Diana’s question stayed in the air between us.

I sat on the edge of the sofa with my hands on my knees, trying to find an answer that wouldn’t sound like an excuse. Outside the windows the city kept moving. Inside the office Mia slept, small and quiet in the bᴀssinet.

“I manage,” I said again, because it was the only sentence I had practiced.

Diana didn’t look convinced. She walked back to her desk, opened a drawer, and pulled out a notepad. For a second I thought she was writing my termination. Instead she wrote something short, tore the page off, and held it out.

“Mrs. Gable’s number,” she said. “Call her. Tell her you’re not coming home until morning. I’ll cover the extra hours.”

I stared at the paper. “Miss Hayes, I can’t—”

“You can.” Her voice was firm, but not unkind. “You just got my daughter to sleep so I could close a forty-two-million-dollar deal. The least I can do is make sure your son isn’t left with a neighbor who’s already been there all night.”

I took the paper. My fingers felt clumsy. I stepped into the hallway so I wouldn’t wake Mia and called Mrs. Gable. She answered on the second ring, voice thick with sleep. I told her I was stuck at the office. She said Keo was fine, still asleep, and that she would stay. When I hung up, my hands were shaking.

Back in the office Diana was standing by the bᴀssinet, one hand resting lightly on the edge. She looked up when I came in.

“She’s okay?” I asked.

“Still sleeping.” Diana studied me for a moment. “You haven’t eaten.”

“I’m fine.”

“You’re not.” She picked up her phone and ordered something without asking what I wanted. When she hung up she said, “Security will bring it up. Sit down before you fall down.”

I sat. The sofa still held the shape of where I’d been sleeping. Diana took the chair across from me instead of returning to her desk. For a while neither of us spoke. The only sound was the low hum of the building and Mia’s soft breathing.

“Keo’s six,” she said finally. “Asthma. You said the pharmacy wanted seventy-five dollars.”

I looked up, surprised. “How did you—”

“You left your banking app open on your phone when you fell asleep. I didn’t mean to look. The screen was still on.” She didn’t apologize. “Ninety days until your insurance kicks in. That’s a long time to keep buying inhalers out of pocket.”

I didn’t know what to say. Diana leaned back in the chair, arms crossed, but her expression had lost the sharp edge I was used to seeing in meetings.

“I came back to work four days after Mia was born because the Tokyo deal was already moving and nobody else could close it,” she said. “My nanny quit tonight because she said the hours were impossible. I told her she was right. Then I put Mia in the car seat and came here anyway.” She glanced at the bᴀssinet. “I keep thinking if I stop moving, everything falls apart. Tonight it almost did.”

“You didn’t fall apart,” I said.

“I would have if you hadn’t knocked.” She met my eyes. “You saw what I needed and you did it. No résumé. No pitch. Just… that.”

The elevator dinged in the hallway. A security guard appeared with a paper bag and two coffees. Diana took them, thanked him, and set the food on the low table between us. Sandwiches. Still warm.

“Eat,” she said.

I unwrapped one. The first bite made me realize how long it had been since I’d had a real meal. Diana watched me for a second, then looked toward the windows.

“I’m not firing you,” she said. “I’m moving you off overnight shifts. Starting Monday you’ll work days. Same тιтle for now, but you’ll report directly to me on the Tokyo account. The pay will reflect that. And Keo’s inhaler is covered as of tomorrow. I’ll have HR fix the insurance gap.”

I stopped chewing. “Miss Hayes—”

“Diana.”

“Diana.” The name felt strange in my mouth. “You don’t have to do this.”

“I know.” She finally looked at me again. “But you asked me a question I haven’t been able to answer for myself in months. Who’s taking care of you. I don’t have a good answer either. So maybe we both figure it out.”

Mia stirred in the bᴀssinet. Diana stood immediately, but the baby only sighed and settled again. When Diana sat back down she looked more tired than I had ever seen her.

“Finish your sandwich,” she said quietly. “Then go home to your son. Mrs. Gable’s already been paid through morning. I’ll see you Monday.”

I nodded. The food sat warm in my hands. Outside, the sky was starting to lighten at the edges. For the first time in four years I didn’t feel like I was holding everything up by myself.