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 shoulders had broadened from years of football.

His voice had begun to deepen.

He still smiled with the same warmth.

Still laughed too loudly.

Still made the Bennett house feel alive.

⸻

One Saturday morning…

Kai stood in front of the kitchen mirror.

Marcus looked over his newspaper.

“What are you doing?”

“Checking.”

“Checking what?”

“I think I grew.”

Marcus sighed.

“You checked yesterday.”

“I know.”

Sarah smiled.

“And?”

Kai straightened proudly.

“I’m definitely taller.”

Marcus folded the newspaper.

“By what? Half a centimeter?”

“It counts.”

Adrian walked into the kitchen carrying coffee.

Kai immediately stood beside him.

“We’re getting closer.”

Adrian looked down at him.

“Closer to what?”

Kai smiled.

“Me catching up to your height.”

Adrian nodded thoughtfully.

“And after that?”

Kai answered without hesitation.

“Then I marry you.”

Marcus nearly dropped his mug.

“Kai.”

“What?”

“We’ve talked about this.”

“I know.”

“You need to stop saying that.”

Kai frowned.

“Why?”

“Because Adrian is—”

“Old?” Kai interrupted with a grin.

Adrian raised an eyebrow.

“Careful.”

“I meant…older.”

Sarah laughed so hard she had to sit down.

Kai shrugged innocently.

“I’ve still got time.”

Adrian shook his head, unable to hide his smile.

“You really don’t give up.”

“I’ve never been a quitter.”

⸻

Football season had become everyone’s favorite time of the year.

Well…

Everyone except Marcus.

“My weekends belong to the football field now.”

Sarah patted his shoulder.

“They’ve belonged there for years.”

Kai’s team had made it to the state finals.

The stadium buzzed with excitement.

Parents filled the stands.

Students waved banners.

The announcer called the players onto the field.

As always…

Kai adjusted the captain’s armband around his sleeve.

Then…

Without thinking…

He looked toward one familiar section.

Marcus.

Sarah.

Adrian.

Three faces.

Exactly where they always were.

His shoulders relaxed.

One of his teammates noticed.

“You always look over there.”

Kai blinked.

“Do I?”

“Every game.”

The boy followed Kai’s gaze.

“I know that’s your parents…”

He pointed toward Adrian.

“But who’s that guy?”

Kai smiled.

“Someone important.”

The whistle blew.

Kai ran onto the pitch.

Scoring twice before halftime.

Every goal…

His eyes found the same three people celebrating louder than everyone else.

⸻

By the middle of October…

The Bennett household had become unusually busy.

There were decorations hidden everywhere.

Gift bags mysteriously disappeared whenever Kai entered a room.

Sarah had started baking.

Marcus had taken an entire day off work.

Kai’s sixteenth birthday was approaching.

And Adrian…

Had made one promise.

“I’ll be there.”

Kai looked at him suspiciously.

“You swear?”

“I do.”

“No business meeting?”

“I’ll move it.”

“No investors?”

“They can wait.”

Kai folded his arms.

“I’ll remember that.”

Adrian smiled.

“So will I.”

⸻

Three days before the party…

Everything changed.

Adrian stood in the boardroom as his assistant hurried inside.

Her face was pale.

“The London acquisition…”

Every executive turned.

“What about it?”

“The investors moved the signing date.”

Adrian frowned.

“To when?”

She swallowed.

“Saturday.”

Silence.

Saturday.

Kai’s birthday.

⸻

“There has to be another option.”

“There isn’t.”

“We’ve negotiated this deal for eleven months.”

“If we don’t sign on Saturday…”

“The deal dies.”

The room fell silent.

Adrian closed his eyes.

He had never broken a promise to Kai.

Not once.

⸻

Saturday arrived.

The Bennett house was full of laughter.

Music echoed through the backyard.

Friends filled every table.

The cake sat untouched.

Kai smiled.

Laughed.

Thanked everyone for coming.

But every few minutes…

His eyes drifted toward the front gate.

Marcus noticed.

“He’ll come.”

Kai nodded.

“I know.”

Another hour passed.

No Adrian.

Sarah squeezed Kai’s shoulder.

“Maybe traffic.”

“Yeah.”

He smiled again.

But it didn’t quite reach his eyes.

⸻

Thousands of miles away…

Adrian sat inside an airport lounge.

His flight home had been delayed because of severe weather.

Again.

He stared at his watch.

Then at the departure screen.

Then back again.

His hands clenched into fists.

“Damn it…”

⸻

Back in New York…

The candles were lit.

Everyone sang.

Kai made a wish.

He smiled for the photographs.

Opened presents.

Thanked his friends.

Laughed at Marcus’s terrible jokes.

But every time the front gate opened…

His heart lifted.

Then fell again.

⸻

Late that night…

After everyone had gone home…

Kai sat alone on the back porch.

His phone rang.

The screen lit up.

Adrian Calling.

He stared at it for several seconds before answering.

“…Hi.”

“Kai.”

Adrian’s voice sounded exhausted.

“I’m so sorry.”

Silence.

“I tried.”

“I know.”

“My flight was delayed twice.”

“I know.”

“I should’ve been there.”

Another silence.

Then Adrian asked quietly,

“Are you angry with me?”

Kai blinked.

“No.”

“Really?”

“No.”

Adrian let out a slow breath.

“Then what’s wrong?”

Kai looked out into the dark backyard.

His voice was barely above a whisper.

“You promised.”

The words hit Adrian harder than any accusation ever could.

“I know.”

“I kept looking at the gate.”

Adrian closed his eyes.

“I’m sorry.”

“I thought…”

Kai stopped himself.

“You thought what?”

“…I thought maybe you’d surprise me.”

The silence that followed was unbearable.

Finally…

Adrian spoke.

“I’m coming to see you the moment I land.”

“You don’t have to.”

“I do.”

⸻

The following afternoon…

A black SUV pulled into the Bennett driveway.

Before anyone could knock…

The front door burst open.

Kai ran outside.

Adrian stepped out carrying far too many shopping bags.

Marcus laughed.

“You bought half of London.”

Adrian ignored him.

He looked only at Kai.

“I’m sorry.”

Kai looked at the bags.

Then back at Adrian.

“I don’t care about those.”

Adrian’s expression softened.

“I know.”

“You came.”

“I told you I would.”

Kai smiled.

Then wrapped his arms around him.

“You did.”

Adrian hugged him tightly.

“I’ll always come back.”

Kai smiled against his shoulder.

“I know.”

And he believed it.

With his whole heart.