The morning started like any other, soft light spilling through the blinds, the smell of coffee drifting through the air. But, this morning carried a lot of promises.
Cole was at the kitchen counter, hair slightly messy, sleeves rolled up, stirring sugar into his cup. Sophie sat on a stool, swinging her legs and nibbling on a piece of toast while humming to herself.
It was a picture Cole could have framed in his heart forever.
But in the span of seconds, everything shattered.
"Daddy…" Sophie's voice was small. She placed her toast down and rubbed her chest. "I don't feel good."
Cole immediately went to her side. "Where does it hurt, sweetheart?"
"My tummy… and it's hard to breathe," Sophie whispered, her lips losing their usual pink glow.
Cole's pulse spiked. "...her colour's off."
His doctor's instincts are kicking in. He pressed the back of his hand to Sophie's forehead. "You are clammy. We need to get you checked right now."
Cole didn't hesitate.
The ride to the hospital was tense, every second stretching too long. Sophie leaned against the back seat, her breathing shallow.
"Daddy, I want Alice, where is she?"
"You will see her sweetheart" he reassured her.
Cole kept whispering reassurances, but inside, he was fighting panic. He had seen sick kids before, but this was Sophie.
And Sophie wasn't just any child, she was Cole's daughter.
----
At the ER, Cole's status as a trauma surgeon got Sophie immediate attention. Within minutes, they had her hooked up to oxygen, running tests.
Alice came running to the ER when she was alerted to what was happening. She stayed beside the bed, holding Sophie's small hand, brushing hair from her face.
"What happened, Cole?" Alice quizzed
"Honestly I can't explain. One minute we were having breakfast and the next minute she was complaining of stomach ache and not breathing well"
Cole stood near the monitors, his hands tight, but his eyes kept flicking to Alice, as if her calm presence was the only thing keeping him from breaking apart.
The doctor came in. "Her oxygen dropped because she has an infection likely viral but it's triggered a mild asthma flare-up. We'll start treatment, but she needs observation for the next 24 hours."
Cole let out a breath like he'd been holding it for hours.
"Thanks Dr. Steve"
"You are welcome, Dr. Cole. She will be fine and she has you to thank for getting here in record time."
Alice squeezed Sophie's hand. "Hear that? Just a little hospital sleepover. We'll make it fun."
Sophie gave a faint smile. "Will you stay with me?"
Emery didn't even look at Cole before answering. "Of course, Hun. I'm not going anywhere."
----
Hours later, when Sophie was resting comfortably, Cole stepped into the hallway with Alice. The fluorescent light wasn't kind. It revealed the dark circles under his eyes, the strain in his expression.
"She scared me today," he admitted quietly. "I've been in operating rooms with life on the line, and I've stayed steady. But when it's her…" He swallowed hard. "Also, I am sorry that our lunch date got cancelled".
Alice touched his arm gently. "Don't worry about it" "Plus, I get why you are feeling this way because she's your world."
His gaze searched hers. "She's yours too, Alice. You've been here for her in ways I didn't even know she needed. You… you're not just filling a space. You are the space."
Her breath caught. "Cole…"
He stepped closer, voice low but certain. "I meant it before. I don't want a fake wife. I want you. The real you."
Her heart ached because she wanted to believe it so badly. But fear still clung to her. "Cole… I don't know if I fit into your life. Your world is… different. Big. And I'm just…"
"You're exactly what I need," he interrupted, his hand brushing hers. "And exactly what Sophie needs."
For a moment, the weight of everything, the fake marriage, the custody threat from Eliana, the growing love between them hung in the air.
----
Later that night, Alice sat by Sophie's bed, watching her chest rise and fall in a steady rhythm. Cole came in quietly, carrying two cups of coffee and a bagel
"She's sleeping," Alice whispered.
He handed her a cup, then leaned against the wall. "You stayed all day."
"I told her I wouldn't leave."
He gave her a small, grateful smile. "You're more stubborn than I."
"Not possible."
They shared a quiet laugh, the kind that came after fear had eased its grip.
And then, as if the moment was inevitable, Cole stepped closer. Alice's breath caught as his hand brushed a strand of hair from her cheek. His eyes lingered on hers, searching, questioning…
"Have you thought about my request to move in with us?"
Alice shookly responded "Yes, I have"
"And?"
"As uncertain as I feel right now, I think it will be best if I stay with you both"
Cole kissed her there and then, it wasn't hurried or desperate. It was slow, deep, and full of everything they had been holding back. Their tongues are drubbing each other's faces and reaching inside their mouths again. A slow moan escaped from Alice, she was asking for more. The wetness between the entrance to her hallowed chambers was soaking that she feared it would drip down her thighs.
And it terrified her.
Because it felt real.
While they were entangled in each other's mouths, Sophie had briefly opened her eyes to witness the scene and fell back to sleep smiling.
When they pulled away, they both forced smiles, pretending the kiss meant nothing because admitting otherwise might shatter the fragile balance they had built.
But both hearts were already breaking the rules. And she could see in Cole's eyes that he was, too.
She just didn't know how much longer she could keep pretending and holding back.
Here she was hoping to be a temporary warmth for Sophie until Cole found someone who truly belonged in his world. But Cole had made it clear: he didn't want a "fake wife" anymore. He wanted her.
Alice still wasn't sure she could believe him. But she also wasn't sure she could keep pretending anymore. Also, annoyed with herself for letting past trauma want to rob her of something good.
"Damn you Vincent" "Mother, wherever you are, I hope you are proud of yourself," Alice thought to herself in a moment of flashback.
"Hello, come back to earth, Alice" Cole snapped his finger to get her attention.
"I am so sorry, what were you saying?
"I was saying that you catch some sleep while I keep watch over Sophie"
"Okay"
Just as she was about to step out of the room, the door burst open and Eliana stepped in.
"Cole, who the hell do you think you are to keep an emergency situation about my daughter from me?"
"Eliana, keep your voice down. Sophie is asleep. Outside!" Cole spoke in a terrifying tone.
"Don't speak to me in that manner, Cole"
"Really, you burst in here throwing tantrums, over what? Why should I call you? Moreover, since when have you ever been a mother to Sophie? Answer me, Eliana."
The peds floor went quiet. No one has ever seen Cole this enraged.
"So, she has a right to be here?" pointing to Alice.
"Yes, she does. Every damn right. She is the embodiment of the woman you will never be"
At this moment the hospital security for the floor stepped in between them.
"Dr. Cole, is there a problem here?"
"I don't know, Matt, she is in a better position to answer." "Eliana, do we have a problem here?"
"No, but you have not heard the last of me" then she stomped off.