┏━━━━━━━━━┓

𝖳𝖧𝖤 𝖥𝖠𝖨𝖱

┗━━━༻❁༺━━━┛

Nick lounged on Sophie's bed, his body sprawled out lazily as he propped his head up on his hand, eyes following her every move. Sophie moved around the room in a blur, pulling clothes out of her closet and tossing them onto the bed with frustrated sighs. Each outfit she considered felt wrong, too tight or too loose, nothing sitting right. Her thoughts kept spinning, consumed by the impending awkwardness of the evening.

The decision to invite Kai and Winter to join them at the fair had seemed like a good idea at the time, but now, as the clock ticked closer, the anxiety tightened in her chest.

Nick's voice broke through her racing thoughts. "You're seriously overthinking this,"

"I think I might spontaneously combust at any moment," Sophie sighed.

"He's your baby daddy, not a serial killer,"

Sophie shot him a glare.

"Speaking of serial killers," Nick began, leaning forward slightly. "you hear from your stalker at all?"

Sophie's entire body seemed to deflate at the mention of it. She had been so consumed with Kai and Micah that she had completely forgotten about the stranger watching her every move.

"No, thank god," she murmured. "But it doesn't really make me feel safer, y'know? The detective said he'd have officers watching the house, but... I haven't seen any."

"Soph, if you need me to move in for a while, just say the word."

"No, no," Sophie shook her head. "It's okay. I appreciate it, really, but... I'll be fine."

Her words felt hollow, even to her own ears, and she quickly glanced away, not wanting him to see how much she was unraveling on the inside. She wasn't fine. But she wasn't going to burden anyone else with her fear.

────༻❁༺────

Sophie stood by the towering Ferris wheel, her nervous energy making her bounce slightly on her heels as she waited. Her attention was drawn to her son who was standing beside her. He clutched an ice cream cone in his small hand, the melting treat slowly dripping down the sides and onto his fingers. Sophie's eyes locked on the growing mess.

"Micah," she sighed, crouching down to his level, motioning for him to hand it over. "Watch,"

Micah looked at her, then at his ice cream, before reluctantly offering it up to her. Sophie took it from his hand, gently tipping it sideways as she licked around the edge, catching the stray drips. She turned her hand slowly as she cleaned it off before holding it back out to him.

"Eat it like that so your hands don't get gross and sticky,"

Micah narrowed his eyes at her. "You did that so you could steal some of my ice cream, didn't you?"

Sophie raised an eyebrow, the corners of her lips twitching upward. "Fine," she shrugged with mock indignation, straightening up as she handed the cone back to him. "I'll just let you suffer in your mess next time."

Micah's grin widened as he took a dramatic lick of his ice cream, making sure to avoid any drips.

Her heart gave an uneasy lurch as she saw Winter and Kai approach. She tried to keep her smile in place, but it faltered slightly as her nerves surged. Why did everything feel so heavy now?

"Hey," she greeted, trying to sound casual, though the shakiness in her voice betrayed her.

They all exchanged pleasantries before Winter glanced around. "No Nicky?"

Sophie's gaze flitted to the surrounding fairgrounds. "He's around here somewhere,"

"Can we go on rides now?" Micah asked eagerly as he bounced on the balls of his feet, looking from one adult to the next. "I want to go on the Ferris wheel."

Sophie laughed softly as she glanced over at the towering ride. The massive wheel loomed overhead, its colorful gondolas slowly rotating, the sight making her stomach flip. "Mama's gonna have to pass on that one,"

"Boring," Micah sang out, dragging the word with dramatic flair.

Sophie gave him a playful roll of her eyes, the corner of her mouth twitching into a smile.

Kai looked between them. "I'll take him,"

"You sure?" Sophie asked.

"Yeah, I got this, don't worry." Kai flashed her a quick smile before turning his attention to Micah, gesturing toward the line. "Let's go, kid."

Micah grinned, practically bouncing in place as he scampered ahead. He was quick to catch up to Kai, his little legs taking long strides as they moved toward the ride.

Sophie turned to Winter, the question that had been gnawing at her finally escaping her lips. "So, how long did he know?"

She'd been avoiding Winter for the past few days. She knew something had been said to Kai—something that had nudged everything into motion.

"Since we ran into each other," Winter replied, her tone more apologetic than Sophie expected. "I had my suspicions, of course... and I did mention seeing you and Micah. But, Phi, I didn't tell him anything. He figured it out on his own."

Sophie didn't speak for a long moment and her eyes unconsciously drifted over to where Micah and Kai stood in line for the Ferris wheel. Her thoughts paused as she watched the two of them.

Kai, seemingly aware of her gaze, looked over at her, catching her eyes with his. A small smile tugged at his lips before he gently lifted Micah into his arms, holding him up so that the boy could see her too.

Micah's face lit up, his eyes shining with excitement as he waved enthusiastically in her direction. She couldn't help herself—her lips curved into a soft, affectionate smile, her hand lifting to wave back at them.

"They look happy." Winter's voice broke through Sophie's reverie, and she glanced back at her friend.

"Yeah,"

────༻❁༺────

Winter had wandered off, leaving Sophie, Kai, and Micah to explore the fairgrounds together. As they strolled, Kai paused at one of the game booths, grinning as he showed Micah how to toss rings just right to win a prize.

Sophie lingered nearby, watching them with a soft smile. She loved seeing her son so happy, and Kai, too, looked genuinely at ease, laughter lighting up his face as they cheered with each toss.

"Mama, look what I won!" Micah exclaimed, rushing over and proudly holding up a blue teddy bear.

"That's so cool!" Sophie matched his excitement.

Kai chuckled, folding his arms. "He's a fast learner," he remarked, a hint of pride in his voice.

"Oh, yeah," Sophie replied, reaching down to ruffle Micah's hair as he leaned comfortably against her hip. "He hit all his milestones early." She looked down fondly at her son. "My little over-achiever." Then, turning her gaze back to Kai, she added with a playful smile, "Something I think he got from you."

Kai held her gaze for a beat, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth, but before he could say anything, Sophie noticed Nick and Winter approaching them from across the fairgrounds.

"Where the hell have you two been?" Sophie asked as Nick and Winter finally joined them.

"Conspiring," Nick replied with a casual shrug before turning to Kai. He held out his hand, an almost challenging glint in his eyes. "Hey, man."

Kai shook his hand firmly. "Nick."

Nick's gaze lingered as if sizing him up, a smirk forming. "City Council, huh? Never pegged you for the type to become a politician."

Kai let out a dry chuckle as Sophie shifted uncomfortably beside them. "I did go to school for it."

"Right. Yale." Nick's expression hardened as he added, "The same school you ran off to after fucking my sister."

"Nick!" Sophie snapped, pulling Micah closer and quickly covering his ears.

"I'm just stating facts." Nick held up his hands in mock innocence.

Kai narrowed his eyes at Nick, a calculating smile forming. "You haven't changed a bit, have you?"

"Okay!" Sophie stepped in, her voice a forced cheerfulness. "What's next?"

Winter intervened smoothly, sensing the tension. "I figured Nicky and I could take Micah for a bit." She leaned down to Micah's level. "How about some rides, kiddo?"

"Perfect idea," Nick agreed, holding his hand out to his nephew. "Let's give mommy and daddy some time alone."

Sophie's eyes widened slightly, wanting to say something, but Micah had already moved to his uncle's side, clutching Nick's hand, and grabbed Winter's as well with a big grin. "Okay!"

Sophie barely had a chance to protest before Nick threw her a quick wink over his shoulder, and the three of them disappeared into the crowd.

────༻❁༺────

Kai and Sophie stood in line for the carousel and when it was their turn, Sophie led the way onto the platform, choosing one of the stationary benches rather than a horse. She settled onto the bench, and Kai joined her, sitting close enough that their shoulders nearly touched.

The carousel creaked to life, its lights flickering in colorful patterns as it began to turn, the obnoxious music drifting around them. Sophie turned slightly to face Kai. "So, tell me about your life," she started. "Catch me up."

Kai leaned back, gazing out at the blurred scenery as the carousel gained speed, his jaw tightening before he answered. "Well, I got my double degree, came back home, and then... Daniel turned into an asshole after his accident."

Sophie's brow creased in surprise. She remembered Daniel as distant, mostly consumed by work, but she hadn't imagined him as the abusive type. "Accident?"

"Yeah. Someone smashed into his car pretty badly. Left him paralyzed from the waist down." Kai's voice hardened, his eyes darkening. "After that, he was angry all the time. Took it out on us. Mostly on Ma."

The frustration in Kai's face was evident, and Sophie's heart ached at the thought. She'd always had a fondness for Janice. She realized how painful it must've been for her, and it stung knowing Micah had never met her. "How... how is she?" Sophie asked gently.

"I wouldn't know. Haven't heard from her since."

Sophie's shoulders slumped as she absorbed this. Janice had never struck her as someone who would abandon her kids, but considering the situation, she could understand the desperation that might have driven her to leave. She reached out, resting a comforting hand on Kai's shoulder. "I'm so sorry, Kai."

He shrugged, his mouth set in a thin line. "It is what it is." Clearing his throat, he quickly steered the conversation away. "What about you? I assume you went to school for teaching."

Sophie let out a soft, dry chuckle. "I've always been good with kids, so I thought it'd be easy."

"Is it?"

"Fuck no," She rolled her eyes, and they both laughed.

"From what I can see, Micah's a good kid," Kai stated. "So, you must be doing something right."

Sophie felt warmth rise in her chest, his words lingering longer than she expected. She glanced back at him with a soft smile. "Thanks."

The carousel slowed, the music winding down, and they both rose as it came to a stop. Sophie started to turn, but Kai paused.

"So, I was thinking..." he began, hesitating. "Maybe I could come over sometime, make dinner for you and Micah. Just the three of us."

Sophie opened her mouth to respond but found herself hesitating, only a breath escaping her lips.

Kai seemed to pick up on her hesitation and took a step closer. "Look, I'm grateful you're letting me be here, to know him. I know I missed a lot," he continued, sincerity thick. "Some of that is on me, and I want to make it up to you. To both of you."

Sophie's gaze lingered on him, studying the vulnerability in his expression. He seemed genuine, earnest even, but still, a whisper of doubt lingered in the back of her mind, a small voice warning her to be careful. Her heart tugged at her with mixed feelings—part of her wanting to trust, another part fearing it all might end in hurt again. Still, her resolve softened.

"Okay,"

────༻❁༺────