Nina asked before she could stop herself. “Our apartment… after everything that happened, I’m afraid to go back there.”
“Don’t worry about that,” Stanton said. “I rented a place for you in a secure neighborhood. Just temporary, until we figure out next steps.”
Nina looked at him in surprise.
“You already arranged that?”
“I wanted you to have somewhere safe,” Stanton said. “No strings attached. If you don’t want it, you don’t have to take it.”
Nina shook her head.
“No, you’re right. We can’t go back there. Thank you.”
“What about work?” Stanton asked. “At the restaurant?”
“I don’t know,” Nina said with a tired sigh. “They’ve probably fired me by now.”
“I can speak to management,” Stanton said. “Explain what happened. But if you want…” He paused. “I could offer you a position at my company. You were an economist once.”
“A long time ago,” Nina said with a bitter little laugh. “Years of cleaning floors and washing dishes don’t exactly keep your skills sharp.”
“That can be fixed,” Stanton said. “Refresher courses. Training. A transition period. I can set it up, if you want.”
Nina studied him.
“Why are you doing this, Mike? Guilt?”
“Partly,” he admitted. “But not only that. I remember how good you were. People with your ability are useful in any business.”
Nina shook her head.
“I’ll think about it. Right now Alex comes first.”
“Of course,” Stanton said. “Everything else can wait.”
Dr. Hayes, who had been politely pretending not to listen, cleared his throat.
“The patient needs quiet. Frankly, both of you look like you could use sleep yourselves.”
Stanton gave a tired smile. The doctor wasn’t wrong. He hadn’t slept in nearly a day, and his expensive suit was wrinkled and stained. Nina looked just as spent—pale, dark circles under her eyes, still in the same clothes she had been taken in.
“He’s right,” Stanton said. “You need rest, Nina. I’ll take you to the apartment. It’s stocked—food, clothes, toiletries, everything.”
“Thank you,” she said softly. “But I promised Alex I’d stay.”
“He’ll sleep for at least six hours,” Dr. Hayes assured her. “I gave him something to help with that. He’ll be monitored.”
Nina hesitated. She was clearly exhausted, but reluctant to leave her son.
“I’ll leave two security men outside the room,” Stanton said. “No one is getting near him. I promise.”
At last she nodded.
“All right. But only for a few hours. Then I’m coming back.”
“Of course,” Stanton said. “I’ll bring you myself.”
They left the room, and Stanton gave instructions to the men stationed in the hallway. Then they went down to the car waiting outside. During the drive Nina said nothing, staring out the window at the passing city. Stanton didn’t press. She needed time to process everything.
The apartment he had rented was in a new development with gated access and round-the-clock security. Three bedrooms, tasteful modern furnishings, comfortable without being flashy.
“Everything’s ready,” Stanton said as he showed her through it. “Bedroom, Alex’s room, living room, full kitchen. There’s food in the fridge, clothes in the closets for both of you. I hope I guessed the sizes right.”
Nina looked around with quiet disbelief, as if she couldn’t quite accept that this place was meant for them.
“How long did you rent it for?” she asked.
“Three months to start,” he said. “Then we’ll see.”
Nina walked to the window overlooking a quiet courtyard with a playground.
“You know,” she said softly, “I used to dream about a place like this for Alex. Safe neighborhood. Good school nearby. Playground where I could see him from the window…” She turned to Stanton. “But I’m not sure we can take all this from you.”
“Why not?” he asked.
“Because…” Nina searched for the right words. “It feels too easy. Like you can just buy your way back into our lives.”
Stanton shook his head.
“I’m not that foolish, Nina. I know forgiveness isn’t something you can purchase. And I’m not expecting either of you to welcome me just because I put a roof over your heads. I’m trying to help. Think of it as one small step in the right direction.”
Nina looked at him for a long moment, as if trying to see past the polished exterior of the successful businessman.
“You’ve changed,” she said finally. “The Mike I knew fifteen years ago would never have talked about making things right.”
“That Mike was an idiot,” Stanton said simply. “He had no idea what actually mattered.”
“And now you do?”
