One Goodbye Is Enough

“Mommy, is Daddy busy again?”

I froze, looking into my son's eyes, unable to tell him the truth.

His father was not busy. He was with another child.

I could not bring myself to say it. All I could do was pull him into my arms, my heart aching for him like it had done so many times before.

“It's okay, sweetheart. You still have me. Mommy will always be here for you.”

He did not ask any more questions, but his eyes turned red.

On the way to school, neither of us mentioned Henry again. It was as though Henry had never promised anything and this family had only ever been the two of us.

Henry, you had one last chance.

After parking the car, I took my son's hand and walked into the school.

However, the moment we stepped into the classroom, I stopped in my tracks.

“Henry?”

“Daddy?”

…

Henry was sitting by the window. He instinctively looked up at the sound of our voices, his pupils contracting in shock.

“What are you doing here?”

The surprise in his words made me stop in my tracks. I had a bad premonition.

My son had been in elementary school for six months, yet Henry did not even know his class.

My son did not notice. Overjoyed, he ran up to him.

“Daddy, you—”

Henry frowned.

“What did you just call me?”

The joy on my son's face froze for a moment before he quickly corrected himself, his voice all too practiced.

“Uncle Parker, you're sitting in the wrong seat. Mine is up front.”

He looked up at Henry, his eyes shining with happiness.

This was the first time Henry had ever attended a class meeting and the first time he had kept his word.

However, the excitement did not last long.

A second later, Henry averted his gaze.

“I'm not in the wrong seat. This is my place.”

My son stood still, confused. Just as he was about to say something, a small figure suddenly pushed him aside.

“Go away! He's my Daddy!”

Instinct took over. I immediately pulled my son into my arms, shielding him.

Henry also stood up, but he hesitated momentarily when he met Evelyn’s surprised gaze.

Then, just as quickly, he moved the boy behind him to protect him. His voice was stiff as he said, “Ethan didn’t mean it. I apologize on his behalf.”

Both my son and I froze.

My son had never once received this kind of protection or concern from his father.

“Who is he?” I rose to my feet and asked in a soft voice.

Henry hesitated for a moment. After meeting my gaze, a flicker of guilt flashed in his eyes.

“A friend’s child.”

“Is that so?”

I murmured, but deep down, I already knew the answer.

This was the boy from Evelyn’s photo.

The child Henry was willing to be there for.

Sure enough, Evelyn walked in with a bottle of water a moment later. She looked surprised to see us.

“Miss Clarke? Are you here for the meeting too?” She glanced around. “Why don’t I see the child’s father?”

My gaze instinctively shifted to Henry at her words.

He avoided my eyes.

Realization hit me. He was afraid I would expose him.

For a moment, I felt like I was transported back to the day Evelyn returned.

That night, the ever-cold Henry had gotten drunk for the first time.

When he heard his son call him Daddy, he had actually smiled for the first time.

My son and I had thought that our wait was finally over.

However, the next moment, the name he whispered was not mine.

It was Evelyn’s.

That was when I knew. He had mistaken us for someone else.

I tightened my grip on my son’s hand, ready to speak. However, before I could say anything, my son beat me to it.

“My dad is overseas. He’s very busy, so I don’t want to bother him.”

With one sentence, the two of them were left stunned.

I looked down at my son in disbelief, seeing his reddened and welled-up eyes.

He was looking at Henry, smiling as though he finally understood everything.