Chapter 29 passed since that fateful day when Leandro came to the estate begging for the chance to at least be part of Gwen’s life.
The arrangement had been fragile at first–every visit carefully supervised, every exchange measured with hesitation–but slowly, a rhythm began to form.
Gwen didn’t run to him at once. She still remembered the nights her mother cried, the broken promises, the fear. But children, no matter how wounded, often held a strange capacity for cautious forgiveness.”
At first, she would only sit at the far end of the park bench while he tried to talk to her, her eyes stubbornly fixed on her toy. Weeks later, she allowed him to push her on the swing, though her laughter never quite reached the openness it had with Martin.S
And Leandro accepted it.”
For the first time in his life, he did not demand. He did not insist. He simply waited, day after day, content with the smallest smile, the smallest crumb of acknowledgment.”
Emerald, watching from a distance, sometimes felt her heart twist. Once upon a time, this was the man she had loved, the man she had trusted with everything.”
And though she would never go back, never undo the life she had chosen with Martin, there was something achingly human in the way Leandro now carried himself–broken, humbled, trying.”
Martin was less forgiving.
The first time they spoke without Emerald present, tension bristled in the air. Leandro’s fists clenched at his side, his jaw tight. “You’ll never understand what it’s like to lose everything.””
Martin’s eyes narrowed. “You lost it because you destroyed it yourself. Don’t blame fate for what your hands ruined.“}
Silence stretched, heavy with old grudges. But then, surprisingly, Leandro exhaled and nodded. “You’re right. I ruined it. And maybe that’s what I deserve now–just this. Gwen. Nothing more.”
It wasn’t friendship, but it was a compromise. For Emerald’s sake. For Gwen’s.
One Sunday afternoon, Gwen sat between the two men at a café near the school. Emerald had excused herself to take a phone call, leaving them together in the rare silence of uneasy peace.
Leandro bent forward slightly, his voice low. “Gwen… I’m sorry.“”
The little girl blinked up at him, her spoon swirling slowly in her cup of ice cream. “Sorry for what?“\
“For not being the kind of father you needed. For hurting your mom. For… everything.” His throat worked as he forced the words out. “I can’t change what I did. But I want to be better. For you.”
Gwen’s eyes narrowed. For a moment, she looked so much like Emerald-sharp, assessing, unafraid. “It’s too late,” she said simply. “Mom is happy now. She has Martin. You can’t have her back.”
Leandro’s chest tightened, but he managed a faint, pained smile. “I know. And maybe… maybe that’s how it should be.” He reached out, resting his hand over hers on the table. “But I’d still like to have you, if you’ll let me.”
Gwen tilted her head, considering, then gave a small nod. “Okay. But only me. Never Mommy.”
Leandro’s heart cracked at her words, but he nodded. “That would be better.”
For once, he wasn’t lying.”
As the months went on, Gwen grew more comfortable. She still called Martin “Daddy,” but she began referring to Leandro as “Papa,” a distinction that somehow softened the lines between them. There were afternoons at the park, homework visits, even moments of laughter that felt like fragile bridges over turbulent waters.
Emerald, though cautious, couldn’t help but feel relief. Perhaps this was what healing looked like–not erasing the past, but reshaping the present.”
One crisp evening, with Gwen tucked safely in bed, Martin surprised Emerald with a quiet dinner by the lake near their home. Candles flickered in the gentle breeze, the reflection of the moon dancing across the water.”
She leaned against him, her head resting on his shoulder. “It still feels strange, doesn’t it?” she murmured. “To be… happy. To not be looking over my shoulder all the time.“\
Martin kissed the crown of her head. “That’s how it should feel. Happiness shouldn’t feel like a crime.“N
She chuckled softly. “You sound so sure of it.””
“I am.” He tilted her chin up, his gaze unwavering. “I promised you peace. I’m going to spend the rest of my life keeping that promise.“%
Her chest warmed. “You already have.”
They lingered there, speaking of nothing and everything–future plans, Gwen’s new hobbies, dreams of traveling when she
was older For the first time in vears Emerald allowed herself to dream hevond survival
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was older. For the first time in years, Emerald allowed herself to dream beyond survival.
Later, as they walked hand in hand back toward the car, a sudden wave of dizziness washed over her. She stopped, pressing a
hand to her mouth.”
Martin frowned immediately, steadying her by the arm. “Emerald? What’s wrong?”
Her stomach churned violently. She barely had time to answer before she bent over, retching onto the grass.
Martin’s grip tightened in alarm. “Emerald–hey, look at me. Are you sick? Should I call a doctor?”
She wiped her mouth with trembling fingers, her mind spinning. Dizziness. Nausea. The sudden exhaustion that had been clinging to her for weeks.
Her eyes widened as realization crashed over her.
“Martin,” she whispered, her voice shaking. “I think… I’m pregnant.“}
The night fell utterly silent around them, the lake shimmering in the distance as both their lives shifted once again.
