Se connecterPartager
Chapter Nine: The Family That Refused To Let Go
Date de publication:
2026-08-04 08:50:49One Year Later
New York City Adrian Cole — 31 Marcus Bennett — 32 Sarah Bennett — 30 Kai Bennett — 12 ⸻ The silence in Adrian’s apartment had become familiar. Too familiar. There were mornings he woke up expecting to hear another heartbeat beside him. Instead… There was only the hum of the air conditioner. He no longer reached for Eleanor. He had taught himself not to. Some habits died slower than others. ⸻ Work became his language. He arrived before sunrise. He left long after midnight. The employees at Aiden Corp joked that the CEO didn’t have a home. They weren’t entirely wrong. ⸻ One Friday evening… Adrian was halfway through reviewing another acquisition report when someone knocked once before walking into his office. Marcus. Without looking up, Adrian sighed. “I’m busy.” Marcus dropped a paper bag onto the desk. “I brought burgers.” “I’m still busy.” “I know.” “I’m not leaving.” “I know.” Marcus pulled out the chair opposite him and sat down. “I can outlast you.” Adrian rubbed his forehead. “You have your own company to run.” “I do.” “So go run it.” Marcus smiled. “I delegated.” “You delegated?” “I wanted my weekend free.” “For what?” Marcus grinned. “Annoying you.” ⸻ Twenty minutes later… Adrian finally closed the laptop. “You planned this.” “Obviously.” “I had work.” “You’ve had work every weekend for a year.” Marcus stood. “Come on.” “I don’t—” Marcus cut him off. “Sarah made lasagna.” Adrian looked away. “That’s unfair.” “I know.” “You know I can’t say no to her lasagna.” “I know.” “So you manipulated me.” Marcus smiled proudly. “I learned from the best negotiator in New York.” For the first time in what felt like forever… Adrian laughed. A real laugh. Marcus pretended not to notice. ⸻ The Bennett house was as loud as ever. Sarah was arguing with the television while cooking. Music drifted through the kitchen. Someone had left football boots in the hallway. Again. Nothing had changed. And somehow… That was exactly what Adrian needed. ⸻ The front door flew open before he could knock. Kai. Twelve years old now. A little taller. A little louder. Still impossible to miss. “You came!” Adrian smiled. “I was kidnapped.” Marcus shrugged. “True.” Kai ignored his father. He threw his arms around Adrian. “I thought you were going to work again.” “I was.” “What changed?” Adrian glanced toward Marcus. “I lost the argument.” Kai nodded seriously. “That happens a lot.” “It does.” ⸻ Dinner was chaos. Exactly as it always had been. Marcus told terrible jokes. Sarah threatened to stop cooking for him. Kai talked through almost every bite. Adrian mostly listened. And for the first time in over a year… The silence inside him wasn’t quite so loud. ⸻ After dinner… Kai disappeared upstairs. A few minutes later he returned carrying something behind his back. “For you.” Adrian looked confused. “For me?” Kai nodded. “I made it.” He handed Adrian a small wooden frame. Inside was a photo. It had been taken years earlier. Adrian. Eleanor. Marcus. Sarah. Kai. Standing together at the beach. All laughing. On the back… Written in childish handwriting… Families don’t have to match to belong together. Adrian stared at the words. His throat tightened. “Kai…” “I know you miss Aunt Eleanor.” The room became quiet. “I miss the baby too.” Adrian looked up. Kai continued softly. “But…I don’t want you to be lonely.” For several seconds… Nobody spoke. Then Adrian stood. Walked across the room. And hugged Kai. Tightly. “So…” Kai mumbled against his shirt. “Does this mean you’ll come to my football game tomorrow?” Adrian laughed through the tears threatening to fall. “I wouldn’t miss it.” ⸻ He didn’t. Not that game. Not the one after. Not the regional finals. Not Sports Day. Not the spelling bee. Not the science fair. Not the end-of-year concert. If Kai’s name appeared on a program… Adrian’s seat was occupied before the event even began. Teachers noticed. Other parents noticed. Even the students noticed. ⸻ One rainy Saturday… Kai’s football team reached the city semifinals. The stands were packed. As the players lined up on the field… Kai adjusted his captain’s armband. Then… Without thinking… He looked toward the same section of the stands. Marcus. Sarah. Adrian. All three were there. Exactly where they always were. His shoulders relaxed. A smile spread across his face. His teammate nudged him. “You always look over there before every match.” Kai frowned. “I do?” “Every single time.” The boy followed Kai’s gaze. “I know that’s your mom and dad…” He pointed toward Adrian. “But who’s the other guy?” Kai didn’t hesitate. “Someone important.” The referee’s whistle blew. Kai ran onto the pitch. Playing the best game of his season. Because the people who mattered most… Were watching. ⸻ That evening… As they celebrated over pizza… Kai looked at Adrian across the table. “I’m still going to marry you when I grow up.” Marcus groaned. “Oh, not this again.” Sarah burst into laughter. Adrian rested his chin on one hand. “You’re still on that?” Kai nodded confidently. “I’ve grown two inches.” Marcus nearly choked on his drink. “That’s your evidence?” “I told you vegetables work.” Adrian laughed. “I stand corrected.” Kai grinned. “See? I’m getting closer.” Everyone laughed. Everyone except Kai. Because unlike when he was little… He wasn’t joking quite as much anymore. And he didn’t even realize it yet.
Dernier chapitre
Promises We Never Forget Chapter Thirteen: The Decision
New York City Adrian Cole — 36 Marcus Bennett — 37 Sarah Bennett — 35 Kai Bennett — 17 ⸻ “I don’t want to go.” The words settled over the dining room like a storm cloud. Nobody spoke. Not because they didn’t know what to say. Because they hadn’t expected those words. The scholarship letter still lay open on the table. A letter students across the country dreamed of receiving. A full scholarship. Tuition. Accommodation. Books. Living expenses. Everything. Sarah looked from the letter to her son. “Kai…” “You’ve worked so hard for this.” Kai stared down at his untouched dinner. “I know.” Marcus leaned back in his chair. His expression calm. Too calm. “Then help me understand.” Kai remained silent. “Why don’t you want to go?” A long pause. “I just don’t.” Marcus sighed. “That’s not an answer.” “It’s the only one I’ve got.” ⸻ The silence stretched. Until Sarah quietly reached across the table. She rested her hand o
Promises We Never Forget Chapter Twelve: The World Beyond Home
Three Months Later New York City Adrian Cole — 36 Marcus Bennett — 37 Sarah Bennett — 35 Kai Bennett — 17 ⸻ The Bennett household had developed a new routine. Every evening after dinner… The dining table disappeared beneath a mountain of papers. University brochures. Application forms. Recommendation letters. Scholarship requirements. Deadlines highlighted in different colors. Sarah called it organized. Marcus called it controlled chaos. Kai called it torture. ⸻ “I have another essay.” Marcus didn’t even look up from his laptop. “Good.” “I’ve already written six.” “Then you’re getting better.” “I’ve had enough.” “You’ll survive.” Kai groaned dramatically before letting his forehead fall onto the dining table. “I think college applications were invented to punish teenagers.” Sarah laughed as she placed a plate of sliced fruit in front of him. “No.” “They were invented to prepare teenagers.” “For what?” “Suffering.” Even Marcus couldn’t stop himself from
Promises We Never Forget Chapter Eleven: Someone Important
One Year Later New York City Adrian Cole — 36 Marcus Bennett — 37 Sarah Bennett — 35 Kai Bennett — 17 ⸻ Seventeen. According to Marcus Bennett… It was the age where boys suddenly believed they knew everything. According to Sarah… It was the age where they still needed reminding to take their laundry downstairs. According to Adrian… It was the age where the future stopped feeling distant. It started asking questions. Questions no one else could answer for you. What do you want to become? Who do you want to be? What kind of life do you want to build? Kai had begun asking himself those questions more often than he admitted. ⸻ His final year of high school arrived faster than anyone expected. Football training became more intense. Exams became more demanding. University brochures covered the dining table almost every weekend. Marcus had opinions. Sarah had concerns. Kai had headaches. ⸻ One Saturday afternoon… The entire Bennett family was sitting in the back
Promises We Never Forget Chapter Ten: The Promise He Couldn’t Keep
Four Years Later New York City Adrian Cole — 35 Marcus Bennett — 36 Sarah Bennett — 34 Kai Bennett — 16 ⸻ Time had a funny way of changing people. It stretched little boys into young men. Turned scraped knees into football trophies. Replaced cartoons with textbooks. Replaced bedtime stories with late-night study sessions. But some things… Never changed. Every Sunday, Adrian still showed up at the Bennett house. Sarah still made enough food to feed an army. Marcus still insisted he was the king of the barbecue despite burning something every single time. And Kai… Kai still announced to anyone willing to listen that one day, he was going to marry Adrian. Marcus had long since given up arguing. Sarah simply laughed. Adrian always answered the same way. “I’ll let you know when the application opens.” Kai would grin. “I’ll be first in line.” ⸻ At sixteen… Kai had grown into a confident teenager. Already taller than Sarah. Almost eye-to-eye with Marcus. His sho
Promises We Never Forget Chapter Nine: The Family That Refused To Let Go
One Year Later New York City Adrian Cole — 31 Marcus Bennett — 32 Sarah Bennett — 30 Kai Bennett — 12 ⸻ The silence in Adrian’s apartment had become familiar. Too familiar. There were mornings he woke up expecting to hear another heartbeat beside him. Instead… There was only the hum of the air conditioner. He no longer reached for Eleanor. He had taught himself not to. Some habits died slower than others. ⸻ Work became his language. He arrived before sunrise. He left long after midnight. The employees at Aiden Corp joked that the CEO didn’t have a home. They weren’t entirely wrong. ⸻ One Friday evening… Adrian was halfway through reviewing another acquisition report when someone knocked once before walking into his office. Marcus. Without looking up, Adrian sighed. “I’m busy.” Marcus dropped a paper bag onto the desk. “I brought burgers.” “I’m still busy.” “I know.” “I’m not leaving.” “I know.” Marcus pulled out the chair opposite him and sat down. “I
Promises We Never Forget Chapter 8: The Day Their World Stopped (Part Two)
The funeral was private. That was what Eleanor wanted. No cameras. No flowers from business associates. No reporters. No public condolences. Just family. Marcus. Sarah. Kai. And two parents saying goodbye to the child they never got to bring home. ⸻ Kai didn’t understand everything. He was only eleven. He knew the baby wasn’t coming anymore. He knew Aunt Eleanor cried whenever she thought nobody was looking. He knew Adrian had stopped smiling. But he couldn’t understand why. He had spent months drawing pictures for the baby. He had already decided they would support the same football team. He had even saved one of his favorite stuffed bears because babies weren’t supposed to sleep alone. Now… The bear sat untouched in his bedroom. Waiting for someone who would never come. ⸻ The house was unbearably quiet. Not because it was empty. Because it was full of things no one could bear to touch. The nursery door remained closed. Neither of them opened it. Not for
Vous vous intéresseriez aussi à
I Turned Gay After A Drunken Night
Rosel.Ly38.4K VuesWhy Are you Still In My Brain?
MaiaDeLaCruz2147.0K VuesIn The Arms Of Mr. Billionaire
SHINING27.4K VuesOne Night with Blaze
R.C.BRIE15111.6K VuesUnhinged Desires!
RedV SinSaint520 VuesRough Hands(20 gay steamy Encounters)
Riah14.4K VuesHeated Rivalry
Blossom 865 VuesThe monster's fated prey
Cece writes 321 Vues
