Noah’s I woke before Ethan.
For a few seconds, I stared at the unfamiliar ceiling.
Then everything from the night before came rushing back.
Adrian’s kiss.
His apology.
The way I’d told him to forget it.
I covered my face with both hands.
“Why did this happen again?” I wasn’t angry at him.
That was the problem.
I was angry at myself because some part of me had wanted to stay in that moment.
I sat up carefully and looked across the room.
Ethan was still asleep, curled around his little fox.
I watched him for a moment.
He was the reason I had to be sensible.
Whatever I felt for Adrian, whatever history existed between us, Ethan couldn’t grow up surrounded by confusion.
I had already spent two years trying to protect him from the consequences of my choices.
I couldn’t start making new mistakes now.
I got out of bed and quietly packed our things.
My hands stopped when I reached for the small box containing Ethan’s clothes.
I stared at it.
One month.
That’s all I needed.
A month away from Adrian.
A month to clear my head.
A month to figure out what I was going to do next.
I closed the suitcase.
“Daddy?” I turned.
Ethan was sitting up, rubbing his eyes.
“Good morning, sweetheart.” He held up his arms.
“Up.” I smiled and lifted him from the bed.
“Did you sleep well?” He nodded.
“Fox sleep.” “Fox slept too?” “Yes.” I kissed his hair.
“Come on.
Let’s get dressed.” I had almost finished packing when someone knocked.
I knew who it was before the door opened.
Adrian stood there.
His expression was tired.
“You’re leaving.” It wasn’t a question.
I nodded.
“Yes.” He glanced at the suitcase.
“Where are you going?” “Amelia’s.” Adrian paused, as if turning the name over in his mind.
“Who is she?” “My sister,” I said.
“My elder sister — well, one of them.
I have two, but Amelia’s the one who moved out of town.
She’s got an apartment about two hours from here.” “I didn’t know you had sisters.” “There’s a lot you don’t know about me,” I said quietly, and immediately regretted how it sounded.
“Amelia’s the one who helped me when Ethan was born.” Adrian studied me for a moment, something unreadable passing behind his eyes.
“Then she’ll take care of you.” “She will.” He nodded slowly, as though committing the name to memory.
“Amelia.” “Yes.” His jaw tightened slightly.
“For how long?” I looked down.
“A month.” He went quiet.
“A month?” “I need some space.” “I understand.” His answer surprised me.
I expected an argument.
Instead, he stepped aside.
“Does Ethan know?” I looked at my son.
“He just knows we’re visiting his aunt.” Adrian nodded.
“That’s probably best.” I zipped the suitcase.
“Adrian…” He looked at me.
“About last night—” “You don’t have to explain.” “I told you to forget it.” “I remember.” His voice was calm.
“I won’t bring it up again.” I swallowed.
“Thank you.” He nodded.
For some reason, that hurt more than if he had argued with me.
Ethan suddenly reached toward him.
“Uncle.” Adrian crouched.
“Yes?” Ethan held out his stuffed fox.
“Bye.” Adrian smiled faintly.
“Bye, little man.” Ethan frowned.
“No.” Adrian looked confused.
“No?” Ethan shook his head.
“Come.” I almost laughed despite myself.
“He wants you to come with us.” Adrian glanced at me.
I quickly looked away.
“I’m sorry.” “It’s alright.” He gently touched the fox’s head.
“I have work here.” Ethan looked disappointed.
“Work?” “Yes.” Ethan thought about it.
Then he nodded.
“Bye.” “Bye, Ethan.” I picked up the suitcase.
Adrian reached for it.
“I’ll carry that.” “I can.” “I know.” He took it anyway.
We walked downstairs together.
Every step made leaving harder.
At the front door, Adrian placed the suitcase beside me.
“Take care of yourself.” I nodded.
“You too.” He hesitated.
Then he said quietly, “Noah.” I looked at him.
“You don’t have to run from me.” My throat tightened.
“I’m not running.” “Then what are you doing?” I looked down at Ethan.
“I’m trying to breathe.” Adrian said nothing.
I took a deep breath.
“I need time to understand what I want before I make another decision that affects Ethan.” His expression softened.
“Alright.” I opened the door.
Cold morning air rushed inside.
For a moment, I couldn’t move.
Then Ethan reached for my hand.
“Daddy.” I looked at him.
“Let’s go.” I squeezed his little hand.
“Yeah.” I stepped outside.
I didn’t look back.
Not even once.
But as the car pulled away from Adrian’s house, I couldn’t stop myself from wondering whether leaving him behind would actually make things easier.
Because deep down, I already knew the answer.
It wouldn’t.
And somewhere inside that house, Adrian was probably asking himself the same question.
The city disappeared behind us one street at a time.
Ethan sat quietly beside me, his stuffed fox resting in his lap.
I kept my eyes on the window.
I had told Adrian I needed space.
I had told myself that leaving was the sensible thing to do.
But the farther we got from his house, the heavier my chest felt.
“Daddy?” I turned.
Ethan held up his fox.
“Fox sad.” I smiled faintly.
“Why is Fox sad?” “Uncle.” My smile disappeared.
“You miss Uncle Adrian?” Ethan nodded.
“Yes.” I looked back through the window.
“So do I.” The words slipped out before I could stop them.
I immediately looked down.
Ethan didn’t seem to notice.
He simply hugged his fox.
When we arrived at Amelia’s apartment, my sister was already waiting outside, arms crossed against the morning chill, her expression sharpening the moment our car turned onto her street.
She’d always had a way of reading trouble before I even opened my mouth — a skill she’d perfected during the years she’d practically raised me after our parents stopped being reliable.
The moment she saw me, she frowned.
“You’re early.” I stepped out with Ethan.
“I needed somewhere to stay.” Amelia looked at my suitcase.
Then at my face.
Then back at the suitcase.
“What happened?” “Nothing.” She gave me a look.
“Don’t give me that.” I sighed.
“I just need a break.” She crouched in front of Ethan.
“Hi, little troublemaker.” Ethan smiled.
“Auntie.” She opened her arms.
“Come here.” Ethan walked into her arms.
“Fox.” “Of course.
Fox too.” She stood and looked at me.
“You’re staying.” It wasn’t a question.
I nodded.
“For a month.” Her eyebrows rose.
“A month?” “Yes.” She studied me for another second.
Then she stepped aside.
“Come inside.” I carried the suitcase in.
For the first time since leaving Adrian’s house, I allowed myself to breathe.
Amelia’s apartment smelled like her — cinnamon and old books — and for a moment the familiarity of it loosened something tight in my chest that had been wound since the night before.
That evening, after Ethan fell asleep, Amelia and I sat in the kitchen.
She placed a cup of tea in front of me.
“You don’t have to tell me everything.” I looked at her.
“But something happened.” I remained silent.
“Was it Adrian?” My fingers tightened around the cup.
She noticed.
“That answers my question.” I sighed.
“He kissed me.” Amelia’s eyes widened.
“He did what?” “It was accidental.” “And?” “I told him to forget it.” She leaned back.
“Do you want to forget it?” I stared at the tea.
“I don’t know.” “That’s not the same as yes.” I looked away.
“I can’t let myself get close to him.” “Why?” “Because Ethan is involved.” She became quiet.
I swallowed.
“There are too many things I haven’t told him.” “Then maybe it’s time.” “I can’t.” “Why?” I looked toward the hallway where Ethan was sleeping.
“Because once he knows everything, I can’t take it back.” Amelia’s expression softened.
“You’ve been carrying this alone for two years.” “I had to.” “Noah, you don’t always have to.” I lowered my gaze.
I wanted to believe her.
But fear was stronger.
Later that night, I stood beside the window.
The city lights blurred through my tears.
I thought about Adrian.
His voice.
His expression after the kiss.
The way he had immediately apologized.
He hadn’t pressured me.
He hadn’t asked me to stay.
He had simply accepted my decision.
That somehow made leaving harder.
My phone vibrated.
I looked at the screen.
A message from Adrian.
Did you arrive safely?
I stared at it.
I typed: Yes.
Then I deleted it.
I typed again.
We arrived safely.
I stared at the words for several seconds before sending them.
His reply came almost immediately.
Good.
Take care of yourself.
That was all.
No questions.
No guilt.
No attempt to make me come back.
I pressed the phone against my chest.
“Why does that make this harder?” I wiped my eyes.
One month.
I needed one month.
Maybe by then, I would know what I wanted.
Maybe by then, Adrian would have moved on.
Maybe I would finally be able to stop thinking about the man who had changed my life two years ago.
But deep down, I already knew something.
Distance could separate me from Adrian.
It couldn’t erase what I felt whenever I heard his name.
Outside, the city I didn’t know yet kept moving without me, indifferent to the quiet unraveling happening one room over from where Ethan slept.
I closed the curtain and told myself, for the hundredth time that day, that a month was enough.
It had to be.
Noah is finally taking a step back.
He’s going to spend the next month with Amelia, hoping that some distance from Adrian will help him clear his head.
But poor Ethan already misses his Uncle Adrian.
And Noah saying “So do I” before he could stop himself?!
Yeah… Noah, you’re not fooling anybody.
Meanwhile, Amelia already knows something is going on.
That sister intuition is STRONG.
The next arc is going to give us more of Noah and Amelia’s family dynamic, Adrian dealing with Noah’s absence, and some important developments that will slowly bring us closer to the truth.
And don’t worry—we haven’t forgotten Ethan’s parentage, the mark, Adrian’s mother’s secret, or the misunderstanding about Ethan’s other parent.
Everything has its place.
Thank you for reading and supporting the story!
— Ari1