Claire’s POV
Eliam’s sudden appearance was a pleasant surprise, like a ray of sunlight piercing through a stormy sky. After the emotionally heavy conversation with Evander, seeing Eliam’s innocent smile and hearing his sweet voice felt like a balm to my wounded heart.
In recent days, Eliam had beco my lifeline. His laughter, his little antics, and his presence were a constant reminder that there was still beauty and joy to hold onto in my gloomy world. Therapy back in the USA had helped regain my footing, but it hadn’t been enough to pull out of the dark abyss of despair. It was Eliam’s light that had guided through, step by step.
Now, with Evander here too, I felt a lot of changes in . The ache in my heart hadn’t vanished, but it no longer consud entirely. Slowly, steadily, I was healing. Coming back to my holand had been the right choice—I could feel it in the way my soul began to nd, no longer tethered solely to pain.
"Why don’t you two co out a little later while I make so breakfast for you?" I offered, smiling warmly at them.
Eliam’s face lit up. "Can we have pancakes, Mommy?" he asked, his voice brimming with excitent.
"Of course," I replied, ruffling his hair. "Anything for my little prince."
Evander’s gaze softened as he looked at us, and I could sense the weight he carried. Even so, there was a flicker of warmth in his expression that hadn’t been there before.
As I walked to the kitchen, I couldn’t help but glance back at them. Eliam was seated on Evander’s lap, chattering away about his adventures with Uncle Caspian and Little Lilly. Evander listened attentively, nodding and smiling at all the right monts, his hand resting protectively on Eliam’s back.
A deep sense of contentnt settled over . For the first ti in what felt like forever,I felt a glimr of happiness— a fragile, precious thing I hadn’t dared to believe I could feel again.
This was what I wanted.
A ho.
A family.
An Hour Later
"Co here, guys! Breakfast is ready," I called out, placing the last dish on the table. The aroma of freshly cooked pancakes, scrambled eggs, and warm soup filled the air.
Eliam and Evander quickly ran toward the dining area, their faces lighting up as they saw the spreaded dishes on the table. They settled into their respective seats, Eliam swinging his legs excitedly under the table.
"Have your fill," I said with a smile, placing a bowl of soup in front of Eliam and a plate of pancakes in front of Evander.
"Mommy, are you going out to work again?" Eliam asked, his big, innocent eyes looking up at as he pouted. "Daddy said Mommy is busy and only ca back because she missed us."
I froze for a mont, surprised by his words. A soft laugh escaped my lips as I reached out to smooth his ssy hair. "Aww, Little Eliam," I said fondly, my heart swelling with affection. "You have grown on so much that I really want to put all my work behind and just stay ho with you."
Eliam grinned as he looked clearly pleased, but the sparkle in his eyes dimd slightly as he asked, "So, does that an you are going back to work soon?"
"Yes," I admitted, feeding him a spoonful of soup. "But you can visit whenever you wish to. Wouldn’t that be fun?"
Before Eliam could respond, I noticed Evander’s face light up and that was an unexpected reaction for to see. He looked at with a mix of surprise and hope, as if the idea of visiting made him more excited that the baby.
"Really?" he asked, his voice softer than usual, almost hesitant.
Eliam, ever the observant little boy, jumped at the opportunity to tease. "Daddy wanted to go see you but was afraid Mommy would be angry," he said, giggling as he revealed Evander’s secret.
"What? Really?" I asked, turning to Evander, who suddenly looked like a deer caught in headlights.
He coughed awkwardly, avoiding my gaze. "Well... I thought you might not want to see ."
I couldn’t help but laugh, my heart fluttering at his admission. Evander had never been one to openly express his feelings, yet he had always found subtle ways to make feel cherished. Be it in the past or even now, his actions spoke louder than words.
"Evander," I said, eting his gaze. "You don’t need to hesitate. You are always welco to see , no matter what."
Evander’s lips curved into a faint smile, one that softened his usual stoic deanor. "I will keep that in mind," he murmured.
"Mommy, Daddy, stop staring at each other!" Eliam suddenly piped up, his cheeky grin breaking the mont. "The pancakes are getting cold!"
I chuckled as I ruffled his hair. "Alright, alright. Let’s eat before Eliam eats everything himself!"
As we shared breakfast together, the air was filled with laughter and warmth. Other than a few als that I shared with Evander before, this mont felt different—genuine and complete. It was the happiest mont of my life.
Once breakfast was finished, we decided to take a walk in the garden. Eliam walked between us, holding my finger with one hand and Evander’s with the other, his small steps skipping with excitent. It felt like a perfect family full of warmth, a mont I wished I could freeze forever.
"So," Evander began, breaking the silence as he sipped the last of his coffee from the thermos he had insisted on bringing. "When are you going back? And more importantly, Eliam..." His gaze narrowed, his tone suddenly stern. "How did you co back here on your own?"
Eliam froze in his tracks, his wide eyes darting toward as if searching for an escape. Slowly, he hid behind my leg, peeking out nervously.
"It... It was Uncle! He sent back," he stamred, his little voice barely audible.
Evander raised a brow, clearly unconvinced. "Uncle Caspian, huh?" he muttered, his tone skeptical.
"Evan!" I scolded, gently nudging him with my elbow. "Stop scaring our son! You are not supposed to do that!"
Evander sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "I wasn’t scaring him; I just wanted to know the truth."
"Even if you were, he is still just a child," I replied, crouching down to Eliam’s level. "Don’t worry, sweetie. Daddy is just being silly. You did nothing wrong."
Eliam’s tense shoulders relaxed as he offered a timid smile. He slipped his hand back into mine, looking up at Evander with a bit more confidence.
"And as for when I am going back," I began, looking at Evander carefully, "I begged Senior Damian to exchange shifts with . I barely managed to convince him, so I need to leave tonight."
"What?" Evander’s voice shot up, his excitent evident. "You are staying till dinner, right?" His face lit up in a way I hadn’t seen before. Lately, it seed like I was discovering new sides of him every day.
"Wait a minute..." he trailed off, his expression shifting as the playful air turned serious. He looked at intently as his brows furrowing. "Who did you just say you begged?"
"Ah..." I froze, caught off guard by the sudden change in his tone. It seed I had said sothing I shouldn’t have.
"Damian? Senior Damian?" Evander repeated, his jaw tightening. "And what’s with the ’Senior Damian’? Do you want to die of secondhand embarrassnt?" His voice rose, as if he was cringing by with the term ’Senior’ that I added before Damian’s na.
I blinked, unsure how to respond as his rant continued.
"Look at his ’pretty boy’ face! All he does is flex that to flirt around. And sohow that guy beca your senior?" Evander’s lips twisted into a grimace as he gestured dramatically. "It feels gross!"
For a mont, I just stared at him, utterly amused. It was rare to see him worked up about sothing so trivial. My lips curved into a smile before I could stop myself.
"Evander, are you... jealous?" I teased, leaning closer to get a better look at his flustered expression.
"Jealous?" he scoffed, his ears turning slightly red. "Why would I be jealous of that idiot? I just don’t want you around soone like him. He is all looks and nothing else!"
"Right," I replied as tried hard to hold back my laughter. "Well, for the record, Senior Damian is a respected colleague, he is your friend as well, and he was kind enough to switch shifts with ."
"That’s exactly my point!" he argued, waving his hands. "That’s how he gets you— with all that fake kindness. I can’t believe you begged him! Next ti, call , and I will sort it out for you by giving him a good beating.
His over-the-top reaction only made laugh more. It was endearing to see this new, almost childish side of Evander.
"Okay, okay," I said, raising my hands in surrender. "Next ti, I will co straight to you, Mr. Overprotective."
"Good," he muttered, crossing his arms with a huff, though the corners of his lips twitched upward. "By the way, I was insecure but I wasn’t jealous of you and Damian."
"What?" Evander’s words caught off guard.
To think soone as mighty as him would feel insecure! This was really sothing new to .
"And why is that?" I couldn’t help but ask beside knowing the reason.
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