Chapter 5

They sat across from each other, the candlelight flickering between them, casting shadows of the past that neither could ignore. Alexander swallowed hard, his throat dry. He had spent his life avoiding responsibility, avoiding the weight of anything too real. But here, now, faced with the consequences of his carelessness, he could not look away. "Tell me about our child," he said softly. "I need to know." She hesitated, as if the mere thought of speaking about the child would shatter her. Then, in a whisper, she said, "His name was Julien. He had your eyes. Every time he looked at me, it was as if I were staring into a part of you I never truly had. He was kind, gentle, and so full of love. And yet... he never got to know his father." A heavy silence settled between them. Alexander felt as if the walls were closing in, suffocating him with regret. "Why didn’t you tell me?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper. She laughed bitterly. "Would it have changed anything? Would you have suddenly become the man I needed you to be? No, Alexander. I protected him from the same heartbreak I endured. I raised him with love, with stories of a father who existed only in my dreams. And now, he’s gone. Just like every hope I ever had for us." Alexander buried his face in his hands. The weight of her words pressed down on him, suffocating him in a way he had never known before. He had lost not just her, but a son he had never known. And the worst part? He had no one to blame but himself.