The apartnt was unusually quiet for a Saturday evening. The faint hum of the fridge filled the space, mingling with the soft clatter of Bella folding laundry on the couch.
Chloe sat curled at the other end, one leg tucked beneath her as she scrolled absentmindedly through her phone, the blue glow catching her features.
Both of them enjoying the silence only that it didn’t last.
The front door swung open, and Timothy’s laughter spilled into the room like sunlight after a storm. He darted inside, his sneakers squeaking against the floor, his little backpack bouncing wildly on his shoulders. Rachel followed at a slower pace, carrying the extra bags of snacks and toys from the playground.
"Mommy!" Timothy’s high-pitched squeal filled the air as he hurled himself straight into Bella’s lap.
Bella nearly toppled backward, a startled laugh escaping her. "Whoa, whoa, easy there, champ!" She steadied him with both arms, pressing a kiss to the top of his head as his curls tickled her cheek. "What’s gotten into you?"
Timothy’s gray eyes sparkled with uncontainable excitent. "I had so much fun today!" he said, bouncing in her lap like a spring.
Bella hugged him close, warmth rising in her chest at his joy. "So much fun you forgot all about , huh?" she teased, giving his side a playful squeeze.
Timothy gasped, shaking his head with comical seriousness. "Nooo! I didn’t forget you at all. I even told my new friend about you!"
Bella blinked, her hands stilling against his back. "Your new friend?" she repeated gently, arching a brow. "You already made a friend?"
Timothy nodded eagerly, puffing out his chest as if it were the greatest achievent of his day. "Yes! And guess what? He has the sa eyes as too!"
Bella’s brows lifted at his words, her heart giving a curious twist. She reached up to smooth his hair, her voice tender. "That’s wonderful, sweetheart. I’d love to et this friend of yours soday."
But Timothy’s triumphant grin lted into a small pout. He dropped his gaze to the ball still clutched in his hands. "Too bad I didn’t ask him his na. And... I don’t think we’ll et again."
Bella tilted his chin up, eting his gaze with warmth. "Are you sure because I think you’ll definitely see him again," Bella said, not wanting this joy on his face to die off.
"Really? But how?" Timothy asked, his wide eyes gazing into his mother’s.
"Don’t worry about how, baby. If you’re ant to be friends, you’ll definitely et again. That’s how life works sotis. People find their way back to each other," she said, thinking about Jake.
Rachel, who had been quietly setting his bag down near the door, let out a long sigh. She had expected Bella to scold him for being too open with strangers—especially strangers who seed older, wealthier, and far too unknown.
But Bella only spoke with gentleness, filling Timothy’s head with hope instead of caution. Rachel opened her mouth, ready to interject, but the look of comfort in Timothy’s eyes made her pause. She pressed her lips together and let it go—for now.
Bella brushed her palms against her skirt and asked brightly, "Now, tell —how do you feel about starting school again on Monday?"
Timothy’s face lit up like the sky at sunrise. "Excited! Really excited! I just wish my friend will be there too."
Bella chuckled, tugging him closer for another quick hug. "You must like him a lot, huh?"
"I do!" Timothy declared proudly, his little chest swelling.
Bella’s smile softened, though unease curled faintly in her stomach. "Well then, don’t worry. I’m sure you’ll see him again. The world has funny ways of surprising us."
Timothy grinned, satisfied with her answer, before wriggling out of her arms and bounding toward Chloe. "Aunt Chloe! Look!" He dug into the bag Rachel carried and pulled out a small toy car, showing it off with exaggerated flair.
Chloe gasped dramatically, leaning back against the couch. "Is that for ?!"
Timothy giggled, shaking his head. "Nooo, it’s mine!"
"Mine now," Chloe teased, reaching out as if to snatch it. Timothy shrieked with laughter, darting across the rug with Chloe hot on his heels, pretending to chase him. The sound of his delighted squeals filled the apartnt, breaking the earlier stillness into pieces of joy.
Bella leaned back against the cushions, watching them with a fond smile tugging at her lips. But the weight of his earlier words lingered. ’He has the sa eyes as .’
Just like he had with his father. She pushed the thought away, burying it under the warmth of the mont, and the thought that his friend was only a boy his age too.
Though no matter how hard she tried to bury the thought of Timothy s father recognizing him if he ever t him, it echoed stubbornly at the back of her mind.
Rachel eased herself into a chair, finally resting after the long day. She smoothed her blouse and exhaled, only to find Bella watching her now.
"And you," Bella said with a playful tilt of her head, "how do you feel about resuming on Monday? Nervous?"
Rachel arched a brow, crossing her legs. "Nervous? No. Not until I see who I’m working for."
Bella laughed softly. "If it were , I’d already be nervous."
"Well," Rachel replied, her lips curving into a wry smile, "I’m not you. And I’m not nervous. I’ll wait until I know who I’m dealing with. Everything will depend on our first encounter."
Their eyes t—Rachel’s steady and pragmatic, Bella’s thoughtful yet tinged with quiet worry. For a mont, the two sisters said nothing, the silence filled instead by Timothy’s shrieks of laughter as Chloe finally caught him, scooping him into a tight hug that made him wriggle like a fish.
Bella let her gaze linger on Timothy, his gray eyes gleaming with joy as he clutched his toy car like treasure. Her smile stayed, but beneath it lay the smallest flicker of unease—sothing unspoken, sothing that tied her past to her son’s innocence in a way she wasn’t ready to face.
*******************
The soft clink of glass against wood echoed in the private lounge tucked into Jake’s Estate. A low fire crackled in the hearth, casting shadows that flickered across the shelves lined with old whiskey bottles and leather-bound books. The scent of smoke and aged oak hung in the air, warm and heady.
Jake leaned back in the armchair, his jacket tossed carelessly over the backrest. He swirled the amber liquid in his glass, a faint smile ghosting across his lips. For the past hour, he had been uncharacteristically quiet, lost in his own thoughts. And Raymond had noticed.
Perhaps because he was happy about sothing.
"You’ve been smiling to yourself a lot tonight," Raymond remarked, lifting his own drink with a sly arch of his brow. "Don’t tell you’ve finally agreed to go out with Helena as mom said. Or maybe the whiskey’s stronger than I thought."
Jake chuckled, shaking his head. "It’s nothing like that. Just... a mory."
Raymond leaned forward, curiosity lighting his features. "Of what?"
Jake’s gaze flicked toward the fire, the image replaying vividly in his mind — a ball rolling against his shoe, the boy’s eager apology, those striking gray eyes filled with boldness far beyond his years. "A child I saw earlier at the StoneTech playground," he admitted. His voice softened unconsciously. "Full of energy. Sharp, too. He said things that stuck with ."
Raymond tilted his glass, considering him. "If you’re rembering him till now, then he must have struck quite the impression."
Jake didn’t deny it. His lips quirked faintly, as though the thought of Timothy’s earnest little voice amused him all over again. "Maybe he did."
He leaned back, stretching out lazily, his tone shifting as he glanced toward Raymond and said, "Speaking of impressions... how about yours? I an, your love interest. Have you told her how you feel yet?"
Raymond sighed, sipping from his glass. "Yes," he said. "I told her. But she’s still getting to know . She hasn’t accepted anything yet."
Jake gave a small nod, lifting his drink in salute. "At least you told her. That’s more than most n manage. The rest... well, it’ll take ti but at least, she didn’t shun you out totally."
Raymond exhaled through his nose, his smile returning but edged with quiet resolve. "Ti, yes. But she will accept , eventually. I’ll make sure of it."
For a mont, the brothers drank in silence, the crackle of the fire filling the space between them. Then Jake broke it with a tone almost too casual.
"I’m actually looking forward to Monday."
Raymond glanced at him, one brow raised. "Why? Is there sothing you’re planning?"
Jake’s smirk deepened, but he didn’t elaborate. He tipped his glass back instead, savoring the burn of the whiskey as it slid down his throat. "Sothing like that."
Raymond studied him for a long mont but let it drop. He knew that look — Jake’s mind always worked in layers, rarely showing his full hand.
But inside, Jake’s thoughts were anything but vague. He could see Bella’s face as clear as daylight, the guarded edge in her eyes that had slowly begun to soften. He was certain she’d let her guard down now.
He’d purposely not disturb her for the past few days so she could let her guard down. Now that he’d succeed, he was going to pursue her with full force.
He’d make sure there was no other way left for her but to be with him.
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