"Dona."

Sierra shot up, and she stretched her hand out to grab her phone on the nightstand, "no."

She threw off the covers and hurried to Leone's room. He stood up in his bed, face crimson red from yelling. He stretched his hands above the bars as soon as he saw Sierra. The boy used to having his father prepare him did not understand why Jonas was not back.

What was this Dona doing?

Why didn't he stop playing hide and seek? It wasn't fun anymore as far as Leone was concerned.

Sierra had let sleep take over her. Even she forgot and believed Jonas would miraculously prepare Leone for daycare. The woman was back to square one, where she dashed about to get her and Leone ready.

"Dona," Leone said as they entered the living room. The little boy's voice echoed and reverberated in the now spacious room. Sierra shivered; the computers that simulated twenty-four hours a day were no longer there to give off heat.

"Leone, stop it. Jonas isn't here anymore."

After the tears, came the anger. Sierra boiled to the point she almost hated the man.

How dare he leave without a goodbye?

Who did that?

They were more than roommates. They wereㅡ.

Unable to define their relationship, her reflection ended with he's Leone's father. He could have said goodbye to hisㅡno, their son.

Jonas remained Leone's father. Though he approved Leone's adoption, Sierra would not legally be Leone's parent before going through the procedures. Also, if by any chance the Gauthiers woke up and decided to intervene, Sierra would see no end to the battle.

Still, for Sierra, it didn't change the fact Leone was her child. As she dressed Leone with his jacket, she remembered the night Cecile decided to name her child Leone. How she missed her sister if reincarnation existed Sierra wished to be Cecile's natural kin if not, at least someone who would be part of her new cycle of life.

Sierra had her shoes on, and she realized she left her phone on the living room coffee table," Jonas, can youㅡ."

She stopped her sentence, strapped Leone on his buggy, and hurried to fetch her phone. She was so dependant on Jonas, even for the little things.

They left, Sierra carried her heels in her bag, and she wore her sneakers to walk faster. She was halfway to the bus stop when she almost tripped and hit her head on the buggy's handle.

She stooped to do her laces, and there it was the memory of Jonas lacing her shoes that came back. Sierra stood up. Her vision found itself blurred by tears.

Why did she have this reaction as soon as she thought of him?

Jonas was not dead, so why was she so emotional?

The woman wiped the few droplets before pursuing her course.

Frustration.

The man's departure wasn't even twenty-four hours old, and already things were going the wrong way.

Sierra gained autonomy for specific tasks but not for things concerning her welfare.

Without knowing, Sierra developed an addiction to the care, and attention Jonas procured. The man not only did chores or cared for his son. He didn't leave her out; he protected Sierra from her clumsiness just as Cecile did when they were young.

No, Sierra refused to admit the man took up that much space. She had to get Jonas out of her system by all means.

He left and abandoned Leone and her; the man didn't merit to reside in all her thoughts.

Work allowed Sierra to redirect her focus.

In the meantime, Jonas watched the rainfall. The Swedish spring was rainy, the man thought of the radiant sun he left in Paris.

How did they wake up?

Were they okay?

Jonas hoped Sierra didn't wake up too late. He was up at Leone's hour that morning only to see he was no longer in Sierra's living room. He definitely needed time to readjust.

Other reflections followed. Jonas hoped Leone didn't cry at night.

He tried to guess the trench Sierra chose and wondered if she wore a ponytail or her hair down.

Hopefully, she didn't forget her phone on the living room table. Their routine and life, how was he to get by without them?

"Jonas."

Ulrich had to tap on Jonas's shoulder for the man to come out of his daze, "the meeting is about to start."

"Yes."

Jonas turned to find the conference room full. His mother and brothers all waited for him to speak.

"Okay, I'm listening," he took a seat, and Björn, his wholesale manager, began to speak, "first, I'm glad your back Jonas. Really, please don't ever leave again."

Jonas smiled, "I'll try not to."

Björn pursued, "I received Ikea's new proposal. And I was in contact with people from MIO and BGA until last week; they were pretty Keen."

"What happened?"

"I called on Monday, and something seemed off when I spoke to Ilda from MIO. She kept giving me I don't know, and I'm not sure sentences when the week before she was ready to make an offer. And BGA didn't reply to my emails since."

Jonas's stare swept across the table, and his brother Lars spoke, "I didn't want to stress you, but there are these people who have been snooping around. Calling to ask questions about you."

"What did you say?"

"Nothing, Jonas," replied his mother," but we're wondering if they're not behind what's happening with our clients."

Jonas redirected his stare on Björn.

"As I was saying, I finally got someone else to speak at MIO, and they said something about some French company. I didn't seize why they weren't interested in distributing Moder Yord anymore," Björn finished.

"Jonas, vad hände?"

Jonas didn't answer his mother. Instead, he asked Kurt to pursue with the budget review. The meeting ended, and the managers left, leaving the family members.

"Now tell us, Jonas. Why did you leave like that?"

Only his parents were aware of Leone's existence and the Gauthiers. Now it was time to tell his siblings.

"I have a son, Leone. He's almost a year old."

His sister Klara sat up, "how?"

Ulrich laughed, "you're not going to ask him to tell you about the birds, the bees, and the storks."

"You're such an idiot, Ulrich."

Jonas sighed as he realized he was back, "he's Cecile's for those who met her. She's died six months. Thus I had to go," Jonas said.

Official x unofficial, their relationship was not a secret, but rare were the people who knew about Cecile.

"Where is he? Why isn't he here?" Lars asked.

"He'sㅡ,"Jonas stopped as the image of Sierra opening her door for the first time surfaced.

"Jonas."

The man took a deep breath, "he's in good hands."

"So that's it. You left the company and us for six months, and you didn't even come back with him."

This time it was Joshua, his older brother, who spook.

"I,ㅡ."

"Leave him alone. Your brother just arrived, said his father, "take your time Jonas. You don't need to explain everything now."

"Okay, Jonas being a father doesn't explain why all these people are snooping around and plummeting our contracts."

The Gauthiers warned him. Could their influence cross borders? Jonas doubted yet it was the only possible explanation.

"I'll see to that."

"Do you have a photo?" Klara asked.

"A photo?"

"Yes, of your son. Our nephew."

"Yes, plenty."

Jonas took out his phone; his screenshot was of Sierra carrying Leone.

He handed it to his sister, "oh, my, he's adorable. Who's the woman with him?"

"It's Sierra, his mother. Klara frowned and passed the phone to their parents.

"Jonas, is she the person raising your child?" His mother asked.

"Yes."

He waited for the objections and comments.

None came at that moment, and his phone continued to travel around the table.

"She seems kind," his younger sister Elsa said when she got his phone.

"She is. Sierra is very kind."

"Can they come and visit?" Klara asked.

"I hope, someday," Jonas answered with a weak smile.

"Gosh, you'll never make me believe you shared a house with this woman, and nothing went down?"

"Lars," his mother exclaimed.

Jonas let out a nervous chuckle. Yes, he was back in Sweden.