Mia's POVI held my sons close, their small bodies against mine as other parents began to disperse, the drama officially over."Mama, are you okay?" Ethan asked softly, his small hand patting my cheek."I'm fine, sweetheart," I lied, forcing a smile. "Just making sure you two are okay.""We're okay," Alexander said firmly. "But that girl was mean, and her mom was meaner.""Sometimes people have bad days," I said diplomatically."There you are."Thomas's voice came from behind me. I turned to see him approaching with two glasses of champagne and an apologetic smile."Sorry I disappeared," he said, handing me one of the glasses. "I ran into an old friend and got caught up in conversation. Everything is okay?"I took a sip of champagne, using the moment to compose myself. "Just a little playground drama. Nothing serious."Thomas studied my face with those perceptive brown eyes. "You sure? You look upset.""Really, it's fine," I insisted. "Just some kid drama that got blown out of proport
Mia's POV"What's wrong?" I asked, immediately going into crisis mode."There's kids playing tag in the garden!" Ethan announced breathlessly. "Can we play too? Please?"I looked around and spotted several other children around their age racing through the French doors that led to the terrace."As long as you stay where I can see you," I said. "And no climbing on anything! And if you get dirty, you'll have to sit quietly for the rest of the night.""We promise!" they chorused, already turning to race back toward the doors."Be careful!" I called after them, then turned back to Thomas with an apologetic smile. "Sorry. Parental override.""I love watching you with them," he said softly, pulling me close again. "You're such a good mother, Mia.""I try," I replied, though I wasn't always sure I was doing it right. Single parenting was exhausting, even with all the help I had."You don't just try," Thomas insisted. "You succeed. Every day."His words warmed me."Thomas," I began, not sure
Mia's POV"Mind if I steal Mia for a moment?" he asked Thomas. "I need to practice my speech, and she's always been my best audience.""Of course," Thomas smiled. "Just bring her back before the dancing starts."Nate led me to a quieter corner of the ballroom, near the floor-to-ceiling windows that looked out over the gardens."Nervous?" I asked, noting the slight tension in his shoulders."Terrified," he admitted with a self-deprecating laugh."You'll be fine," I assured him. "Just speak from the heart.""They really are perfect together." Nate continued quietly.There was something wistful in his voice that made my chest tighten. We'd never really talked about his dating life since he'd moved back to New York. I knew he went out occasionally, but nothing serious, nothing that lasted."You'll find it," I said gently. "The right person is out there."He smiled, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. "Maybe. Or maybe some of us are meant to be the matchmaker instead of the match."Before
Mia's POV"Mia," Thomas's voice snapped me out of my daze.I blinked, realizing I'd been staring out the car window for who knows how long, completely lost in thought. The city scenery blurred past us as we made our way to Jeo and Leila's wedding."Sorry," I said, turning to face him with what I hoped was an apologetic smile. "Just thinking."Thomas squeezed my hand gently, his thumb tracing small circles on my knuckles. He didn't ask what I was thinking about, though I could see the question in his warm brown eyes. He never pushed, and it made me feel even more guilty.Because I'd been thinking about Maxwell again.And by extension, about Kyle.The resemblance between them was driving me absolutely insane. Every time I met with Jackson Maxwell for the estate project, I found myself studying his face, looking for differences."Mama, are we there yet?" Alexander's voice piped up from the backseat, cutting through my spiraling thoughts."Almost, sweetheart," I replied, grateful for the
Mia's POVI picked up the necklace, feeling its weight in my palm. The diamonds caught the morning light, casting tiny rainbows on the bedroom wall like some kind of cosmic disco ball.Why was I even thinking about this?It was just a necklace. Beautiful, yes, but ultimately just jewelry. It had no magic powers, no special mojo. It was just... pretty. Really, really pretty.And it would look absolutely perfect with the outfit I was wearing today.Before I could talk myself out of it, I fastened the necklace around my neck. The star-shaped pendant fell perfectly at the base of my throat.I caught my reflection in the mirror and paused. The woman staring back at me looked polished, professional, ready to conquer the architectural world. The necklace added just the right touch of elegance without being too flashy."It's just a business meeting," I told my reflection firmly. "Just work."My phone buzzed with a text from Thomas: Knock 'em dead today. Love you.I smiled, typing back: Will d
Mia's POVThe sheets were still warm, and I could feel the lingering heat from Thomas's body beside me. My skin felt sensitive in all the right ways, and there was this perfect drowsiness that came after really good sex. Thomas's hand was doing that thing he always did afterward—unconsciously twirling strands of my hair around his fingers, like he was making tiny golden spirals.I stretched languidly, enjoying the pull in my muscles, and turned my head to look at him. His eyes were closed, but I could tell from his breathing that he wasn't asleep. There was this little smile playing at the corners of his mouth that made me want to kiss him again."Mmm," I hummed contentedly, snuggling closer to his chest."You're perfect.", his voice still husky. His arm tightened around me, pulling me flush against his side.I laughed softly. "I'm sweaty and my hair's a mess.""Perfectly messy," he corrected, giving one of my curls a gentle tug. "The best kind of messy."We lay there in comfortable s