Our Second Forever

Alina’s POV ********Six Years Later******** The morning sunlight streamed through the thin curtains of our small living room, casting soft patterns on the floor where Sophie sat cross-legged, humming to herself while coloring in her picture book. Her long dark curls bounced every time she reached for another crayon, her tiny lips pursed in concentration. It was moments like this that made everything I went through worth it, every tear, every sleepless night, every time I stared at my empty bank account wondering how I’d stretch the last few dollars into a meal. Sophie was five now… Bright, curious, and wise beyond her years. She didn’t ask much about her father not because she wasn’t curious, but because I had gotten very good at dodging those questions. “Mommy,” she said, holding up her drawing, “do you like my house?” I crossed the room to kneel beside her and took the paper from her tiny hands. It was a scribbled mess of hearts, stick figures, and bright purple windows, but I smiled like it was the Mona Lisa. “I love it, baby. Is this our house?” She nodded proudly. “And that’s me, and that’s you.” Then her little finger pointed to a taller stick figure with black hair and a big smile. “And that’s our daddy. I made him up.” My heart clenched. I never told her about Elijah. Not even his name. All she knew was that her daddy wasn’t here. At first, I told myself it was to protect her. But deep down, I knew it was because I couldn’t say his name without remembering the pain. Because Elijah Reyes was the love of my life. The boy I fell head over heels for when I was just sixteen, and the boy who shattered me when I was eighteen. I stood up and walked to the window, pulling the curtain slightly to check the weather. We had to walk to the bakery where I worked, and the clouds looked a little moody today. “Get your jacket, baby. We’ll stop by Miss Tilda’s for muffins on the way,” I said. Sophie gasped, abandoning her crayons. “Chocolate chip?” “If you hurry,” I teased. We left our small cottage a few minutes later, Sophie skipping beside me, holding my hand and chattering about how she was going to convince her teacher that her imaginary pet unicorn needed a desk in class. The path to the bakery cut through the town square, and I waved at a few familiar faces, neighbors, shop owners, people who had slowly become our makeshift family. We moved to this town five years ago, when I was barely nineteen and pregnant, with nothing but two suitcases and a stomach full of shame. I never looked back. At least, not until today. There was a commotion near the fountain in the square. A few people were huddled around, murmuring excitedly. I caught snippets of conversation as we walked by. “He’s really here?” “I saw the car, sleek as sin.” “Elijah Reyes, back in town. Can you believe it?” I stopped cold. The name hit me like a punch to the chest. My fingers tightened around Sophie’s hand, and for a moment, the ground beneath me felt like it might split open. No. No, it couldn’t be. “Mommy?” Sophie tugged at me. “You okay?” I forced a smile, though I felt like I might throw up. “Yeah, sweetie. Just… let’s go around the long way, okay?” I turned us down another street before the crowd could see me. But the damage was done. The name echoed in my head with every step. Elijah Reyes. Back in town. After six years. I hadn’t heard anything about him in forever. Last I knew, he had moved abroad. After our breakup…and the fallout with my father…his family packed up and disappeared without warning. I assumed he went overseas for good. I prayed for it, actually. Prayed that he’d never come back and reopen wounds I had spent years trying to close. But now he was back. And if the whispers were true, he wasn’t just back, he was successful and Powerful. The kind of man my father always wanted for me. Of course, he hadn’t wanted him when Elijah was just a broke boy from the wrong side of town, struggling to pay for his sister’s hospital bills. Back then, my father a mayor with a reputation to uphold made it his mission to destroy everything we had. And he succeeded. I tried not to think about that day. The day I broke Elijah’s heart and let him believe I never loved him. It had been six years, but I still remembered his face shocked, betrayed, devastated. I remembered the last night we spent together, the only night. And the next morning, I ended it without giving him a reason. He never knew about the threats. He never knew about the deal my father offered him or how he turned it down, only for me to be forced to push him away anyway. All Elijah knew was that I broke his heart. And then I found out I was pregnant. The bakery smelled of warm cinnamon and coffee. I walked behind the counter while Sophie settled into her little corner with crayons and a muffin Miss Tilda handed her. I tried to distract myself by diving into work kneading dough, arranging pastries but my hands shook. What if he saw us? What if he saw Sophie? Would he recognize her? There was no mistaking the eyes. She had his. That deep espresso brown, framed by lashes so thick and long it looked like she was wearing mascara. I used to tease him about those lashes. A bell chimed above the bakery door, and instinctively I looked up. He wasn’t there. Just an old couple picking up their usual. I exhaled. But I couldn’t shake the feeling that it was only a matter of time. Elijah Reyes was back in town. And the secret I had kept hidden for five long years was about to catch up with me. My daughter had a father she’d never met. And I had a past I couldn’t outrun.