Three Days to Break a Home
1502 Words
The third day came slowly.
Too slowly.
For three nights, Prisca barely slept. She stayed at the hospital beside Daniel’s bed, listening to the soft beeping of the machines and the low hum of nurses moving in the hallway. Every time Daniel shifted in his sleep, her heart jumped.
Three days.
That was how long the doctor had said it would take.
Three days for a result that could either pass quietly… or destroy everything.
That morning, Prisca sat in the chair beside Daniel’s bed, staring at the white wall in front of her. Daniel was awake, playing with the small toy car one of the nurses had given him. His fever had gone down. His cheeks had a little color again. If not for the IV line attached to his hand, he would look like any normal child.
He laughed softly at something on the cartoon playing from the small television mounted in the corner.
Prisca swallowed.
How could something so small carry something so big?
Her phone buzzed. A message from Gabriel.
On my way soon.
She stared at the screen before locking it.
At work, Gabriel couldn’t focus.
The numbers on his computer screen looked strange, blurry. He had tried to read a contract three times and still couldn’t understand a single paragraph. His assistant had knocked twice to remind him about a meeting. He canceled it.
“Family emergency,” he said.
He had never cared about anything more than his children. Not money. Not power. Not reputation.
His children were the only part of his life that felt pure.
When he finally shut down his system, he sat in his chair for a moment, staring at his desk.
He had agreed to the DNA test because he believed there was nothing to fear. Science would clear the doubt. It would explain the blood group issue. Maybe it was a lab mistake. Maybe it was something simple.
It had to be something simple.
He grabbed his car keys and left.
The drive to the hospital felt longer than usual. Traffic lights seemed to turn red on purpose. The sky looked dull, heavy with clouds that threatened rain but never delivered it.
When Gabriel finally parked and walked into the hospital, the smell of disinfectant hit him immediately.
His heart started beating faster.
Not because of fear.
But because of love.
When he entered Daniel’s ward, he didn’t speak at first.
He stood by the door.
And watched.
Daniel was lying back against the pillows, smiling at something his mother had said. His small hand rested on the blanket. The IV tube taped carefully to his skin.
Gabriel’s chest tightened.
Then Daniel saw him.
His face lit up instantly.
“Daddy!”
That smile.
That wide, innocent smile.
It melted him every time.
Gabriel walked over quickly, his expression softening. He rubbed Daniel’s hair gently.
“Yeah, that’s my big boy,” he said, forcing cheer into his voice. “You look stronger already.”
Daniel grinned. “I’m okay, Daddy.”
“I told you everything will be fine,” Gabriel said. “Soon, I’ll take you out of this place. We’ll go somewhere nice. A vacation. Just us.”
“Really?” Daniel asked, eyes shining.
“Really.”
“I love you, Daddy.”
Gabriel felt something heavy press against his chest.
“I love you more, my son.”
He handed him a small pizza box. “I brought your favorite.”
But Daniel didn’t reach for it immediately.
Instead, he looked down.
Gabriel noticed.
“What’s wrong?”
Daniel hesitated. “I haven’t seen Sandra.”
His voice was small.
“Why didn’t they bring her?”
Gabriel glanced at Prisca before answering.
“Well… Mummy and I have been busy here. So we took Sandra to your aunt’s house. She’s helping take care of her and taking her to school. Just until you’re better.”
Daniel frowned slightly.
“She misses you,” Gabriel added quickly. “And she can’t wait for you to come home.”
Daniel nodded slowly.
“I miss her,” he whispered.
Gabriel leaned closer and kissed his forehead.
“I know. Just be strong for Daddy and Mummy, okay? We’ll all be home soon.”
Daniel finally smiled again.
And that smile gave Gabriel relief he didn’t know he needed.
Across the room, Prisca stood quietly.
Watching.
Father and son.
Their laughter.
Their closeness.
It hurt more than she expected.
Gabriel had always been a good father. He woke up early to dress them for school. He attended school meetings. He knew their favorite colors. Their favorite cartoons. Their fears.
He never joked with his children.
Never.
And now—
Now she might be the reason that bond would break.
Her stomach twisted.
She wished she had met Gabriel before.
Before her mistake.
Before the night she convinced herself it didn’t matter.
Before she chose silence.
She had told herself it was harmless. That no one would ever know. That the truth would stay buried.
But truth had a way of rising.
Daniel laughed again at something Gabriel said.
Prisca looked away.
If the result came back negative…
If Gabriel was not Daniel’s biological father…
What would happen?
Would he still love him the same?
Would he walk away?
Would Daniel lose the only father he had ever known?
Her chest tightened.
No.
She couldn’t allow that.
Not for Daniel.
Not for herself.
The door opened quietly.
A nurse stepped in, checking Daniel’s chart.
Prisca’s eyes followed her every move.
“Has the doctor said anything about the results?” she asked carefully.
The nurse shook her head. “Not yet, ma. He’ll come when everything is ready.”
Not yet.
The waiting continued.
Gabriel sat beside Daniel, telling him stories about school and football and the vacation they would take. He kept his voice steady, warm.
But inside, something uneasy stirred.
He remembered the doctor’s question.
Are you sure you are the biological father?
The words had sounded disrespectful at first.
Now they echoed.
He shook his head slightly.
No.
It didn’t make sense.
Daniel looked like him.
Didn’t he?
He had his smile.
Or maybe that was what he wanted to see.
Prisca watched Gabriel carefully.
Was he thinking the same thing?
Was doubt slowly entering his mind?
She stepped closer.
“You should eat something,” she said softly.
“I’m fine,” Gabriel replied without looking at her.
That distance again.
That calm tone that felt colder than anger.
Prisca clenched her fingers together.
The clock on the wall ticked loudly.
Every second felt like a countdown.
Daniel grew tired and slowly fell asleep, his small hand still holding onto Gabriel’s fingers.
Gabriel didn’t move.
He stayed there, staring at his son’s face.
How could blood matter more than this?
He had taught him how to ride a bike.
Held him when he cried.
Carried him on his shoulders.
Wasn’t that what made a father?
He swallowed hard.
The door handle turned.
Both Gabriel and Prisca looked up.
But it was only another nurse, adjusting the IV stand.
Not yet.
Prisca stepped out of the room for air.
In the hallway, she leaned against the wall.
Her mind was racing.
If the result was bad, she needed a plan.
She couldn’t lose everything.
She couldn’t lose Gabriel’s name.
His status.
His protection.
And she couldn’t let Daniel suffer because of her past.
She wiped her face quickly before going back inside.
When she returned, she saw Gabriel still holding Daniel’s hand.
And for a moment, guilt crushed her.
She had built her life on something fragile.
Now that fragile thing was cracking.
Gabriel looked up at her.
“Whatever the result says,” he said quietly, “Daniel is my son.”
Prisca froze.
Did he mean it?
Or was he trying to convince himself?
She forced a nod.
“Yes. Of course.”
The air in the room felt heavier.
Outside, thunder rumbled faintly in the distance.
Even the weather felt tense.
Gabriel stood and walked toward the window.
His reflection stared back at him.
Three days ago, he had been confident.
Now, he wasn’t so sure.
Not about the test.
Not about anything.
Behind him, Prisca watched his back.
She knew something he didn’t.
And that secret sat between them like a silent bomb.
Daniel stirred in his sleep.
“Daddy…”
Gabriel turned immediately and went back to him.
“I’m here,” he whispered.
Always here.
Prisca closed her eyes briefly.
If only that were true, she thought.
A knock sounded at the door.
Soft.
But final.
Both of them turned toward it at the same time.
The handle moved.
The doctor stepped inside.
And everything changed in that moment—
Not because of what he said.
But because of what was about to be said.
Prisca felt her heart stop.
Gabriel straightened.
Daniel slept peacefully, unaware.
The doctor closed the door behind him.
And the room fell silent.
- Writer
