#Chapter 154: Replaced

DEREK I had called every day that week. Sometimes twice. Once just after breakfast, and once again after dinner when I knew she might be home. And four times out of five, it wasn’t Elena who picked up the phone. It was Aiden. Not that I minded talking to him—I looked forward to it—but it gnawed at me. Every time he chirped “Hi, Dad!” with that easy grin in his voice, there was a pang right behind my ribs. Because it meant it wasn’t her. It meant she hadn’t answered. Again. And when I did get Elena, it was quick. Clipped. Polite. Always busy. Always with the foundation. Every time I asked when we could talk—really talk—she pushed it off. When I asked when I could see her, she said, “I’ve got a site visit,” or “There’s a meeting I can’t miss.” No matter what I said, the answer always felt like a wall. The work she was doing was important—I knew that. I believed it. But something about the way she always seemed just out of reach left me wondering if I’d already missed my