Page 47 of Mayflower

“On it, man.” He starts backing away. “Thanks!” He nods in Candy’s direction with a grateful smile.

Bishop is the next one who hugs me and ruffles my hair. “You’re fucking Superman, or Duncan MacLeod. Don’t know. But welcome back.”

Ortiz is more diplomatic than others and shakes my hand.

But all these people are not what I need right now, and I turn around, searching for Maddy.

“Rave! Ra-ave!” the loud yelling pierces the air.

Sonny is pushing between those standing in his way as he races toward me with the speed of lightning.

I barely have time to smile as he pretty much jumps into my arms. I catch him, his little arms and legs wrap around me, and it’s suddenly hard to breathe because there’s a lump in my throat. No one—no one since Emily—has ever greeted me this way.

“You here! You made it!” He’s wrapped around me like a monkey, his chokehold around my neck too strong for his age. His long hair gets in my face, in my eyes, in my mouth. “You left without saying goodbye. And you didn’ call. And I missed you.” He talks so fast that I chuckle. “And Maddy kept the light on for you all this time. At your place. I showed her the u-u-universe. On the ceiling. She said when you come back, we study it together. And you came!”

My little dude is talking a mile a second, still clinging to me. I’m slightly embarrassed that I’m still holding him in my arms in front of everyone, though this shouldn’t feel embarrassing. This is normal, right? The kid is just happy to see me, and so am I.

But the guards around me chuckle and exchange smiles as they smoke. Archer is laughing, and Bishop is shaking his head with a grin.

And I fucking blush when Marlow approaches, shouting so that everyone can hear. “That’s a proper welcome! That’s right, Sonny! Show him!” And Sonny pulls away, raises his little fists above our heads, and shouts, “He’s baaaaaack!”

Now everyone is laughing, making my face catch on fire.

I’m stealing glances at the crowd, searching for Maddy, as I set Sonny down and sit down on my haunches so I can be on his level.

“I’m sorry I was away,” I say.

“’S okay.” He grins at me, pushing his hair out of his face. “You went for work, right?”

“Yeah. And I didn’t have my phone.”

He squints at me in suspicion. “Sneaky.” And he breaks out in laughter.

“Where’s Maddy?” I ask.

“There!” He swings his arm and stabs the air with his forefinger toward a group farthest from us.

Then I see her.

She stands among men I don’t recognize except for the older man behind her, Aleksei Tsariuk.

But I don’t want to think about him right now. All I see is her.

My heart thuds nervously against my chest as I straighten up and take the first steps toward her.

Why is she standing so far away? Why is she not coming over like the others?

It’s the first time since I was gone that I wonder, fearfully, if maybe I am a fool. One night, just one night, was how long we spent together after our breakup. Evening until dawn. Talking and making out and figuring out things and talking about the feelings, or at least a fraction of them. Did I blow it out of proportion in my mind? Did I give it more meaning than it actually had? Or is she too cautious around her father?

I spent so much time in the bunker that a big part of it was reliving that one night and the two months we spent together. I talked to Maddy in my mind. I thought about the future, a future with her and the little guy.

Maybe I got carried away.

The pang in my heart grows as I slowly walk in Maddy’s direction and take in her hesitant eyes and the way she hugs her middle with her arms, slightly stooping.

Scared? Trying to keep her distance?

But as I get closer, I notice her face. No, not scared. Oh, man. Tears are streaming down her face, and she’s biting her lip.

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