Chapter 14 - THE HOUSE WITHOUT SECRETS
A year passed.
Blackwood Manor changed.
Not physically.
Emotionally.
The rooms felt warmer.
The staff no longer lowered their voices when someone entered.
Noah became louder.
Happier.
Messier.
Exactly what a seven-year-old should be.
Elena finished another year of nursing school.
She moved into a small house ten minutes from the estate.
Adrian hated the idea at first.
Then he understood why she needed it.
She needed something that belonged to her.
Noah split his time between both homes.
There were no battles over custody.
No lawyers negotiating holidays.
Adrian and Elena decided everything together.
One evening, Adrian arrived at Elena’s house carrying takeout.
Noah opened the door.
“Dad!”
“Where’s your mom?”
“Kitchen.”
Adrian stopped.
Your mom.
Such ordinary words.
Such an extraordinary gift.
Elena was washing dishes.
“You’re early.”
“I brought dinner.”
“You burned yours again?”
“I did not burn anything.”
Noah shouted from the living room.
“He burned pasta yesterday!”
Elena laughed.
Adrian stared at her.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“You’re staring.”
“I know.”
Elena’s smile faded slightly.
Adrian stepped closer.
“I spent a long time thinking I needed to fix what happened.”
“You can’t.”
“I know.”
He paused.
“But maybe we can build something that wasn’t there before.”
Elena understood.
“Adrian…”
“I’m not asking you because of Noah.”
“I’m not asking because I feel guilty.”
“I’m asking because every time something happens, you’re the person I want to tell.”
Elena’s eyes filled.
“And every time I imagine this family ten years from now…”
He smiled.
“…you’re there.”
Elena looked down.
“I loved you once.”
“I know.”
“That woman was twenty-four.”
“I know.”
“She trusted too easily.”
“I’m not asking her.”
Elena looked at him.
“I’m asking you.”
Silence filled the kitchen.
Then Noah appeared.
“Are you guys gonna kiss?”
Elena laughed.
Adrian covered his face.
“Noah.”
“What?”
“You’ve been watching too many movies.”
Noah shrugged.
“You were taking forever.”
Elena looked at Adrian.
Then she kissed him.
Noah cheered.
May you like
“Finally!”
For the first time, the laughter inside that house belonged to all three of them.
