Chapter One: The House That Forgot How to Laugh

There were exactly three hundred and twenty-eight lights inside Adrian Cole’s penthouse.

He knew because he had counted them.

Not once.

Not twice.

But on enough sleepless nights that the number had become impossible to forget.

Three hundred and twenty-eight lights.

Six bedrooms.

A wine cellar that could rival a restaurant’s.

A grand piano no one had played in years.

A dining table that seated fourteen.

One toothbrush.

One coffee cup.

One man.

The silence was always the loudest part.

Outside, Manhattan glittered beneath the first snowfall of December, every skyscraper dressed in gold and white. Inside, the only sound came from the ticking grandfather clock Eleanor had insisted on buying during their first year of marriage.

“A home should sound alive,” she had said.

Now every tick felt like a reminder that it wasn’t.

Adrian loosened his tie and dropped his briefcase beside the marble staircase.

His jacket landed on the same chair it always did.

No one complained.

No one laughed and picked it up behind him.

No one told him he was impossible to live with.

He poured himself a glass of water.

The refrigerator was almost empty.

Bottled water.

Cheese.

Juice.

Wine.

The housekeeper came every morning.

She always stocked enough food for two.

She still hadn’t accepted there was only one.

The phone vibrated.

Marcus.

Adrian stared at the screen until it stopped ringing.

It rang again.

He sighed.

“What?”

“You sound charming.”

“I’m busy.”

“You’ve been ‘busy’ every night for three weeks.”

“I have work.”

“No.”

Marcus’s voice softened.

“You have an empty house.”

Silence.

“I already ate.”

“I didn’t ask.”

“I’m tired.”

“I know.”

Another silence.

Then Marcus spoke in the tone Adrian had known since university—the one that always won arguments.

“Sarah made lasagna.”

“I’m not hungry.”

“She made enough for twelve people.”

“That’s her fault.”

“She’ll send me home with leftovers if you don’t come.”

“I don’t see how that’s my problem.”

“It becomes your problem when she starts crying because you’re avoiding us.”

Adrian closed his eyes.

“She wouldn’t cry.”

“You clearly haven’t been married to Sarah.”

Despite himself…

A smile tugged at the corner of Adrian’s mouth.

Marcus heard it.

“There he is.”

“I’m hanging up.”

“You’ve got twenty minutes.”

“Marcus—”

“Or I’m coming to drag you out myself.”

The line went dead.

Adrian stared at the phone.

He should have ignored it.

Instead…

He picked up his car keys.

⸻

The Bennett house could be heard before it could be seen.

Laughter spilled through the open windows.

Someone was arguing over a football match.

Music drifted from the kitchen.

The smell of garlic, butter and fresh bread wrapped itself around Adrian the moment he stepped through the front door.

“There he is!”

Sarah Bennett appeared with a wooden spoon in one hand and flour on her cheek.

“You’ve lost weight.”

“Hello to you too.”

She frowned.

“When did you last eat?”

“This morning.”

“It is eight o’clock at night.”

“I’m aware.”

Sarah didn’t answer.

She simply hugged him.

For a brief second…

Adrian forgot what loneliness felt like.

Marcus appeared from the living room carrying two bottles of beer.

“Told you he’d come.”

“You bullied him.”

“I motivated him.”

Adrian shook his head.

“You haven’t changed.”

Marcus grinned.

“Neither have you.”

A loud thud echoed from upstairs.

Then another.

Sarah sighed dramatically.

“If those boys break my ceiling…”

Before she could finish, footsteps thundered down the staircase.

A teenage boy came flying into the hallway, basketball tucked beneath one arm, headphones hanging around his neck.

“Kai! Slow—”

Too late.

Kai collided straight into Adrian.

The basketball bounced across the floor.

“Oh!”

Kai stumbled backward.

“I’m so sor—”

He looked up.

Recognition lit his face.

“Adrian!”

The apology disappeared completely.

Without another thought, he threw his arms around Adrian.

The hug was brief.

Carefree.

The kind only teenagers could give.

Adrian laughed for what felt like the first time in months.

“Easy.”

“You actually came.”

“I said I would.”

Marcus smirked.

“He spent half an hour staring out the window.”

“I was not.”

“You absolutely were.”

Kai rolled his eyes.

“I was checking the weather.”

“Through the front yard?”

Sarah laughed.

“Liar.”

Adrian looked at the boy standing in front of him.

The last time he’d really looked, Kai had barely reached his shoulder.

Now…

He’d grown taller.

His voice had deepened.

There was still something unmistakably youthful about him, but the awkward little boy Adrian remembered was beginning to disappear.

“When did this happen?”

Kai frowned.

“What?”

“You.”

Kai grinned.

“I’ve been eating my vegetables.”

Marcus snorted.

“There it is.”

Adrian looked confused.

“There what is?”

Sarah laughed so hard she had to lean against the wall.

“Tell him.”

Marcus folded his arms.

“Go on.”

Kai sighed dramatically.

“Vegetables make you taller.”

“They’re healthy,” Adrian agreed.

Kai nodded with complete sincerity.

“I need to grow faster.”

“Why?”

Kai answered as though it were the most obvious thing in the world.

“So I can marry you.”

Silence.

Then the house exploded with laughter.

Marcus nearly dropped his beer.

Sarah wiped tears from her eyes.

Even Adrian laughed until he had to steady himself against the wall.

Only Kai didn’t laugh.

He simply crossed his arms.

“You’ll see.”

Adrian ruffled his hair with an affectionate smile.

“Finish high school first.”

Kai looked up at him with unwavering certainty.

“I will.”

“And then?”

Kai’s answer came without hesitation.

“Then I’ll come back for you.”

The laughter started all over again.

No one noticed that Kai never smiled.

No one thought to remember the moment.

Years later…

Every one of them would.