Eleanor had long grown used ton''s ways-his arrogance, his pride, and the way he always assumed he was right. Six years of marriage had made all of that clear as day.
That evening, Eleanor took Evelyn out to watch the fireflies.
Her little girl was so excited she couldn''t settle down, wriggling and giggling until finally, exhaustion won out. She fell asleep in Eleanor''s arms, still clutching a jar filled with glowing fireflies.
Eleanor pressed a gentle kiss to her daughter''s hair, carefully took the jar from her grasp, and soon drifted off herself.
Morning came quietly.
After releasing the fireflies back into the fields with Evelyn, Eleanor led her daughter to the dining hall. Mansfield Ellington joined them not long after, sharing breakfast, then walking them both to theb. Only after giving a few parting instructions did he finally take his leave.
Eleanor couldn''t help but notice the subtle smiles that followed her as she walked through the corridors. Mansfield Ellington''s warmth and attention were enough to stir up all kinds of spection.
She threw herself into her work.
It was afternoon before she emerged, grateful that Evelyn had behaved so well. The kind research assistant had kept herpany, and there hadn''t been a single fuss.
At three, with Garrison heading off to a meeting, Eleanor finally had a free moment. Mansfield Ellington invited her and Evelyn to tour some of the base''s open facilities.
Evelyn''s eyes shone wide with excitement. She''d always had to settle for toy models before, but now she could finally touch the real thing. Mansfield Ellington even took her inside one of the shuttles, letting her sit in the cockpit, which left her grinning from ear to ear.
Evelyn''s happiness was infectious, and Eleanor found herself smiling as well.
As the sun set, golden light washed over the base''s airstrip. Mansfield Ellington led them up a small hill, where the whole base stretched out below them. "It''s beautiful," Eleanor breathed.
"It is," Mansfield Ellington agreed, his gaze far away. "I love it here. This ce is my calling, my responsibility."
Behind them, Evelyn chased a butterfly across the grass, herughter ringing out.
Eleanor looked at the young major general beside her, admiration in her eyes. His strong, handsome features spoke of discipline and quiet strength, a soldier through and through.
Sensing her gaze, Mansfield Ellington turned to look at her. Eleanor nced away, letting the wind toss her hair as thest rays of sunlight bathed her in gold. In that moment, Mansfield Ellington thought she looked almost ethereal, untouchable.
That evening.
Mansfield Ellington invited Eleanor to dinner at the officers'' club-a cozy ce where many service families lived, and where children like Evelyn yed together. "This is Mr. Galloway, my formermanding officer. He''s the one who invited us tonight," Mansfield Ellington introduced.
Eleanor greeted him politely. "Good evening, Mr. Galloway."
"I''ve heard about your work in medicine, Dr. Turner. We''re honored to have you consulting here—it''s a privilege. Please, make yourself at home. We''re all family here," Mr. Galloway said warmly, ncing at Mansfield Ellington with a knowing grin, as if to say, "You''ve got good taste, son."
"You''re too kind," Eleanor replied modestly. "I''m just doing my part."
While they talked, Evelyn and Mr. Galloway''s granddaughter yed out in the garden, quickly bing fast friends.
After dinner, on the walk back, Evelyn-worn out from the day-fell asleep against Eleanor''s shoulder.
"Let me carry her,” Mansfield Ellington offered gently.
Eleanor, arms aching, nodded in thanks. He carefully took the sleeping child from her.
Back at the cottage, Eleanor carried her daughter to bed. When she came back out, Mansfield Ellington was still in the yard.
"Thank you for everything today," Eleanor said, gratitude clear in her voice.
"No need to thank me," he replied, a soft smile tugging at his lips. For a moment, something unspoken lingered in the air. He scratched the back of his head, a little sheepish. "See you tomorrow."
"See you tomorrow," Eleanor echoed.
He strode over to his car. As he gripped the steering wheel, his heart thudded hard in his chest. Just minutes ago, he''d almost blurted out how he felt about Eleanor.
Today had left him both content and restless. Being this close to Eleanor set something alight inside him.
But he knew-no matter how much he cared, he could never force Eleanor''s feelings. Everything he did for her, he did willingly, expecting nothing in return.
He was already looking forward to seeing her again. How was it that the days seemed to pass so quickly now?
The next morning, Eleanor followed her usual routine-breakfast with Evelyn, then dropping her off with theb assistant for the day.
Today was crucial for Garrison''s experiment, and Eleanor watched the data with him, eyes glued to the monitors.
It was noon by the time she finally made it to the lounge. She opened the door and froze.
Evelyn was there, ying with the assistant. But there was someone else—a visitor she hadn''t expected.
True to form, he wore a perfectly tailored dark suit, crouched beside their daughter as she yed. When he saw Eleanor, his expression was calm, almost indifferent.
He looked up at her. She wore a simple white blouse and jeans, her hair
carelessly pinned up. Her gaze was cool, distant.
"I''m here for work,"n said, arching an eyebrow.
"Mom, Dad says he''s here to work too, just like you," Evelyn chimed in, clearly delighted to see her father.
Eleanor was skeptical.
Just then, Byron walked in, phone in hand. Eleanor blinked in surprise. "VP Chase? You''re here too?"
Byron grinned. "I''m here with Mr. Goodwin for a meeting."
She eyed him, unconvinced. Byron exined, "Meridian Dynamics is working with
the base on a few nonprofit tech projects, not just the Al medical research."
She nodded, only half believing it. Why hadn chosen this exact moment to show up? His motives were all too obvious.
Eleanor had never thought that.
A chill flickered in her eyes as she turned to Byron. "How long are you staying?"