Maya's pov
I stood frozen, staring at Noah, who was now giggling as if he hadn't just shattered my heart with a few innocent words. He looked so carefree, his laughter echoing through the quiet room like tiny bells. For a moment, I couldn't speak. Couldn't move. My mind had gone completely blank.
Then I exhaled shakily, blinked back the sting behind my eyes, and ruffled his hair gently.
"Okay, okay… Mom was shocked," I said, forcing a playful tone into my voice. "But sweetheart, listen to me carefully."
He looked up at me with those warm, curious eyes. Eyes that reminded me too much of someone I wasn't ready to talk about.
"If you ever want to know about your father—or even meet him one day—I'll never interfere. I won't stop you. I promise."
My heart ached as I said it. The fear still lingered—what if he wanted to choose him over me one day? What if he found out things I wasn't ready to share? But no… I couldn't let my fear shape his choices. He deserved the truth when he was ready, not the version I curated out of pain.
He nodded, already distracted by some game in his mind. I smiled, but my hands trembled a little as I tucked a stray curl behind his ear.
The next morning, I decided it was time. Time to show Noah a piece of my past, something that had once made me feel safe—before everything went wrong.
"It's a surprise," I told him as I fastened his seatbelt. His eyes lit up immediately, legs swinging with excitement. That joy was contagious.
When we finally pulled up in front of the old house, my breath caught in my throat.
It looked smaller than I remembered. Older. A little faded. But it was still there—our home. The place my parents built with love and laughter. The place I'd once called my sanctuary.
Noah tilted his head. "Mom? What are we doing here? Is this the surprise you told me about?"
"Yes, sweetheart," I said, stepping out and taking his hand. "This is it."
He looked around with innocent confusion. "But Mom… there's nothing here. No furniture. Nothing."
I smiled faintly and looked up at the front door. "Noah, there's something even better than all that here… there are memories."
He blinked at me, clearly not understanding. I crouched down beside him.
"This house was built by your grandfather and grandmother. We had to sell it when money got tight, but for a while, we stayed here as tenants. Until someone made us leave…"
I stopped.
I hadn't meant to say that much. My mouth had spoken faster than my heart could prepare.
"Who was it, Mom?" Noah asked, his small fingers squeezing mine. "Were they evil?"
I looked at him for a moment, then shook my head. "Not evil. Just… someone who didn't understand what they took from us."
I didn't want to ruin the moment. Not now. So I gave his hand a light squeeze and led him inside.
Stepping through that doorway felt like stepping back in time. The walls were bare, but my memories weren't. I could still hear my mother's laughter in the kitchen. I could still see my father reading on the porch, his voice steady as he spoke about dreams and determination.
I'd missed this place more than I realized.
Just then, Catherine arrived, clipboard in hand and confidence in her stride.
"Ma'am," she greeted, "we'll have this place fully furnished by tomorrow. Everything's been ordered."
I nodded, still a little dazed by nostalgia. "I believe you'll do a fine job."
It wasn't just about furniture—it was about rebuilding something I'd lost long ago. A sense of belonging. And for Noah, a new start.
Afterward, we went out for lunch, and somewhere between his excited chatter and the way sunlight hit the side of the old house, I made a decision.
We'd stay.
A year. Maybe two. I could move my office operations here slowly and rebuild at my own pace. Noah needed a stable place. And maybe… maybe I did too.
So the next step was school.
Noah lit up when I told him. He'd always been curious, always eager to learn. The idea of going to school excited him to no end.
At the school, I sat down with the principal to discuss his enrollment while Noah waited just outside the glass door. Every few minutes, I caught him swinging his legs, humming softly to himself.
Noah's pov
I was sitting outside the principal's office, swinging my legs and humming quietly. The place smelled kind of like books and old wooden chairs. I liked it. It felt... new. Exciting.
Mom was inside talking to the principal. I could see her through the glass. She looked serious, like she always did when she was doing "important adult stuff." I didn't want to bother her, so I just waited like she told me.
Then two boys, probably my age, came walking toward me. One of them was holding something behind his back. I tilted my head, curious.
"Hey," one of them said, grinning weirdly. "You scared of lizards?"
Before I could even answer, he tossed a toy lizard at me.
It hit the floor with a small thunk.
I blinked.
That's it?
I picked it up, looked at it, then smiled. "Cool," I said, and threw it back at them.
The look on their faces was so funny! They actually jumped like they saw a real one. Then they ran off down the hall.
I couldn't stop laughing.
So this was bullying? I mean, I thought it'd be scarier. But it was actually kind of fun. I felt like I passed some secret test.
A few minutes later, Mom came out. I quickly sat straight and smiled like nothing happened. She crouched in front of me, like she always does when she wants to say something important.
"Noah, do you like this school?"
I looked at her. Her eyes looked a little tired, but kind. She always looked like she was trying to protect me from the whole world.
I smiled big and said, "Yeah, Mom. I like this school. I think I'll get more friends."
And I meant it.
This place didn't feel scary.