Chapter 4

I didn't leave. Not because I'd given in.

Daniel had warned me that abruptly cutting off father-daughter contact before custody was settled could work against me.

Nathan settled Sophie into the guest room.

Then he went to my mother's place to pick up Stella.

When they came back, he'd bought her a new telescope.

Stella glanced at it once and didn't touch it.

"Daddy will watch the meteor shower with you tonight."

Stella looked up at him and asked, "Is Sophie coming too?"

Nathan hesitated for a second.

"She's not feeling well. She'll rest at home."

Stella asked, "Then you won't leave in the middle of it?

The living room fell silent again.

The smile on Sophie's face faded.

Nathan crouched in front of his daughter and asked, "Did I ever break a promise to you?"

Stella lowered her head and counted on her fingers.

"The first time. The second time. Yesterday."

Nathan's hand froze in midair.

I didn't step in to help him smooth things over.

After dinner, we headed to the observation deck on the outskirts of the city.

Nathan was behind the wheel.

Stella sat in the back, leaning against me the whole way.

Every few minutes, Nathan glanced at Stella in the rearview mirror.

Halfway there, Sophie called.

Nathan declined it.

Before long, it rang again.

On the third call, he finally answered through the car speakers.

Sophie's trembling voice filled the car, "The power went out."

Nathan's brow creased, and he instructed, "Use your phone flashlight."

"I did, but I keep hearing something outside."

"It's probably the elevator."

"Nathan, I'm scared."

Nathan tightened his grip on the steering wheel. The car gradually slowed.

Stella immediately sat up straight, her eyes fixed on him. "Daddy, are you leaving?"

"No." His answer was quick.

But then Sophie started sobbing over the speakers.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bother you."

Nathan's voice softened instantly. "Don't cry."

He pulled over to the side of the road and turned to look at me.

"Why don't you take Stella there? I'll join later."

I checked the GPS and said, "It's ten miles away. How are we supposed to get there?"

Nathan avoided my gaze and said, "Call a rideshare."

I stared at him as the last flicker of hope inside me died.

"You're leaving again?"

"She's alone at home. It's not safe."

"What about us?"

Nathan pressed his lips into a thin line but didn't answer.

I reminded him word for word, "Nathan, you just promised your daughter you wouldn't leave."

A flicker of irritation crossed his face.

"Sophie's situation is different."

"When isn't it?"

Stella unbuckled her seatbelt and picked up her backpack.

"Mommy, let's get out of the car."

Nathan snapped back to attention and reached for her.

Stella didn't cry. She didn't throw a fit.

She simply pulled her hand out of his.

That single gesture hurt more than any accusation could have.

Nathan swallowed hard.

He got out of the car, took out the telescope, then crouched to tuck Stella's scarf more securely around her neck.

"I will be right back."

Stella kept her head down. She didn't respond.

Nathan left anyway.

His taillights soon disappeared around the bend in the mountain road.

When the meteor appeared, Stella was adjusting the telescope.

I called out to her quickly, "Stella, look up."

She missed the first one.

But she caught the second.

A pale streak of light swept across the night sky, gone almost as soon as it appeared.

Children all around us burst into cheers.

Stella tilted her face up and suddenly asked me.

"Mommy, do shooting stars ever come back?"

"No."

She stared at the place where the shooting star had disappeared, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Daddy's not coming back either, is he?"

I pulled her into my arms.

"But I will always be here."

Stella leaned against me and said nothing more.

She waited for a long time, but Nathan never came back.

Before the meteor shower was over, she had already fallen asleep, clutching her blue notebook.

It wasn't until nearly midnight that headlights appeared again at the end of the mountain road.

Nathan finally returned.

The passenger door opened, and Sophie stepped out from the car.

She was wearing Nathan's coat, and the color had already returned to her face.

"The building manager checked. It was just a tripped breaker."

Nathan walked over to me as though he were explaining something completely insignificant.

"She was still pretty shaken up. I didn't feel right leaving her home alone, so I brought her here to pick you up."

I looked down at Stella in my arms.

He had said he'd be right back.

But his daughter had waited until she fell asleep, never getting to watch the meteor shower he'd promised to see with her.

Nathan reached out to take her from my arms.

I shifted away.

"Don't bother."

His hand hung in the air.

I didn't argue with him. I just carried Stella to the car.

Back home, I settled Stella in first.

She slept restlessly, one hand still locked around the blue notebook.

I tucked the blanket around her and left the room.

In the living room, Nathan was quietly asking Sophie if she was feeling any better.

I took out the divorce agreement and placed it on the coffee table.

"Nathan, let's get a divorce."