[BL] CRAVING HIM: Addicted to His Voice Chapter 292: The Weight of Fatherhood

~Zayn’s POV~

Just as my fingers wrapped around the spoon handle, era lunged. She suddenly grabbed my hand, her grip surprisingly tight, stopping mid-reach. The sudden, desperate act scared , and Liam, nestled in my lap, stirred slightly.

I braced myself, expecting her usual homophobic jabs about my choice of fiancé. But instead of the words I feared, she said sothing that completely caught off, guard.

"Your ring," she breathed out, her eyes glued to the diamond. "It’s beautiful."

I looked at her, utterly taken aback. "era, I’m—"

She quickly cut off, releasing my hand. "It’s okay. We should eat first, and we’ll talk later."

"Okay," I agreed, completely flustered.

We finished the al in an uneasy silence, interrupted only by the soft, comforting murmurs of the nanny. Even before the plates were cleared, the day’s excitent and the warmth of the house had taken their toll on Liam. He nibbled just a little of the light al before his eyelids drooped, and his breathing slowly evened out.

The nanny moved to carry him, but he imdiately protested, even in his sleep, burrowing deeper into my chest.

era watched for a mont, then her expression softened. "He won’t let go of you right now. You should stand carefully and carry him to bed yourself."

I did that. I slowly stood, cradling my sleeping son, feeling the imnse, fragile weight of him. I carried him to my room and carefully laid him down in the portable crib the nanny had set up. After watching him for a minute, I stepped back outside.

I found era waiting in the living room, the nanny discreetly occupying the kitchen. She looked up at , and I braced for whatever comntary was coming.

"Zayn," she said, her voice calm and asured. "I see the ring. Congratulations on your engagent to Evric. Now I understand why you chose him."

I looked at her, searching her eyes for sarcasm, but found none.

She took a deep breath, her eyes dropping to her hands. "Zayn," she said again, her voice almost strained. Then she looked up, eting my gaze. "I realize I was wrong. I was rude... completely unfair."

My heart raced again, but this ti not from fear. era was genuinely doing sothing I had thought impossible.

"I am truly, sincerely sorry for insulting you, for calling you nas, and for everything I said—especially about Evric," she continued, her voice steadying with genuine sincerity. "I was unbearably rude to him. I would be very grateful if you could let et him before we leave, so I can apologize to him in person."

"era," I said, her na barely a sound on my lips, my mind reeling.

She shook her head, stopping . "Please, don’t feel sorry for . I know exactly what I did. The truth is, I never intended to actually co back with you. My plane ticket was booked, and my plans were already set."

She paused, glancing toward the room where Liam slept. "But after the DNA test confird you were Liam’s father... I just wanted, selfishly, to stay close to you for a little while before I left." A small, sad smile tugged at her lips. "I accept that you love Evric. I can see the effort you both put into each other, how much you love him, and how much he loves you. You truly deserve each other."

The apology, the acceptance, and the sudden honesty felt like a physical weight lifted from my shoulders. It was the closure I never knew I needed.

era held my gaze, a quiet plea softening her features. "Zayn... please find it in your heart to forgive . And if you’re willing, I would really appreciate the chance to et Evric. I want to make things right with him too."

I smiled, a calm settling over that I hadn’t expected. "era, I was never angry with you. Honestly, your behavior surprised , but it’s alright. You recognized what you did, and you apologized. That’s what truly matters."

Then I thought about her request to see Evric. I knew how much he wanted to et Liam, and how much he deserved that apology. But I also knew he’d been carrying a lot lately.

"For Evric," I said gently, "I don’t want to call him back here today. He hasn’t really had ti to breathe lately." I knew how devoted he was. "If I ask him to co, he’ll co without hesitation. But I don’t want to burden him."

A thought struck , and my mood lifted. "Maybe later this evening? I can take you to Evric’s house. And honestly... he would be happy to et Liam before you leave."

I looked at her hopefully. "You don’t mind coming with , right?"

era nodded without hesitation, a quiet relief settling over her face. "Not at all. I’ll go with you.

We kept the conversation light after that. era told about her plans, her new job, the country she was relocating to, and assured that I could always fly over to see Liam. She promised she would make it easy for anyti I wanted to spend ti with him. It was surprisingly calm and mature, almost unreal compared to everything we’d been through.

Then, she stood up and walked to her bag. She brought out a docunt she had prepared before coming to my house.

"Zayn," she said, handing the paper. "This is your parental rights docunt. I’ve taken care of everything. Once you sign it, you’ll have full legal rights as Liam’s father, including custody, travel, and decision-making. Everything is included."

I stared at her, my heart thumping. "And what if I sign it... and tell you not to take Liam with you? What...?"

She cut off before I could finish. "Then I won’t take him. Any decision you make is final. This applies only to Liam."

I stared at the paper, tears blurring my vision. This was it—the final, legal confirmation. I couldn’t believe era had actually gone this far, taking every step to make things right, granting full fatherly rights without a single argunt.

"era," I whispered, profoundly thankful.

Without thinking twice, I picked up a pen and, feeling the weight of the future, I signed the docunt.

era watched for a mont, then her smile returned. "Mind if I take a photo of you holding the signed docunt? Just to have proof that it’s official."

I nodded, my chest swelling with pride, and took the required photograph.

After the papers were finalized, evening had settled in. I carefully lifted Liam and secured him into his car seat, making sure he was comfortable. era took the passenger seat, while the nanny quietly settled into the back. The four of us set off toward the grand gates of Evric’s mansion.

The drive was silent, filled with anticipation. I parked near the front steps, my hands shaking slightly.

I gently lifted Liam from his car seat, cradling him against my chest. era and the nanny followed up the grand steps.

I reached for the doorbell, but before my finger could touch the button, the massive front door swung open.

And there they were.