Chapter 293 Your Dad Was Gone
Aiden nodded slowly, still deep in thought. His eyes, normally full of youthful curiosity, were unusually solemn now. He looked down at his half-eaten ice cream, his small fingers gripping the cone tightly.
Evie’s heart tightened, seeing Aiden so serious. It was rare for him to ask questions like this, and it made her uneasy. He was too young to carry such a heavy burden of thoughts.
“Mia is right,” Aiden continued, his voice quiet but firm. “He wasn’t a good person. But… you told me to forget about him, right? So I will.”
Evie reached out, gently placing her hand on his. “That’s right, sweetheart. There’s nothing to worry about now. You’re with your mom, and that’s all that matters. People who truly love us are the ones who stay by our side, no matter what.”
Aiden met her gaze, a flicker of confusion crossing his face, as if he wasn’t entirely sure of her words but still wanted to believe them. He was only five, but even at that age, he was smart enough to sense the tension, to piece together fragments of the truth that had been hidden from him.
Evie sighed inwardly, wishing there was an easier way to protect Aiden from all the complicated emotions and painful history surrounding his father. But she knew that one day, the truth would surface, and she would have to be the one to help him understand it. For now, she could only offer him the comfort of the present.
“Why don’t we go see Mia? She’s probably catching butterflies with Jaxson and Alice by now,” Evie said, her voice softening as she tried to shift Aiden’s attention away from the heavier thoughts.
Aiden looked at her, his expression slowly relaxing. “Okay,” he said, as if the mention of his sister and the butterflies brought a welcome distraction.
Evie smiled faintly, relieved to see the shift. She stood up and extended her hand to Aiden. “Come on then. Let’s join them. You deserve to have a bit of fun.”
As they walked toward Jaxson and Mia, Evie’s thoughts remained on the conversation she’d had with Aiden. It wasn’t easy, keeping so much from the children, especially when they started asking questions that cut deeper than she had anticipated. But she had to protect them. They had already been through enough.
When they reached Jaxson and Mia, the kids were indeed busy chasing butterflies near the flowerbeds, their laughter filling the air. Evie watched them, her heart aching a little. They were so innocent, so full of life.
She could only hope that, in time, they would understand the love and sacrifice their mother had made for them, and that the secrets of the past wouldn’t weigh them down as they grew.
Athena, still at the graveside, was lost in her thoughts. She had been talking to her mother and grandparents for a long while, as if the familiar silence of the cemetery could give her some answers or peace. She had wanted to make a proper goodbye, to ask for forgiveness, but there were no easy answers.
And yet, as the children joined her, she felt a small sense of comfort, knowing that she had come back to the place where everything began. Greeli City may have held painful memories, but it also offered the chance for healing—for her, and for her family.
As they walked back toward the car, Athena caught a glimpse of Jaxson, Mia, and Aiden, their figures silhouetted by the soft light of the setting sun. She couldn’t help but feel a quiet sense of gratitude for them. They were her future, her reason for holding on.
No matter what the past had been, she had her children now. And that was enough.