He saw my emotions

Alex’s pov

I’ve never been one to show emotions or weakness. I always prided myself on staying calm, on keeping a clear head no matter what. But right now, I couldn’t breathe. My chest felt tight, as though my heart had shattered into a thousand pieces, and I didn’t even understand why. What is happening to me? Why did it hurt so much?

I dropped onto the couch like my legs couldn’t hold me anymore, burying my face in my hands. What the hell was going on with me? Why did seeing her again... hearing about her life now... cut so deep? I tried to pull myself together, but the pain wouldn’t go away. It sat there, heavy and suffocating. After a few minutes, I forced myself to move. I picked up my phone and opened the email from Drew, the investigator I’d hired to track her down. His report was thorough. Too thorough.

Her name stared back at me: Genevieve "Genevieve" Hart. Five years. That’s how old her son, Jasper, was. I’d read those details a dozen times already, but I kept going back to them, hoping something had changed. Hoping the words would tell me this wasn’t real.

A son. She had a son. I sniffed and scrolled through my contacts. My fingers hovered over Greg’s number before I pressed call. He picked up on the second ring.

“What’s up, man?”

“Greg,” I said, my voice rough.

“Whoa, you sound terrible. What’s going on?”

“I saw her,” I managed to get out.

“Who?” He sounded confused for a second before realization hit him. “Wait. Holy shit. Are you serious? You saw Genevieve?”

“Yes,” I said, my throat dry.

“Where? How? I thought she was dead or something!”

“She’s here. In Italy. I ran into her at a café.”

“Holy shit. And? What did she say?”

“She pretended she didn’t know me,” I said bitterly. “But I knew it was her. She was shocked too, Greg. I saw it in her eyes before she brushed me off.”

“Damn. That’s wild. Did Drew find anything?”

“Yeah,” I said, gripping the phone tighter. “She’s leveled up. Big time. She’s the senior manager at a top marketing firm, owns properties, and...” I paused, swallowing hard. “She has a son.”

“A son?!” Greg exclaimed. “She’s married now? Damn. She really moved on.”

“No,” I said quickly. “Drew said she’s single. No ring on her finger. But apparently, she has plenty of admirers.”

Greg whistled low. “And the kid? What’s the deal there?”

“He is five,” I said. My voice cracked a little, and I hated myself for it. “The timeline... it matches, Greg. She left six years ago.”

There was a long silence on the other end of the line. Then Greg spoke again, his voice cautious.

“Man, are you thinking what I’m thinking?”

I didn’t answer right away. My head was spinning. The math added up, didn’t it? But could it really be true?

“I don’t know,” I said finally. “It doesn’t make sense. If the kid was mine, Genevieve would’ve told me. She never kept secrets from me. Never.”

“Maybe she moved on fast,” Greg suggested. “Maybe she had an affair right after she left.”

I shook my head, even though he couldn’t see me. “I can’t believe that. Genevieve wasn’t like that. She wouldn’t just... replace me overnight.”

“Dude,” Greg said. “She left, didn’t she? That says something.”

I didn’t respond. My mind was racing, replaying the last time I saw her. The way she looked at me before she walked out of my life. The hurt in her eyes. I’d messed up, I knew that. But this? This was too much.

Greg sighed. “Look, man. You need to talk to her. Find out the truth. Sitting here and guessing won’t do you any good.”

“She doesn’t want to see me,” I said, my voice flat. “She made that clear.”

“Don’t be stupid, Alex,” Greg snapped. “You’ve spent years searching for her. Now you find her, and you’re just gonna walk away? Come on, man. You owe it to yourself to figure this out.”

I ran a hand through my hair, feeling more lost than ever. “What’s the point? Even if the kid is mine... she’s built a new life. There’s nothing left for me to fight for.”

“You don’t know that. You won’t know until you talk to her. Don’t let your ego get in the way, man. This is your chance to make things right.”

“I don’t even know what to say to her,” I admitted. “And what if... what if the kid isn’t mine? What then?”

Greg hesitated. “If she’s not yours, then you let her go. But if she is... you’ve got to step up, man. You’ve got to be there for your son.”

His words hit me hard. My son. Could that really be true? Could Jasper be mine?

I didn’t know what to think anymore. My emotions were all over the place, anger, guilt, hope, fear. It was too much.

“I need to leave,” I said abruptly. “I told the pilot I wasn’t going home tomorrow, but I think I’ll stick to the original plan.”

“Don’t do that,” Greg said sharply. “You’ll regret it if you walk away without talking to her.”

“Greg...” I started, but he cut me off.

“Listen to me, Alex. This isn’t just about you anymore. If that little boy is yours, he deserves to know his father. And Genevieve... She deserves closure, at the very least. You can’t run from this.”

I didn’t respond, feeling frustrated at everything.

“Take some time if you need to,” Greg said, his tone softer now. “But don’t leave without sorting this out. You’ll hate yourself if you do.”

I closed my eyes, leaning back against the couch. He was right, of course. I knew he was. But that didn’t make it any easier.

“I’ve got to go,” I said finally.

“Alright,” Greg said. “But promise me you’ll do the right thing.”

I hung up without answering. My mind was a mess, my heart even more so.

What was I supposed to do now? How was I supposed to face Genevieve after all this time? And what if... what if Jasper really was mine?

I didn’t have the answers. But one thing was clear, I couldn’t run from this. Not anymore.

***********************

Genevieve’s pov

Just like my brother said, I drove straight to my son’s school to pick him up. The drive didn’t take long, and when Jasper saw me, his face lit up with excitement.

“Mommy!” he squealed, running into my arms.

His small hand slipped into mine as we walked to the car. I buckled him into his seat, then got into the driver’s seat and headed home.

Once we got home, I helped Jasper out of his school uniform. He giggled as I tickled his tummy, and I smiled, happy to hear him laugh. After that, I gave him a bath, washing off the day’s dirt.

While Jasper settled in front of the TV to watch his favorite cartoons, I went to the bathroom for a quick shower. The warm water didn’t ease the tight knot in my chest, but I forced myself to shake it off. When I came back into the living room, Jasper immediately jumped off the couch and ran to me, hugging my legs tightly.

“Mommy!” he said, looking up at me with his big brown eyes that melted my heart every time.

I laughed, scooping him up in my arms. “What is it, my little pumpkin?”

He giggled as I kissed his cheek, then rested his head on my shoulder. With him still on my hip, I walked to the kitchen.

“What do you want to eat, sweetheart?” I asked, placing him gently on the counter.

“Hmm...” he tapped his chin, pretending to think hard. “Pasta! With cheese!”

I chuckled. “Pasta it is, then.”

As I started to gather the ingredients, Jasper’s little voice broke the silence.

“What’s wrong, Mommy?”

I paused, looking at him. “What do you mean?”

“You look sad,” he said simply, his eyes filled with concern no five-year-old should have to feel.

I took a deep breath and smiled, even though it felt forced. “I’m okay, Jasper. Don’t worry about me.”

But as I turned back to the stove, his words stayed with me. Maybe I wasn’t hiding my emotions as well as I thought.