They all soon settled on the large sofa, with Alicia and Oliver seated together in the center.
Oliver was full of questions about Alicia’s favorite color, her house, and whether she had any ponies of her own.
"I don’t have ponies," Alicia admitted with a smile. "But your mother, when she was ten, convinced to buy her a rabbit. She said she’d take care of it herself."
Oliver turned to Evelyn, eyes wide.
"You had a rabbit, Mommy?"
Evelyn silently swallowed before nodding, "For about three days. Then Stella fed it too many carrots, and it got sick."
"Hey!" Stella protested. "You’re the one who left it outside in the rain."
Alicia chuckled softly. "And that’s why... I never bought them another pet."
The room filled with laughter, the kind that cos easily when old wounds finally start to heal.
Evelyn leaned back against the couch, her gaze softening as she watched her son chatting with Alicia.
Stella joined in with her usual charm, occasionally making Oliver laugh so hard that even Alicia couldn’t help but smile.
For a brief, blissful mont, Evelyn felt entirely at peace.
The warm chatter, the scent of fresh flowers in the room, and the sight of her family together brought a sense of gratitude that she hadn’t felt in years.
Soon, more of her friends and family would et her son.
They would see how full her life had beco, how happiness had finally chosen to stay.
Beside her, Axel sat quietly on a single sofa. He looked like he was scrolling through his phone, but his attention wasn’t really on the screen.
His eyes drifted toward his wife, studying the way her smile deepened when she looked at Oliver, and the way her eyes glimred in the sunlight pouring through the tall windows.
He liked seeing her like this: calm, radiant, and free from the shadows of the past.
Then his phone buzzed.
A new notification flashed on the screen, pulling him back to reality.
Axel’s expression shifted slightly. He hesitated before opening the ssage, his thumb hovering for a second longer than usual.
The text was short, but it made his posture tighten.
"Boss, another guest has arrived..." From: Liam
He didn’t move right away. He stared at the na on the screen, his jaw tightening before he leaned toward his wife.
"Oscar," he murmured. "He’s here."
Evelyn’s head turned instantly, her eyes lighting up. She had been waiting for that news.
Axel noticed her reaction and gave a small, wry smile. "I could be wrong, but I think you seem a little too happy to hear his na."
Evelyn blinked, quickly realizing how that sounded. The last thing she wanted was to spark her husband’s jealousy again, especially today, on their son’s birthday.
She smiled sweetly and took his hand. "I’m just glad he finally ca. He’s been threatening to ’haunt’ if I don’t let him et Oliver in person."
Her tone was playful, but her mind was already running elsewhere.
She hadn’t been entirely honest.
The truth was, she also needed a private mont with Oscar later to discuss Axel’s cousin, Maxi.
She is worried that Axel has started to realize she is hiding her hacker friend’s identity and doesn’t want him to connect the dots too soon... that her friend is Oscar.
Axel exhaled quietly, his thumb brushing the back of her hand. "I guess Oliver will be happy to see him."
"Oh, absolutely," Evelyn replied, glancing lovingly at their son, who was still chatting away with Alicia and Stella. "He doesn’t even know Oscar’s coming. It’ll be a big surprise."
Axel leaned back again, watching her with a faint smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes.
He respected Oscar’s role in Evelyn’s life; he’d been her trusted friend and savior in her toughest days, but so small part of him still felt uneasy whenever the man’s na ca up.
Monts later, footsteps echoed from the hallway.
Jimmy entered the room, leading a tall figure behind him.
Oliver stopped mid-sentence. His eyes widened as he spotted the man approaching.
A tall, broad-shouldered man with short brunette hair, glasses, and a grin that could light up the whole house.
Oliver blinked a few tis, unsure at first.
Then his little voice rose, uncertain but excited. "U-Uncle Oscar?"
Oscar’s grin widened. "Yes! It’s , your only uncle Oscar!"
Oliver’s face broke into pure joy. He jumped off the couch, his tiny feet pattering across the floor as he ran straight into Oscar’s arms.
Hurriedly, Oscar lifted him easily, laughing as Oliver hugged his neck tightly.
"Uncle! I thought you were still in Australia, feeding kangaroos...?"
Oscar threw his head back with a loud laugh. "Hahaha... I wanted to surprise you. Did you forget my promise?"
Oliver tilted his head, trying to rember. "You said you’d co to my birthday this year?"
"Exactly. And I never break my promises." He tapped the boy’s nose. "Now, are you happy to see your uncle?"
"Yes!" Oliver nodded eagerly. "Uncle, will you teach to play arcade gas?"
"I promise I will," Oscar said, chuckling warmly.
Then he looked toward Evelyn and Axel, still holding Oliver in his arms.
"See, Eve? Little Oliver recognized right away. Didn’t even need an introduction."
Evelyn smiled, unable to hide her fondness. "He never forgets people who make him laugh."
Axel stood, offering a polite nod. "Welco, Oscar."
Oscar returned the gesture easily, though his smile carried a hint of mischief. "Good to see you too, Axel. I hope I’m not crashing the royal family mont."
"Not at all," Axel replied smoothly. "We always have room for uncles who feed kangaroos."
Evelyn rolled her eyes.
"Please, the two of you, behave. I’d rather not explain to my son why his father and uncle are competing for the title of ’coolest man in the room.’"
Oscar laughed. "You an, why does his uncle keep winning it?"
Axel smirked. "We’ll let the birthday boy decide that later."
The air around them was filled with a mix of humor and warmth.
Despite Axel’s guarded tone, it was impossible not to see the affection beneath the surface. Oscar had been there for Evelyn and Oliver long before he entered their lives. To him, Oscar was family, even if not by blood.
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