His Knees, His Pleas, But Our Son's in Peace

67

"I'll make sure you have plenty of books and puzzles waiting for you," Carlos promised with a soft smile.

Cyrus's face lit up, and I couldn't help but feel a wave of surprise. I hadn't realized just how well Carlos knew him, how much attention he had paid to the little things that made Cyrus happy. It made me see Carlos in a new light.

After they left, the following day, I met up with Blair to discuss our plans for the technology fair. Blair was thrilled. "Combining technology with art and design is going to set us apart," he said enthusiastically. "This could open so many doors for us."

I smiled, sharing in his excitement. "It's not just me, though. We did this together."Property belongs to Nôvel(D)r/ama.Org.

Blair nodded, but I could see the pride in his eyes. It felt good to have a partner as invested in the success of this project as I was.

Over the next few days, I threw myself into preparing my presentation for the exhibition. But just as I was starting to feel ready, an emergency came up at Blair's place, and he couldn't make it to the show. I was disappointed, but I knew I had to keep going. I decided to travel to the capital alone.

Later that evening, I met up with Vesta and told her about the upcoming trip. She congratulated me, but a thoughtful expression crossed her face. "What about Cyrus?" she asked. "Are you planning to take him with you?"

I nodded. "Yes, I've decided to bring him along."

Vesta frowned slightly. "I think you should talk to Carlos about that. Cyrus is a special child, and if he gets sick, a normal doctor might not be able to handle it."

Her words made me pause. She was right-Cyrus wasn't like other kids. He

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required special care, and I couldn't ignore that. I needed to talk to Carlos.

That night, I called Carlos. The sound of a lively party hummed in the background when he answered, but he quickly moved to a quieter place. "What's going on, Doris?" he asked, his voice steady.

I took a deep breath and explained my plan to take Cyrus with me to the capital. There was a brief pause before Carlos spoke, his voice calm but decisive. "Leave Cyrus with me," he said.

I blinked, surprised. "What? You want to take care of him?"

"Yes," Carlos replied simply. "He'll be safe here, and you won't have to worry while you're working."

I hesitated, but as I thought it over, I realized he was right. Carlos knew how to take care of Cyrus better than anyone else, and he had the resources to ensure Cyrus was well looked after.

After a long pause, I made my decision. "Alright," I said quietly. "I'll leave him with you."

I dropped Cyrus off at Carlos's house, feeling the usual pang of hesitation that came with leaving him behind. Carlos's housekeepers greeted us warmly, their smiles putting both of us at ease. Elena, one of the housekeepers, knelt to Cyrus's height, her gentle voice immediately drawing his attention.

"Hello, Cyrus! We're going to have a lot of fun while your mom is away," she said with a bright smile.

Cyrus clung to my leg for a moment, his little elephant toy in his hand. I leaned down to hug him, whispering in his ear, "Be good, sweetheart. I'll be back soon, okay?" He gave me a reluctant nod, and Elena reached for his hand.

"Don't worry, Ms. Doris. We'll take very good care of him," she reassured me. I knew I should trust them, but it didn't make leaving anve

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to Cyrus, I turned and headed to my car, feeling a strange mix of determination and guilt.

I had a flight to catch, and I was already cutting it close. As I moved through the morning traffic, I found myself attempting to change clothes-a real balancing act, even for me. By the time I reached the airport, I'd somehow managed to transform my rushed morning look into something suitable for work. My reflection showed a sophisticated, professional woman, though inside, I still felt like I was scrambling to catch up.

I reached the airport just in time to see that my flight was boarding. I hurried through security, mentally checking off every little step as I dashed through the terminal, finally slipping my heels on as I made it to the gate. The airline attendant scanned my boarding pass with a pleasant smile, and I breathed a sigh of relief.

Once on board, a stewardess led me to my seat in the first-class cabin-a perk my company had insisted on. I took a deep breath, finally allowing myself to relax. But my sense of relief vanished as soon as I spotted the person sitting beside me. Carlos.

I looked at him in shock, not expecting to meet him at all. And he looked calm, as if he had known he would run into me.

For a moment, we both just stared at each other. I could see his gaze travel down my outfit, his eyes taking in my polished, professional look.

"Doris?" he said, arching a brow. "I didn't expect to see you here."

"Carlos," I responded, my tone even but my mind racing. "I could say the same to you."

Didn't expect to meet me? Why can't I believe it?