BETWEEN TWO BROTHERS AND A PAST

Chapter 4: Uneasy Alliances

Julia POV

"Julia!"

I froze just as I reached the elevator, clutching my bag tighter. I turned to see Luke approaching me with a nice smile on his face and his tie loosened.

“Yes, Mr. Kane?” I said, maintaining a professional and courteous tone.

"First, get rid of the 'Mr. Kane.' It's Luke," he said, coming to a halt a little distance from me. “Second, I just wanted to check in. Andrew may not be the most welcoming person to greet you to the team, and first days might be quite overwhelming."

I smiled slightly at him, still tense from my previous interactions with Andrew. “It’s been a busy day, but I think I’ll manage. Thank you, Mr.... Luke.”

He gave a quiet laugh. "All right. Just keep in mind that you can come to me with any problems or anything at all. The door to my office is always open. Don’t let my brother scare you off.”

Unsure whether to laugh or simply nod, I answered, "I'll keep that in mind."

Luke looked at me for a while, his eyes lingering in a way that both flattered and unnerved me. “You’ll do great here, Julia. I can tell."

With my cheeks flushed, I said, "Thank you."

“Alright, I’ll let you go. With one last smile, he turned back to his office and added, "Get home safely."

I let out a long breath as the elevator doors closed and entered. Unlike Andrew, Luke was kind, approachable, and easy to talk to. It caused me to question once more whether he was the person I had met at the mask party. But then I saw Andrew's piercing eyes, and I shook my head.

There was the sound of small footsteps racing toward me when I arrived home.

"Mom!" Jake put his arms around my knees as his enthusiastic shouting filled the corridor.

“Hey, buddy!” I said as I gathered him in a firm embrace. “Were you good for Hailey today?”

Jake gave a hearty nod. “We played with Legos, and I built a huge tower! Then we played superheroes, and I was Batman!”

"Batman? I put him down and replied, "It sounds like you had a great day."

"It was amazing! Mom, how was your day?" His large brown eyes were fixed on me as he asked.

Unsure of how to describe my perplexing first day at Kane Enterprises, I hesitated. "It went well, my love. A bit hectic, but decent."

Jake's head c****d. "Are you happy at your new job?"

I lowered myself to his level and faked a smile. "Yes, I am. It’s just going to take some getting used to.”

Jake smiled. “You’re gonna be the best, Mom!”

I pulled Jake into another hug and whispered, "Thanks, Jake."

Hailey, the babysitter, appeared in the doorway with her bag slung over her shoulder. "Hi, Miss Hart! Today, Jake was a complete angel. Absolutely no trouble."

"Hailey, thank you very much. I really appreciate you watching him,” I said, handing her the payment.

“No problem! Just text me if you need me tomorrow,” she said with a wave before heading out.

Jake was already sprinting into the living room when I glanced back to him as the door closed.

"Superheroes or dinner first?" I yelled out to him.

He responded with, "Superheroes!" which made me laugh.

Jake "saved the day" after a brief round of superhero fights, so I got him seated at the kitchen table with his coloring book while I began preparing dinner. The familiar routine helped calm my nerves, but my mind kept drifting back to Kane Enterprises.

Luke's generosity. Andrew's ferocity. The lingering question of which one of them could be Jake’s father.

I looked at Jake coloring a picture of Superman with joy. I had put a lot of effort into providing him with a nice life, and he was the best thing that had ever happened to me. But he deserved more, he deserved answers. And it seemed like a burden to know that I was so near to the truth but still didn't know.

"Mom?" I was startled out of my thoughts by Jake's words.

"Yes, dear?" I turned to him and asked.

Jake's hand held up a tiny, gleaming object. “I found this today! Isn’t it cool?”

Squinting at the thing, I took a step forward. It was a modern, sleek, and simple silver keychain. Something about it felt oddly familiar, but I couldn’t place why.

“Where did you find that?” I asked in a lighthearted manner.

Jake continued to spin the keychain in his hands while shrugging. “In the box in the closet. I like it. Can I keep it?"

"Sure," I responded without thinking.

The closet box. I tried to think back to what I’d packed away in there. Most of it was old college stuff that I hadn't touched in years. Since when might the keychain have been in there?

"Mom? Are you alright? Jake's small eyebrows were wrinkled, and his voice was full of worry.

I made an effort to smile while stroking his hair. “I’m fine, buddy. Dinner will be ready soon, so wash your hands."

Jake was running off, and I kept my eyes on the keychain he was still holding. My chest began to ache more and more.

Where did this come from? And why does it feel so familiar?

Moments later, Jake was back with wet hands and we had dinner while we talked about his day at school. This part of my day was a relief as it made me relax from all the stress of the day especially in my new workplace Kane Enterprises.

Not long after Jake was already dozing off on his little chair. I picked him up and took him to his room while I set him on the bed to sleep.

I too lay sown shortly after, it has been a long day but one question remained in my mind.

Andrew or Luke? Or was I in the wrong place entirely?