60 Chapter 60
60 Chapter 60
Seraphina’s POV 1
After breakfast with the Morrison family, I found myself reluctant to leave the warmth andfort of their home. But I knew I couldn’t stay any longer-Adrian was waiting for me, and my life was back in Silver Moon Harbor.
“I think I should really get going.” I said, standing from the kitchen table where we’d been lingering over coffee and Margaret’s incredible
homemade cinnamon rolls.
Caleb looked up from his cup. “Where will you go from here?”
“Back home to Silver Moon Harbor,” I replied, then found myself adding impulsively, “Actually, Caleb, would you like toe visit
sometime? I mean, if you ever find yourself in the city… I’d love to show you around.”
He was quiet for a moment, considering my invitation with that careful way he had of thinking things through. Finally, a slow smile
spread across his face.
“You know what? That sounds really nice, Sera. And actually…” He paused, running a hand through his hair. “I’ve been putting off a supply
run to the city for weeks now. We need parts for the shop that I can only get from the bigger dealers down south. Maybe I could drive
down with you, take care of business.”
Relief flooded through me at the thought of not having to make the long drive alone. “That would be wonderful! Are you sure you don’t
mind thepany?”
“Mind?” Caleb’s smile widened. “I’d enjoy it.”
“Your car is still broken.” He stood up, brushing his hands off on his jeans. “It isn’t going anywhere for a while.”
My heart sank. “How long would it take to fix?”
“Well, I could do the work myself at our shop,” Caleb said, studying the damage with a professional eye. “But with parts and everything…
we’re talking at least a week, maybe more. Supply chains up here aren’t exactly reliable these days. I’ll fix your car and drive it down to you once it’s ready,” he said simply. “In the meantime, you can ride with me in my truck. We’ll go to the city together, I’ll take care of my
business, and you’ll get home today instead of next week.”
An hourter, we were loaded into Caleb’s pickup truck. Margaret had insisted on packing us enough food for a small army, pressing
containers of sandwiches and thermoses of coffee into our hands despite our protests.
“Drive carefully, Robert called from the front porch as Caleb started the engine. “And Sera-youe back and visit us soon, you hear?”
“So tell me about your son, I heard your phone calls” Caleb said once we’d reached the main highway. “Adrian, right? How old is he?”
A smile automatically spread across my face. “He’s five. The most amazing little boy you’ll ever meet-smart and funny and full of energy.
He has this way of making everyone fall in love with him within five minutes of meeting him.”
“Five years old,” Caleb repeated thoughtfully. “That’s a fun age. All questions and curiosity, I bet.”
<
60 Chapter 60
“Exactly! He wants to know how everything works, why the sky is blue, where babiese from…” Iughed, remembering some of
Adrian’s more challenging questions.
Caleb chuckled. “He sounds incredible. What about his father?”
The question hit me like a cold ssh of water, wiping the smile from my face. “His father… isn’t around.”
“I’m sorry,” Caleb said quickly, noticing my change in mood. “I didn’t mean to pry.”
“It’s okay. It’s just…” I struggled to find the right words. “Adrian was unexpected. A surprise from a night I barely remember. His father
doesn’t even know he exists.”
Caleb was quiet for a moment, processing this information. “That must be hard, raising him on your own.”
“Sometimes,” I admitted. “But Adrian makes everything worth it. He’s the best thing that ever happened to me, even if the circumstances
weren’t… ideal.”
“Are you married now? Or seeing someone?”
Heat rose in my cheeks at the personal question. “No, I’m not married. And as for seeing someone…” I thought about Damien.
Before I could say that name, my phone started ringing. Adrian’s contact photo filled the screen.
“I should take this,” I said, epting the video call. “Hi, sweetheart!”
Adrian’s face appeared on the screen, his silver-blue eyes sparkling with excitement. He was clearly in the living room, with familiar
furniture visible in the background.
“Mommy!” he eximed, bouncing slightly in his enthusiasm. “When are youing home? I missed you so much!”
“I missed you too, baby. I’m on my way home right now, actually. I should be there in a few hours.”
“Really? Really really?”
“Really really,” I confirmed, using our special phrase. “Have you been good for Ophelia and Mr. Damien?”
“The best! Mr. Damien taught me how to tie my shoes yesterday, and Ophelia let me help make cookies, and we went to the park and I
made friends with a dog named Charlie!” 2
Listening to Adrian’s chatter, I became aware that Caleb had gone very quiet beside me. I nced over and saw him watching my phone
screen with an expression of wonder.
“Mommy, who’s that man driving?” Adrian asked suddenly, having apparently noticed Caleb in the background of our video call.
I angled the phone so Adrian could see both of us. “This is my friend Caleb, sweetheart. He’s giving Mommy a ride home because my car
broke down.”
“Hi, Adrian,” Caleb said warmly, ncing at the phone while keeping most of his attention on the road. “Your mom has told me a lot about
you.”
Adrian studied Caleb with the intense curiosity that only five-year-olds possessed. “You have nice eyes,” he announced with typical
10 AL
213
<
60 Chapter 60
childhood directness.
Caleb’s face lit up with genuine delight. “Thank you. And you have amazing eyes too-they’re very unusual.”
We drove infortable silence for a while after that, thendscape gradually changing from forest and mountains to suburbs and
eventually to the familiar skyline of Silver Moon Harbor in the distance. 1)
Twenty minutester, we pulled up in front of my building. I could see Adrian’s face pressed against the window of her third-floor
apartment, and the moment he spotted us, he disappeared from view.
“He’sing down,” I said,ughing at my son’s eagerness. “Fair warning-he’s going to be excited and probably ask you a million.
questions.”
“I can handle it,” Caleb said with a grin.
Sure enough, within moments Adrian came bursting through the building’s front door, Ophelia close behind him. My sonunched himself into my arms the moment I stepped out of the truck, wrapping his small arms around my neck with fierce intensity.
“Mommy! You’re really here!”
“I’m really here,” I confirmed, holding him tight and breathing in his familiar little-boy scent of soap and sunshine. “I missed you so much. sweetheart.”
When Adrian finally pulled back to look at me, his gaze immediately shifted to Caleb, who hade around to our side of the truck. My son studied him with obvious curiosity, taking in everything from Caleb’s friendly smile to his casual clothes to the way he stood with rxed confidence.
“So you’re the handsome big brother who gave my mommy a ride home.”