Secretly loving her

Alex Huffman's POV

The alarm blared at 4:30 A.M., echoing through Alex Huffman's small apartment in Summit Ridge, Nevada. He groaned, rolling over to slap the snooze button, but the relentless beeping continued.

"Ugh, not today," he muttered, his voice hoarse from the weekend's drinks. He stared at the ceiling for a moment, wishing he could rewind to Saturday night.

Dragging himself out of bed, Alex shuffled toward the bathroom, his eyes barely open. He reached for the door, misjudged the distance, and smacked his shoulder into the frame.

"Damn!" he hissed, rubbing the spot. "Great start, Alex. Real smooth."

He managed to get the shower running, but the water was icy cold. He jumped back, cursing under his breath, then fiddled with the faucet until steam finally began to rise. As the warmth seeped into his skin, his mind wandered to the one thing that could salvage this miserable Monday:

'I get to see her today.'

Mia Sawyer. Just thinking her name made his chest tighten. She was the kind of woman who made the whole room brighter at Silver Valley Plastics, the town's largest employer. Mia was the unofficial lead on the production line-smart, quick to learn, and able to master every part of the job, even when new challenges popped up. She didn't have the title, but everyone respected her for her skill and willingness to help.

Alex hurried through his routine, barely glancing in the mirror as he combed his hair. He threw on his favorite shirt-maybe she'd notice-and grabbed his keys, heart pounding with anticipation.

The drive to work was a blur. Summit Ridge was quiet at dawn, the streets empty except for a few early risers. He crossed the Clearwater River, its surface reflecting the pale morning sky, and pulled into the parking lot at Silver Valley Plastics. He was replaying every conversation he'd ever had with Mia, wondering if today might be the day she'd smile at him just a little longer.

Suddenly, a siren wailed behind him. Red and blue lights flashed in his rearview mirror.

"Damn!" he groaned, pulling over to the shoulder.

A police officer approached, expression unreadable.

"License and registration, please."

Alex fumbled in the glovebox, hands shaking. "Sorry, officer. I guess I wasn't paying attention."

"Do you know how fast you were going?"

"Uh... no, sir."

"Ninety-seven. Where are you off to in such a hurry?"

Alex's cheeks burned. "Just... work at Silver Valley Plastics. I guess I got a little lost in thought."

The officer eyed him for a moment, then took the documents back to his cruiser. Alex drummed his fingers on the steering wheel, cursing himself. When the officer returned, he handed over a ticket.

"Try to keep it under the speed limit, alright?"

"Yes, sir. Won't happen again."

Back on the road, Alex set his cruise control and forced himself to focus. The ticket stung, but the thought of seeing Mia kept his spirits afloat.

He arrived at work earlier than usual. The parking lot was nearly empty, the sky still tinged with dawn. Alex parked where he could see the entrance, hoping to catch a glimpse of Mia's car-a faded blue sedan, always parked near the front. He watched as the lot slowly filled, each new arrival making his heart jump-until disappointment set in when it wasn't her.

Eventually, it was time to head inside. Still distracted, Alex walked straight into the glass door. The thud echoed, and laughter erupted from a group nearby.

"Nice one, Alex!" someone called out, grinning.

He forced a smile, rubbing his forehead. "Yeah, just making sure the door's still solid."

A coworker-Morgan, from maintenance-held the door open for him. "You good, man?"

"Yeah, thanks. Just... not awake yet," Alex replied, trying to laugh it off.

Inside, the usual morning chaos unfolded. People clocked in, grabbed coffee, and swapped weekend stories. But Mia was nowhere to be seen. Alex checked his phone, hoping for a message, but there was nothing.

He opened the team chat on his phone, scanning for any updates. There were a few messages about shift changes and equipment issues, but nothing about Mia. He typed a quick message:

"Hey, anyone heard from Mia Sawyer today?"

Morgan replied:

"Not sure, Alex. She's usually early, right?"

Alex frowned, feeling a knot of worry tighten in his chest. He scrolled back through the chat, hoping for a clue, but found nothing. He debated texting Mia directly, but hesitated-would it seem too eager?

He tried to focus on his tasks as a Production Technician, but his mind kept drifting. Was she running late? Was she okay? He glanced at the clock, counting the minutes, hoping she'd walk through the door and make this bad day a little brighter.

Mia Sawyer's POV

The alarm buzzed, but Mia Sawyer barely registered it. She rolled over, hit snooze, and buried her face in the pillow. The room was still dark, and her body felt heavy-aching from the late night spent tending to her three kids, River, Willow, and Hazel, and her husband, Tyler, who'd caught a nasty bug.

After a few minutes, Mia forced herself upright. Her head throbbed, and chills ran down her spine. She reached for the thermometer, slipped it under her tongue, and waited.

'101.1. Damn, I'm sick,' she thought, staring at the numbers.

She grabbed her phone and dialed her supervisor at Silver Valley Plastics, her voice barely above a whisper. "Hi, it's Mia. I won't be in today-I've got a fever and chills."

"Take care of yourself," her supervisor replied, concern in their tone. "Let us know if you need anything."

Mia hung up and sank back into bed. Tyler's voice drifted from the hallway.

"Honey, did you sleep through your alarm?"

"No," Mia replied, her voice muffled.

Tyler peeked in, worry etched on his face. "You're burning up. I'll take the kids to my mom's so you can rest."

Mia nodded, grateful for the help. She drifted in and out of sleep, waking occasionally to the sound of her phone buzzing. Tyler sent sweet messages throughout the day:

"I love you, sweetie."

"I wish I could stay home and pamper you like you did for me."

"I'll be home soon to take care of you."

Mia smiled at the texts, even as her body ached. Around 8 o'clock, she finally woke up for good. She sent a quick message thanking her supervisor for the well wishes and another to her lead, apologizing for not notifying them sooner about her absence. She then noticed a private message on the work app-from Alex Huffman.

"Are you okay?"

"I hope all is well."

"I can't believe you ditched me."

Mia grinned, despite herself. She typed back, "lol," and set the phone aside, letting herself drift back to sleep.

Throughout the day, Tyler checked in, and Mia felt a warmth in her heart despite the fever. When Tyler finally called at four, Mia answered sleepily.

"Hello."

"Well, hello, my beautiful wife," Tyler said, his voice cheerful.

"How are you feeling?"

Mia groaned.

"Are you on your way home?"

"Yes, I'll grab the kids from mom and be there as soon as possible."

"Okay, I love you. See you soon."

Mia was so tired, she barely remembered the call ending. When Tyler and the kids finally arrived, the children ran to her, hugging and kissing her cheeks. Hazel, the youngest, crawled onto her lap and snuggled in.

Mia may have felt awful physically, but her heart was full-surrounded by the love of her family. Tyler made dinner, and afterward, they all headed to bed, Mia grateful for the comfort and care.

Alex Huffman's POV

The day at Silver Valley Plastics felt off from the start. Alex Huffman noticed it the moment he walked onto the production floor in Summit Ridge. The usual morning energy was there-machines humming, coworkers chatting-but for him, everything seemed muted. Mia Sawyer's absence was impossible to ignore. Her station was empty, and the team moved a little slower without her steady presence.

Alex tried to focus on his tasks as a Production Technician, but his mind kept drifting. Every time he glanced at Mia's workstation, he felt a pang of concern. He checked his phone, hoping for a message, but the screen stayed blank.

After an hour, he couldn't take it anymore. He opened the work app and typed a message to Mia:

"Are you okay?"

He stared at the screen, waiting for a reply. Minutes ticked by with no response. He tried to reassure himself-maybe she was just running late, or maybe she'd forgotten her phone. But the knot in his stomach only tightened.

He busied himself with paperwork, but every few minutes, he found himself glancing at his phone. Still nothing. The worry gnawed at him, so he sent another message:

"I hope all is well."

He kept his tone simple and sincere, not wanting to seem too concerned or intrusive. His mind raced with possibilities. Was she sick? Did something happen at home? He wondered if Tyler, Mia's husband, might see the messages and misunderstand. The thought made him anxious-he didn't want to cause trouble or make things awkward for Mia.

He debated sending another message, but decided against it. If he were in Tyler's shoes, he wouldn't want a coworker messaging his wife over and over. Still, the worry lingered.

At first break, Alex found himself standing by the vending machines, staring into space. He overheard Morgan and a few others talking about shift swaps and weekend plans, but no one mentioned Mia. He considered asking outright, but something held him back-he didn't want to draw attention to his concern.

Unable to resist, he sent one last message, trying to lighten the mood:

"I can't believe you ditched me."

He put his phone away and forced himself to focus on work. The day dragged on, every task feeling heavier without Mia's presence. She had a knack for making even the most tedious jobs feel manageable, and her quick wit often broke up the monotony.

Finally, just after lunch, his phone buzzed. He snatched it up, heart pounding.

A single reply: "lol."

Alex let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding. Relief washed over him. She was okay-maybe just sick, maybe just busy, but at least she was well enough to reply.

He typed a quick response, but then hesitated. He didn't want to overwhelm her with messages, especially if she was resting. Instead, he slipped his phone back into his pocket and tried to focus on the rest of the day.

But he couldn't help it-he missed her. The way she could defuse tension with a joke, the way she handled challenges without complaint, and the subtle way she made everyone feel included. Her absence left a void that nothing else could fill.

On his drive home, Alex was so lost in thought he didn't notice he was driving under the speed limit until other drivers honked and sped past him. He snapped out of his daze, shaking his head at himself.

That evening, he showered, made a quick dinner, and settled onto the couch. He found himself watching a murder mystery show-one Mia had mentioned she liked. He wasn't really paying attention to the plot; his mind kept wandering back to her.

As he drifted off to sleep, Alex hoped Mia would be back soon. The day just wasn't the same without her.