Ava had been working there less than a week. Her shoes rubbed blisters into her heels, her uniform hung awkwardly on her frame, and fine dining was a world far removed from her own. But when she saw Nathaniel and the sobbing baby, she didn’t see an inconvenience. She saw two souls unraveling.
Without ceremony, she held out her arms.
“May I?” she asked softly.
Exhausted beyond thought, Nathaniel handed Lucas over. Ava settled the baby against her chest with instinctive grace, rocking him gently while humming an old lullaby from her childhood in Santa Cruz. The restaurant fell silent. Lucas’s cries faded, his breathing slowed, and soon his eyes fluttered shut.
“Babies feel fear,” Ava said quietly. “If you’re calm, they calm down too.”
Nathaniel stared at her, stunned. For the first time in months, he felt himself breathe.
“You saved us,” he said hoarsely. “I’m Nathaniel.”
“Ava,” she replied, carefully returning Lucas. “I should get back before I lose my job.”
But Nathaniel couldn’t let her walk away.
“Please,” he said, stopping her. “Come work for me. I need help. Real help.”