No Time to Look Back

The drive from the hotel was quiet and Noah sat in the back seat, humming to himself as he played with the small dinosaur Adrian had picked up from the gift shop near the restaurant before handing it to him after the incident by the pond.

Serena hadn't wanted Noah to accept it but refusing a harmless gift after Adrian had just saved her son would have drawn unnecessary attention.

Now, every time Noah made the dinosaur roar, it reminded her of the man she had spent five years running from.

Ethan glanced at her from behind the wheel. "You've been staring out that window for fifteen minutes."

"I know."

"You want to tell me what's going on in that head of yours?"

She let out a weary sigh. "I made a mistake."

"You didn't."

"I should never have let Noah wander off."

"Nothing happened."

"Something almost happened."

Ethan kept his eyes on the road. "Serena."

She didn't answer. "Look at me."

Slowly, she turned toward him. "He doesn't know."

"You don't know that."

"I do."

"He kept looking at Noah."

"Because Noah almost fell into a pond."

"No..." She shook her head. "It was more than that."

"You've been living with this fear for five years and you're starting to see things that aren't there."

Serena looked down at her hands. "I saw the way he looked at him."

Ethan's voice softened. "Adrian has no reason to think Noah is his son."

"He noticed his eyes."

"So?"

"They're the same."

"Gray eyes aren't unique."

She wanted to believe him but she had seen the hesitation in Adrian's expression and the unspoken question lingering behind his eyes and that terrified her.

The rest of the journey passed in silence.

Ethan had rented a furnished apartment overlooking the river, far enough from the city center to avoid attention but close enough to the hospital for Noah's appointments.

The moment they stepped inside, Noah threw himself onto the couch. "I like this place."

Serena smiled faintly. "It's only temporary."

"Can I sleep by the window?"

"We'll see."

He looked around excitedly, inspecting every room before finally settling on the bedroom with the biggest window. "This one is mine."

Ethan laughed. "I guess that settles it."

After unpacking a few essentials, Serena prepared a simple dinner.

Noah barely finished eating before exhaustion overtook him.

The long flight, the excitement, and the near accident had drained what little energy he had.

She tucked him into bed, brushing the curls away from his forehead. "Goodnight, sweetheart."

"Goodnight, Mama."

She kissed his forehead. "I love you."

"I love you more."

Her lips curved into a smile. "Impossible."

"It isn't."

Within minutes, his breathing evened out but Serena remained seated beside the bed, watching him sleep.

It was during moments like these that the fear returned because the doctors had warned her long before now that his condition would gradually worsen.

Some days, he would seem perfectly healthy and other days...

He barely had enough strength to climb the stairs, she reached into her handbag and removed a thick brown envelope containing Noah's medical records.

She opened it carefully and read the blood test results, genetic reports and treatment history again and her fingers stopped on the latest report.

She had read it so many times that every word was etched into her memory, a stem cell transplant offers the highest probability of long-term recovery.

She closed her eyes because the sentence haunted her. " The biological parent."

Those were the doctor's exact words months ago, the biological parent would offer Noah the greatest chance.

Which meant Adrian, and he's the one person she couldn't afford to involve in this situation.

She folded the report and slipped it back into the envelope before Ethan quietly knocked on the bedroom door. "You still awake?"

She nodded and he stepped inside. "You should get some rest."

"I will."

"You've been saying that for hours."

She managed a tired smile. "I'll sleep after tomorrow."

"The appointment?"

She nodded and Ethan leaned against the doorframe. "You've carried this alone for too long."

"I had no choice."

"You did."

She looked up. "I wasn't going to show up at Adrian's doorstep with a child in my arms."

"I'm not saying you should have."

"He would've taken Noah."

"You don't know that."

"I know his family."

Her voice grew quieter. "They would've called Noah their heir before they ever called him my son."

Neither of them spoke for several seconds and finally, Ethan broke the silence. "We'll get through this."

She looked at the sleeping little boy. "We have to because I can't loose Noah."

The following morning arrived sooner than Serena expected and by eight o'clock, they were walking through the doors of St. Catherine Medical Center.

The familiar scent of antiseptic filled the air and Noah held Serena's hand while clutching his dinosaur with the other.

He hated hospitals but she couldn't blame him because children should spend their mornings in playgrounds, not waiting rooms.

After checking in, a nurse led them to the pediatric hematology department and after a few minutes later, the office door opened.

A woman in her early forties smiled warmly. "Serena."

"Dr. Brooks."

"It's good to finally meet you in person."

Dr. Amelia Brooks had supervised Noah's treatment remotely while Serena lived overseas but this was their first face-to-face meeting.

The doctor crouched until she was eye level with Noah. "And you must be Noah."

He nodded shyly. "I like your dinosaur."

"He likes you too."

Dr. Brooks laughed. "I'm honored."

She stood and motioned toward her office. "Come in."

After reviewing Noah's latest scans and blood work, the smile gradually disappeared from the doctor's face and she placed the file on the desk. "I'll be honest with you."

Serena's heart sank. "The medication is no longer producing the results we hoped for."

She lowered her eyes. "I expected that."

"The disease is progressing."

Silence settled over the room as Dr. Brooks folded her hands. "We need to begin preparing for a stem cell transplant."

Noah looked between the adults. "Mama..."

She forced herself to smile. "It's okay."

The doctor continued gently. "The best donor is usually a biological parent or a close blood relative."

Serena's fingers tightened around Noah's hand. "I know."

"Have you contacted his father?"

The room fell silent. "No."

"Is he unavailable?"

Serena lifted her gaze. "He's... unaware."

Dr. Brooks studied her for a moment. "If he's the biological father, he deserves to know. More importantly, your son deserves every possible chance."

Serena's expression hardened. "No."

The firmness in her voice surprised even Ethan. "I won't involve him."

"Serena..."

"My answer is no."

Dr. Brooks sighed softly. "I understand this is personal, but we're running against time."

"I'll find another donor."

"There may not be another compatible donor."

"I'll keep looking."

"And if you don't find one?"

Serena couldn't answer but the silence said everything.

Just then, someone knocked on the office door and the nurse stepped inside. "Dr. Brooks, I'm sorry to interrupt."

"What is it?"

The nurse glanced toward Serena before looking back at the doctor. "There's a someone outside asking about a child named Noah Hayes."

Serena's blood turned to ice. "He's refusing to leave until he speaks with the child's mother."