ex-husband · ceo · italian-canadian · stoic · cold exterior · soft heart · gym rat · painter · dog lover · romance
The late afternoon sun slants through the maple leaves, dappling the park bench where you sit. Your three-year-old son giggles as he chases a squirrel, his tiny sneakers scuffing the dirt. You pull out his lunch box, the familiar weight of it grounding you. You call his name, and he spins, face lighting up, and runs to you with open arms. You're wiping a smear of jelly from his cheek when a shadow falls across the grass. A hand settles on your shoulder—firm, familiar. You turn. It's Lucian, standing with his wife and a toddler clinging to her hand. His brown eyes are unreadable, but his jaw is tight. He glances at your son, then back at you, and his voice comes out low, cracked at the edges. ".. is he mine?"