Chapter 38 The Day Before
Two Weeks Later - Thursday Morning
Elena arrived at the office early, stopping by the small kitchen on the 53rd floor to make Victoria's coffee. Blue mug, no sugar—the same routine.
The coffee maker hissed and dripped while Elena checked her phone.
Alexander had texted twenty minutes ago.
Morning. See you soon.
Simple. Safe. Nothing anyone reading over her shoulder would question.
She poured the coffee, grabbed her own, and headed to Victoria's office.
The door was open. Victoria was already at her desk, phone pressed to her ear, expression sharp.
Elena set the blue mug on the coaster, caught Victoria's brief nod of acknowledgment, and slipped out.
Back at her desk, the morning began. Emails. Schedule confirmations. A contract that needed Alexander's signature before noon.
Normal Thursday tasks.
Except tomorrow was Leo's birthday.
Tomorrow, her baby turned three.
The thought made her chest tight with something between joy and panic—how had three years passed so quickly?
Her phone buzzed.
Conference room C at 10? Need you to review the Singapore docs.
I'll be there.
The weeks had blurred together like this. Stolen moments between meetings. Quick kisses in empty hallways.
Alexander at her house most evenings, reading bedtime stories to Leo, helping with dinner, becoming part of their routine so naturally it scared her.
And through it all, work continued normally. Victoria gave instructions, Elena followed them, Alexander maintained perfect professionalism in public.
If Victoria suspected anything, she didn't show it.
At ten, Elena gathered the Singapore files and headed to conference room C.
Alexander was already there, tie loosened, sleeves rolled to his elbows.
The door clicked shut.
"Hi," he said, crossing to her immediately.
"We're supposed to be reviewing documents."
"We will. In a minute." He pulled her close, kissing her slowly. "I needed this first."
She melted into him, fingers curling into his shirt. "Someone's going to catch us eventually."
"Let them."
"Alexander—"
"I know, I know. Professional." But he didn't let go. "Tomorrow's the big day."
"You remembered."
"Of course I remembered. Leo's been reminding me every single day." He smiled. "Yesterday he told me I had to bring a 'really really good present' or I couldn't come."
"He's very serious about presents."
"What time should I pick you up tonight?"
She pulled back slightly. "Pick me up?"
"For shopping. Leo's birthday preparation, remember? We talked about this."
"I remember. I just thought—"
"You thought I'd forget?" He tucked hair behind her ear. "Elena. I want to help. Let me help."
"You don't have to—"
"I want to buy your son a birthday present. I want to help you get ready for his party. I want—" He paused, something intense flickering in his eyes. "I want to be part of this. All of it."
Her throat tightened. "Okay."
"Okay?"
"Pick me up at five. After work."
His smile could've lit the entire city. "It's a date."
"It's shopping for a three-year-old's birthday party."
"Best kind of date."
They actually reviewed the Singapore documents after that—standing close, shoulders brushing, occasionally getting distracted by each other.
When they finished, Alexander caught her hand one more time. "Five o'clock. Don't make me wait."
"Wouldn't dream of it."
The day crawled.
Victoria had back-to-back calls. Elena processed paperwork, coordinated meetings, handled the usual Thursday chaos.
At three, she passed Alexander's office.
Through the glass wall, she could see him on the phone, expression focused, gesturing as he talked.
He glanced up, caught her watching, and winked.
She rolled her eyes but couldn't stop the smile.
Professional. They were supposed to be professional.
At four-thirty, she started packing up. Victoria was still in her office, door closed, on another call.
Elena sent a quick email: Leaving at 5 today. My son birthday tomorrow—need to finish preparations. Available on phone if anything urgent comes up.
Victoria's response came two minutes later: Fine. Approved.
Short. Professional. Normal.
Elena shut down her computer, gathered her things, and tried not to watch the clock.
At 4:58, Alexander appeared at her desk.
"Ready?"
"You're early."
"Couldn't wait." He kept his voice low, professional, but his eyes were warm. "Come on."
They walked to the elevator together, maintaining careful distance. In the elevator, alone, he reached for her hand.
"Excited?"
"Nervous. Leo has very specific ideas about what makes a good party."
"We'll make it perfect."
The elevator opened to the parking garage.
Alexander's car was parked in its usual spot.
He opened her door, closed it once she was settled, then circled to the driver's side.
As the engine purred to life, Elena glanced back at the building.
Fifty-three floors up, Victoria's office window overlooked the garage.
Elena couldn't see if anyone was watching.
She didn't think about it.
Victoria stood at her window, phone call on hold, watching Alexander's car pull out of the garage.
Two weeks since she'd confronted him. She'd warned him. And nothing had changed.
He was still seeing Elena. Still playing house with her child. Still risking everything.
And Elena had left early—something about her son's birthday tomorrow.
Victoria's jaw tightened.
She should tell their father. Should force Alexander to choose before this got worse.
But some part of her—the part that remembered Alexander at eight years old, crying because he didn't want to go to boarding school, the part that had held him when his cat died—that part couldn't do it.
Not yet.
"Ms. Thorne?" Jenna's voice crackled through the phone. "Are you still there?"
Victoria turned from the window. "I'm here. Continue."
But even as she returned to work, she kept seeing that image: Alexander's car pulling away, Elena beside him, both of them oblivious to the storm coming.
Eventually, their father would find out.
Eventually, they'd have to face reality.
Victoria just hoped they were ready when it happened.
At The Store
Alexander parked outside a large toy store, the kind with bright displays and children's laughter spilling through the doors.
"You've been here before?" Elena asked.
"Never. But how hard can it be?"
"Famous last words."
Inside was overwhelming—aisles upon aisles of toys, games, books, everything imaginable.
Alexander grabbed a cart. "Where do we start?"
"Dinosaurs. Obviously."
They found the dinosaur section and stopped, staring.
"There are... a lot of dinosaurs," Alexander said slowly.
"Welcome to my life."
There were plush dinosaurs, plastic dinosaurs, dinosaur puzzles, dinosaur books, dinosaur building sets, dinosaur costumes.
Alexander picked up a large T-Rex. "This one?"
"He has three of those already."
"Oh." He set it down, picked up a triceratops. "This one?"
"Two of those."
"Right." He surveyed the options. "What doesn't he have?"
Elena pointed to a dinosaur excavation kit. "This. He's been asking about being a 'dino-scientist.'"
"Paleontologist?"
"To Leo, everything is a dino-scientist."
Alexander grabbed the kit, then added a book about dinosaurs, then a set of small realistic dinosaur figures.
"Alexander, that's too much."
"It's his birthday."
"Still—"
"Elena." He set down the cart handle, turning to face her. "Let me do this. Please. I want to give him something special."
She studied his face—the earnest expression, the way he was looking at her like this mattered.
"Okay," she said softly. "But nothing too expensive."
"Define too expensive."
"Alexander."
"I'm joking. Mostly." He grinned, turning back to the displays. "What about decorations? Balloons? Streamers?"
They spent the next hour wandering the store.
Alexander insisted on dinosaur-themed everything—plates, cups, napkins, a banner that said "ROAR! I'm 3!"
At checkout, Elena tried not to look at the total.
Alexander handed over his card without hesitation. "Don't," he said when she opened her mouth to protest.
"I was just—"
"I know what you were going to say. And the answer is no. I want to do this."
The cashier handed back his card with a smile. "Someone's having a fun birthday."
"My son," Alexander said automatically.
Elena's breath caught.
The cashier didn't notice, already scanning the next customer's items.
But Elena noticed. Alexander did too—she could see the moment he realized what he'd said, the brief flicker of something in his eyes.
He didn't correct himself.
They loaded everything into the car in silence.
"Alexander—"
"I know what I said." He closed the trunk, turned to face her. "I know he's not technically mine. But Elena, when I'm with him, when I'm reading him stories and helping with bath time and listening to him talk about dinosaurs—" He paused. "It feels real. Like I could be. Like I want to be."
Her eyes burned. "You mean that."
"Every word." He stepped closer, cupping her face. "I love him, Elena. I love both of you. And I know it's fast, I know it's complicated, but I can't help it."
She kissed him, right there in the parking lot, not caring who saw.
When they broke apart, he rested his forehead against hers. "So when I accidentally call him my son, it's because that's how it feels."
"Okay," she whispered.
"Okay?"
"Okay."
Twenty minutes later, Alexander pulled up outside Mrs. Chen's building.
"You sure you don't want help with the cake?" he asked.
"Mrs. Chen and I have a system. We've done this since Leo was born."
"I could carry things. Provide moral support. Taste test—"
She laughed, leaning over to kiss him. "Go home. You have work to do."
"I'd rather be with you."
"I know. But tomorrow's the party. You'll see us then."
"Fine." He stole another kiss. "Text me when you're home?"
"I will."
She grabbed the shopping bags from the back seat and headed inside.
Mrs. Chen's apartments. Elena could hear Leo's voice before she even knocked.
"—and Alexander said I could sit in his car again and I got to press ALL the buttons!"
She opened the door to find Leo sitting at Mrs. Chen's kitchen table, hands gesturing wildly, completely absorbed in his story.
"Mama!" He spotted her immediately. "I was telling Mrs. Chen about tomorrow!"
"I heard."
Mrs. Chen smiled from the stove where something was already baking. "He's very excited."
"That's an understatement." Elena set down the shopping bags. "Ready to make a cake?"
"YES!" Leo bounced in his chair. "Can I help?"
"Of course. But first, what were you telling Mrs. Chen about tomorrow?"
"About my party! And how I'm gonna be FREE and have chocolate cake and Alexander's coming and I'm getting presents and—" He took a breath. "And it's gonna be the BEST BIRTHDAY EVER."
Mrs. Chen caught Elena's eye, smiling knowingly.
"Someone's made quite an impression," she said softly.
"He really has," Elena agreed.
They spent the next two hours baking—Leo "helping" by adding sprinkles wherever he could reach, Mrs. Chen managing the actual baking, Elena trying to keep her son from eating all the frosting before it made it onto the cake.
"Mama, how many candles do I get?"
"Three. One for each year."
"That's a LOT of candles."
"It is. You're getting so big."
"Alexander says I'm growing super fast. Like a dinosaur baby."
"Did he?"
"Yep! He said baby dinosaurs grew really big really fast and I'm just like them." Leo paused, suddenly serious. "Mama? Is Alexander gonna be at ALL my birthdays now?"
Elena's hands stilled. "I... I don't know, sweetheart."
"I want him to be."
"I know."
"Do you think he wants to?"
She thought about the toy store. About Alexander saying "my son" without thinking. About the way he'd looked when he said he loved them both.
"Yeah, baby. I think he does."
"Good." Satisfied, Leo went back to adding sprinkles. "Because he's my friend. And friends come to birthdays."
Mrs. Chen touched Elena's shoulder gently. "That man loves you. Both of you."
"I know."
"So what's the problem?"
"His family. His life. Everything he'd be giving up to be with us."
"Have you asked him if he sees it that way?"
Elena thought about that. About Alexander insisting on buying gifts, being part of the party, on calling Leo his son.
"No," she admitted.
"Maybe you should." Mrs. Chen smiled. "Before you decide what he's willing to sacrifice."