Madison
Oliver blew out the candles to cheers and applause. The cake cutting commenced, servers appearing with plates and forks.
Alexander approached with Ethan still on his hip. “Someone’s getting tired.”
“I’m not tired!” Ethan protested, even as he yawned. “I’m just resting my eyes.”
“Of course you are,” I said, reaching for him. “Come here, baby.”
“No! I want to stay with King Alexander!” Ethan burrowed deeper into Alexander’s arms. “He’s warm and tall and tells good stories!”
“Stories?” I raised an eyebrow at Alexander.
“Just some stuff about buildings and engineering. Kids are fascinated by how things are built.”
“Like skyscrapers!” Ethan’s energy returned briefly. “Did you know they have special foundations that go really deep?”
“I did know that,” I said.
“He knows everything about buildings. He’s so smart!” Ethan’s head drooped again. “Can we visit his kingdom now? I’m ready to count floors.”
“Not now. Maybe another time.”
Alexander’s hand rubbed soothing circles on Ethan’s back. “Hey, prince. Your mom’s right. Another time. But I promise we’ll count those floors eventually.”
“Promise?”
“Promise.”
Ethan seemed satisfied with that.
“Cake?” Hazel appeared with two plates. “Fresh from the cutting.”
“Yes!” Ethan perked up immediately. “I want cake!”
Alexander set him down carefully. Ethan grabbed the plate from Hazel and immediately shoved a forkful of chocolate into his mouth.
“Manners,” I reminded him.
“Sorry.” He swallowed. “This is really good cake!”
The party continued around us. Music played, people laughed, and cake disappeared at an alarming rate.
Ethan finished his cake with impressive speed, chocolate frosting smeared across his chin. He bounced in his chair, practically vibrating with sugar–fueled energy.
“Mom, can I see the balloons again?”
I grabbed a napkin and wiped his face clean despite his protests. “Hold still, baby ”
“But the balloons!”
“They’ll still be there in two seconds.”
Alexander appeared beside us “I’ll take him.”
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I looked up at him, napkin still in hand. “You don’t have to.”
“I know.” He crouched down to Ethan’s level. “What do you say, prince? Want to check out those balloons?”
“Yes!” Ethan scrambled off his chair. “They’re so big and shiny, and there’s a purple one that’s my favorite!”
“Then we should definitely investigate.” Alexander straightened, extending his hand. Ethan grabbed it without hesitation, already tugging him toward the balloon arch.
Alexander glanced back at me. “Sit. Relax.”
Then they disappeared into the crowd, Ethan’s excited chatter fading as they moved away.
I stood there for a moment, napkin still in my hand, watching them go.
The party noise swelled around me: laughter, clinking glasses, the steady thrum of jazz. I folded the napkin methodically, corner to corner, creating precise creases. Something to do with my hands, while my brain tried to process the sight of my son, completely at ease with Alexander.
“Mind if I sit?”
Anthony’s voice pulled me from my thoughts. He stood beside the table, holding two drinks, his expression carefully neutral.
“Sure.” I gestured at the empty chair.
He settled across from me, sliding one of the glasses in my direction. “Sparkling water. Figured you might need something.”
“Thanks.” I took a sip. The bubbles fizzed against my tongue, cold and refreshing.
“Some party.” Anthony leaned back in his chair, surveying the crowd. “Oliver really went all out.”
“Hazel picked the venue. He just signed the checks.”
“Sounds about right.” He smiled, then his expression shifted, became more serious. “Can I ask you something? And you can tell me to mind my own business if you want.”
“Go ahead.”
“What’s the progress between you and Alexander?”
I picked at my napkin. “Nothing much. He promised to break the engagement with Katherine.” 2.
“I heard about that from him.” Anthony’s tone was careful, measured. “But that’s not what I’m asking about.”
“Then what are you asking?”
“I’m asking about you two. Not Katherine. Not the engagement. You and Alexander.” He paused, choosing his words carefully. ” What’s the timeline? What’s the actual plan moving forward?”
I stared at him, not sure where this was going.
“Look, as a doctor, I see patterns. Behaviors. Mistakes on both sides.” Anthony’s voice was gentle but firm. “You found out you were pregnant. That must have been terrifying, especially given the circumstances.”
“It was.”
“And you tried to tell him. Sent that message. But for whatever reason, he didn’t see it. Maybe Katherine deleted it, or maybe he was unconscious, as he said. The point is, communication broke down at a critical moment.”
I nodded slowly.
“So you made a choice based on the information you had. You thought he didn’t love you, that he’d chosen Katherine over you.
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Walking away probably felt like the only option.”
“It did feel like that.”
“And Alexander made his own mistakes. He let you walk away without fighting for you. Got engaged without explaining what it meant. Failed to reach out after you left.” Anthony paused. “Both of you made choices that seemed logical at the time but created this mess.” 21
The words settled over me like a blanket I wasn’t sure I wanted.
“I’m trying to talk neutrally about this,” Anthony continued. “You have every right to be angry. What happened wasn’t fair to you or Ethan. But staying angry about the past won’t fix the present or the future.” 1
“So what are you saying?”
“I’m saying everyone makes mistakes. It’s normal. Human. What matters is how you move forward from here.” He met my eyes. “Alexander’s trying to make things right. Maybe not perfectly, maybe not in the way you’d prefer, but he’s trying. The question is whether you’re willing to meet him halfway.”
I opened my mouth to respond, but Anthony was already standing, grabbing his phone.
“Just think about it,” he said, his tone lighter now. “Past is past. Focus on what you want for the future.”
Then he walked away, leaving me alone with thoughts I didn’t want to examine.
The party noise swelled around me: music, laughter, clinking glasses. Normal celebration sounds that felt too loud and not loud
enough simultaneously.
I should get up. Find Hazel. Check on Ethan. Do something productive instead of sitting here spiraling.
But I couldn’t move.
Anthony’s words echoed in my head. Everyone makes mistakes. How you move forward matters.
Was he right? Had I been so focused on being angry, on protecting myself, that I’d stopped considering other possibilities?
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Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
