The afternoon sun filtered through the glass walls of the lobby, casting long golden streaks across the marble floor. Most of the staff had already gone for lunch, leaving behind the quiet hum of distant footsteps and the faint sound of keyboards from upstairs. I had just ended another meeting, one that should've left me satisfied. It didn't. Nothing had lately.
My focus was fractured, my thoughts circling the same ghost I couldn't shake, Tiffany Rayes.
It had been a week since her unexpected reappearance in my company, and I still couldn't decide whether fate was mocking me or testing me. Every time I thought I'd buried her memory for good, she resurfaced, the one person who had once known every part of me and chose to vanish anyway.
I was headed toward the exit when I caught a glimpse of movement near the reception. A woman stood by the front desk, her hand resting lightly on the shoulder of a small boy. The sight made me stop.
Tiffany.
Even from across the lobby, I recognized her instantly. That soft posture, the way she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, it was all the same, painfully familiar. She was speaking to the receptionist with that calm, collected tone that always used to steady me… once upon a time.
But what caught me off guard wasn't her.
It was the boy.
He couldn't have been more than five or six, bright-eyed, curious, with hair a shade of chestnut that caught the light in a way that made something deep inside me stir. He clutched a small toy car in one hand, glancing around the room with restless energy.
And then his eyes landed on me.
He froze and smiled. A small, innocent, utterly disarming smile.
Before Tiffany could even notice, the boy suddenly took off running.
"Daddy!" he shouted, his voice echoing across the marble floor.
My heart stopped.
Every sound in the lobby vanished, swallowed by the weight of that single word.
Tiffany turned sharply, her face draining of color. "Ethan!" she gasped. "Wait !"
But he was already in front of me, his tiny arms outstretched, his grin wide and unguarded.
I just stood there, completely still, staring down at him. My brain couldn't process the word he'd just said. Daddy.
Before I could say anything, a man appeared tall, neatly dressed in a tailored navy suit, his expression somewhere between polite charm and irritation. He walked up quickly, placing a hand on the boy's shoulder.
"Hey, hey, champ," he said with forced cheerfulness. "Remember what we talked about? I'm not your daddy yet, okay? Not until Mommy says so."
The words sliced through me before I could even react.
Tiffany caught up to them, her breathing uneven. "Ethan, sweetheart, you can't just run off like that."
The boy blinked, confused. "But, Mommy, I thought"
"Shh." She brushed a hand through his hair, trying to compose herself. "Come here."
The man looked up at me then and extended his hand with a practiced smile. "I'm Lucas. Lucas Meyer. Tiffany's" He hesitated slightly, glancing at her before finishing, "partner."
Partner.
Of course.
I shook his hand, my grip steady, my expression unreadable. "Carter," I said coolly. "Dave Carter."
Recognition flickered in his eyes. "Right. Carter Holdings. Tiffany mentioned she worked here now."
"Did she?" I asked, my tone even, but my gaze shifted to Tiffany. She avoided my eyes.
Lucas gave a light laugh, oblivious to the tension coiling in the air. "Small world, huh?"
"Too small," I replied quietly.
Tiffany tugged lightly at Ethan's hand. "Come on, honey. We're meeting your uncle for lunch."
Ethan turned back toward me, confusion written all over his face. "Bye, Daddy," he said softly.
Lucas laughed again, forced this time. "You've got quite the imagination, buddy."
But Tiffany's face, it wasn't amused. It was pale. Haunted.
She met my gaze for one fleeting second, something fragile flickering behind her eyes, then turned away.
I stood there, watching them walk out through the glass doors, a dozen thoughts crashing through my mind.
She had a new life. A new man. And maybe… a child.
But that word, Daddy, kept echoing, carving itself deeper into my chest.
---
Hours later, I found myself unable to concentrate. The office was quiet, bathed in the glow of the city at dusk, but my mind was chaos. Every memory, every unspoken question, kept replaying in my head.
I told myself it didn't matter. That it wasn't my business. That Tiffany could do whatever she wanted with her life.
But no matter how many times I told myself that, the image of the boy's eyes wouldn't leave me.
There was something too familiar about them.
I needed air.
It was close to closing time when I took the elevator down to the lobby. The building was nearly empty, only the faint murmur of the security staff and the sound of the revolving door turning occasionally.
And that's when I saw him again.
Ethan.
He was sitting alone on one of the waiting couches, his little legs swinging back and forth, humming quietly to himself. A coloring book sat open on his lap, and crayons scattered around him.
For a brief moment, I just watched him. He looked… peaceful. It is too peaceful to belong in a world like mine.
I approached slowly, my footsteps soft against the marble.
He looked up, startled for a second, then smiled. "Hi again, Mister."
I nodded slightly. "Hi, kid. What are you doing here alone?"
"Mommy went to the bathroom," he said, pointing toward the hallway. "Uncle Lucas is outside on the phone."
I hummed. "I see."
For a few moments, silence lingered between us ,not awkward, just oddly calm. Then, out of nowhere, he asked, "Are you my daddy?"
The question stopped me cold.
I blinked, trying to find words that didn't exist. Finally, I said quietly, "No. I'm not."
Ethan tilted his head, unconvinced. "Oh."
Then, after a moment, he smiled again, a small, knowing smile that made my chest tighten. "But in my dreams, you are."
My lips parted, but no sound came. He went on, his voice soft, innocent. "In my dream, you take me to the park and buy me ice cream. You laugh a lot, and Mommy smiles, too."
I exhaled slowly, my throat tightening. "Dreams can be tricky, kid."
He giggled. "Yeah. But I like that one."
I crouched a little, so we were at eye level. "You already have a daddy, Ethan."
He frowned, shaking his head. "I don't want Uncle Lucas to be my daddy. I want you to be my daddy."
The words hit me harder than they should have. I stared at him, at the innocence in his expression, the unwavering sincerity in his tone. He had no idea what those words did to me.
I forced a small chuckle, masking the sudden unease curling in my gut. "You don't even know me."
He grinned. "But I feel like I do."
Before I could respond, a familiar voice called across the lobby. "Ethan!"
Tiffany.
She was walking toward us quickly, her face pale with worry. "Oh thank God," she breathed, crouching beside him. "I told you to stay where I could see you."
Ethan looked up at her innocently. "Sorry, Mommy. I was talking to Mr.…" He looked back at me.
"Mr. Carter," I supplied evenly.
Tiffany's eyes flicked to mine at the name. A brief silence passed between us, thick, heavy, charged.
"Right." She straightened, adjusting her bag. "Come on, sweetheart. Let's go."
Ethan pouted. "But I like talking to Mr. Carter."
Tiffany's expression faltered. "I know. But we have to go now."
He sighed. "Okay, Mommy. Bye, Mr. Carter."
"Bye, kid," I said quietly.
He took her hand, still looking back at me as they walked toward the door. Tiffany didn't look back once, but I knew she felt my eyes on her.
When they were gone, the silence in the lobby pressed down hard
I ran a hand through my hair, exhaling slowly.
It should've been simple. It's just a misunderstanding. Just a kid.
But something deep in my gut told me it wasn't.
Because the more I tried to shake his words, the more they clung to me
Are you my daddy?
And for the first time in six years, I couldn't tell whether I wanted the answer.