บททั้งหมดของ Too Late To Claim Me: บทที่ 61 - บทที่ 70

The afternoon moved into the garden.Caelum tore through the grass, chasing butterflies and grasshoppers, shrieking with the particular joy only a five-year-old can produce over an insect that keeps escaping him just out of reach. Marcus sat beside me on the porch steps, watching with a quiet, contented smile that seemed to settle deeper into his face the longer he watched."He's happy," Marcus said. "Truly happy. Do you know how rare that is, for a child carrying what he carries?"I nodded, my chest tightening. "I try to give him as much normal as I can manage. Playgrounds, cartoons, waffles on Sunday mornings. But I know it won't last. Not forever. Not with the Order still out there, still looking.""Then we make sure he gets as many of these days as possible while we can." Marcus's voice stayed steady, certain, like he'd thought about this exact question longer than the conversation implied. "Because the memory of days like this is what he'll hold onto when things get hard. That's h

I opened my mouth to argue, but Caelum's voice drifted in from his room, awake somehow despite the nap I thought he'd been deep in, his door creaking open before either of us could brace for it."Mommy? Is that Grandma Mae? Is she staying for dinner? Please say she's staying for dinner."Mae's whole face lit up. "My darling sweet boy!" She swept into the living room, leaving me alone in the kitchen with Marcus and the sudden, ringing silence she left behind her.I turned to him, cheeks still burning. "I'm so sorry about her. She's, a lot."He smiled, that soft, gentle smile that seemed to make my heart flutter against every bit of good sense I still had left. "She's wonderful. She cares about you deeply. That's a rare gift, having someone like that in your corner.""She's also incredibly nosy, in case you hadn't already gathered that for yourself.""Also a rare gift, in its own way." He stepped closer, voice dropping low, close enough that I caught the faint scent of coffee still on hi

AriaThe preceding days were among the happiest of my life.It feels strange, really. How quickly something I was so scared to go into has become so natural. Marcus has made it upon himself to come over almost every evening after work, and Caelum would greet him at the door with the kind of explosive joy that only a five-year-old could muster."Hero doctor! Hero doctor! Guess what I did today!""Tell me, little man. I want to hear everything you did."And Marcus would listen. Like really listen. He'd crouch down to Caelum's level, his eyes fixed on my son's face with an intensity. He asked questions, laughed at the silly parts, and even fawned at Caelum's drawings like they were masterpieces.I watched them from the doorway, leaning against the frame with a cup of tea. The evening light filtered through the windows, casting everything in shades of soft light. Caelum was chattering about things he had done at school, and Marcus was nodding along, his expression soft."You're staring,"

AriaThe house was strangely quiet when I walked in.It was the kind of quietness that pressed against your being and made you feel like you were underwater, and everything was muffled and distant.Caelum had long fallen asleep in the car. Probably exhausted from the day in school. I carried him to his room and tucked him into bed, kissing his forehead and whispering promises I was no longer sure I could keep."I'll protect you, baby. I promise. I'll protect you no matter what."He stirred gently in his sleep, his small hand reaching out for me. I took it, holding and rubbing it gently until his breathing evened out.I stood in his doorway for a long time, watching the gentle rise and fall of his chest, memorizing every detail of his face. His dark hair, gray eyes, and the tiny freckles that dotted his nose.My son. My miracle. My everything.And someone wanted to take him from me.***I walked into the living room, my legs heavy, and my chest tight. Mara was waiting for me in the li

Aria The drive home was silent. Caelum had fallen asleep in the backseat, exhausted from the day's events. His small face was peaceful, his breathing slow and even, he was completely unaware of the terror that had consumed his mother's heart. Marcus sat beside me, his hand resting on my knee. He didn't speak, and I was grateful for that. Words felt inadequate and useless against the weight of the thought on my mind. I couldn't stop thinking about the note. Scared much?