Chapter 79
FOUR YEARS LATER…
“Mama!” Peter ran as soon as he saw his mother. Serena’s face lit up with a smile as she crouched down to embrace her son. The feeling of his little arms around her neck and the sound of his cute voice were like a healing balm for all the tiredness from work that had built up throughout the day.
“You sure are full of energy.” She giggled, pulling out from the hug and gently pinching his cheeks, “Have you been a good boy to nanny?”
“Yes. Mama!” Peter nodded happily, “I helped her clean the house and water the plants in the garden.”
“Wow, very good.” She lightly tapped his head and gave him a smile before standing up. She then turned to look behind her as Marcus walked into the house with their groceries from the market.
“Papa!” Peter exclaimed as he started running toward Marcus, causing Serena and Annie to exchange concerned looks before Serena turned her focus to Marcus and silently mouthed the word ‘sorry‘. Then she grabbed Peter’s hand and turned him to face her.
“Peter, Marcus isn’t your father. I already told you that, right? So, stop calling him papa.”
she spoke to him in a calm and gentle tone, wanting her son to truly understand what she was trying to say. This wasn’t the first time she had reminded him, but it seemed he still believed Marcus was his father because he often saw them together.
Over the past four years, Marcus had been a constant source of support for both her and Annie. He helped with everything. from fixing broken furniture in their home to taking care of their needs when they were unable to leave due to Serena’s high–risk pregnancy. Despite spending so much time together, there was never any romantic tension between them; they simply shared a deep friendship, enough for her to reveal her story and identity to him.
Unfortunately, the people on the island often mistook their closeness, causing occasional conflicts with their relationship.
“Then who’s my papa?” Serena winced as her son’s innocent question hit her. It was the first time he had asked about it, and she didn’t know how to respond. He was at an age where he was naturally curious, and she couldn’t deny that she felt guilty for not giving him all the information he deserved.
“Your papa’s away. He is working,” she responded, hoping it would be enough to deter Peter from continuing the conversation. But instead, it only seemed to spark his interest even more.
“What is his name? Why is he away? Doesn’t he love us? Everyone else in our village has their papas except for me.” He bombarded her with a question, causing her to feel a mix of emotions–hurt and guilt. She then looked at Marcus for help and he immediately crouched down beside Serena, ready to help with the explanation. After all, he knew it was difficult for her to handle Peter’s curiosity, especially when it involved his father.
“Listen, kiddo. Your dad cares about you and your mom. He had to go away to the city for work because he can make more money there than on this island.” he explained as he touched his shoulder, “As for his name, your will know it once you meet him, right Serena?”
Marcus and Peter both glanced at her, and she gave a hesitant nod, recalling Marcus‘ advice to go back home. He said it wasn’t fair for Peter to be kept in the dark about his true identity and not know who his birth father was. The thought had been weighing on her for some time now, especially ever since she found out that Perez knew about her pregnancy before
she ran away.
She couldn’t help but wonder if it was worth returning to the East or not.
“Yeah, Uncle Marcus is right.” she said, smiling at Peter, “Your father loves us so deeply that he had to make a difficult decision to be apart from us.”
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“R–really? Is my papa an alpha? I heard from other kids that Alphas are strong.” Peter’s eyes twinkle and Serena smiled, she couldn’t believe he was just three years old from the way he talked, but she was glad that he was a bright and smart kid.
It was cle
that he took after Perez in more ways than one: not only did they share the same eye color, but their facial features and behavior were almost identical. The only traits he seemed to have inherited from Serena were her hair color and complexion.
“That’s right, he’s an Alpha.” She nodded,
stopped informing her about his whereabouts, life her husband Perez was living now. After all, her father had
him or fretting over him, which she didn’t object to.
The less she knew, the less she would regret leaving him.
for the best that she didn’t know anything to avoid longing for
“When will I be able to meet him, Mama? I want to see what my papa looks like. He must be handsome, just like me!” Peter’s exclamation filled the room with excitement, causing Marcus, Serena, and Annie to all let out a chuckle. They couldn’t help but find him adorable at that moment.
“Soon, baby, you will meet him soon.” Serena answered, “And yes. He’s handsome, very handsome. He was also smart like you.”
Despite her initial hesitation, Serena found herself opening up and sharing more details about Perez. She couldn’t continue deceiving her son, as Marcus had pointed out; it wouldn’t be fair to Peter. So, she made a conscious effort to slowly reveal more stories about Perez.
“Good for you, kiddo.” Marcus grinned and gently patted his head before grabbing the bag of groceries and setting it down on the kitchen table. “I’ll head out-”
“What? Why don’t you stay for dinner? Nanny and I will cook something for you.” Serena offered. Marcus then looked back at her with a grateful smile.
“I really appreciate the offer, Serena, but I have to get going. There’s some work waiting for me at home.” Serena nodded in understanding and bid him farewell, thanking him for his time before watching him leave. After he was gone, she turned to Annie and Peter.
“Alright you two, let’s start cooking!”
Annie grinned widely as she put on her apron and followed Serena into the kitchen. “What are we making tonight?”
“Pancakes!” Peter exclaimed excitedly, causing both women to laugh.
“Honey, we’re eating dinner, not breakfast,” Serena stated as she began searching through cabinets and pulling out different ingredients to start cooking.
After a satisfying dinner of steak, mashed potatoes, and asparagus, Serena cleaned up the kitchen while Annie entertained Peter with some puzzles and coloring books. As soon as they were finished cleaning, Serena took Peter to their room to get ready for bed.
“Okay, sweetie, time to take a bath,” Serena announced as she turned on the faucet and let the warm water fill the tub.
Peter eagerly undressed himself and jumped into the tub, splashing around happily. Serena chuckled at his enthusiasm and washed his hair before letting him play in the water for a while.
“Mama, can you describe what Papa looks like?” he asked, causing her to pause as she rubbed shampoo through his hair.
“Hmm, he has amber–golden eyes, similar to yours. He stands tall and his build is muscular. His skin is tanned, and he proudly displays a cool tattoo on his arm.”
Serena couldn’t help but feel a twinge of longing as she described him. For a moment, she felt emotional–no matter how much time had passed, her love for him hadn’t dimmed one bit despite living without him for so long, Every night, she
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Chapter 79
would find herself lost in thoughts of him, wondering if he was angry at her for leaving or if he and Marga had ended up together.
The thought always left a bitter taste in her mouth. Still, she couldn’t help but always imagine the moment she and Perez would see each other again. Since he knew about their child, she wondered if he would accept Peter. How would he respond during their reunion? Would he be pleased?
“Ma.”
“Mama!” Peter’s voice cut through her train of thought, and she suddenly realized she had lost herself in her own imagination. She blinked twice, startled by her sudden realization, as she pulled her hands away from Peter’s hair. “Are you okay, Mama?”
“Oh yes, sorry. Mama just missed you, papa,” she responded with complete honesty, finally coming to the decision to stop avoiding their problems for the sake of her son. She realized that they couldn’t stay on this island forever. Regardless of whether Perez would accept them or not, they needed to return to the east where Peter could receive the best care, quality of life, and education. She knew she could only provide him with those things if they went back to the city.
“Then let’s meet him already,” he said, and Serena smiled while looking at Peter before washing his hair.
“When the time is right, we’ll go to the city and I will introduce you to your grandfather. And if luck is on our side, I’ll also meet your father.”
