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FAMILIAL BONDS

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Sophie gripped the steering wheel, her eyes focused on the road as the steady hum of the car filled the quiet. In the backseat, Micah sat with his headphones on, lost in his own world. The sound of her phone connecting through the car speakers broke the silence, and soon her brother's voice came through.

"Soph! What's up?" 

Sophie smiled, the sound of her brother's voice instantly brightening her mood. "Just heading to school. What about you?"

"Ugh, my boss is driving me nuts with these last-minute changes on the case file," Nick groaned, before switching gears. "How's my nephew?"

Sophie glanced in the rearview mirror at Micah, who was bobbing his head slightly to the beat of his music. "He's good. Zoned out with his headphones."

Nick chuckled. "What's up with you, though? You sound distracted."

Sophie hesitated for a moment, then took a breath. "Have you been watching the news lately?"

"Not really, I've been swamped with work. Why? What happened?"

"Kai was on TV," Sophie said, her voice tightening. "And... he's running for city council."

There was a brief pause before Nick responded, clearly surprised. "Wait, Kai Anderson? When did he get back in town?"

"I don't know. I just saw it on the news the other day." Sophie replied, her grip tightening on the wheel. "Seeing him... it was fucking surreal."

"Damn," Nick muttered. "Do you think he knows you're here?"

"I'm not sure. It's been years."

Nick let out a low whistle. "Are you gonna tell him?"

Sophie stole another glance at Micah, making sure he was still absorbed in his music before she flicked her eyes back to the road. "Should I?"

"It's been over six years, Soph. I guess it depends on who he is now," Nick said gently.

"Yeah." Sophie sighed as she pulled into the school parking lot. "Anyway, I just got to work. We'll talk more later."

"Alright. Love you, talk soon."

"Love you."

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Sophie sat in the teachers' lounge, absently stirring her yogurt while Aria plopped down in the chair across from her. 

"Ugh, I swear those kids get more energy every day," Aria groaned, pulling out her salad. "How do they do it?"

Sophie chuckled. "They're fueled by chaos and sugar."

Aria laughed. "So, any exciting plans for the weekend?"

"Honestly? No. I haven't even been on a date in... I don't know how long."

Aria raised an eyebrow. "How long are we talking?"

"Months," Sophie confessed, leaning back in her chair. "Like, I haven't had sex in forever, let alone gone out."

Aria gasped dramatically, her hand over her heart. "Sophie Campbell, that is a crime against humanity!"

Sophie laughed, rolling her eyes. "Yeah, well, between Micah, work, and just... everything else, who has time?"

"You do," Aria declared, pointing her fork at Sophie. "This weekend, you're coming with me. We're going out, hitting a bar, and having some fun."

Sophie groaned, shaking her head. "I don't know, Aria."

"It'll be good for you. You've been cooped up for too long." Aria leaned forward, her voice softening. "Come on, Soph. You deserve a break. Let's go out, have a couple of drinks, maybe meet some cute guys. It'll be fun."

Sophie hesitated, biting her lip. "I don't know..."

"Sophie, no more excuses." Aria smiled, giving her a nudge. "You need this. Trust me."

Sophie sighed but couldn't help the small grin creeping onto her face. "I guess I could get Nick to watch the kid for a couple hours."

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At the end of the day, Sophie walked around her classroom, tidying up. She picked up stray markers, tossed loose papers, and wiped down the whiteboard before writing the next day's date in cursive. A soft knock at the door made her turn.

Her hand paused mid-air, the dry-erase marker dangling in her grip as she made eye contact with someone she hadn't seen in years—her old best friend, standing next to Oz. 

"Winter?" Sophie's voice came out in disbelief.

Winter looked just as shocked. "Holy shit."

"Oh my god." Sophie quickly capped the marker, setting it down as she walked toward her.

"I had no idea you were Oz's teacher," Winter said, still processing the surprise. "When did you move back?"

"Two years ago," Sophie replied, still in a daze. She stepped forward, pulling Winter into a hug, which Winter returned. "It's really good to see you."

Winter pulled back, her expression still shocked. "I wanted to reach out, but you just...vanished. No social media or anything."

"You know each other?" Oz asked, looking up at the two women curiously.

"Yeah, we were best friends in high school," Winter explained with a smile. "And a little after that."

Sophie nodded, feeling a pang of guilt. She had never meant for them to lose touch, but with everything that happened, staying apart felt like the right thing.

Just then, Aria walked in, Micah following closely behind. "Thought I'd bring him by," Aria said cheerfully.

Micah rushed over to his mom, wrapping his arms around her waist. 

Sophie placed a hand on his shoulder. "Thanks, Aria. Sorry, I got caught up."

"No worries, I'll see you later." Aria waved before slipping out.

Sophie's gaze shifted back to Winter, who was watching Micah with interest.

"Who's this little guy?" Winter asked, lowering herself to Micah's level.

"Oh, um." Sophie hesitated for a second. "This is my son... Micah."

Winter's eyes widened briefly in surprise, but she quickly smiled and extended her hand. "Hi, Micah. I'm Winter."

Micah glanced up at his mom for reassurance, and Sophie nodded. "Hi, Winter," he said shyly, shaking her hand.

Winter studied him for a moment, and Sophie felt a knot form in her stomach. Could Winter see it? The resemblance Sophie couldn't unsee.

"How old are you, Micah?" Winter asked in a friendly tone.

"Six," Micah answered flatly before tugging at Sophie's hand. "Can we go home now?"

Sophie laughed softly, relieved. "Yeah, baby." 

"Do you want to exchange numbers, maybe catch up soon?" Winter asked, her gaze shifting to Sophie.

Sophie hesitated for a moment but then she nodded. "Y-yeah. That would be great."

Winter smiled, sticking her unlocked phone out to her. Sophie typed her information into the phone, sending herself a text to save Winter's number before handing it back.

"Cool," Winter said, tucking her phone away. "I'll catch you later."

"For sure," Sophie replied, offering a smile. Her eyes shifted to Oz. "Bye, Oz," she said, waving. 

Oz waved back with a small smile before following Winter out the door.

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Sophie leaned casually over her kitchen counter, sipping a glass of wine as she texted Winter back and forth. A soft smile played on her lips as they joked about old times, swapping memories. The ease of their conversation felt familiar, comforting. 

Winter had been curious about Micah, still finding it surreal that Sophie was a mom. Sophie sent a couple of baby pictures, and Winter gushed about how adorable he was. 

As she typed a reply, Sophie called out toward the hallway. "I don't hear that water running!"

From his bedroom, Micah groaned, his voice muffled by the walls. He was probably lost in one of his books on insects. "I don't wanna!"

Sophie sighed, setting her phone down with a quiet clink. "Nobody wants to be friends with a dirty person!" she called back.

"I don't care!" Micah shot back defiantly.

With a deep breath, Sophie pushed away from the counter and walked down the hall to his room, leaning against the doorway. Just as she suspected, Micah was sprawled out on the bed, flipping through one of his favorite books, completely absorbed.

"One," Sophie said firmly, arms crossed, giving him her best stern look.

"Mom..." he whined, not even looking up.

"Two," she continued, her tone unwavering.

Micah huffed, rolling his eyes before sliding off the bed. "Fine," he grumbled, storming off toward the bathroom in defeat.

"Thank you," Sophie replied, her arms falling to her sides as she watched him march away, a small smile tugging at her lips.

Sophie walked back into the kitchen, finishing the last sip of her wine before grabbing her phone. She tapped the screen to FaceTime her brother, the chime ringing through the room until Nick finally picked up.

"Hey," Sophie greeted, smiling as her brother's scruffy face appeared on the screen.

"Hey," Nick waved, setting his phone down on the counter while he continued cooking. 

"You'll never guess who I ran into today," Sophie said, leaning onto the counter and placing her wine glass down, holding the phone out in front of her.

"Mmm," Nick mumbled, stepping out of the frame for a moment. "Nicole Kidman?"

Sophie rolled her eyes. "No."

Nick returned to the screen. "Okay, who?"

"Winter," Sophie said, watching for his reaction.

Nick's jaw dropped in exaggerated shock. "No shit?"

Sophie pressed her lips into a tight line, nodding. "Yep."

"How'd that happen?" Nick asked, leaning closer to the camera.

"She's my student's new nanny," Sophie explained, standing up to walk to the fridge. She pulled out a bottle of wine and poured another glass. "We've been talking... and she may or may not have met Micah."

Nick paused, his tone shifting. "Oh shit," 

Sophie took a long sip from her freshly poured glass. 

"So, what happened? Did she... say anything?" Nick asked cautiously.

Sophie shook her head, swirling the wine in her glass as she leaned back against the counter. "No. She was surprised I had a kid, but she didn't ask anything about his dad. Thank God."

Nick let out a sigh. "That's something, at least. But still... what's your plan? I mean, if Winter's around, it's only a matter of time before..."

"I know," Sophie cut him off. "I've been thinking about it non-stop."

She chewed on the inside of her cheek, casting a quick glance at the doorway to make sure Micah wasn't nearby. A moment of quiet stretched between them before she looked back at the screen. "Actually—could you be the best brother ever and watch your nephew this Friday?"

Nick's face lit up as he flipped something sizzling on the stove. "Um, of course!"

Sophie chuckled. "You're a godsend."

"So I've been told." 

Sophie smiled, feeling a weight lift off her shoulders as she glanced at the clock. "Alright, I better get Micah ready for bed."

"Give him hugs for me," Nick said warmly. 

"Will do," Sophie nodded. "Love you."

"Love you too. Night, Soph," Nick called out before the screen went dark.

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Sophie flipped the page of their bedtime book, her arm wrapped around Micah as he snuggled close. She continued reading, her voice animated to keep him engaged.

"'Perhaps Harry had eaten a bit too much, because he had a very strange dream. He was wearing Professor Quirrell's turban, which kept talking to him, telling him he must transfer to Slytherin at once, because it was his destiny.'"

Sophie infused the words with playful dramatization, her tone rising and falling to bring the story to life for Micah. 

"'Harry told the turban he didn't want to be in Slytherin; it got heavier and heavier. He tried to pull it off, but it tightened painfully—and there was Malfoy, laughing at him as he struggled with it—then Malfoy turned into the hook-nosed teacher, Snape, whose laugh became high and cold—there was a burst of green light, and Harry woke, sweating and shaking. He rolled over and fell asleep again, and when he woke the next day, he didn't remember the dream at all.'"

Sophie closed the book softly as they reached the end of the chapter, resting it on her lap as Micah shifted slightly against her. His eyes, once wide with excitement from the story, now looked a little more thoughtful.

"I don't like Draco," Micah murmured, his small voice breaking the silence. "He's like the boys at school."

Sophie's heart sank as her fingers instinctively brushed through Micah's hair. She thought back to the little shits who had been tormenting her son for his father's absence. "Jack and Marcus?" she asked, though she already knew the answer.

Micah nodded, then paused, his fingers fidgeting with the edge of his blanket before looking up at her. "I know that every family is different but... I wonder about him."

A pang of guilt shot through Sophie as she studied his little face, trying to hide the worry building inside her. "Does it bother you? That he's not in your life?"

Micah was quiet for a second, his gaze falling to the book they'd just finished. He shrugged. "If he didn't want me, then I don't want him either."

Sophie's frown deepened. "It's not that he didn't want you, Micah."

"Then why isn't he here?"

Sophie paused, struggling to find the right words. "Sometimes... grown-ups make decisions that don't really have anything to do with the people they love. But I need you to know that you are so loved, okay? By me, Uncle Nicky, and everyone who's lucky enough to know you." 

Micah gave a small, understanding nod, a faint smile softening his face. He was quiet for a moment before he asked, "What was he like?"

Sophie sighed, smiling faintly. It was only natural for him to be curious. 

"He was handsome," she started, her eyes drifting as she recalled old memories. "Charismatic, smart... and he cared, even though he had a hard life. He had this way of making people feel like they could change the world if they just believed enough."

Micah listened intently. "He sounds nice."

"He was," Sophie agreed, her smile turning wry. "And also a little bit of an asshole."

"Mom!" Micah gasped, wide-eyed at her choice of words.

"Yeah, yeah, I'll put a quarter in the jar." Sophie chuckled, rolling her eyes as she sat up. She gently pulled the covers up to his chest. "Now get some sleep. I love you." She leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to the top of his head.

"Love you," Micah murmured, settling in.

Sophie stood, quietly exiting his room and closing the door softly behind her.

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Sophie sat at her dining table, perfectly positioned in front of the wide bay windows. Streetlights filtered in through the glass, blending with the occasional headlights of passing cars.

She lifted her glass of wine to her lips, savoring the rich taste before she uncapped her red pen. Her eyes moved steadily over the stack of her students' homework, her brows occasionally furrowing in concentration. 

One foot rested casually on the edge of her chair as she sat comfortably in just her underwear and tank top. Sophie hummed softly to herself, occasionally marking an answer wrong with a quick flick of her pen, then writing a neat letter at the top of the page.

Something flickered in her peripheral vision, making her pause. She hesitated, reluctant to lift her gaze but felt an unsettling prickle at the back of her neck. Slowly, she turned her head toward the large bay windows.

Her breath caught.

Standing on the other side of the street, staring directly at her house—at her—was a figure. Her heart rate picked up, a chill creeping over her skin as she took in his appearance. He looked male, clad in a long leather coat that billowed slightly in the evening breeze.  

A grotesque clown mask covered his face, with distorted features on either side of his head. Each face had an oversized, red nose and a deep, scowling expression. Perched atop of the eerie faces was a small, crooked top hat.

Sophie's fingers tightened around the pen, her body frozen in place as her wide eyes locked onto the chilling figure outside her window.

Sophie set the pen down before using the table for support to stand. Keeping her eyes on the clown, she cautiously moved toward the window and yanked the curtains shut. She took a moment to steady herself, letting out a shaky breath before walking over to the front door to check the lock. It clicked reassuringly, confirming it was secure.

A sudden ding from her phone on the counter jolted her from her thoughts. She walked over, picked it up, and saw a message from an unknown number. Without a second thought, she typed a quick reply.

Miss me?

Who is this?

Sophie stared at the screen, watching the bubbles appear as the sender typed, only for them to suddenly vanish. "What the fuck?"

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A/N: Hello! Welcome :) This is the second installation of my series but obviously can be read as a stand alone. This story is basically if the Haunting Adeline, Forever My Girl, and Cult storylines had a baby xD Anyways I hope you all enjoy!