Chapter 25

Annie's POV

Crisp autumn air swirled around us as we stood before the imposing facade of Upper East Side Private Preschool. Lucy's small hand felt warm in mine, her fingers tightening nervously as other children streamed past us into the building. She kept glancing back at Howard and me,her blue eyes wide with an emotion I couldn't quite read.

"Have a wonderful day, sweetheart," I said softly, giving her hand a gentle squeeze before letting go.

She took a few steps toward the entrance, then turned back again. This time, she lifted her hand in a tentative wave, her smile small but genuine.I waved back, watching as she disappeared into the building, my heart squeezing with a familíar mixture of pride and protectiveness.

"Mom?"

The quiet voice behind me made me freeze. I knew that voice-had heard it in my dreams and nightmares for months. Brian stood there, looking smaller somehow in his perfectly pressed uniform, his usual defiance replaced by something that looked almost like...remorse?

Howard's deep voice came from the direction of his car. "I'll wait in the car."The subtle support in his tone gave me strength.

"Mom..." Brian's voice cracked on the word. "I'm sorry."

Those two words hung in the air between us,stirring memories I thought I'd carefully packed away. How many times had I imagined hearing those words? But now, facing my son's tear-filled eyes, I felt oddly detached. "Sarah... she always said bad things about you," he continued, words tumbling out in a rush. "She told me you were too strict, that you just wanted to control me. But after you left..." His voice wobbled. "I realized you were just wvorried about my stomach problems. You weren't being mean when you made me eat healthy food."

I maintained my composure, though every maternal instinct screamed to gather him in my arms. "I can forgive you, Brian." The words came out steady, measured. "But your sister won't."

His face crumpled in confusion. "Sister? You mean Lucy? But she's not-"

"The baby I lost." The words hung between us like shards of glass. "When you pushed me down the stairs that day... you didn't just hurt me."

Understanding dawned in his eyes, followed by horror. "I didn't mean it...Mom,I didn't-"

"You know you meant it better than I do. Also, you followed Sarah's instruction." My voice remained calm, though my hands trembled slightly.

"What I am saying is I need time, Brian. Time to heal."

He burst into tears, his small frame shaking. "Why do you care more about Lucy than me? I don't understand why you can't accept my apology.Why? I looked at my son - this child I'd carried, birthed, loved with every fiber of my being-and felt an ocean of grif and love and hurt surge through me. Fora moment, I almost reached for him. Almost.I said softly. "Because you still don't understand what family really means." Turning away from his sobs was one of the hardest things I'd ever done. Each step toward Howard's waiting car felt like walking through quicksand,memories of happier times with Brian threatening to pull me under.

No, not so easy. The voice inside my head told me. The baby I lost wouldn't let it go so easily.

Inside the car, silence settled around us like a heavy blanket,broken only by the soft hum of the engine. My hands twisted nervously in my lap as I wondered how much Howard had overheard. The carefully constructed balance we'd found lately felt suddenly fragile, like a pencil sketch one errant move could smudge beyond repair.

I snuck a glance at his profile, remembering how elegantly he'd dressed for last night's dinner.

If only I was the one who had been out with him.

The memory of Lucy's words about Margaret echoed in my mind:"Grandma says daddy needs a proper wife." The thought of him dining with some polished socialite made my stomach clench.

Howard's voice, when it finally broke the silence, carried a gentleness that caught me off guard. "You handled that well with Brian," he said quietly."Sometimes love means maintaining boundaries."

His words loosened something in my chest, even as fresh anxiety bloomed.If Margaret had noticed my growing closeness with Howard... A woman like her would never accept someone like me in her son's life. Someone divorced,someone with my background. "Did you enjoy your dinner last night?" The question escaped before I could stop it, laden with all the insecurities I couldn't voice. I kept my eyes fixed on the company drawing near, watching Howard's reflection in the window grow still.

"Annie," he began, his tone carrying something I wasn't ready to hear."About that dinner-"

"We're here," I cut in quickly, relief flooding through me as I spotted his secretary's purposeful stride through the garage. I wasn't sure why I kept running from these conversations. Maybe because accepting Margaret's inevitable interference would make everything too real. "Your secretary looks like she has urgent news."

Howard's expression in the reflection suggested he had more to say,but his secretary was already opening his door, her professional demeanor barely masking her urgency. "Mr. Thompson, there's a document that needs your signature."

"Ms. Baker." The secretary's professional tone carried a note of surprise."Mr. Thompson, the document..."

"Go ahead," I managed a smile that felt brittle. "I remember the way to the art studio."

The executive elevator carried me upward in solitary silence. I used the time to compose myself, pushing thoughts of Brian's tears and Howard's dinner date into a mental box to be examined later. The doors opened onto the executive floor-and directly into Margaret Thompson's perfectly coordinated presence. "Well." Her practiced smile didn't reach her eyes. "What an...unexpected pleasure." I fought the urge to step backward, forcing myself to meet her appraising gaze. Her gaze swept over me with the kind of calculated assessment that made me feel like every thread of my clothing was being weighed and found wanting.

"I would have thought you'd be at home," she continued, her voice honey-sweet with underlying steel. "Isn't childcare rather... demanding?"

I straightened my spine, remembering every obstacle I'd overcome to get here. "Howard invited me to design character illustrations for the company's female-oriented gaming project. He feels my style would resonate well with the target demographic."

"How... industrious." Margaret's smile turned razor-sharp. "Though I do wonder about poor Lucy's after-school hours. One child is quite enough responsibility, wouldn't you agree?"

The implied criticism hung in the air between us. I opened my mouth to respond when a familiar cologne announced Howard's presence.

"Mother." His voice carried a warning edge. "I wasn't aware you were visiting today."

"Just checking on the Catherine situation, darling." Margaret's tone transformed instantly. "She said your dinner was lovely."

I felt the blood drain from my face. Of course Catherine would be perfect-probably some Harvard-educated heiress who knew which fork to use for each course. "Annie." Howard's hand brushed my elbow, feather-light but grounding."The design team is waiting in my office." I seized the escape route gratefully, slipping past Margaret's perfectly coordinated form. But I couldn't miss her parting shot, delivered with devastating precision: "Howard,deat, remember what we discussed about proper matches."

The words followed me down the hallway, echoing with all my deepest insecurities. What was I doing here.pretending I could bridge the chasm between our worlds?

I was too naive.