Seraphina’s POV
The roses sat on my passenger seat like an accusation.
I didn’t look at them. Didn’t touch them. Just drove in silence while Damien followed behind in his car.
My hands gripped the steering wheel so tight my knuckles went white. But I couldn’t loosen my grip. Couldn’t relax. Not when I was about to walk into that house and pretend everything was fine.
For the kids. Always for the kids.
The house appeared through the windshield. Ho. Except it wasn’t ho anymore. It was just a building where my children lived. Where Damien lived. Where I used to belong.
I parked. Grabbed my bag. Left the roses in the car.
Damien was already at the front door when I reached it. Waiting. His hand on the knob.
"Mama!" Lily’s voice hit before I’d even stepped inside. She ca running. Her pigtails bouncing. Her face lit up like Christmas morning. "You’re here! You’re really here!"
I caught her as she launched herself at my legs. Held her tight. Breathed in her shampoo. "Of course I’m here, baby. I promised, didn’t I?"
She grabbed my hand. Started pulling. "Co see! Adrian and I decorated the whole dining room! We made it so pretty!"
She dragged through the entryway. Into the living room. Toward the dining room.
And stopped.
The room was covered in decorations. Paper hearts hung from the ceiling on fishing line. A banner stretched across one wall reading "HAPPY ANNIVERSARY MOM AND DAD" in crayon letters. The table was set with our good dishes. Candles. Flowers they must have picked from the garden.
"Do you like it?" Lily bounced on her toes. "Adrian did the banner! I picked the flowers!"
Adrian stood by the table. Trying to look casual. But his eyes tracked my every movent. Watching. Waiting for my reaction.
"It’s beautiful." The words ca out thick. "You guys did such a good job."
"Really?" Lily’s face glowed. "We worked all afternoon!"
"I can tell. It’s perfect."
Damien appeared behind . Close enough I could feel his presence. But not touching. Never touching anymore.
"They wanted to surprise you," he said quietly.
"Mission accomplished."
Lily grabbed my hand again. "Co on! Dinner’s ready! Daddy made your favorite!"
She pulled toward the table. Adrian was already sitting. His face carefully neutral. That mask he wore more and more these days.
I sat in my old spot. Muscle mory. My body rembering before my brain could object.
Damien took his seat across from . Our eyes t briefly. Then both looked away.
This was going to be a long dinner.
Lily chattered through the al. Talking about school and friends and the science project she was working on. Normal kid stuff. Safe topics.
Adrian contributed occasionally. But mostly he just watched. His gaze bouncing between and Damien. Like he was studying us. Trying to figure sothing out.
The food was good. Damien had made chicken parsan. My favorite. Just like Lily said.
It tasted like cardboard in my mouth.
"Mama?" Lily’s voice cut through my thoughts. "Are you okay? You look sad."
"I’m fine, baby. Just tired from work."
"But it’s your anniversary!" She set down her fork. Her face serious. "You’re supposed to be happy on your anniversary."
"I am happy." The lie burned coming out.
"Then why aren’t you smiling?"
I forced my mouth into sothing resembling a smile. "See? Happy."
Lily studied my face. Not convinced. But she was seven. She couldn’t quite articulate what was wrong. Just knew sothing was.
"We made cake too!" She changed the subject. Back to safe territory. "It’s chocolate! Your favorite!"
"That sounds wonderful."
After dinner, they brought out the cake. Chocolate with white frosting. Slightly lopsided. The words "Happy Anniversary" written in pink icing.
Clearly homade. Clearly made with love.
"Adrian did most of it," Lily admitted. "I just helped with the frosting!"
"You both did great." I smiled at them. A real smile this ti. "It’s perfect."
They sang. Off-key and enthusiastic. Their voices filling the dining room with sothing that felt almost like joy.
Damien and I didn’t sing. Just sat there. Watching our children try so hard to make everything normal.
We cut the cake together. Damien’s hand over mine on the knife. The first ti we’d touched in months.
His skin was warm. Familiar. Wrong.
I pulled away the second the cake was cut.
"I should go." The words ca out abrupt. Too loud in the suddenly quiet room.
"What?" Lily’s face fell. "But we just had cake!"
"I know, baby. But it’s late and I have work tomorrow."
"Can’t you stay?" Her voice got smaller. "Please? Just tonight?"
"Lily—"
"Please, Mama. It’s your anniversary. You’re supposed to stay ho on your anniversary."
"Sweetie, I can’t—"
"Why not?" Tears filled her eyes. "Why can’t you just stay? Why do you always have to leave?"
My throat closed up completely.
Adrian stood abruptly. His chair scraping across the floor. "Co on, Lily. Let’s go upstairs."
"But—"
"Now." His voice was firm. Final. "Mom said she has to go. Don’t make it worse."
He grabbed Lily’s hand. Started pulling her toward the stairs.
My hands ca up automatically. Stroked her hair. "Baby, I’m not leaving you. I’m just going to my apartnt—"
I tucked Lily into bed. Read her three stories instead of one. Anything to delay the inevitable.
When her eyes finally closed. When her breathing evened out. I kissed her forehead and stood.
Damien was waiting in the hallway. Leaning against the wall. Looking destroyed.
"I should go," I whispered.
"Sera, wait—"
"No." I walked past him. Toward the stairs. "I did what you asked. I ca. I had dinner. I stayed for cake. But now I’m leaving."
"It’s late." He followed down. "Just... stay. Sleep in the guest room. Leave in the morning."
I reached the front door. Grabbed my keys from the side table where I’d left them.
"Sera, please. We need to talk."
I turned to face him. "Talk? About what, Damien?"
"We could try—"
"Try what?" My voice rose. "Try to pretend everything’s fine? Try to forget what happened? Try to ignore the fact that Emma is seven months pregnant with your baby?"
The words were out before I could stop them.
Damien went white. Absolutely white.
"How did you—" He stopped. Swallowed hard. "How do you know about that?"
"The whole pack knows." I watched his face crumble. "Riley’s cousin saw her. In Millbrook. Very obviously pregnant. And very happy to let people speculate about who the father is."
"Sera, that’s not—"
"Not what? Not true? Not your baby?" I stepped closer. "Because the tiline works out perfectly, doesn’t it? Seven months ago. Right after that night at the hotel. The night you swore nothing happened."
"I don’t know!" The words exploded out. "I don’t know how to explain any of it! But I swear to you—I swear on Adrian and Lily’s lives—I did not choose this! I did not want this!"
"But it happened anyway." Tears burned behind my eyes. "And now what? What happens now, Damien? Do you marry her? Make her Luna? Move her into this house?"
"She’s not my mistress!"
"Then what is she?" My voice cracked. "What is she to you, Damien?"
"Nothing! She’s nothing!"
"She’s carrying your child!" The words tore out of . "She’s carrying your baby and you’re here asking to stay? Asking to work through this? Like it’s just so small problem we can fix?"
"It’s not my baby!" He stepped closer. Desperate. "I don’t care what she says. I don’t care what the tiline is. That baby isn’t mine because I never touched her. I never wanted her. I only want you!"
"Well, you don’t have ." The words ca out flat. Final. "You lost the second you spent that night with her. Whether you rember it or not. Whether you wanted it or not. You lost ."
"Sera, please—"
"And you know what the worst part is?" Tears finally spilled over. "The worst part is that I still—" My voice broke. "I still feel sothing. When I look at you. When you’re near . I still feel it. That pull. That connection. Whatever the fuck it was that made fall in love with you in the first place."
His eyes widened. Hope flickering there.
"But it doesn’t matter." I wiped my face roughly. "This is over, Damien. We’re over. "
I stepped through the doorway. Out into the cool night air.
His hand caught mine. Desperate. Trembling.
"Sera—"
"Goodnight, Damien."
I made it three steps before I heard it.
A small sound. Barely audible. But unmistakable.
Crying.
I froze.
Turned slowly.
And saw them.
Adrian and Lily. Standing at the top of the stairs. Visible through the open door. Both in their pajamas. Both clutching their favorite stuffed animals.
Both crying.
Lily’s face was destroyed. Tears streaming. Her little body shaking with sobs.
Adrian tried to look strong. But his face was crumbling. His eyes wet.
"Please don’t be angry." Lily’s voice carried across the distance. Small. Broken. "Please, Mama. Please, Daddy. Please don’t be angry anymore."
I stepped through the doorway. Out into the cool night air.
His hand caught mine. Desperate. Trembling.
"Sera—"
"Goodnight, Damien."
I made it three steps before I heard it.
A small sound. Barely audible. But unmistakable.
Crying.
I froze.
Turned slowly.
And saw them.
Adrian and Lily. Standing at the top of the stairs. Visible through the open door. Both in their pajamas. Both clutching their favorite stuffed animals.
Both crying.
Lily’s face was destroyed. Tears streaming. Her little body shaking with sobs.
Adrian tried to look strong. But his face was crumbling. His eyes wet.
"Please don’t be angry." Lily’s voice carried across the distance. Small. Broken. "Please, Mama. Please, Daddy. Please don’t be angry anymore."
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