Dominick had stayed with Luka until the boy fell asleep. Jade said goodbye to him, and he left right away.
From that day on, Dominick began getting closer to his son. He often visited Jade's apartment to spend time with Luka—and, at times, to see Jade. Every night, he would text her something about the boy. He used it as an excuse to talk to her. At first, Jade limited herself to replying only about Luka, but little by little, she began to talk more with Dominick.
Days went by, and the bond between father and son grew stronger. Dominick became more attached to the child with each passing day. That little boy had completely stolen his heart, and Dominick had faith he could also win Jade's.
Sometimes, he lost hope, convinced he would never make it—but whenever she smiled, even faintly, as she watched him with Luka, and her eyes shone in that special way… it renewed his hope.
[...]
Jade
Wednesday, September
It had been twenty-two days since Dominick first saw his son. Jade still had her fears, but as time went on, Dominick managed to convince her of his good intentions toward Luka.
He hadn't missed a single day of the schedule they'd arranged for him to see the boy—he always arrived on time. They talked more now, mostly about Luka, though Dominick always found a way to steer the conversation elsewhere.
Lately, she'd noticed a strange change in him: he was always eager to talk, saying things that confused her. For days she had been feeling something strange inside. Nerea told her that Dominick was interested in her, but as usual, the brunette thought her friend exaggerated—she always believed half the neighborhood was into her.
Though Nerea had been right about Kevin, who spent most of the month traveling, Jade wasn't interested in him. After thinking it over, she decided to go to her therapy appointment. Her psychologist, Sofía Ernes, had been unusually cheerful lately, telling Jade that soon she would see how much she had healed.
When Sofía said that, Jade frowned and asked what she meant, but the woman only smiled and told her it was "a matter of time."
Jade got out of the car and entered the building. Some time later, she stepped into Sofía's office.
"Jade, for a moment I thought you wouldn't come," Sofía smiled, removing her glasses.
"Sorry I'm late. I was debating whether to get out of the car or go back home," she confessed, embarrassed.
"You've been doubting a lot lately. What topic are you trying to avoid, Jade?" the woman asked, narrowing her eyes.
"I'm… confused," she admitted, sitting on the long couch. She took off her shoes and lay down.
"Confused about what?"
"About Dominick's behavior," she sighed and rubbed her face. "I like that he gets along with Luka, that they've built that father-son connection in such a short time… But I don't know what happens to me when he's around. He does and says things that I can't explain. It feels strange."
"I'm glad things between him and Luka are going so well," Sofía said calmly. "That means you've seen his intentions toward the child are good, so there's no need to be afraid anymore."
She leaned forward slightly and continued.
"Jade, your life is finally taking a good direction. All that's left is to let go of your remaining fears. As for what's happening with Dominick, it's simple—you're not used to this new version of him. You met the angry, bitter, drinking man. You got used to a Dominick who was impossible to reason with. The relationship you had with him was built on conflict—maybe not so much physical, but deeply verbal—and that was never healthy."
Jade stayed silent, reflecting. Sofía was right. Dominick had once shown the worst side of himself, and she had learned to see him through that lens. But now, he was someone else—and she didn't know how to feel about it.
"You feel unsettled because he's pushing you out of your comfort zone," Sofía continued. "You're afraid of feeling attracted to this new Dominick."
"It's not that I like him…"
"Are you sure, Jade?" Sofía interrupted gently. "Think of him, think of how he makes you feel, and ask yourself what it really is that you feel for him. Maybe you're denying something to yourself."
"I'm not denying anything, Sofía," Jade countered.
"Then let me ask you something," Sofía said, setting down her notebook on the small table. "Actually, a few things—but they all lead to the same question. I don't need you to answer me now. Just answer yourself, honestly, because I know you wouldn't tell me the truth anyway."
"Go ahead," Jade said.
"Do you think you could fall in love with Dominick?" Sofía asked. Jade tensed. "Do you think you could desire him again, like you once did? Is there any chance of trying to have a relationship with him?"
"I…"
"Don't say anything," Sofía interrupted. "Think about it when you leave here."
She glanced at her watch.
"Oh! Time's up already. We lost precious minutes because you hesitated to come. And don't think I'm pressuring you to clarify your feelings for him—Jade, don't look at me like that," she added with a smile. "I just hope you find your answers before it's too late."
"Too late for what?" Jade asked, standing up and slipping on her shoes.
"Just… too late," Sofía smiled mysteriously.
"Goodbye," Jade said, and left the office.
Outside, she walked to her car and decided to go to a nearby park. She needed to think. She had gone to therapy to clear her mind, but instead, she left even more confused—with new questions spinning in her head.
She drove for a while, then parked and sat on a bench, wanting to clear her thoughts. Watching the children run around with their parents made her smile. At least she was trying to give Luka a family—not a perfect one, but enough so that he would always have his father around. And as long as she was alive, she would do everything in her power to make her son happy.
Her mind was a tangled nest of thoughts and emotions. She stayed there for a long while…
[...]
8:56 p.m.
Without realizing it, she had been in the park for two hours. When it started getting dark, she decided to go back home—she was starving.
An hour later, she was climbing the stairs to her apartment. She opened the door and froze when she heard Dominick's voice.
For a second, she thought she was imagining it—he wasn't supposed to visit Luka that day. She peeked through the small opening in the door. Dominick was sitting on Luka's bed. They'd replaced the crib recently because, according to Nerea, the boy was "too big for that now."
Luka was lying down, and Dominick was reading him a story.
"…Hansel and Gretel went deep into the woods, leaving breadcrumbs… Do I really have to finish this?" Dominick sighed, resting his head on Luka's tummy.
"Dad!" the boy protested with a pout.
Jade covered her mouth to stop a laugh.
"You have to read until I fall asleep," Luka said with a yawn.
"This story is so boring I'll fall asleep before you do," Dominick muttered, going back to reading.
Jade felt a knot in her throat as she watched him read to their son. Luka's eyes slowly closed, and Dominick kissed his forehead, dropped the book to the floor, and lay beside him—falling asleep too.
Tears rolled down her cheeks. The scene moved her deeply. It also made her feel guilty—she had kept her son away from his father out of fear. Sofía's words suddenly made sense. Jade wasn't ready to meet this version of Dominick.
She wiped her tears and went to the kitchen to prepare something to eat.
Half an hour later, she had finished dinner, cleaned up, and went to her room. She let down her hair—it was getting blonder each day. Sometimes she thought about going back to her natural color. Her father had loved it, but Nerea had been angry with her for dyeing it. She'd said that wearing that color with pride reminded Jade she wasn't her mother. Whenever that thought came back, Jade remembered why she had dyed it and changed her mind again.
She undressed and stepped into the shower. First, she washed her hair with her cherry-scented shampoo, then her body.
A few minutes later, she came out wrapped in a towel. She dried off, put on some lotion, deodorant, a robe, and underwear, then grabbed the novel she still hadn't finished reading.
She walked to the kitchen, took a bottle of wine, and sat on the couch to read. She drank slowly, forgetting everything—including the fact that Dominick was asleep in her son's room.
11:55 pm
"Jade, wake up," a voice called softly.
It sounded far away. She frowned, still half-asleep, then startled when she opened her eyes—her forehead bumped against Dominick's.
"Ouch!" she groaned, rubbing her head and blinking to focus. Everything looked blurry.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you," Dominick said with a small smile, rubbing his own forehead.
"What time is it?" she asked, sitting up.
"Almost twelve," he replied, glancing at his watch.
Jade's eyes widened.
"That late?" she stretched and yawned.
Dominick quickly looked away when he realized she wasn't wearing a bra and that the soft fabric of her robe outlined her breasts.
"I should probably go," he murmured, standing up.
"At this hour?" Jade shook her head. "It's too late. Stay in Armand's room—it's fine. And don't worry about Nerea…"
"Actually, she's not here," Dominick said. "She called me to stay with Luka until you came back."
"She's sleeping out?" Jade frowned. "All the more reason. Could you stay, please?"
Dominick raised an eyebrow at her tone.
"It's just…" she hesitated. "A few months ago someone broke in. Ever since, I get scared being alone with Luka."
Her cheeks turned pink from embarrassment.
"But nothing bad happened, right?" Dominick asked, worried.
"Thank God, no," she replied, sitting down. He did the same beside her. "It was horrible, though. I was terrified—for Luka, for me. I thought the worst. If Armand hadn't arrived when he did, I don't know what could've happened."
"I'm glad you're both okay," he murmured, brushing a strand of her hair aside.
"Come on," she said, standing up. "I'll show you the room."
Dominick nodded and followed her down the hall. They entered the guest room.
"Here, you'll be comfortable. Thank you for staying. You have no idea how much it means to me," she smiled shyly.
Dominick nodded again.
"I'll go to my room now," Jade said, turning to leave.
Dominick reached out, gently grabbing her arm and pulling her back.
"I've wanted to kiss you so badly…" he confessed. "And even if you slapped me afterward for being reckless, I'd still take it gladly."
Before she could react, he cupped her face and kissed her—the way he hadn't in years, the way he had longed to.
He savored her lips slowly, drinking in their warmth. His hand found her waist, gripping the fabric of her robe in his fist. He didn't want to scare her by touching her too much, so he restrained himself.
Jade was caught off guard by the passionate kiss that sent sparks through her body. Overwhelmed by familiar sensations, she wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing closer, surrendering completely.
Dominick's tongue sought hers, their mouths dancing in a forbidden rhythm—until the intensity began to soften.
He gently caught her lower lip between his teeth, then looked into her eyes and whispered:
"I know it was wrong… but it felt so right that I wouldn't hesitate to do it again."
Jade stayed silent, trying to recover the clarity he'd stolen from her.
"Stay with me tonight, Jade," he murmured. "I promise I won't do anything improper. I just want to sleep beside you… feel your body next to mine. What do you say?"