Chapter 3:-
605 Words
It was a crisp autumn afternoon, and James watched Alvin skate with joyful abandon. At just three years old, Alvin already showed an uncanny sense of balance, his small form gliding along the pavement with ease. James couldn’t help but feel a swell of pride watching him—Alvin was fearless.
“Dad, look at me!” Alvin called out, beaming as he pushed off for a little spin.
“Great job, buddy!” James shouted, smiling.
But the moment of pride turned to fear as Alvin’s skate caught a small rock, sending him tumbling forward. He hit the ground, scraping his right knee. Instinctively, James rushed over, his heart pounding.
“Alvin! Are you okay?” he asked, bending down to check the wound.
At first, there was blood—a clear, red scrape on his little knee. But as James watched, something unbelievable happened: the wound closed, skin knitting together in seconds until it vanished as though it had never been there.
James blinked, stunned. “How…?”
Alvin looked up, his face scrunched in confusion, sensing James’s shock. “What’s wrong, Daddy?”
“Nothing, buddy,” James replied, a forced smile on his face. “You’re… you’re just amazing.”
But inside, James was reeling. A healing ability? This was beyond anything he’d expected. How could Alvin, the son of one immortal and one mortal—or so he thought—possess powers? Only the children of two guardians, two immortals, could inherit such abilities.
The seed of suspicion took root in James’s mind. He would have to know more—about Linda, about Alvin. And the only way to get answers was to draw closer to Linda, despite the frustration and resentment simmering beneath his polite facade.
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Scene: The Living Room
Over the next few weeks, James made a deliberate effort to spend time with Linda. He helped with the household, even initiated quiet, almost pleasant conversations over dinner, all in an attempt to gain her trust.
“Linda, I was thinking,” James began one evening, clearing his throat, “we haven’t really had a chance to talk about things. About… us. And Alvin.”
Linda seemed surprised, her eyes studying him carefully. “I thought you weren’t interested in… you know, talking about us,” she said cautiously.
James offered a small, strained smile. “I think we owe it to Alvin. To understand each other better.”
He saw a flicker of relief and something else—nervousness?—cross her face. She agreed, though James could tell she held something back, some guardedness. He would have to tread carefully.
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Scene: Jenny’s Dilemma
Meanwhile, Jenny found herself lost in thought about James. She had heard about his strained marriage with Linda, the pressure he’d been under to marry quickly. A part of her wondered if, even now, his heart still held a place for her.
She and Chase had built something comfortable, something safe. But there were moments when she questioned whether she had made the right choice, whether her feelings for James could ever be truly forgotten.
One afternoon, while watching James and Alvin at the park from afar, she noticed how close James was with Linda, even sharing soft smiles and warm exchanges. Jenny felt her heart sink, a pang of jealousy she hadn’t expected.
“Maybe… maybe I was wrong to think he still cared,” she whispered to herself, blinking back tears. She took a deep breath and steeled herself, deciding it was time to accept that what she had with Chase was good, stable, and everything she’d thought she wanted.
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