The Calm Before
1604 Words
CHAPTER 19
Two weeks later
"Higher, Daddy! Push me higher!"
I watched from the park bench as Damien pushed Liam on the swings. Our Saturday morning routine.
Everything was perfect.
Too perfect.
That thought kept nagging at me. Like waiting for the other shoe to drop.
"Stop it," I told myself.
My phone buzzed. Maya.
Maya: Lunch today? I have news.
Me: Good news?
Maya: The best news. 1 PM?
Me: See you then.
"Mommy! Did you see how high I went?"
"I saw, baby! You're flying!"
Liam's laugh echoed through the park. Pure. Happy.
This was what mattered. This moment. This family.
Not the anxiety. Not the waiting for disaster.
Just this.
Damien jogged over, slightly out of breath. "Your son has infinite energy."
"Your son," I corrected.
"Our son." He kissed my temple. "Our perfect, exhausting son."
"Ice cream after this?"
"You're going to spoil him."
"That's what Saturdays are for."
He sat next to me. Took my hand. "I talked to the wedding planner yesterday."
"Already?"
"She had an opening. December wedding. Small. Intimate. Just family and close friends."
"December? That's only four months away."
"Too soon?"
I thought about it. "No. Not too soon. Perfect timing, actually."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah. Let's do it. December wedding."
His smile was brilliant. "I can't wait to marry you."
"You already married me once."
"That doesn't count. This time, I'm doing it right."
That afternoon – Lunch with Maya
"You're glowing," Maya said immediately.
"I'm not glowing..."
"You are. It's disgusting. I love it."
I laughed. "What's your news?"
"Okay, so. You know that Catherine Park contract? The ten events?"
"Yeah?"
"She was so impressed with your work that she's recommended you to three other major clients. Three, Sophia. We're talking million-dollar contracts. Each."
I couldn't breathe. "What?"
"Your business is about to explode. Like, nationally. You're going to be huge."
"I... I don't know what to say."
"Say you'll hire more staff. Because we're going to need it."
"Maya, this is incredible."
"You're incredible. This is just the world finally noticing." She raised her glass. "To success. And to proving every tabloid wrong."
We clinked glasses.
"How's the house?" Maya asked.
"Perfect. Terrifying. Perfectly terrifying."
"And Damien?"
"Good. Really good. We're getting married in December."
Maya screamed. Actually screamed in the middle of the restaurant.
"Sorry! Sorry!" She waved at the staring people. Then turned back to me. "DECEMBER?!"
"Small wedding. Just close people."
"I'm maid of honor."
"Obviously."
"And Liam is ring bearer."
"He's already practicing."
Maya's eyes were wet. "I'm so happy for you. After everything, you deserve this."
"Thanks. I hope I don't screw it up."
"You won't. You're different now. Stronger. And Damien is different too. He's actually showing up."
"He is, isn't he?"
"Every single day. That man is gone for you."
That evening – Home
Damien was cooking dinner. Attempting to cook dinner.
"Should I be worried?" I asked, seeing the smoke.
"No. This is controlled smoke."
"That's not a thing."
"It is now."
Liam sat at the kitchen table, coloring. "Daddy's cooking is interesting."
"That's a nice way to put it, buddy."
Damien shot me a look. "I'm trying here."
"I know. It's cute."
"Cute? I'm going for competent."
"Let's start with edible."
He laughed. Pulled me close. Kissed me despite the smoke alarm starting to beep.
"Order pizza?" he suggested.
"Order pizza."
After dinner, delivery pizza, not Damien's creation, we put Liam to bed together.
Our routine now. Both of us reading stories. Both tucking him in. Both kissing him goodnight.
A family.
"Mommy? Daddy?" Liam said sleepily.
"Yeah, buddy?"
"I love our house. And I love our family."
"We love you too, baby."
"Forever?"
"Forever and ever," Damien said. "Nothing's ever going to change that."
Later that night
Damien and I sat on the back deck, looking at the lake.
"I keep waiting for something to go wrong," I admitted.
"Why?"
"Because things are too good. We're too happy. Life doesn't work like that for me."
"Maybe it does now."
"Maybe."
"Sophia, look at me." I did. "Nothing is going to go wrong. We're solid. We're happy. We're together. That's not going to change."
"You can't promise that..."
"I can. And I am." He took my hands. "I know you're waiting for the other shoe to drop. I know you're scared. But baby, sometimes good things just stay good. Sometimes happy endings actually happen."
"I want to believe that."
"Then believe it. Trust this. Trust us."
I leaned into him. "I'm trying."
"That's all I ask."
We sat in comfortable silence.
"The wedding planner asked about vows," Damien said. "Traditional or personal?"
"Personal."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah. I want to tell you exactly what you mean to me. In front of everyone."
"That could get emotional."
"Good. Let everyone see how much I love you."
He kissed my hair. "I'm the luckiest man alive."
"Don't forget it."
The next Monday – Liam's school
I dropped Liam off at Little Sprouts preschool. Our normal routine.
"Be good, baby."
"I'm always good!"
"That's debatable."
He giggled. Ran inside.
I waved to Miss Sarah, his teacher.
"He's such a joy," she said. "Always happy."
"He's in a good place right now. We all are."
"I can see that. You're glowing."
Why did everyone keep saying that?
I drove to my office. Started working on the new contracts Maya mentioned.
Huge contracts. Life-changing contracts.
Everything was falling into place.
My phone rang. Little Sprouts.
"Hello?"
"Ms. Martinez, this is Miss Sarah. I just wanted to confirm, Liam's uncle picked him up early? You called ahead?"
My blood turned to ice.
"What?"
"Liam's uncle. Ethan Cross? He said you called the office. Said Liam had a doctor's appointment?"
"I didn't call. I didn't, where is Liam?!"
"He...oh my god. He left with him ten minutes ago. I thought, you didn't authorize..."
I was already running to my car.
"Call the police! Now!"
I hung up. Called Damien.
"Hey..."
"Someone took Liam. From school. Pretending to be Ethan. I'm heading there now..."
"I'm on my way. Call 911."
I called 911 while driving. Hands shaking so badly I could barely hold the phone.
"911, what's your emergency?"
"My son. Someone took my son from his preschool. Little Sprouts on Pine Street. Four years old. Brown hair. Gray eyes. Wearing a blue shirt..."
"Ma'am, slow down. When did this happen?"
"Ten minutes ago! Please, you have to find him..."
"We're sending officers now. What's your son's name?"
"Liam. Liam Martinez. Please. Please find him."
Little Sprouts Preschool – 20 minutes later
Police everywhere. Damien's car screeched into the parking lot.
He ran to me. "What happened?"
"Someone, a man, said he was Ethan. Said I called ahead about a doctor's appointment. Miss Sarah didn't verify. She just, she just let him take Liam."
Miss Sarah was sobbing. "I'm so sorry. I thought, he knew Liam's name. He knew your name. I thought..."
"Where's Ethan?" I demanded. "The real Ethan? Where is he?"
Damien pulled out his phone. Called his brother.
"Ethan? Where are you?"
I could hear Ethan's voice. Confused. In New York.
"Stay there. Don't come to Seattle. Someone used your name to..." Damien's voice broke. "Someone took Liam."
He hung up.
The detective approached. "Mr. Cross? Ms. Martinez? I need you to tell me everything."
We told him. About Isabella. About the threats. About everything.
"We need to consider this could be a ransom situation," the detective said. "Given your wealth, Mr. Cross..."
My phone buzzed. Unknown number.
A text.
A photo.
Liam. Crying. In the back of a car.
And a message:
"You took what was mine. Now I've taken what's yours. If you want him back, Damien comes alone. I'll send location soon. No police. Or the boy dies. - I"
I couldn't breathe. Couldn't think. Couldn't...
"Sophia." Damien grabbed my shoulders. "Look at me. Look at me."
I did. His gray eyes. Liam's eyes.
"We're going to get him back. I promise you. We're going to get our son back."
"She has him. Isabella has him."
"I know. And I'm going to kill her."
The detective took my phone. "We need to trace this. Set up..."
"No." Damien's voice was steel. "No police. She said no police."
"Mr. Cross, we can't..."
"I don't care what you can or can't do. That's my son. And I'm getting him back."
"If you go alone, she could kill you both..."
"Then I die. But I'm not risking Liam's life."
I grabbed his hand. "We go together."
"No. She said me alone..."
"I don't care what she said. That's our son. We get him together. Or not at all."
Damien looked at me. Saw the determination in my eyes.
"Together," he said.
"Together."
The detective started to argue.
Damien's phone buzzed. Another text.
An address. An abandoned warehouse. South Seattle.
"One hour. Alone. Or I hurt him."
"We're going," Damien said.
"Mr. Cross..."
"You can follow at a distance. But we're going in alone. That's final."
We ran to his car.
"I'm driving," I said.
"Sophia..."
"I'm driving. You're too emotional."
"I'm too, you're shaking..."
"We don't have time to argue. Get in."
He got in.
I drove.
Faster than I'd ever driven.
Toward our son.
Toward the woman who'd taken him.
Toward whatever happened next.
"We're going to get him back," I said. More to myself than Damien.
"We're going to get him back," Damien repeated.
"And then?"
"Then I'm making sure Isabella never hurts anyone again."
I didn't argue.
Because right now, in this moment, I felt the same way.
Our son was in danger.
And someone was going to pay.
- Writer
