ROMAN
I stood at the edge of the crowd, a shadow among the celebration. The grand opening of the Rogue Foundation was a success by any measure – the turnout impressive, the media coverage extensive, the speeches moving. And at the center of it all stood my mate, Vanessa West, radiant and powerful beside her business partner.
My chest ached with a complicated mix of pride and pain. Pride for what she'd accomplished against impossible odds. Pain that I was watching from a distance, an outsider to her triumph.
"Dad, why are we standing all the way back here?" Fabian tugged at my sleeve, his small face scrunched in confusion. "We can't even see Mom properly."
"It's better this way," I said, keeping my voice low. "Your mom needs space to shine today."
My son rolled his eyes with all the dramatic flair a six-year-old could muster. "That's stupid. Mom always wants to see us."
