Chapter 31: Weekend Traditions

"Can I ride in Lucas's car this time?" Ethan's yell came from the doorway, booming and anticipatory. He had his jacket half-zipped, flapping behind him, a shoe untied, and his backpack sloppily slung over one shoulder. I blinked at him from the kitchen, where coffee was steaming in my cup. "Why? What's wrong with my car?" “Nothing,” he said innocently, “but Lucas plays better music. And his seats are warm.” Lucas, who had just walked in behind him with grocery bags in both hands, laughed softly. “I’ve been dethroned by seat warmers and pop playlists. I’ll take it.” I gave Ethan a mock glare, then turned to Lucas. “This was supposed to be my drop-off day.” "And I just thought I'd pick up donuts on the way," he said easily, setting the bags down. "Extra sprinkles for a certain third grader." "Best. Day. Ever," Ethan bellowed. I groaned, but it wasn't frustration. It was something else—something deeper and something more perilous. The kind of sigh that escapes when life starts han

Last Updated : 2025-07-28

Chapter 32: Father in the Frame

"Why is your desk a museum?" I taunted, grinning half-heartedly, as I entered Lucas's office that afternoon. My heels clicked on the shiny floor, but my heart was what reverberated. Lucas looked up at his laptop, a smile on his lips that was so warm, so genuine, it made things inside me twist. "I added something new," he said, leaning back toward the distant wall behind him. I turned. And I saw it. Spread out on flat black wood and tangled in white trim was a crayon drawing. The very same that Ethan made weeks ago—three lopsided grin stick figures: one with a ponytail (me), one with curls (Lucas), and one with crazy yellow hair (Ethan). Under it, in messy, childish print, the words: My family. My breath caught. "You… framed it?" I whispered. Lucas stood up and walked over to stand beside me against the wall. He crossed his arms over his chest, eyes soft. "It means more to me than any contract or award this company's offered me." I clenched my fists, swallowed hard. "It's just

Last Updated : 2025-07-28

Chapter 33: Firsts and Fireworks

"Be careful, baby," I yelled, trying not to sound as panicked as Ethan sprinted towards the edge of the lawn. "Don't run with it pointed like that!" "It's not even lit yet, Mom!" he yelled back, waving the unlit sparkler wildly. "Lucas said it only works with magic." "Magic?" I raised a brow and turned to Lucas, who was grinning behind me like a proud, mischievous uncle. Or… something more. He shrugged, his eyes glinting. "Magic. And a lighter." I rolled my eyes, but my smile betrayed me. Lucas had appeared that morning with one arm full of groceries and the other full of a pack of fireworks. "It's Independence Day," he'd said at the door. "We're celebrating." It had been years since I permitted myself to acknowledge a holiday. They were loud, chaotic things built around people who had the luxury of comfort, of laughter, of tradition. But Lucas didn't invite. He simply made space for celebration—and expected I would attend. And I did. --- Ethan shrieked as Lucas c

Last Updated : 2025-07-30

Chapter 34: The Rooftop and the Ring

"Close your eyes, Sophie." I raised a brow, half-smiling. "Lucas, if this ends in a bird swooping at my face, I swear on my life that I'm throwing you off this rooftop." He chuckled low behind me. I could feel the warmth of his palms as he closed over my eyes. "It won't. I promise. No birds. Just… trust me." And strangely, I did. The wind hummed against my skin, cold and unchanging as we climbed the final steps. I could tell by the resonance of our footsteps and the change in air pressure that we were high—rooftop high. Familiar. "This is like déjà vu," I whispered as he urged me forward, slow and careful. "Because it is," he whispered back. "Now… open." I opened my eyes. And gasped. The rooftop was different. Dozens of small candles burned in a huge ring, casting a warm circle around one small table with two chairs and a platter of chocolate-dipped strawberries—my favorite, though I'd never voiced it out loud. Fairy lights strung along the railing, reflecting up

Last Updated : 2025-07-30

Chapter 35: Celebration and Silence

I stood by the glass wall in the office, my ring catching the sunlight like it had its little heartbeat.When I turned, all eyes were on me.“I said yes,” I whispered.There was a pause—like the moment before a balloon bursts.Then came the cheers.Marcy squealed first. Michael clapped. Sharon gasped and threw her hands in the air.Ms. Morris walked up to me with tears in her eyes.She pulled me into a tight hug.“You deserve this, Sophie,” she whispered. “You deserve to be loved like that.”I smiled.Because I hadn’t told him.Because I was still hiding Ethan’s truth.Because the ring on my finger came with a weight in my chest.Lucas sent me a message: “Lunch at our spot?”I texted back: “Yes. Can’t wait.”Ethan danced around the kitchen that night when I told him.“You’re going to marry Lukey?” he shouted.“Yeah, sweetheart,” I said, laughing. “I think we’re ready.”He hugged me so tight I felt my ribs press together.He didn’t call him Lukey this time.He said, “I’m so happy you’r

Last Updated : 2025-08-06

Chapter 36: Love on Borrowed Time

I stare at the open planner in front of me, the word "wedding" scrawled in gold ink like it's a fairytale.My hand trembles slightly as I write down the florist’s number.I should be happy.I should be dancing in place, calling Kattie with excited squeals, and trying on dresses like a dreamer.Instead, I feel like I’m lying to a man who loves me completely.Lucas hums in the kitchen, making breakfast like it’s his personal love language.Ethan laughs in the living room, yelling about missing socks and orange juice.I sip my coffee and pretend I don’t feel like a fraud.Lucas returns with a smile and kisses my cheek like I’m his whole future.“You’ve been quiet,” he says, brushing my shoulder.I lie again. “Just wedding nerves.”He smiles wider and presses a kiss to my forehead. “You’ve got this.”I wish I believed that.The truth about Ethan claws at my chest like a buried ghost screaming for air.I write in my journal every night, half hoping the ink will swallow the guilt.Lucas is