Chapter 11
1149 Words
Lanesra sat motionless on the edge of her bed, staring at her trembling hands. The silence of the room was deafening, save for the faint ticking of the clock on the wall. It had been two days since Kade walked out, two days of aching, unbearable solitude. She had barely slept, barely eaten. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw the way he had looked at her—that raw betrayal in his eyes cutting deeper than she ever thought possible.
Eli’s voice pulled her out of her daze. “Mom?”
She turned to find her son standing in the doorway, his small face pinched with concern. “Hey, baby,” she murmured, forcing a weak smile.
“Where’s Kade?” Eli asked, stepping into the room. “I haven’t seen him.”
The question made her heart clench. “He… he needed some time.”
Eli frowned. “Did you guys fight?”
Lanesra hesitated, then nodded. “Yeah, we did.”
Her son’s expression darkened, and he crawled onto the bed beside her. “Is he coming back?”
The innocent hope in his voice shattered her. She reached out, brushing a hand through his soft curls. “I don’t know, sweetheart.”
Eli was quiet for a long time before finally whispering, “I don’t want him to leave.”
Tears burned at the back of her eyes, but she held them in. “Me neither, baby.”
---
Later that day, Lanesra found herself at her mother’s house, seeking the comfort she had always found there. The familiar scent of vanilla and cinnamon filled the air, wrapping around her like a warm embrace.
Her mother, Vivian, sat across from her at the kitchen table, watching her closely. “Talk to me,” she said softly.
Lanesra sighed, stirring the tea in front of her aimlessly. “I told Kade the truth. About Eli’s father.”
Vivian’s gaze didn’t waver. “And he didn’t take it well.”
A bitter laugh escaped Lanesra. “That’s an understatement. He looked at me like I was a stranger.”
Her mother reached for her hand. “Did you ever think this secret wouldn’t come back to haunt you?”
Lanesra lowered her head. “I thought I could keep it buried. That it wouldn’t matter if no one ever found out.”
Vivian squeezed her fingers. “Secrets always come out, my love. And the longer they’re kept, the more damage they do.”
Tears welled in Lanesra’s eyes. “I think I lost him, Mom.”
Vivian’s expression softened. “If he truly loves you, he’ll find his way back. But you have to give him time.”
Lanesra wiped at her cheeks. “And what if he doesn’t?”
Her mother gave her a sad smile. “Then you find a way to move forward. For you and Eli.”
---
Lanesra sat on the edge of Eli’s bed, watching as he clutched his stuffed lion against his chest, his little face tense with frustration. It had been months since Kade had walked away, and though she had forced herself to carry on, Eli wasn’t willing to let go as easily.
“When is he coming back?” Eli asked, his voice thick with the kind of sadness that shattered Lanesra’s heart.
She sighed, brushing her fingers through his curls. “I don’t know, baby. He just needs some time.”
Eli frowned. “It’s been forever. I miss him.”
Lanesra swallowed the lump in her throat. She missed him too—so much that it hurt to breathe sometimes. “I know,” she whispered, pressing a kiss to his forehead. “Me too.”
But Eli wasn’t satisfied with her answer. He sat up, his tiny hands gripping her arm. “Then fix it, Mommy. Call him. Tell him to come home.”
She blinked back tears, her son’s plea slicing through the walls she had tried to build around her pain. Kade had been a part of their lives for five years. He wasn’t just her love—he was Eli’s father in every way that mattered. And even though she didn’t know if they could fix what was broken, she owed it to Eli to try.
Lanesra hesitated before picking up her phone. Her thumb hovered over Kade’s contact, her heart pounding as she finally pressed the call button. The dial tone rang endlessly, and just when she thought he wouldn’t answer, his voice came through.
“Lanesra.”
She closed her eyes, his voice sending a shiver through her. “Hey.”
There was silence for a moment. Then, he exhaled. “Is everything okay?”
“No,” she admitted. “Eli needs to see you. He misses you.”
Another pause. Then, softer this time, “I miss him too.”
Her chest tightened. “Can we meet?”
He hesitated, but finally, “Yeah. Tell me when and where.”
They met at the park—the same one where Kade had once taught Eli how to ride a bike. The moment Eli saw him, he ran full speed, crashing into Kade’s arms. The sight was enough to make Lanesra’s breath hitch. Kade hugged Eli tightly, lifting him off the ground as if he had been carrying the weight of their separation for too long.
“I missed you, buddy,” Kade murmured, his voice thick with emotion.
Eli clung to him. “I missed you too. Are you coming home now?”
Kade’s eyes flickered to Lanesra, uncertainty and longing battling within them. He set Eli down gently, ruffling his hair. “How about we take it one step at a time?”
Eli nodded solemnly, but Lanesra could see the hope sparking in his eyes. She took a breath and finally faced Kade. “Can we talk?”
They sat on a nearby bench, the afternoon sun casting golden hues over the park. Lanesra wrung her hands together, searching for the right words. “I know I hurt you,” she said. “I should have been honest from the start.”
Kade exhaled, rubbing a hand over his jaw. “Yeah. You should have.”
The weight of his disappointment crushed her, but she forced herself to push through it. “I don’t want to lose you, Kade.”
His gaze softened slightly. “Lanesra, I love you. I always have. But trust…it’s not something that just comes back overnight.”
She nodded, biting her lip. “I know. I just—” She exhaled shakily. “Can we at least try?”
Kade studied her for a long moment before finally nodding. “We can try.”
Hope bloomed in her chest, fragile yet unwavering. It wasn’t a perfect reunion, but it was a start.
And for now, that was enough.
- Writer
