Chapter three

The Acquisition of Awkwardness

Three days. That was how long it had taken Elias Thorne to dismantle his corporate schedule, secure an oceanfront rental property three doors down from Vivian’s small cottage, and officially declare war on her quiet life.

The terms of their uneasy truce, established during a tense three-hour meeting that ended with no tears but plenty of legal jargon, were simple: Vivian would not deny Elias access to Leo, but she had full autonomy over when and how the truth of his paternity would be revealed. Until then, Elias was "Mr. Thorne," a rich, temporary neighbor interested in the local landscape architecture.

Elias, who typically made multi-million dollar deals over brunch, found the arrangement deeply insulting to his sense of efficiency. Yet, he adhered to it. He had no choice.

His first father-son encounter was currently underway in Vivian’s backyard. It was going poorly.

Vivian watched from the kitchen window, sipping coffee that had gone cold. Elias was kneeling on the lawn, immaculate charcoal trousers dusting the grass, attempting to assemble a high-tech drone Leo had received for his last birthday. Elias, the CEO who managed global infrastructure projects, was thoroughly defeated by two plastic rotors and an instruction manual written entirely in Japanese.

“Mr. Thorne, you put the propellers on backward,” Leo said patiently, looking up from sketching a ridiculously detailed design for a treehouse. “It’s clearly marked with a P label. Mom says you need to read the fine print.”

Elias sighed, removing a tiny screwdriver from his massive hand. He looked up at Leo, his brow furrowed in concentration. “I usually have a team for fine print, Leo. And P labels on my assets generally refer to market performance, not rotating components.”

Leo shrugged, unfazed. “Well, you have to do the hands-on stuff here. We don’t have ‘teams.’ Just me, Mom, and occasionally Uncle Mark.”

The mention of "Uncle Mark" sent a fresh jolt of possessiveness through Elias. A constant, reliable male figure—the role he should have occupied.

He tossed the screwdriver onto the grass with an uncharacteristic flash of defeat. “Tell you what. I’m better with strategy than assembly. Do you play chess?”

Leo’s eyes widened, a flicker of genuine interest lighting his face. "I love chess. My Mom taught me, but she always beats me."

Elias felt a moment of pride for Vivian—for the life she had given their son. “I guarantee, I will not always beat you. But I will teach you the Thorne strategy. We don't play to draw, Leo. We play to dominate.”

Vivian smiled faintly into her mug. That, at least, was authentic.

The next hour was spent over a worn wooden board at the outdoor picnic table. Elias was completely absorbed, his fierce concentration honed by years of corporate warfare now focused on a wooden bishop. He didn't just play; he analyzed Leo's every move, teaching him openings and defenses. Leo, energized by the intense attention, held his own surprisingly well.

When the game ended—a decisive checkmate by Elias—Leo was beaming, energized rather than defeated.

“Wow,” Leo said. “That was amazing, Mr. Thorne. Do you want to come see my room? I have a collection of antique nautical maps.”

Elias’s demeanor softened, the tension draining away to reveal a deep, earnest pleasure. “I’d like that very much, Leo.”

As the two of them disappeared inside, Vivian leaned against the doorframe. Elias was a terrible drone engineer and an overwhelming presence, but he was undeniably connecting with their son on an intellectual level that few others could match.

“He's good with him,” a voice said beside her.

Vivian turned to see Elias, a woman who often helped out at the nursery. She was leaning against a potting bench, her arms crossed.

“He’s teaching him to be ruthlessly strategic,” Vivian corrected, trying to sound detached.

“He’s spending an hour on his knees in the dirt trying to bond with a boy he didn’t know existed three days ago,” Elias countered softly. “That’s not strategy, Viv. That’s desperation. He's desperate to catch up.”

Vivian looked back at the house, where she could hear the muffled sounds of Elias’s deep voice and Leo’s excited chatter. Desperation or not, the bond was beginning to form, and she realized the true danger: Elias was not just fighting for Leo; he was fighting his way back into her meticulously protected life.