ASHERAfter what felt like forever, her thoughts began to quiet, leaving only soft hiccups. I gently plucked at her hair, whispering, “It’s okay, dear Ariella. I’m here. You’re not alone. It’s okay. I’m here. I’m so sorry.”She tilted her head toward me, looking through swollen red eyes. “I didn’t know,” she whispered. “I thought he was alive. I thought we were all alive. I didn’t know he was gone all this time.”Her thoughts spun again, looping back over the same pain.“It’s okay, Ariella. It’s okay. Just let it all out,” I soothed.“I should have asked,” she murmured between sobs. “I should have asked you about my parents when I came back… Wait… is my mother… is my mom....?”“Your mother is okay, love. Your mother is alive and well,” I reassured her.She bit her teeth, her tears spilling faster, raw and unstoppable now. “My God… my father loved me. He was the only person who was truly there. The only person I could truly count on. And he died… and I wasn’t even there to bury him,
ASHER“I’m not leaving forever, Leon,” I said quickly, reaching out to hold his small hands in mine. “Just for a little while. I have to finish something important first, something that will make sure we’re together for good. So you won’t have to worry. I promise.”His brows furrowed, the little frown tugging at my heart. “But… will you come back before I wake up?”I smiled, ruffling his hair. “Not before you wake up, little man. But I’ll be back as soon as I can. And when I am back, we’ll have every morning together, every night, just like this.”He looked down at his hands for a long moment, then slowly nodded. “Okay… but don't take too long, Daddy.”“I won’t,” I said, kissing his forehead. “I’ll be back faster than you can blink.”Then I picked him up gently, holding him close. “And you know what?” I said, feeling a surge of determination, “No matter what happens, I’m always your Daddy. Nothing can change that. Not even the things I have to do right now.”His little arms wrapped
ASHERThe food was perfect. The pasta was tender, the sauce savory. Ariella had clearly put thought and care into the food, and I could see why Leon was ecstatic.Once the plates were cleared, Ariella brought over the ice cream. Leon’s little hands clapped together in delight. “Ice cream!” he squealed, digging in immediately with a little spoon, not caring about neatness at all.I smiled as I served myself, stealing glances at Ariella. She seemed more at ease now, letting herself enjoy the moment, laughing quietly at Leon’s messiness. I reached across the table and took Ariella’s hand gently. She looked up, eyes meeting mine, and I could see everything, the past, the pain, the secrets, but also the promise of what we could have now.I didn’t want to ruin the moment by bringing up the past. We were having such a great time, and I didn’t want to disrupt it. So I asked the question I probably should have asked earlier.“Where is Maria? I thought she decided to stay back with you?” I sai
ASHERThe flight felt both endless and too short. I spent every second of it pacing the aisle, clenching and unclenching my fists, rehearsing what I would say, and then scrapping it all over again.What could I possibly say to her?How do you tell the woman you love that you know the truth now, that you know she carried your child, that you know why she left and still demand to know why she didn’t trust you enough to stay?The jet touched down. I barely remembered getting off, barely remembered the drive. My heart was hammering against my ribs, my throat dry as I walked up the steps to the house.I didn’t knock.Not this time.The door swung open, and there she was.... Ariella.Her hair was pulled back, messy, strands falling into her face like she’d been running after Leon, and maybe she had, because a second later, my son came barreling into view, laughing, clutching a toy truck in his hand.My son. My chest felt too tight.She froze when she saw me, her breath catching audibly.“As
ASHERBut there was still one more stop I had to make. One more person to confront. I was going to see Luca, to make him pay for all the torment he had put me through, for nearly forcing me into a mistake I could never undo, for nearly taking from me the one person and the one child I could never afford to lose.I got into the car and immediately called to have my private jet prepared. I was going away for a few hours, and this couldn’t wait. Before I even realized it, I was parked in front of Luca’s house. I had driven faster than I should have, but I didn’t care. My chest still ached from everything Mrs. Costa had just told me, but I refused to let myself drown in the pain, refused to let the guilt win.No. I was happy. I should feel happy. Ecstatic, even.Ariella had been pregnant. She had been carrying my baby. My son.And though I still didn’t fully understand why she hadn’t told me why she had chosen to go through all of this alone.... I believed she must have had a damn good r
ASHER I felt something inside me snap. It was sudden, like a cord pulled too tight. I was breathing heavily on that sofa, staring, unable to move my eyes away from Mrs. Costa as she spoke. “Ariella was pregnant?” I asked, my voice sounding strange even to me. My chest felt tight, my mind racing. Emotions clawed at my control, but I knew I had to steady myself. I had to hold it together. “Yes,” she said, her tone bitter, almost resigned. “She was pregnant. Trying to get herself annihilated. Nobody would want to marry a pregnant woman with another man's child. She would have been done. That’s why we had to move the wedding forward.” I froze. "The wedding… There was no wedding. I was supposed to marry her." “No,” she continued, her voice sharp. “Your father knew the moment you found out that Ariella had been with someone else, that he was going to marry her. He knew you would drop her like hot liquid. But Ariella… she was stubborn.” Her eyes narrowed, and I felt the weight of her