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    Liam’s POV


    “Daddy!” The sound of little feet pounding on the wooden floor echoed from the hallway.


    I had just turned on the light in the living room when Noah came running in with a scowl on his face, his eyes ssy like a child who had just lost his favorite toy.


    “Dad!” he shouted. “Mommy’s not in her room!”


    I blinked, trying to adjust my eyes to the brightness. I sat on the couch, looking at Noah as he stood in front of me, disappointed and confused.


    “Maybe Mommy had something to do,” I said, trying to sound casual. “She’lle hometer.”


    But even I could hear the emptiness in my voice. I didn’t believe it either. Sienna hadn’t shown up all day. There hadn’t been any trace of her this morning. Usually, even if we didn’t speak, I could feel her presence in this house. But now? It just felt empty.


    “I’m hungry,” Noahined, rubbing his eyes. “I’m tired of that chocte cake. It tastes like it’s going bad.”


    I paused. Only then did I really notice the dining table near the kitchen. The dinner Sienna had so lovingly preparedst night was still there. Untouched. The vegetables had wilted, the meat had dried out and begun to smell sour.


    My chest tightened. Sienna had prepared that dinner-for us. For Noah. For this family. And none of us had appreciated it.


    I ran a hand through my hair, then stood up. “Wait here. Daddy’s going upstairs.”


    With heavy steps, I went to the bedroom. Emily was sitting in front of the mirror, her face covered in green mud mask, one hand holding her phone, scrolling without a care. The room was bright, filled with the scent of lotion and expensive perfume. A world far removed from the dining room downstairs.


    “Emily,” I called.


    “Hm?” she replied, not even looking up.


    “The dining table’s still full. Could you help clear it?”


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    Emily nced at me briefly, one eyebrow raised. “Liam… I’m not a maid. You think I’m here to clean?”


    I held my breath. “Noah’s hungry. He’s sick of eating that same old cake. At least-”


    “If he’s hungry, order food,” she cut me off. “I’m on a diet. This mask needs twenty minutes to set. I can’t be


    near heat. My pores will open again.”


    I stared at her green-coated face, not understanding how I’d gotten to this point. Emily always had a reason not


    to do anything remotely resembling care. Not even for Noah.


    “He’s your son too,” I said softly.


    She sighed and looked back at her phone. “So what? You’re his dad. You handle it. Don’t dump everything on <ol><li> Besides, I didn’t give birth to him.” </li></ol>


    I stared at her. That sentence cut deeper than I could exin. I didn’t give birth to him-as if Noah were a


    burden dumped on herp, not a child born from love… or at least, what we once believed was love. 2


    “He needs you,” I said atst, voice nearly a whisper. “He woke up early just to find you. He was sad you


    weren’t homest night. He thought you were mad at him.”


    Emily lifted her head and blinked, like she’d just realized something. “I’m not mad,” she said tly. “I’m just tired. That gst night was exhausting.”


    I held my breath, trying to understand. But I was tired too. Tired of being the only adult in this house acting like


    a parent.


    “I know you’re tired, Em. But you need to understand… I’m tired too. You’ve never truly been there for him. Not


    even for the dinner Sienna made-”


    “I wasn’t hungry,” she interrupted again. “And Sienna isn’t my mom, Liam. She’s always meddling. Always


    acting too close to you. Like she didn’t know you’re married.”


    I straightened, feeling heat rise in my chest. “This isn’t about Sienna. This is about you-us-as parents. I’m not asking you to be perfect. I just want you to see him. See Noah. He’s a little boy who just wants his mom to sit down and ask how his day was.”


    Emily raised an eyebrow. “And you think I never ask?”


    “If you’re asking while staring at your phone, that’s not caring.”


    For the first time, Emily fell silent. But only for a second.


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    “I don’t like how you use me. If you think you’re better than me, fine. But don’t use me to make yourself feel


    righteous.”


    I let out a shortugh. “That’s not it. I just want us to be a team. For Noah.”


    She stood up, the mask still on her face. “I’ve been a team long enough. Now it’s my turn to think about me.”


    Without waiting for a reply, she walked out of the room, her house slippers squeaking with every step.


    I stood there, letting the door close behind her. The room turned silent. For the first time, I found myself


    wondering… can I really keep doing all of this on my own?


    I walked downstairs. In the living room, Noah was still waiting. He sat clutching his red robot.


    “Daddy will cook, okay?” I said, forcing a smile.


    Noah nodded weakly.


    I looked at the dining table still full of spoiled food, then at the quiet kitchen. My steps were heavy as I walked <ol><li> Noah’s hungry, disappointed face kept shing in my mind, and somehow, I felt guilty. Sienna would’ve </li></ol>


    known what to do. But she wasn’t here. The house… felt far too quiet without her breath in it.


    I opened the fridge. The st of cold air that hit me felt almost mocking. My eyes scanned the shelves: one


    expired tub of yogurt, a bottle of sauce, a few boxes of instant meals whose safety I wasn’t sure about. Almost


    everything was empty. No vegetables. No fruit.


    I opened the freezer. Just ice cubes and a chunk of frozen meat hard as a brick.


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