A New Home
1384 Words
An hour later, Ethan was playing with the new toys in the corner while Ariana and Lucien sat on opposite ends of the couch.
"He's perfect," Lucien said quietly. He couldn't take his eyes off Ethan. "He's absolutely perfect."
"I know," Ariana said.
"Thank you." Lucien looked at her finally. "For taking care of him. For raising him to be such a good kid. I'm still angry about what you did, but... thank you."
Ariana nodded, unable to speak.
"I meant what I said yesterday," Lucien continued. "About you moving in. I want to be part of his life, Ariana. Every day. Not just weekends or holidays. I want to know him."
"I understand," Ariana said. "I'll move in. For Ethan's sake."
"When?"
"This weekend? I need a few days to pack our things. To talk to my boss about the living situation."
"That's fine." Lucien pulled out his phone. "Give me your address. I'll send movers to help."
"That's not necessary—"
"Ariana." Lucien's voice was firm but not cruel. "Let me do this. Please."
So she did.
They sat in silence for a moment, watching Ethan build a tower with blocks.
"Daddy, look!" Ethan called. "I made it really tall!"
Daddy. He'd already started calling Lucien daddy.
Lucien stood up and walked over, kneeling beside his son. "That's amazing, buddy. Can you make it even taller?"
"I'll try!" Ethan said, his face serious with concentration.
Ariana watched them together the billionaire CEO and the four years old boy and felt something shift in her chest.
Maybe this wouldn't be so terrible.
Maybe, just maybe, this was how their broken family would start to heal.
The next few days passed in a blur of packing boxes and saying goodbye to the small apartment that had been their home.
Maya helped, of course. She showed up with coffee and takeout, making jokes to keep Ariana's spirits up. But even Maya couldn't hide her worry.
"Are you sure about this?" Maya asked for the tenth time. They were packing Ethan's room while the little boy was at preschool. "Moving in with your ex? The father of your child who you haven't spoken to in five years?"
"I don't have a choice," Ariana said, carefully wrapping Ethan's favorite dinosaur toy. "Lucien made that clear."
"He's basically holding you hostage."
"He's claiming his rights as a father." Ariana sighed. "And honestly, Maya? He has every right to be angry. I kept Ethan from him. I made that choice, and now I have to deal with what happens next."
"You made that choice because you thought he cheated!"
"But he didn't." Ariana sat down on Ethan's little bed. "He told me what really happened that night. And I believe him. Which means I ran away for nothing. I kept him from his son for nothing."
Maya sat beside her. "Ari, you were pregnant and scared. You made the best decision you could with the information you had."
"Maybe. But it was still the wrong decision."
"So what happens now? You move into his mansion, play happy family, and just... hope he forgives you?"
Ariana shook her head. "I'm not hoping for forgiveness. I'm just trying to give Ethan what he deserves a relationship with his father. What happens between me and Lucien doesn't matter anymore."
"Doesn't it?" Maya gave her a look. "Because from where I'm sitting, you're still in love with him."
"That doesn't matter either."
"Ari—"
"It doesn't, Maya." Ariana stood up, grabbing another box. "Lucien made it very clear that he hates me. He's only letting me stay because of Ethan. There's no future for us. There's only... this. Whatever this is."
Maya didn't look convinced, but she dropped the subject.
Saturday morning arrived too quickly.
A moving truck showed up at seven AM, along with four professional movers who handled everything with quiet efficiency. Ariana barely had to lift a finger. Within three hours, her entire apartment was packed up.
Ethan was excited. He'd been talking about nothing but his daddy and the "big house" all week.
"Do you think there's a pool?" he asked as they drove through the city, following the moving truck. "Daddy said the house is really big. Big houses have pools, right?"
"I don't know, baby," Ariana said. "We'll find out soon."
Soon turned out to be twenty minutes later, when they pulled through a set of tall iron gates and up a long driveway.
Ariana's breath caught.
She'd known Lucien was rich. She'd seen his building, his office, his expensive suits. But somehow she hadn't prepared herself for this.
The house. No. The mansion was enormous. Three stories of modern design, all glass and steel and clean lines. The lawn was perfect. There was a fountain in the circular driveway. And yes, she could see a pool in the back, shining in the morning sun.
"Wow," Ethan breathed. "It's like a castle!"
"It's certainly big," Ariana said faintly.
Lucien was waiting at the front door. He'd dressed casually today jeans and a dark blue shirt with the sleeves rolled up. It made him look younger, more like the man she'd fallen in love with five years ago.
Her heart did a stupid little flip in her chest.
Stop it, she told herself firmly. That part of your life is over.
"Daddy!" Ethan scrambled out of the car and ran straight to Lucien.
Lucien scooped him up easily, lifting him high. "Hey, buddy! Ready to see your new home?"
"Yes! Is there really a pool?"
"There really is. And a game room. And a big yard where we can play." Lucien set Ethan down. "Want to explore?"
"Can I, Mommy?" Ethan looked back at her with pleading eyes.
"Sure, baby. Go ahead."
Lucien took Ethan's hand and led him inside. Ariana followed slowly, her heart pounding.
The inside was just as impressive as the outside. The entryway had high ceilings and a beautiful light fixture that probably cost more than her car. Everything was decorated in shades of gray and white modern and elegant and a little bit cold.
Like Lucien himself.
"The movers will bring your things up," Lucien said, turning to her. "I'll show you to your rooms first."
Rooms. Plural.
They climbed a wide staircase to the second floor. The hallway was long, with doors on both sides.
"This is Ethan's room," Lucien said, opening one door.
Ariana gasped.
The room was huge twice the size of Ethan's old bedroom. There was a real bed shaped like a race car, shelves full of new toys and books, and a whole corner set up as a play area. The walls were painted blue, with clouds on the ceiling.
"I had it decorated this week," Lucien said. "I wasn't sure what he'd like, so I got a bit of everything. If he doesn't like it, we can change it."
"He'll love it," Ariana whispered. Already Ethan was running around, touching everything, his face glowing with joy.
"And this is your room." Lucien walked to the next door down the hall.
Ariana's room was beautiful too, in a completely different way. Soft cream walls, a huge bed with fluffy white pillows, a sitting area by the window, and a door that led to a private bathroom. Everything was elegant and comfortable and clearly expensive.
"There's a closet through there," Lucien said, pointing. "And a desk if you need to work from home. If there's anything you need, just let Jennifer know."
"Jennifer?"
"My assistant. She manages the house too. There's also a cook who comes in for dinner every night, and a cleaning service twice a week." Lucien leaned against the doorframe. "I want you to be comfortable here, Ariana. This isn't a prison."
"It feels like one," she said quietly.
Lucien's jaw tightened. "Would you rather I take you to court instead?"
"No." Ariana sat down on the bed. "I'm sorry. The room is beautiful. The whole house is beautiful. I just... I need time to adjust."
"You have six months." Lucien straightened up. "The movers should be here soon with your things. I'll let you settle in."
He left before she could respond.
Ariana lay back on the bed and stared at the ceiling.
Six months.
She could do six months.
She had to.
- Writer
