DAMIEN
It had been a long time since I saw Jeff laugh like that.
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Not the usual polite smile he wore around maids and tutors or that half–hearted giggle he gave when Diana tried too hard to play mother. No, this was different. It echoed through the open air like a forgotten melody returning to the world.
And the reason for that laughter? Cia Jones.
I stood near the railing, watching them in the park–Jeff running toward the swings, Cia not far behind. She had let her hair down, and when she laughed, it spilled like honey over her shoulders.
She chased Jeff toward the merry–go–round, her shoes barely holding to her feet as she ran, breathless, full of life.
And I couldn’t look away.
I should have gone back to the hotel. Diana was expecting me. But the moment Jeff insisted he wanted to go out and play, and when Cia nodded with that gentle, almost shy smile of hers, I couldn’t say no. Jeff had asked me, “Can Miss Jones come with us too, Daddy?” And something inside me quickly said yes.
They played like they had known each other forever. Jeff threw a ball, Cia dodged it with exaggerated drama, and he collapsed laughing into the grass.
I took out my phone to check the time and saw Diana’s name flashing on the screen.
I hesitated before answering.
“Hello,” I said, my tone flat.
“Damien,” her voice was sugary sweet. “Are you still coming to the hotel? You said you’d be back after your meeting. I’m waiting.”
I glanced toward Cia and Jeff. She was helping him climb a low jungle gym, her voice full of encouragement. Her hands steadying his back.
“I’m busy right now,” I replied.
“Busy doing what?” she asked, and then paused. “Wait… I hear laughing. Where are you?”
“I said I’m busy, Diana. Let’s talk later.” After that, I ended the call.
Almost immediately, my phone rang again. And again. Diana was still calling, but I ignored it.
I slid my phone back into my pocket and kept watching them. Cia had taken off her shoes and was now chasing Jeff barefoot across the grass. Her laughter was softer than Jeff’s but just as free.
9:51 Mon, Sep 22
Chapter 13
I don’t know how long I stood there. Time warped in that little pocket of joy. I just watched.
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Then, suddenly, Cia turned quickly, trying to catch Jeff, and her foot caught on the uneven edge of the pavement.
“Cia!” I called.
She stumbled.
I moved without thinking. Within seconds, I was beside her, catching her elbow as she tipped forward. Her body tumbled into mine, and my arms tightened instinctively around her.
She gasped, her hands clinging to my shirt for balance.
We didn’t speak. Not immediately.
Her face was just inches from mine. I could see the flecks of gold in her eyes, the faint trace of pink on her lips, the softness in her cheeks. And God–the way she smelled. Like rain and wildflowers and something heartbreakingly warm.
She didn’t pull away. And neither did I.
The world slowed.
There were children playing, a distant ice cream vendor calling out his flavors, a dog barking somewhere. But none of it mattered.
For a brief moment, there was only us.
My heart thudded against my ribs, fast and foolish.
Then…
SNAP.
A sound. Sharp. Unmistakable.
We both turned.
Jeff stood a few feet away, holding Cia’s phone.
“Daddy!” he grinned. “I took your picture! You and Miss Jones look so beautiful together in this one!”
Cia stepped back instantly. She ran a hand through her hair, embarrassed.
I swallowed the dryness in my throat and took slow steps toward Jeff, trying to recover.
“Let me see,” I said.
Jeff handed the phone to me, still grinning.
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9:51 Mon, Sep 22
Chapter 13
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On the screen was the image–me holding Cia, our bodies close, our eyes locked like we were in a scene from a movie I wouldn’t dare watch with anyone else around.
Something about the picture made my chest tighten.
Cia bent toward Jeff and whispered something that made him giggle.
I watched them.
And at that moment, I wasn’t thinking about Diana. I wasn’t thinking about work or responsibilities or the disaster of a relationship I had tried to maintain for the sake of a child.
I was just thinking about that image.
And what it would mean if it were real.
We stopped for ice cream on the way back.
Jeff insisted. Cia agreed. I couldn’t say no to either of them.
Jeff picked chocolate mint. Cia asked for vanilla with sprinkles. I went with coffee–flavored. Somehow, it all fit.
As we sat on a bench near the water fountain, Jeff between us, Cia leaned back and tilted her head toward the sky.
“I haven’t had a day like this in years,” she said quietly.
I turned to look at her. “Like what?”
“Peaceful. Real.”
There was a heaviness in her voice that caught my attention.
“You don’t get a lot of those, do you?” I asked.
She smiled but didn’t answer.
Jeff interrupted us, licking ice cream off his nose,
“Daddy, I like days like this. Can we do it again?” he asked.
“We’ll see, I said, ruffling his hair,
Cia turned to me then, her voice softer than before.
“You know, he’s a very special boy. Not just smart. Sensitive too.”
“I know,” I said. “Sometimes I forget how much.”
She nodded. “And he adores you. He really does.”
9:52 Mon, Sep 22
Chapter 13
I didn’t know what to say to that.
So I stayed quiet.
She looked back toward Jeff. And I looked at her.
It wasn’t about attraction anymore.
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It wasn’t about getting distracted by a pretty face or being charmed by a woman who somehow got through my defenses.
It was deeper.
She saw my son.
Not as someone to tolerate, but as someone to love.
And somehow, seeing that made me want to see her more.
When we returned to the hotel, I parked the car and turned off the engine.
Jeff had fallen asleep in the backseat.
I looked at Cia. She looked at me.
For a while, we didn’t speak.
Then she whispered, “Thank you for today.”
I replied, “Thank you for making him laugh and have so much fun.”
She smiled, then reached into the backseat to adjust Jeff’s seatbelt so he wouldn’t wake too roughly.
I watched her fingers brush his hair.
That was when I knew.
Diana could act all she wanted. She could act like she wanted to build a family, make things work. But this….. this woman next to me? She was real.
She had done more for my son in a few hours than Diana had in years.
And the terrifying part?
I didn’t want it to end.
C
