After seven hours trapped in a failing elevator, my firefighter husband finally arrived—then stepped over his pregnant wife to carry his ex-lover out first. / Chapter 25 / 50

Chapter 25 - Clara started calling him "Markie."

We were sitting on the floor of the living room, building a tower with the blocks Alex had given her. Mark was visiting.

"Markie, look!" she yelled, pointing to a particularly unstable stack of blocks.

Mark smiled, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "That's a tall tower, Clara."

I watched them.

Alex was her father. He always would be. Clara knew him, loved him, and looked forward to Tuesdays.

But Mark was becoming a fixture. A steady, immovable pillar in our daily lives. He didn't try to parent her. He didn't overstep. He was just... there.

Later, after Clara went to sleep, Mark and I sat on the couch.

He reached over and took my hand.

"I'm putting in for a promotion," he said quietly. "Captain. At a different house. Slower pace."

I looked at him. "Why?"

"Because if I get it, my schedule normalizes. No more random 24-hour shifts." He traced the lines of my palm. "I want to be around more. If you'll have me."

My throat tightened.

I didn't answer with words. I leaned across the couch and kissed him.