Page 28 of Soaring and Steadfast

She trailed off, and he didn’t push. He just squeezed her hand, an unspoken reminder that she wasn’t alone, that she didn’t have to be.

Her voice, when it came again, was raw, the kind of pain that scraped against the soul.

“Nothing can prepare you for that kind of loss.”

Louis felt his throat tighten.

“I can’t… imagine,” he admitted, and the words felt weak. He hated that. Because nothing—nothing—could compare to what she’d lost.

Her baby.

Her sense of safety.

Herentireworld was ripped apart by the man who was supposed to stand beside her.

And yet, she was still here.

She looked at him then, studying him in a way that made him feel like she was peeling back the layers, seeing parts of him no one else did.

He swallowed hard.

“I wouldn’t dare try to assume I know what that’s like because you had the most foundational things to any person, any woman, ripped from you – and I’m so lost, so sorry, because I feel so helpless wanting to say the right things but words are just formed grunts pushed with air pushed through vocal cords…” He laid a hand over his chest as if trying to hold together everything unraveling inside him.

“But I am here,” he whispered. “Ifeelit here for you because I canseeyou are hurting… and I wish I could explain that while I know you are feeling a lot, this visit will be different for you. That’s part of your past, and while hurting is all right, validated, anddeserved, that shouldn’t take from your chance to be a part of the present or the future. I hope you smile when you see their baby and think of your own miracle taken from you but find joy in theirs. Does that make sense?”

A single tear slipped down her cheek.

Louis braced himself for anger. For a cutting remark, for a demand that he leave her alone. Instead, she swallowed, her expression so full of emotion it nearly shattered him.

“I know – and I’m going to be okay,” she said hoarsely. “I think I needed to hear that.”

His heart clenched.

“I’ll be right there, holding your hand, my friend,” he promised, meaning every word. “If you need to leave – say the word or squeeze my hand a few times, and I’ll make some excuse to get you out of there fast.”

She nodded, inhaling deeply, before pushing the car door open like she was gearing herself up for battle.

And she was.

Louis watched her, his heart aching, his fists clenching at his sides.Why had they invited her?He knew Trophy and Stephanie hadn’t meant harm, but this wastorturefor Lila.And what kind of friends forced her into this moment without thinking of what it might do to her?

He leaped out of the car, quick to catch up, quick to be where she needed him to be.

She walked toward the elevator with her shoulders squared and her chin up. Brave. Fierce. Like a soldier stepping onto the battlefield, knowing the scars it might leave behind.

Louis did the only thing he could—he reached for her hand, lacing his fingers through hers. A silentI’m here.

She looked at him then, her dark gaze unwavering, and hemarveledat her. Nations could fall before Lila would ever let someone see her pain.

And yet, she had let him see it.

They stood together in the elevator, side by side. Marched into the waiting area. And to his surprise, Ohio, Memphis, Orion, and a few others were there, but the rest of the team was missing.

“Where is everyone?”

“Tic-Tak had duty and so did Shellac…”

“Ahh.” He nodded, mind still half on Lila. “Has Stephanie had the baby yet?”

---