UNSPOKEN HORIZON

CHAPTER ONE

As the sun slowly rose, the cloudburst on the horizon draped the dark sky. Rain poured down onto the roof—the wind slammed its way, banging against the glass windows. Its erratic sound drummed and echoed the John F. Kennedy International Airport’s interior.

Even though the rain lashed down, the rhythmic flow of every silhouette streamed in and out of the entryway.

Inside, voices overlapped. Noises came from different directions. One came from the speaker—muffled hard across the lobby—while others echoed from the simple chitchat.

Footsteps crackled as they swarmed the check-in counters. The endless line rested in the corner. A woman checked her watch, then the departure board, then her watch again. Her fingers drummed against her boarding pass. Nearby, a boy tugged his mother’s sleeve. His eyes were fixed on the plane visible through the window.

And at 4 in the morning, Jenifer Ross arrived at the airport.

Jen, a pale, skinny figure, waltzed through the airport lobby. She was dressed in a black hooded jacket, her stroller creaking as she shrugged her backpack onto her shoulder.

She took a seat on one of the benches. Her hands trembled as she smoothed the ticket against her knee. Her fingers traced its edge again and again, while her eyes darted toward each entrance, thumb hovering over the screen of her phone without pressing anything.

Minutes later, her phone rang. Her eyes widened.

“Hello? Where are you?” The words tumbled out of her. “Are you already here?”

“Jen, just follow my instructions, dear,” someone on the other line spoke. “We will meet there once I settle things here.”

She sighed. “Okay, love. I will wait for you there. I love you.”

Before she could hear the voice on the other line, the phone cut off.

She gazed at her phone, then looked around.

Her stomach then twitched, and her gaze dropped to it as she gently caressed the curve—seven months along, and no one to lean on except the person who’d just hung up on her.

She checked her watch and then her ticket. Her flight was scheduled for 6 a.m. sharp—she still had time to check in her bags.

She lined up and surrendered her luggage at the counter, then made her way through security in an orderly line. Once through, she found an empty bench in the departure lounge and settled in to wait for the boarding announcement.

It was still 5 in the morning, and she’d planned to sleep—but the elderly woman sitting across from her, seated beside her husband, had other plans.

“First baby?” the old woman asked, her eyes darting to Jen’s belly.

Jen startled, then nodded.

“I’ve had three of my own,” the old woman said, chuckling. “You get used to the nerves after the first.”

Jen managed a small smile. “Yes,” she said quietly.

“But where’s your husband, dear?” the old woman added, her eyes furrowed. “Or is there someone here with you today?”

“Oh, my boyfriend,” Jen answered. “He’s in Santa Fe waiting for me.”

Jen’s smile lingered a beat too long. She glanced at them as their hands intertwined. She noticed her ring finger and gazed down at her own ringless fingers wrapped around the ticket.

Santa Fe.

Just a few more hours, and he’d be there. She held onto that.

Her mind slowly drifted. Thoughts of her with him surface from the distant future. The life she always wanted.

JEN’S POV

She stood in front of the range, one hand gripping the frying pan, the other holding a spatula. The buttery aroma danced through the kitchen when she heard a giggle across the room. Footsteps crackled as little Lizzy ran toward her.

On the other end of the table, her lover—Lizzy’s dad—sat hunched in his chair, eyes darted toward the daily news. The rich scent of his coffee blended with the warm butter of the pancakes served at the table.

He gazed at her gently, a careless smile tugging at his mouth. Jen’s shoulders loosened; she smiled back without meaning to.

Soon, my dear. We will meet you soon.

Minutes came, and voices echoed through the speaker.

“The flight going to Santa Fe will now accept passengers for boarding. All senior citizens, persons with disabilities, pregnant women, and mothers with children will be first to board. Thank you!”

The line swarmed with passengers, including Jen. A hush fell over the boarding area. Tickets beeped as stewards gestured passengers toward the bridge.

When Jen boarded the plane, the stewardess led her toward first class. Her eyes widened, her mouth falling open. All she could see were the wide smiles of the stewardess, dressed in a sleek pencil skirt, guiding her to her seat.

The scent of hotel-grade perfume hung in the air. Sparkling wine gleamed on the counter. Music hummed gently, muffling the passengers’ whispers.

She sank into the seat assigned to her, her shoulders dropping as the dense cushion cradled her in and the legroom widened around her. The seven-hour trip to Santa Fe stretched ahead of her.

She looked to her right and caught the view of the runway — carts unloading baggage, ground crew crisscrossing the tarmac, waving signals to one another. Her eyes drifted around the cabin. Only twelve people sat scattered through first class, including the two stewardesses. Behind her, two young men murmured to each other in their seats. In front of her, an old man hammered away at the keys of his laptop.

Until her mind drifted again. This time memories of him resurface.

JEN’S POV

He, in his plaid suit, walked toward her desk. His emerald eyes slowly found hers. The soft half-smile he always wore made Jen weak in the knees. Even the hallway seemed to fade into the background as he leaned closer and whispered into her ear.

At first, everything felt ordinary.

The free pizza in the afternoon, then followed by the iced coffee. Things that always arrived at her desk every morning. The small gestures that seemed no different from how a considerate boss treated his employees.

Until the late nights.

The office would empty one by one. The glow of the fluorescent lights slowly decreased leaving only her boss’. He sat behind his desk. His attention fixed on the endless pile of documents.

And then a soft knock echoed through the room.

He looked up.

Jen stood in the doorway, a folder held neatly against her chest. The hallway light spilled in behind her, outlining her slender figure in a pale golden glow.

For a brief moment, he forgot the papers in front of him.

“I have some of the documents you needed, sir.”

She walked over and offered him the folder. As Jonathan reached for it, his fingers brushed against hers.

Jen instinctively flinched.

“I’m sorry,” he said quickly, pulling his hand back. “I didn’t mean to...”

She shook her head.

“It’s okay.”

Silence settled between them. Neither of them moved.

Their eyes met. And for a second they found themselves searching each other’s faces. The office, once filled with the quiet rustle of paper and the hum of fluorescent lights, seemed to disappear around them.

He hesitated.

Then, almost as though he were asking a question instead of making a decision, he leaned forward.

His lips gently touched hers.

He stopped and looked back into her eyes. Jen, on the other hand, froze. Her face slowly turned red, her body warming under his gaze.

He turned and went straight to the window, the tension between them rising until he needed to cool himself down.

“I’m sorry,” he muttered, his gaze fixed on the New York skyline.

Jen touched her lips. Her mind went totally empty. She couldn’t move — not until she heard him speak. Something in his voice pulled her back to herself.

Jen decided to leave. Then he grabbed her arm and hugged her from behind.

“Don’t leave,” he whispered in her ear. His voice slowly gave a gentle touch toward her. Instead of her leaving, Jen gazed at him. their eyes locked. And without a second thought, she kissed him back.

And then the plane jolted. Jen blinked back into the present. The taste of recycled cabin air replaced her memory’s warmth.

She looked out the window. Clouds rested in the sky, hues of blue blending with the sunrise. Her attention shifted back to her belly, and she gently caressed it.

Minutes later, the trolley creaked as it waltzed down the aisle. Whispers drifted from the front of the cabin to the back. The stewardess came over and handed her a complimentary breakfast snack. Jen looked up and smiled back at her.

She then noticed two men looking her way. The one in a casual tee and ripped jeans raised his wine glass toward her.

A few hours later, the plane landed at Santa Fe airport at exactly 3 in the afternoon. She hastily checked her phone for any messages from her boyfriend. But silence greeted her—there had been no message from him since that morning, except for the one text she’d received a few days earlier: the address of the rental home they were planning to live in.

“We got this, little one,” she muttered under her breath.

She made her way to the carousel. Rubber belts creaked, and the overhead speaker crackled with an announcement she couldn’t quite make out. Around her, suitcase wheels rolled, phones rang, and voices hummed from every corner of the terminal.

The two strangers who’d sat beside her on the flight grabbed their bags and left. Jen waited, watching the belt circle past again and again, until her suitcase finally appeared.

She grabbed it and headed for the exit to call a cab. When it arrived, she handed her bags to the driver, who loaded them into the trunk while she climbed into the back seat.

“Where to, mija?” the cab driver asked.

“Sir, can you take me to this address?”

She let him read the address on her phone.

“Okay, I know this place.”

The cab driver’s lips tightened.

“Can you take me there?”

The cab driver’s head tilted, his eyes furrowing. Why would she go to such an isolated place? But he didn’t ask.

“Okay, mija.”

Once the engine started, the driver wheeled the car toward the address. Slowly, it drifted along the streets of Santa Fe, New Mexico. Sunset blended well along the buildings—their round adobe walls emphasizing the red hue, making them grander still.

The cab driver noticed Jen in his rearview mirror.

“Are you here on vacation?”

She nodded. “Yes, but hoping to stay longer.”

He smiled gently. “You’ll love this place, mija. The city is recognized for its vibrant art, food, and music scenes.”

She gazed out the passenger window. The street was alive with color—a man in a poncho crossed at the traffic light, others wore backpacks, and hikers headed for the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Minutes later, streetlights flickered on as traffic grew heavier.

The cab drove away from the city. The Rio Grande Valley grew majestic at dusk, shades of yellow slowly blending with blue until the sky turned indigo.

Santa Fe is surely wonderful. Her mind slowly drifted. I wish that we could witness its beauty together. I wish you were here with me, love.

Minutes passed as they drove into the middle of the desert. Silence filled the cab; only the headlights of passing cars broke the dark, one by one disappearing as the road stretched on.

The dark swallowed the dirt road until grand lights appeared on the horizon. As the cab drew closer, the mansion gradually revealed itself — its gable roofline sweeping down to a stone wall exterior.

Jen got startled at the sight. “Sir, are you sure this is the exact address?”

“Yes, mija. This is the place.”

Her eyes widened, then blinked faster, as if to make sure the place was real. The car stopped on the massive driveway. The cab driver grabbed her baggage and set it down on the walkway.

As the car pulled away, Jen’s jaw dropped. The outside lights flickered against the stone, and a paved pathway lined with blooming flowers of every color stretched toward a grand archway.

She grabbed her phone and dialed the number. But the call never connected.

“Where was he when we badly needed his help?” she muttered under her breath.

Next, she hammered the keys on her phone, eyebrows pulled tight, one foot tapping restlessly. She kept her thumb hovering over the screen, but no response came.

Love, are you sure this is the right address? I’m already here. The place is huge!