61 Chapter 61


    Seraphina’s POV 1


    Caleb crouched down to Adrian’s eye level with natural ease. “You have excellent manners, Adrian. Your mom has told me so many wonderful things about you.”


    That was all the encouragement Adrian needed. His shyness evaporated like morning mist as his face lit up with delight.


    “Do you want to see my room?” he asked with the kind of immediate trust that only children possessed. “I have a really cool dinosaur collection, and Mr. Damien helped me organize it by time periods. The T-Rex is my favorite, but the Triceratops is pretty cool too because it has three horns and-”


    “Adrian,” I interrupted gently,ughing at his rapid-fire enthusiasm. “Maybe Caleb needs to get going. He has business in the city, and-”


    “Actually,” Caleb said, standing up but keeping his attention focused on Adrian, “I’d love to see your dinosaur collection. I’m something of a paleontology enthusiast myself.”


    Adrian’s eyes went wide with excitement. “Really? Do you know about the Cretaceous period?”


    “I do indeed,” Caleb replied with genuine interest. “Did you know that not all dinosaurs went extinct? Birds are actually direct descendants of theropod dinosaurs.”


    “Whoa!” Adrian grabbed Caleb’s hand without hesitation. “Come on, I have to show you my Velociraptor! Mr. Damien said they were really smart hunters, and they had these really sharp ws-”


    I followed behind as Adrian dragged Caleb toward our apartment building, chattering nonstop about dinosaurs and fossils and everything he’d apparently learned during his time with Damien. Watching Caleb patiently answer every question and respond to Adrian’s excitement with genuine enthusiasm, I felt a warmth spread through my chest.


    Once we reached my apartment, Adrian immediatelyunched into the grand tour, pulling Caleb from room to room with the kind of


    boundless energy that only five-year-olds possessed. I trailed behind.


    “And this is my room!” Adrian announced, throwing open his bedroom door with theatrical ir. “Look!”


    The sight of them sitting cross-legged on the floor, Adrian’s small hands moving animatedly as he described the hunting patterns of pack


    raptors, made my throat tight with emotion.


    “You know what?” Adrian said suddenly, his face brightening with inspiration. “You should stay for dinner! Mommy makes the best


    spaghetti, and we could watch a dinosaur documentary, and-”


    “Adrian, I started, ready to exin why that might not be possible, but Caleb looked up at me with such hopeful expression that the


    words died in my throat.


    “I would love to stay for dinner,” Caleb said simply. “If your mother doesn’t mind thepany.”


    The eager hope in Adrian’s eyes was impossible to resist. “Of course,” I heard myself saying. “I’d love to cook for both of you.”


    10.36


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    61 Chapter 61


    Which is how I found myself in my small kitchen an hourter, stirring sauce while listening to Adrian and Caleb debate the merits of different dinosaurs. Adrian had attached himself to Caleb like a barnacle, following him around the apartment and chattering nonstop about everything from his favorite books to his all kinds of thoughts.


    “Mommy, can Caleb help us cook?” Adrian asked, appearing in the kitchen doorway with Caleb close behind.


    “I’m actually pretty handy in the kitchen,” Caleb offered with that easy smile. “I make excellent garlic bread.”


    “Please, Mommy?” Adrian added his most persuasive five-year-old expression. 1


    Soon the three of us were working together in the kitchen, Adrian standing on a chair to help mix the sd while Caleb sliced bread and


    I managed the sauce. It felt surprisingly natural, like we’d done this dance many times before.


    “Have you ever been married?” Adrian asked with typical childhood directness as he carefully tore lettuce leaves.


    “Adrian!” I protested, feeling heat rise in my cheeks. “That’s a personal question.”


    “It’s okay,” Caleb said with augh. “No, I haven’t been married, Adrian. I’ve been too busy working and taking care of my parents to find the right person.”


    “My mommy isn’t married either.” Adrian announced matter-of-factly.


    I nearly dropped the spoon I was holding. “Adrian!”


    The sound of the front door opening cut Adrian off mid-sentence. We all turned toward the hallway, and I felt my heart do that familiar leap it always did when I knew Damien was near.


    “Sera?” His voice carried through the apartment, warm with relief and something deeper that made my pulse quicken. “You’re back.”


    “In the kitchen!” I called out, trying to keep my voice steady despite the way my entire body had suddenlye alive at the sound of his


    voice.


    The footsteps approaching were familiar, measured, confident. Then Damien appeared in the kitchen doorway, and the sight of him


    made my breath catch in my throat despite everything that had happened between us.


    He was still in his work clothes-dark cks and a crisp white shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his forearms-but his tie was missing and his hair looked like he’d been running his hands through it. His silver-blue eyes found mine immediately, and the intensity of relief and something else-something hungry and possessive-made my knees weak,


    “Thank God,” he said quietly, his voice rough with emotion. “I was worried when-”


    But his words cut off abruptly as his gaze shifted from me to Caleb, who was standing next to the counter with a dish towel in his hands. The warmth in Damien’s expression disappeared instantly, reced by something cold and dangerous that made the temperature in the room drop several degrees.


    “Who is this?”