Chapter 3 The meeting

Daniela stood by the window,her fingers trembling as she gently drew back the curtain . Her gaze fell to the street below , and her heart skipped a beat when she saw a black car pulling up to the gate of her house. Anxiety gripped her chest as she glanced through the glass. When she recognised who it was, her stomach twisted. Alexander . She wished, in that moment , that the meeting could be called off but it was far too late. He was already here.

She turned to glance at Noah, who sat cross- legged on the living room floor, humming softly as he played with his toys. The sight of his innocent joy only made Daniela's thoughts spiral further. How would Noah react to Alexander?Would Alexander truly care for his son, or was this meeting just a way to ease his guilt? Her chest tightened as she placed a hand over her heart, willing it to slow down. The doorbell rang, snapping her out of her thoughts. She moved toward the door, her heels clicking softly against the polished tiles. Each step felt heavier, burdened with doubt and apprehension. Pausing at the door,she placed her hand on the handle and took a steadying breath. " It's not about you , it's about Noah," she reminded herself , though the words felt hollow. Finally, she opened the door. Alexander stood there,dressed impeccably in a tailored suit that practically screamed wealth and power. His sharp green eyes met hers,and for a brief moment neither of them spoke.

After a tense silence, Alexander broke it.

"Hello ,Daniela,"he said, his voice low and almost cautious. " Hello Alexander", she replied in her soft but guarded voice. A small voice from behind cut their conversation short. " Mummy,who is that?" Daniela turned, her heart clinching as Noah peeked out from behind her legs, clutching his favourite toy car. His big brown eyes, so full of curiosity, darted between her and the stranger at the door. Alexander's confident demeanour faltered for the first time. His voice was unexpectedly gentle when he spoke. " Hi. You must be Noah". Noah studied him carefully, his small hand clutching the toy tighter. " Who are you?" he asked, his voice quiet but firm.

Daniela froze. This was the moment she had dreaded yet she knew was inevitable. Alexander hesitated,his polished exterior cracking as he stammered ," I'm ...I'm your dad".

Noah blinked up at him, his expression a mix of wonder and confusion ." You're my daddy?" he asked, his voice filled with childlike innocence . "But where have you been all this time?"

The question hit Alexander like a blow , his face tightening as the weight of years past settled heavily on him. He had no good answer. Daniela swallowed hard, feeling the sting of guilt as well. She hadn't told Noah until five years later which was too late. Finally, she stepped in. Placing a hand on Noah's shoulder , she offered him a reassuring smile . " I don't know where he's been,sweetheart",she said softly. " But we'll figure it out together, okay?" Noah nodded but his eyes betrayed the disappointment . For a long moment, silence hung heavy in the room . Then, to Daniela's surprise, Noah turned to Alexander . " Do you like cars? I have a cool one!" Relief flooded Daniela as she watched Alexander kneel to Noah's level. " This is a really cool car", Alexander said with a small, hesitant smile. " Will you show me how it works?"

Noah beamed a smile at him . Daniela stepped back,watching from a distance as father and son connected for the first time.He wasn't the cold, distant man she remembered. There was something softer, more human about him than hd used to be in the past with her before. Later as Noah wandered off to grab more toys, he suddenly cried out, " Mummy!" Noah's voice interrupted her. He ran into the room, holding a drawing " Look what i made"! Both Alexander and Daniela were shocked as they turned their attention to Noah , who proudly held up a crayon drawing of a family: himself, Daniela , and a man who looked like Alexander . Alexander stared at the drawing, his expression shocked . "Is that me?"he asked, his voice soft . Noah nodded" Yes! Mommy said my dad was far away, but I still wanted to draw you". For the first time,Daniela saw Alexander's eyes flashed with uncontrollable tears. He looked at Noah" Thank you dear. This .....this means a lot to me". As the evening drew closer, Daniela watched Alexander and Noah interact with each other . She wanted to believe that Alexander had changed, that he could be the father Noah deserved. But her instincts warned her not to let her guard down too quickly .

Just as Alexander was leaving , Daniela looked through the window, her eyes darting to the dark street outside. She could see a dark figure across the street, their face obscured but their posture strangely familiar , as if they knew her well. And she couldn't shake the feeling that whoever had been there wasn't just watching, they were waiting and every instinct screamed that her fragile word was about to scatter.

Noah tugged at her hand. "Mommy, do you think Daddy will come back?"

She knelt down, brushing a hand over his soft curls. "He said he would, sweetheart. Let's hope he keeps his word." But her voice faltered.

When she glanced outside again, she noticed something glinting in the moonlight near the gate. A keychain-a small, polished trinket she hadn't seen in years. Her heart dropped as memories flooded back.

Alexander's world had always been complicated, tangled in secrets. And now, it seemed, one of those secrets had come knocking.

When Alexander turned back to her, his face was grim." I need to make a call", he said and rushed out as Daniela shot the door. Everything felt so weird that Daniel could not really figure out what was happening.