Chapter 101: Miss Vasquez

The morning settles into the cruise suite room like a slow sigh, the first light of sunrise bleeding through the sheer curtains and painting Alexandra’s bare shoulder in shades of gold and rose. She lies propped against the headboard, one arm curved around Roxanne’s shoulders as they share the warmth of the bed, her thumb scrolling lazily through her phone.

A tab is open, some article about urban gardening she barely registers, and every few seconds a short video pops up, bright, loud, and forgetful. Roxanne is nestled against her chest, her head tucked just under Alexandra’s chin, her breathing slow and even.

The phone in Roxanne’s hand buzzes, the screen lighting up with Madelyn’s name. Roxanne doesn’t move, doesn’t shift her weight, just answers the call with her thumb, and lets the video feed appear, the phone resting on the curve of Alexandra’s ribcage.

Madelyn’s face fills the screen, weary but looking relieved, and behind her the muted beige walls of a first-class room at Cypress Creek Community Hospital stretch into the background. A bed sits against the wall, and in it Caleb lies sleeping, his face slack, his chest rising and falling in a rhythm that matches the soft hum of a monitor.

The sight makes Roxanne’s jaw tighten, but she keeps her voice calm. “Is he okay?” she asks, her breath warm against Alexandra’s collarbone.

Madelyn nods. “He’s okay. The doctor said he’s doing okay. They’re still going to monitor him, but if he’s fine, then in two or three days he can go back home.”

Roxanne’s hand reaches for the edge of the screen as if she could touch her sister through it. “Are you okay, Maddie? Have you eaten? Want me to transfer some money to you? You can buy food in the hospital.” The words 'worry' and 'mothering' tumble out in a way that feels natural to her.

Madelyn smiles, a small, tired curve of her lips. “No, it’s okay.” She pauses, then adds, “The men who came to settle the hospital bills also gave me a card with money. It’s a thousand dollars, Roxie. I can buy food for me and Dad.”

Roxanne turns her head slightly, her cheek brushing the soft fabric of the bed sheet that covered Alexandra's chest, and angles her face up towards her. “You did that?” she asks, her voice low, sounding surprised but grateful.

Alexandra doesn’t look up from her phone, her thumb still swiping through a video of someone painting a mural. “She needs some food. So does your dad,” she says, her tone nonchalant, as if she were commenting on the weather.

Her free hand moves like it has a mind of its own, coming up to stroke Roxanne’s hair, fingers threading through dark strands before they slide down to play with the shell of her ear, a slow, rhythmic caress.

Madelyn watches from the other end of the call. She can see everything: the way Roxanne doesn’t pull away, the way her body melts into the touch, and the way the hand on her ear looks like a claim. It’s too intimate to be casual, too natural to be new. And the voice she heard—deep, rich, unmistakably a woman’s—makes her pause.

“Are you a sugar baby or what?” she blurts, curiosity winning over politeness.

The question hangs in the air for half a second before both Roxanne and Alexandra burst out laughing, the sound sudden and full, shaking the phone loose from Roxanne’s grip. It clatters onto the bed, the screen flashing towards the ceiling for a moment before Roxanne scoops it up, laughing still, her cheeks flushed. She takes a breath, wipes the corner of her eye, and stares into the camera.

“Just… don’t mind me, okay?” she says, her voice light but carrying a hint of seriousness.

Madelyn’s brow furrows, her worry etching lines around her mouth. “Don’t do something dangerous.”

Roxanne smirks, her eyes flicking towards Alexandra for a beat. “Oh, she’s dangerous, but not that kind.”

“Dude, you’re horrible. You had sex already!” Madelyn’s face contorts into a mix of horror and amusement.

“Shut up, back to Caleb,” Roxanne fires back, but she’s smiling, and so is Madelyn, the tension eased for a moment.

Madelyn's smile slowly fades as she lowers her eyes to the blanket covering Caleb's bed before looking back at the screen. The confidence she has been forcing herself to maintain since the emergency begins slipping away now that she finally has her older sister in front of her.

"He'll be fine," she says quietly, almost as though she's reassuring herself as much as Roxanne. "Anyway..." She hesitates, nervously rubbing her thumb against the edge of the phone. "Can you come? Is that possible?"

"I just... want to see you." She swallows before continuing. "Dad is going to divorce Mum. And apparently someone took Mum away, so... I think the divorce is going to happen anyway. " A faint, tired smile appears before disappearing just as quickly. "I just need... my older sister."

Roxanne doesn't answer immediately. Instead, she slowly leans farther back until the weight of her body rests completely against Alexandra. She closes her eyes, listening to the calm, steady rhythm of Alexandra's heartbeat beneath her cheek while her fingers tighten almost unconsciously around the phone.

Beyond the balcony doors, the Alaskan morning has fully arrived. Sunlight filters gently through the sheer curtains, casting warm streaks of gold across the bedroom floor before climbing onto the bed where the two women sit together. The room feels peaceful, almost impossibly so compared to the hospital room thousands of miles away in Texas.

For a long moment, Roxanne simply breathes. Every part of her wants to say yes. Every part of her wants to get on the first helicopter, the first plane, anything that can take her back to Texas. She wants to hug Madelyn until her little sister stops crying. She wants to see Caleb awake with her own eyes. She wants to stand besides Robert while his entire world is falling apart.

But she also knows she's no longer making decisions only for herself. Without opening her eyes, she feels Alexandra's fingers gently thread through her hair before resting against the side of her head.

"I can't answer that for you." Alexandra's voice is soft, warm, and remarkably gentle.

"You need to call your father." Roxanne slowly opens her eyes, she knows exactly what Alexandra means.

On the other end of the call, Madelyn blinks several times before her eyes suddenly widen. "...She knows your father?"

The surprise in her voice is unmistakable. "Uncle Brandon?"

Roxanne can't help smiling sheepishly despite herself. "...Kinda." It's the only answer she can safely give.

Madelyn's curiosity immediately takes over. "Kinda? What does that even mean? Who is she? Why does she know Uncle Brandon? And why are people listening to her? Even those men at the hospital—"

Before she can finish another question, the phone is gently lifted out of her hand. The image shakes for a brief moment before another face fills the screen.

A woman with sun-kissed skin, laugh lines around her eyes, and a warm smile looks directly into the camera. Her auburn hair is tied into a loose ponytail, and she's wearing a navy-blue shirt.

"Hey," she says brightly, her unmistakable Texas drawl immediately filling the room. "Saved you just in time, buddy."

Roxanne blinks once before recognition finally settles across her face. "Sam?"

"Now, let me see your sugar mom's face." She said, and her words make Alexandra chuckle.

"Samantha Vasquez!"