𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 59: 𝐈 𝐉𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐖𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐖𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐌𝐲 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐌𝐨𝐦.

𝐌𝐚𝐟𝐢𝐚’𝐬 𝐍𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐬°°°

Nevena stared at his tiny outstretched hand.

It was ridiculous; she was the adult here. But her palm still slid into his, fingers trembling.

“See?” Junior grinned. “Easy-peasy.”

“Just focus on the stairs,” she muttered, clinging to the rail with her other hand.

Step by step, they climbed.

The higher they went, the more the sea revealed itself — wide, roaring, endless. The crashing waves echoed through the tower like a heartbeat.

When they finally reached the final flight, sunlight spilled through the top hatch, bright and golden.

Nevena’s legs shook so badly she had to stop and press her forehead against the cool stone.

Junior tilted his head. “Bestie… you’re really scared of heights?”

Nevena peeled her face off the wall, her dignity dying slowly.

“I’m not scared. I just don’t appreciate being reminded there’s nothing but ocean under my feet.”

Junior blinked. “We’re on land.”

“Emotionally, I am in the ocean.”

Junior snorted and pushed open the hatch door to the top.

Light and sea breeze pushed down from above, cool and sharp with salt. Junior raced up the last few steps and disappeared into the light.

Nevena hesitated one more moment… then climbed into the open air.

The view hit her first — the sweeping horizon, the massive stretch of rolling waves and scattered ships like cats.

“You made it!” Junior cheered.

The wind tugged Nevena’s hair and she smiled.

“Oh my God,” she exhaled shakily.

The top of the lighthouse had a wide circular platform bordered by a waist-high metal railing.

“This is… high.”

“You’ll get used to it!” Junior shouted into the wind, racing to the railing. “Bestie, this is tremendous.”

“Get back here, it’s dangerous,” Nevena barked, sitting cross-legged on the floor so she wouldn’t have to stand.

Junior obediently plopped beside her, dropping his backpack with a thud.

“Let’s do the assignments now,” he said, already rummaging for his books. “Afterwards we can watch the city.”

Nevena gave him a look that screamed don’t involve me, but she only nudged him lightly.

“I have science, maths, and social art,” Junior grinned. “So which do you suggest we start with?”

“Hmm.” She pulled the slab of worksheets from his hand. “Let’s start with Math. If I’m going to suffer heights and waves slapping rocks, then you’re definitely solving fractions.”

They were just settling into quiet when footsteps echoed, heavy and eerie.

Nevena froze mid-sentence, and Junior looked toward the hatch.

“Someone else is coming up?”

Before Nevena could answer, the figure pushed open the hatch, appearing in the doorway.

Tall.

Immaculate.

A dark coat lifting in the wind like a shadow given shape.

Antonio!

He stepped onto the platform, spreading out his arms like a child as he glided to the waist-high railing.

Nevena’s breath left her body like she’d been punched. Mr Hunt was putting on a boyish excitement.

Junior was the one to break the silence.

“Mr Hunt! You also come to the lighthouse?” the boy perked up.

Antonio’s steps halted when he heard it — his gaze flicked to Nevena seated on the floor with worksheets spread around, and Junior at her side, pencil in his mouth.

No one spoke.

The ocean wasn’t nearly as loud as the silence that followed.

“Nevena?”

His voice was low, rough, almost disbelieving as he dropped his open arms.

“Wha… what a coincidence?” he stammered.

“Three of us meeting here!” Junior giggled. “And you also like gliding — zip-zap!”

Antonio’s lips parted, but no sound came out; he was completely caught off guard. Embarrassed.

“Forget about me — tell me, what are you doing here?” His gaze flicked to Nevena, sharp, almost accusing.

As if she had invaded something private.

“Junior asked for sightseeing.” Nevena answered, tearing her gaze away from him. “We just need to finish his homework first.”

Antonio nodded once, slow and controlled, but his eyes flickered to the side.

A few metal crates left behind by maintenance workers sat off to the side.

He dragged one toward the shade of the lantern tower and sat beside them, letting his legs fold beneath him.

“So what subject is it — Economics?” he asked.

Junior grabbed his workbook and laid it on Antonio’s lap.

“Mathematics.”

“Ouf,” Antonio groaned dramatically. “Fractions are evil.”

“No, we just need the right weapon to defeat them,” she said with exaggerated seriousness, drawing an invisible sword in the air. “It’s us against the fraction kingdom.”

“No,” Antonio objected, shaking his head. “Just you — don’t involve me.”

Junior laughed so loudly it scattered a small flock of seagulls.

“Stop being hysterical,” Nevena tackled sharply. “Junior isn’t going to take his maths seriously now.”

“My mistake,” Antonio apologized, pointing to the second problem. “Buddy — one-third plus two-fifths. What do we do first?”

Junior scrunched his face in thought.

“Find a… common demon?”

“Demonio {Demon},” Antonio repeated, biting back a smile.

“Junior!, it is a denominator, not a demon,” Nevena corrected.

“That’s what I said!”

“No, you said demon,” Nevena protested.

“Same thing,” Junior shrugged.

“You’re right,” Antonio chuckled in Junior’s support. “In cases like this? Fractions can be demons.”

“Mr Hunt?” Nevena said sharply, her eyes pleading.

Antonio immediately scratched a finger behind his ear.

“We should just continue.”

They bent over the paper together, the breeze ruffling their pages.

Nevena braced the sheets on Antonio’s lap with her elbow each time a gust threatened to steal them.

Slowly Antonio and Junior worked through the steps, and every time their numbers drifted dangerously off-track, Nevena gently guided them back.

When they finally arrived at the correct answer, Junior threw both hands up.

“Buddy! We did it!”

Antonio clapped softly. “You did, and I’m proud.”

Junior leaned his head on Nevena's shoulder without warning.

“I just wish you were my real mom.”