.

She stood there for a second longer than necessary.

Then crossed the room.

Her hand paused on the handle, fingers resting against the cool metal.

Then she opened it.

Everett stood there.

Steady. Composed.

“Hey,” he said.

“Hey.”

“Figured I’d check on you,” he added.

A faint smile pulled at her lips.

His gaze flicked over her briefly—quick, controlled, not lingering long enough to be obvious.

“You look better.”

“I feel better,” she said.

Another pause settled between them.

Comfortable.

Easy.

“There’s a place downstairs,” he said after a second. “Breakfast. Coffee.”

She hesitated.

“You’re not going to tell me you’re too busy already,” he added.

There was something almost teasing in it.

A small laugh slipped out.

“No,” she said. “I’m not.”

A corner of his mouth lifted.

“Good.”

She stepped back slightly.

“I just need a minute.”

“I’ll be here.”

She nodded once and closed the door.

⸻

The lobby was calmer now.

People moved slower—coffee in hand, voices low.

The restaurant sat just off to the side, open and bright.

Hannah glanced toward it as they walked in. She knew the hotel was large, but she couldn’t believe she’d missed that it had its own restaurant the night before.

They chose a table near the windows.

Hannah sat across from him, her hands resting lightly on the table.

A server approached, notepad in hand.

“What can I get you both to drink?”

Hannah glanced up at the same time Everett did.

“Coffee,” they said in unison.

A small pause followed—just enough to notice.

They both smiled.

“Two coffees,” the server confirmed before stepping away.

“You always this quiet in the morning?” Everett asked.

She glanced up.

“Depends who I’m with.”

His brow lifted slightly.

“And?”

She took a breath.

“You’re easy to be quiet around.”

He watched her for a moment.

“Guess that’s a good thing.”

“I think it is.”

Another pause.

“What about you?” she asked. “Always up this early?”

“Comes with the job.”

“Right. Schedules. Discipline.”

“Something like that.”

Her fingers traced the edge of the table.

“You heading out today?” he asked.

The question settled differently.

“Not sure yet,” she said.

He nodded.

“Same.”

A brief pause.

“Did you decide?” she asked. “Go home or keep going?”

He leaned back slightly, thinking.

“Still deciding,” he said. “Feels strange just… picking like nothing happened.”

She nodded.

“Yeah. It does.”

Another second passed before she spoke again.

“I think I’m gonna go back home,” she said.

His eyes shifted to her.

“Yeah?”

She nodded, her fingers tracing the edge of the table.

He leaned back slightly, considering.

“I might try to make the game,” he said. “It’s tonight, so I may have a chance at catching it.”

That pulled a small glance from her.

“You have a game?”

“Yeah,” he said.

She studied him for a second.

“You don’t seem too stressed about it.”

He gave a slight shrug.

“The coach isn’t putting any pressure on me, given the situation, so I’m not too worried.”

She nodded slowly.

“Yeah,” she said. “I guess that makes sense.”

A vibration broke the moment.

Everett glanced down, pulling his phone from his pocket. His expression shifted slightly as he read the screen.

“What is it?” she asked.

“There’s a flight,” he said. “Soon. They just updated it.”

Her chest tightened just slightly.

“That was fast.”

“Yeah.”

He looked back up at her.

“I should probably go pack.”

She nodded.

“Yeah. Me too.”

They stood at the same time, the moment between them pausing—like neither of them was quite ready to break it.

But they did.

Together, they walked out of the restaurant and toward the elevators.

The ride up was quieter than before.

Not uncomfortable.

Just… aware.

When the doors opened, they stepped out into the hallway.

“I guess this is where we split,” he said.

Hannah hesitated for just a second.

“I guess so,” she said. “It was nice meeting you, Everett.”

A small shift crossed his expression.

“You too, Hannah.”

She gave a slight nod before turning toward her room.

⸻

Hannah moved quickly once she was inside.

She grabbed her things, folding, packing, not letting herself slow down long enough to think too much about it.

The TV played quietly in the background, still on from the night before.

“…breaking updates this morning following last night’s emergency landing…”

Her hands stilled.

Slowly, she turned.

The screen filled with footage she recognized instantly.

The plane.

The water.

Rescue crews.

“…all passengers reported safe…”

Her chest tightened as she stepped closer.

“…including several notable passengers—”

The image shifted.

And then—

She froze.

Everett.

His face filled the screen, clear and unmistakable.

“…professional baseball player Everett—”

Her breath caught.

She stared at the TV, her mind trying to catch up.

She knew.

Of course she knew.

He wasn’t just someone.

But not like this.

Not that team.

Michael’s favorite team.

The realization hit harder than it should have.

Her grip tightened slightly on the edge of the dresser.

Her eyes stayed on the screen for a second longer—

Then she looked away.