CHAPTER 291: CHAPTER 291: MEETING YOU FOR THE FIRST TIME

~Zayn’s POV~

I quickly ate the delicious food Evric had ordered, feeling energized and prepared. Afterward, fueled by affection and anticipation, we began the sweet, task of arranging the boxes and preparing everything needed for the emotional journey tomorrow.

We neatly folded the soft little clothes and stacked the toys, preparing the perfect bundle for Liam.

After everything was arranged, Evric looked at me, his expression softening with a hint of wistfulness. "Babe," he said quietly.

"Yes," I answered.

He sighed lightly, leaning against the table. He smiled and said, "I would have loved to meet Liam too."

I looked at him, knowing Meera would never allow him anywhere near Liam. I was about to apologize, but Evric stopped me the second he caught the pity in my gaze.

"I know," he said with a wry smile. "I know it’s impossible. But I truly hope you have fun with him."

I smiled, appreciating his acceptance.

"Are you excited to meet him?" he asked, walking over to me.

"Yes, baby," I admitted, my heart fluttering. "I really can’t wait to meet him."

We talked about random things, filling the quiet time until the final batch of gifts Evric had ordered arrived.

The next morning, the remaining packages were delivered. I finished packing my small bag, but Meera still hadn’t sent the address. I was about to send her a message asking for the location when her reply finally came in. It was completely unexpected.

She told me to come back to my house. She wrote that she was waiting for me there.

Confusion washed over me. I left Meera at my house days ago, convinced she would’ve been long gone. So why was she asking me to come home? And why was Liam suddenly there? I turned to Evric, who was zipping up his carry-on bag.

"Babe," I said slowly, confused, "we’re not leaving the city. Mira is still at my place. She said she’s waiting for me there."

Evric paused mid-movement, his eyes lingering on me for a long second. I could tell he had questions, why the sudden change? Was Liam there? But he didn’t ask. He simply nodded and said, "Okay."

His driver quickly arrived to pack our luggage and Liam’s boxes from the hotel room. We checked out and headed straight for my house.

When we arrived at my house, I stepped out of the car and opened the door—only to find that Meera wasn’t inside. I called her, and she said she was nearby. While I waited in the car with Evric, his driver carried all the boxes of gifts inside the house.

Evric didn’t step out of the car. He stayed seated, lowering the window just slightly. I leaned in, and he immediately pulled me into a tight hug, holding me close in a long, necessary embrace. For a moment, he held me fiercely, like he wasn’t letting go.

"Tomorrow," he murmured against my ear, his voice rough. "I will come and pick you up again."

"Okay, baby," I promised, pressing a quick, firm kiss to his cheek. We pulled apart, and I stepped out of the car, watching him drive away. As I stood alone in front of my door, a sudden, heavy dread settled deep in my stomach. I missed Evric instantly.

Meera took longer than expected, giving me some unexpected time. I used the minutes to arrange the house, putting away the last of the moving boxes, making the kitchen look lived-in again, and tidying up so the space felt welcoming, safe, and completely neutral.

When I finally heard a car pull up outside, my heart started hammering fiercely against my ribs. It’s time. I whispered to myself, trying to stay calm. I’m finally meeting my son.

I walked towards the door, taking a deep, shaky breath, and opened it.

Standing on my front porch, bathed in soft light, was Meera, looking composed and distant. Beside her stood another woman, older and kind-looking. Meera quickly introduced her: "This is Liam’s nanny."

And then there was him.

He was tucked securely in Meera’s arms, a small, solid weight. His chubby cheeks and bright, curious eyes made him instantly, irrevocably familiar. He wasn’t even two yet, but somehow, he already felt like someone I had always known.

My breath hitched. The dread vanished, replaced by a sudden, intense flood of something raw and protective. I stood frozen, my hands hanging uselessly by my sides, unable to cross the threshold. All the complexities of Meera, the past, and the future faded away. There was only this tiny, unsuspecting human.

Meera stepped forward, her expression unreadable. She turned Liam slightly so he was looking directly at me. He stared back, a little frown creasing his smooth forehead, trying to figure out the stranger in the doorway.

"Liam," Meera’s voice was steady, purely factual. "This is your father, Zayn."

The sound of the word, father, struck me hard.

Tears sprang to my eyes. I didn’t cry easily, but the sight of him, the way his tiny hand clutched a stuffed toy, the undeniable resemblance in his chin and brow, was overwhelming. He was the person I hadn’t known existed until a few weeks ago, the person I had already promised to love forever, even before meeting him.

Meera then looked at the child. "And Zayn," she continued, "this is Liam."

I slowly extended my hand, not daring to touch him yet, afraid he would disappear. My voice was a whisper, choked with emotion. "Hi, son."

He didn’t move, but his eyes stayed locked on mine, a silent, profound connection bridging the time we’d been apart. It was terrifying, beautiful, and utterly heartbreaking.

Meera held him securely in her arms and whispered softly. "Go say hi to daddy."

Liam shifted slightly in her arms, his tiny hand pointing directly at my face. Then, in a tinny, eager voice that was the sweetest sound I had ever heard, he said the word: "Daddy!"

Tears sprang to my eyes. He was so small, so unbearably cute, and yet somehow familiar, as if this wasn’t the first time we were meeting.

I couldn’t help myself. I took the final step forward.

Meera let him go, and before either of us could second-guess it, I carefully scooped Liam into my arms. He was a perfect, unexpected weight. I buried my face against his soft neck, inhaling the clean, powdery scent of him. Holding him tight, I rocked him gently, feeling an overwhelming rush of something raw and protective.

"Hello, little man," I whispered, my voice rough with emotion.

He giggled, a pure, bright sound, and patted my cheek with his hand.

Holding him, I finally felt the strength to speak to the adults. "I prepared some food," I said to Meera and the nanny, stepping back from the doorway and drawing them both inside the house. "Welcome."

We all went to the dining table. I carried Liam the entire way, his little arms locked around my neck. The nanny took her seat, and Meera started serving the light meal I had prepared.

Liam, however, seemed determined never to let go of me. I sat him carefully on my lap, my arms securely wrapped around his small frame, and we just played. I tickled his sides, and he dissolved into helpless, joyful giggles. He looked up at me, his smile so pure, so gentle, so utterly like mine, it felt like looking at a miniature reflection of my heart. We both kept laughing, the sound momentarily filling the house with unexpected warmth.

When it was time to eat, I looked down at the plate. "Meera, is this okay for Liam? Can he eat this?"

When it was time to eat, I looked down at the plate. "Meera, is this okay for Liam? Can he eat this?"

Meera shook her head immediately. "No, he won’t eat that. He needs his specific pureed meal. I should let his nanny prepare his food."

The nanny politely stood up, ready to take him, but Liam pressed his entire body against mine, burying his face in my shoulder and whining softly. He did not allow her to carry him; he just stayed clinging to me, the stubbornness in his little body somehow familiar.

Meera sighed, observing the back-and-forth. "Alright," she relented. "Just give him a spoonful of the light meal you prepared. His stomach can’t handle much yet, but he needs to eat something."

"Okay," I agreed, pleased by the small victory that kept him in my arms. I shifted my weight slightly and stretched my left hand across the table to pick up a clean spoon.

The movement caught Meera’s eye. Her gaze didn’t follow the spoon, It snagged instantly on the brilliant, unmistakable sparkle of the engagement ring on my finger.

Just as my fingers wrapped around the spoon handle, Meera lunged. She suddenly grabbed my hand, her grip surprisingly tight, stopping me mid-reach. The sudden, desperate act scared me, and Liam, nestled in my lap, stirred slightly.

I braced myself, expecting her usual homophobic jabs about...