bChapter /bb177 /b

OLIVIA’S POV

I let out a small breath as I watched Charlie finish thest spoonful of his meal. Even though a part of me wanted to protect him from the btruth/bb, /bbI /bbknew /bbI /bhad to tell him. Sooner orter, he would notice my absence, and I didn’t want him to feel abandoned.

“Did you enjoy your meal?” I asked, brushing a strand of hair away from his forehead.

He nodded eagerly, cing his spoon down on the te. “Yes, Mommy. It was yummy. The rice had carrots in it today–I like carrots now.”

I smiled at his enthusiasm and leaned forward slightly, my hand resting gently on his small one. “Alright, sweetheart. So… Mommy wants to tell you something. And I want you to listen really well, okay?”

He nodded again, his big curious eyes staring at me with full attention.

“So…” I paused, choosing my words carefully, “a few days from now, I’m going to be going somewhere very far. Just for a little while. And that means you won’t see me for a few days, alright?”

I watched the smile on his face slowly fade, confusion recing his earlier joy. His eyes blinked rapidly as if trying to process what I had just said.

“Why? Where are you going?” he asked, his small voice tinged with concern.

“I have to go take care of some very important business,” I replied softly, trying to keep my tone calm and reassuring. “It’s something that only Mommy can do.”

He frowned. “Can’t Ie with you?”

I gently lifted him from his chair and set him down on the floor beside me. I took his tiny hand in mine, and together we walked slowly toward the living

room.

“Oh, darling,” I said, sitting on the couch and pulling him into myp. “If I could take you with me, I would. You know I love having you around. But this trip is really serious, and it’s not safe for little boys. And you also have school–you can’t miss too many sses, remember? You said you want to bbe /bsmart like Mommy one day.”

He was quiet for a moment, resting his head on my shoulder. I could tell he was still processing it all.

“Aunt ra won’t be around either,” I continued, “so I want you to be a good boy and listen to the maids, okay? They’ll be taking care of you while I’m away. And you’ll still have your bodyguards here to protect you–just like always.”

He lifted his head slowly and looked at me with a slightly pouty face. “Does that mean you’re not going to keep your promise?”

I raised a brow. “What promise?b” /b

“The toys. You said if I got an A, you’d get me more toysi,/ii” /ihe said seriously, arms crossing like a little businessman.

I let out a smallugh and kissed his cheek. “Of course, I’m keeping my promise. In factb, /bwe’re going out in the next few minutesb. /bbYou /bbget /bbto /bbpick /bbany /bbtoy /byou want. You did a wonderful job getting an A today I’m so proud of you.”

That put the smile back on his face. His eyes lit bup /bas he nodded excitedly, already daydreaming about shelves bof /btoys and new baction /bbfigures/b.

He leaned into me and whispered, “Can I bget /bone of those superhero robots with the light–up beyes/b?”

1 grinnedb. /bb“/bYou bcan /bget two.”

I held bhim /bclose, soaking bin /bthe warmth of his small embrace. bThese /bbwere /bbthe /bmoments I bcherished /bbthe /bbmost /bbbefore /blife got btoo /bbplicated /band belo bhe /bbgrew /bbup /bbinto /ba man who bwould /bbno /bblonger /bfit binto /bbmy /bbp /blike bthis/bb. /b

1

“Mommy?”

b“/bbYes/bb, /bsweetheart?”

“When are youing back from your trip?”

That question hit me harder than I expected. I looked down at him, brushing my fingers gently through his curly hair.

“In seven days,” I began softly, brushing a strand of hair from his forehead, “you’ll still be seeing me, but you just won’t be able to touch bme/bb. /b

His tiny brows furrowed in confusion. “How?” he asked, tilting his head with a puzzled look on his face.

I smiled, already expecting that question. Of course, Charlie didn’t fully understand what a video call was yet he’d only ever known life with me physically by his side. Exining something like this to a five–year–old wasn’t going to be easy with words alone.

So instead, I decided to show him.

I turned to the table and picked up my tablet, then held it out toward him. “Here, hold this,” I said, cing it gently in his hands. He took bit /bbcuriously/bb, /bbhis /bfingers wrapping around the edges of the sleek screen.

Then I picked up my phone and quickly tapped to initiate a video call–my tablet and phone were synced, so when the call came through on the tabletb, /bbI /banswered it immediately.

In a second, my face appeared on the tablet screen.

Charlie gasped. His eyes widened in awe and his mouth dropped slightly open. “You’re on the screen!” he said, staring between me and the tablet like he had just witnessed a magic trick.

I chuckled. “Yes, baby. That’s me. And this is called a video call.” I leaned toward the screen and struck a few yful poses, then blew him a kiss bthrough /b

the camera.

He giggled, his joy lighting up the room like sunshine through an open window.

“This is how we’ll talk while I’m away,” I said gently, watching his face as he studied the moving image of me on the tablet. “So even though I won’t be here in person, I’ll still see your cute little face every day. We’ll talk about your day, your food, your school…everything.”

He nodded slowly, still focused on the tablet screen. I could see his young mind racing as he tried to piece it all together.

I continued, “This tablet will stay with the head maid while I’m gone. If you ever want to talk to Mommy, just ask her and she’ll call me right away. And,” bI /bpaused to lower my tone just slightly, “if anyone gives you any trouble–if any of the maids don’t listen to you–you tell me immediately, and I’ll fire

them.”

His head snapped up from the screen to look at me, eyes wide with power and surprise. “Really?”

Inodded with a small grin. “Yes. You’re the boss while I’m away, okay?”

“Okay!” he said with a proud little puff of his chest, clearly loving the idea of being bin /bcharge.

“rab!/bb” /bI called out, raising my voice slightly.

Within seconds, ra appeared by the doorway. She rushed to my side the moment she heard her name. “Yes bma’am/bb?/b” she askedb. /b

“Take him upstairs and get him ready. We’re heading bout /bsoon,b” /bbI /bsaid firmly, brushing Charlie’s hair bwith /bmy fingers bone /bbst /bbtime /bbbefore /bbgiving /bbra /bba /bquick nod.

bShe /bsmiled and reached down bto /bblift /bCharlie into her arms. The tablet was still clutched tightly bin /bbhis /bbsmall /bbhands/bb, /bband /bbthe /bbvideo /bcall was bstill /bbon/bb. /bbAs /bbthey /bbegan walking upstairs, I picked bup /bmy phone again and bwaved /bbat /bhim bthrough /bbthe /bcall.

He waved bback /bbwith /bba /bbwide /bgrinb, /bhis bvoice /bbechoing /bbfaintly /bbfrom /bthe tablet’s speakerb. /b“bBye /bbMommy/bb!/bb” /b

b2/3 /b

;

E

“Not bye,” I reminded him with augh. “Just see you soon.”

+28

As they disappeared up the stairs, I ended the call and ced my phone gently on the table, sighing with a deep mixture of emotion–love, anxiety, and pride.

That boy was my whole world. He wasn’t just my son. He was my best friend, my purpose, and the only thing that reminded me to keep going, no matter what the world threw at me. Every move I made, every decision, every sacrifice–it was all for him.

And even though I’d be miles away in New York, I promised myself I’d still be there for him every single day.

Even if only through a screen.