Enzo:


    I woke up on the couch, pinching the bridge of my nose only to frown when I saw a pillow under my


    head and a nket over my body.


    Ashton, who was the one who woke me up, smiled and kissed my cheek, making me chuckle.


    “Good morning,” I said, extending my hand to him. He smiled andid his head on my bicep.


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    “Good morning, daddy,” he said, making my chest ache. “Why did you sleep on the couch?”


    and


    “I must have dozed off. I am guessing your mom is who put the nket and pillow.” I said, and he


    nodded. I sat up wrapped my arms around him, pulling him on myp. The sun was yet to rise, and I


    frowned when I saw that it was stillte into the night. “Why are you awake?”


    “I had a bad dream. I was going to mama, but I found you here.” He said, and I frowned, looking him in


    the eye as I tried to understand what was bothering him.


    “Do you want to tell me what it is about?” I asked, and he looked at me, not saying a word for a


    moment.


    “It was a dream about Alonso. He was taken away from us, and was not there to y anymore. I cried


    and cried, but he was not responding.” He said, looking down at hisp. I tightened my arms around


    him and kissed the crown of his head.


    “Alonso is not going anywhere, son. Don’t worry, the two of you are going to see each other again, and


    you are going to y again.” I said, my voice softening as I looked at him. I looked up as I caught


    ria’s scent. Her eyes met mine and she nodded, giving me a gentle smile. I smiled back and looked


    down at our boy. “Do you want to go to bed? Or…”


    “I want mama, but…”


    “Mama is right here, baby.” ria said, stopping him. Ashton jumped down from my arms to his mother.


    She wore an oversized jacket and sweat pants. Her hair was a mess and I could tell that she was


    asleep, but she might have felt Ashton’s distress as his mother. “Is everything alright? A bad dream?”


    “Yes,” he said, pouting. She sighed and ran her hand over his cheek.


    “Well, do you want mama to make you some milk? You can drink it and it would calm you down, then


    we can sit for a nice story time until you doze off.” She said, and he nodded. He looked back at me for


    a moment then at ria.


    “Can daddy join us in story time?” He asked, and ria looked at me. Our eyes met for a second


    before he looked down at Ashton, giving him a gentle smile.


    “How about you ask him? He slept on the couch and could be very tired. But if he wants to, I am never


    going to tell him no.” ria said. Her eyes met mine again, and though she didn’t say a word, I knew


    that she was upset with what happened between the two of us. I couldn’t me her too. I threw my


    anger out on her when I knew that none of what happened was her fault.


    She walked to the kitchen, leaving the two of us alone, and I smiled at Ashton, nodding at him, giving


    him what he wanted.


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    He deserved to live what he didn’t get to have growing up.


    “I don’t mind, but how about I talk to your mom. You can wait for us in your room if you want, we will


    come in a few minutes.” I said, and Ashton nodded. His smile made my eyes soften and I looked at


    ria who was in the kitchen, tending to what she told her son she’d do as she started heating his milk.


    I stood in front of the fridge, leaning against it as I looked at ria.


    “I am sorry, ria.” I said, watching as she tensed for a moment. “For the way that I treated you, for


    throwing my anger out on you, for breaking a lot in you. I am sorry,”


    “Ashton is waiting for us, Enzo. There is no point in having this conversation…”


    “He can wait a minute longer.” I said, stopping her. “But you deserve a proper apology for what you


    lived through because of me.”


    “I doubt that it is going to change anything, Enzo. Right now, you might apologize to me, but I was


    quick to learn that your apologies are mostly temporary. You are going to end up turning against me the


    second that you can,” She said, and I looked away from her. “Sometimes, I have the patience for it, but


    others, I don’t. Today is one of the days when I know that I barely have the patience to spare…”


    “I don’t want you to have the patience for something that you are against, but I want you to know that I


    am not going to let that fucker live calmly after his…”


    “I doubt that you expected me to give him a chance to do so.” She said, stopping me. “But it won’t be


    for the sake of revenge. Because you are going to act out of anger, the need for vengeance. I am going


    to do what I will for my son. Thest thing that I am going to allow him to do is throw threats as he did.


    And IF I spoke to you, it was because I believed that you would listen. Instead…”


    “Put yourself in my shoes.”


    “I did.” She said, taking a step back as she put the milk inside his cup. “I wouldn’t be standing in front of


    you, having a decent conversation if I hadn’t.”


    “Now, if you will excuse me, we have been keeping Ashton waiting for a longer period than necessary.


    And he is still a child. We shouldn’t be leaving him by himself for such a long time…”