The penthouse was cold and too quiet—until Ethan came running down the hallway, dragging a dinosaur plushie behind him.
"Mommy! Doctor Uncle is here!" he shouted with pure excitement.
Sophia stepped out of her room, dressed in sleek black loungewear, every inch the CEO… except for the tiny spaghetti stain on her sleeve Ethan had left earlier.
Adrian dropped his bag near the couch. "Doctor Uncle, huh? I thought I was Daddy now."
Ethan giggled. "You're still Doctor Uncle. Daddy sounds weird."
Sophia gave Adrian a warning glance. "Don't confuse him."
Adrian smirked, eyes following her as she walked into the kitchen. "He's smart. He won't be confused unless someone makes it confusing."
They sat at the dinner table that evening. One boy. Two adults. A thousand unspoken words.
Adrian tried to feed Ethan broccoli. Ethan refused like a true warrior.
"I only eat broccoli if Mommy eats it too," Ethan declared.
Sophia blinked. "I'm allergic to—"
Ethan folded his arms. "Then Daddy has to eat two."
Adrian sighed. "This co-parenting thing is brutal."
Later that night, Adrian passed by Sophia's room. The door was half open. She was on the bed, staring at a photo—of the three of them, photoshopped for the press.
She didn't notice him. Her walls were down.
Just for a second, he saw the woman he once loved.
Vulnerable. Afraid. Alone.
But before he could speak, she said without turning, "Don't stand there like a ghost. If you have something to say, say it."
He paused. "You never told me why you left… completely."
She turned now, her voice icy. "Because love isn't enough when truth breaks it."
And then the door closed between them.