Chapter 0409
“It was good, Grandpa! But I miss my friend John. He’s going to be away for at least a month. He’s nicer to me, the other kids are good, but I talk a lot with John. I really miss tml”
“Ethan, you just saw him on Saturday…”
“But I miss him! He likes talking about castles and things. The other kids just want to play and cause trouble…”
“And you don’t cause trouble?”
“No, not anymore!”
“I promise, if you behave and eat all your vegetables–especially the fish–tomorrow I’ll take you to John’s house after school. I have to go out for a bit, but I’ll come back by morning. Fabian can pick you up tomorrow. What do you think?”
Ethan’s eyes lit up, his deep gray eyes shining brighter. He jumped up from the table and ran to hug his grandfather’s neck, pulling him down.
“Thank you, Grandpa! Thank you! I promise I’ll be good!”
“I know! This time, I had no complaints from the family you visited, so that’s why I’m letting you go again. Now, sit down and eat your dinner…”
Minutes later, Alden came home from work and joined them for dinner.
“How was work, Alden?”
“Good, Dad!”
“Hello, little one! Eating fish?”
“Yes! If I eat it all, Grandpa will take me to John’s house tomorrow.”
“Oh, I see! That’s where the interest is…”
“Alden, tomorrow I have to travel to Switzerland. I was notified that the person we have over there has woken up and wants to talk to someone.”
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“Father, are you sure you want to go? Can I go instead?”
“No, son, I have to go. That person needs to see me, I have a lot to talk to them about…”
“Alright! I’ll arrange the plane to leave first thing in the morning…
“No, I promised Ethan I’d take him to his friend’s house, and after that, I’ll leave: I’m sure I’ll get home by early morning. Don’t worry, it’s an hour and a half flight, it wont take long to go see her.”
“Okay, Dad! Just make sure you don’t overdo it.”
“Don’t worry!
After the family had dinner, Ethan was tucked in by Alden and fell into a deep sleep. Alden watched his son and marveled at how fast he was growing. It felt like just yesterday when he and Grace had to flee their country to save him from the clutches of his maternal grandfather.
Alden left Ethan’s room and saw the light still on in his father’s study. He noticed the door was slightly ajar and walked in. His father was taking a sip of whiskey, gazing out toward the vast gardens of the house.
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Chapter 0409
+25 BONUS
“You hardly drink, when you do, it’s because there’s something on your mind,” Alden sald, standing beside his father.
“Maximus found out today…” Peter said calmly.
“WHAT?” Alden exclaimed in surprise.
“It was late, and I forgot to check if there was anyone familiar. He saw me while I was helping Ethan out of his car seat.”
“What did he say? What was his reaction? Does anyone else know?”
“No, Alden! I made him promise he wouldn’t say anything had a pleasant conversation with him, and honestly, I could tell you it felt very familiar.”
“I tell you, what you need is to be around people who know you, or who knew you. The memories will come back little by little. Isolation doesn’t bring anything good…”
“Sometimes I wish I could believe you, but then I think of all the people who suffered because of my departure. How do I explain to them that I never looked for them?”
“Are you talking about Mary? I know that even though you say you feel nothing when you see her, your eyes tell me otherwise. It’s like something inside you remembers her.”
“Alden, there’s no point in going down that road. Don’t you work with her husband?”
