"I don't want to go," Eliza said flatly, arms crossed as she stood beside her suitcase in the hallway.
Will leaned casually against the doorframe, bouncing Lyra in his arms. "You say that like you're being shipped off to war, not a luxury hotel for two nights with room service and five-star pillows."
She scowled. "I don't want pillows. I want her." She leaned forward and pressed a kiss to Lyra's cheek. "Tell Daddy he can't make me go."
Lyra responded by grabbing a lock of Eliza's hair and yanking gleefully.
Will laughed. "That's a vote for departure, I think."
Eliza sighed dramatically, then met his gaze. "It just feels wrong, leaving right after the project was finalized. I should be here."
"You are here. Just not for the next 48 hours." He leaned in, kissed her softly. "Eliza Bennett, co-founder and CEO. You're going to walk into that meeting and remind them why the Foundation is what it is. And then you'll come home, and your girls will be waiting."
Eliza hesitated for another moment, then relented. "Fine. But if she says her first word while I'm gone—"
"She won't," Will promised. "I've already bribed her."
The drive out of town was quiet. Eliza's car, a sleek black hybrid she rarely used now except for solo trips, hummed over the highway as her thoughts stayed behind with the two people who had quietly taken over her world.
The final acquisition meeting stretched over two long days. Contracts signed. Hands shaken. Details ironed out. Eliza performed with her usual brilliance—polished, focused, unflinching.
But every night, she FaceTimed home and watched Lyra's sleepy face yawn through the screen, Will's voice soothing her in the background.
On the second evening, Will texted her a picture of Lyra passed out on his chest in a onesie that said Daddy's Favorite. Underneath it, he added:
She asked about you. I think. It might've been a burp.
Eliza snorted and sent back:
You're on thin ice.
When she finally pulled back into the driveway, her chest swelled with anticipation.
Will opened the door before she could knock, grinning. "Look who's back from conquering the world."
Eliza brushed past him, eyes darting to the living room. "Where is she?"
"Playing in the den."
She rushed in, arms wide, voice full of longing. "Lyraaa—Mama's home!"
Her daughter glanced up from her pile of plush toys, blinked once… and then went right back to stacking foam blocks with intense concentration.
Eliza froze. "What?"
Will stifled a laugh behind his hand.
"She didn't even—? No gasp? No reaching? Not even a squeal?"
"She saw you," Will offered, helpfully. "She just—y'know—didn't care."
Eliza turned slowly, her mouth falling open in mock betrayal. "She didn't miss me."
Will chuckled, walking up behind her and wrapping his arms around her waist. "I guess that means I'm doing a decent job."
"That's not what this means," she grumbled. "This means I've been replaced."
He kissed her temple. "You'll always be her favorite. You just got temporarily dethroned by someone with better snacks."
She pouted, resting her head on his shoulder. "I was gone for two days."
"And I think she assumed you just merged into the Wi-Fi."
Eliza groaned, then finally laughed. "Fine. But tonight? I'm putting her to bed. And reading both bedtime stories. And singing."
Will raised a brow. "All of that?"
"Yes. She's going to love me again if it kills me."
As Lyra toddled into her mother's arms a few minutes later, sleepy and smiling, Eliza whispered, "Okay. Maybe I wasn't dethroned. Just… temporarily overruled."
Will watched them from the doorway, heart full. "Welcome home, Eliza."