Zayden stood at the threshold for a long moment. The door was open, and he could see Eiran sitting at the table in the corner of the room, playing chess alone.
Although he knew he had done wrong, he couldn't find the words to apologize to the child. It was only a few words, yet they refused to come out no matter how hard he tried.
"I-I," he began. "Sorry," he managed.
He had been practicing for a while now. Inhaling deeply, he stepped into the room.
Ren had gone to make sure Enzo was comfortable in the guest room, leaving him to apologize alone.
He cleared his throat softly, hoping to catch his son's attention. Eiran didn't turn around. Perhaps he already knew it was his father, or perhaps the sound hadn't registered at all.
With a quiet exhale, Zayden took the seat across from him. His gaze drifted to the chessboard, instinctively analyzing the pieces. Black was losing. The queen stood before the king—it was a check.
