Chapter 1 One

The sun streamed in through the wide bay windows of the Elba home, spilling golden warmth across the polished oak floors. Sunday mornings in Toronto always carried a certain rhythm for Nick, one that combined the comfort of routine with the sweetness of ritual. He loved them; the laughter, the hurried calls from Noel for Mason to tuck in his shirt. He smiled to himself and turned away from the window, gently patting Marie, who was singing softly to her doll as though the doll were part of the family headed to church too.

Nick stood in front of the antique mirror that had belonged to his mother and straightened the knot of his tie. Noel and Mason had finally wandered into the living room, and the mirror reflected not just his image but the family he was so proud of.

Noel, graceful even in the smallest gestures, knelt to fasten Maire's shoes, her dark hair pulled back neatly. Mason, lanky and restless at ten years old, fiddled with the cuff of his shirt, already impatient with the fuss of church clothes.

"Dad", Mason whined, "do I really have to wear this tie? Nobody else wears ties anymore", he complained.

Nick raised a brow, adjusting his own tie deliberately before turning.

"Real men wear ties, Mason. It shows respect", he answered gently.

"Respect for who?", Mason muttered under his breath.

"Respect for your mother, for God, and most importantly, for yourself", Noel said without looking up, her tone brisk but soft. She was smoothing Maire's curls, coaxing them into place with practised hands. Maire giggled, tipping her head toward her mother's lap as though she wanted to stay there forever.

Nick's heart swelled at the sight. This, this was the life he'd built; sometimes, he still couldn't believe it. A thriving architecture firm, a beautiful home tucked into one of Toronto's successful neighbourhoods, and a family that looked like the textbook example of a perfect family.

He could already picture the four of them arriving at church together in his white Land Cruiser as usual. Mason, trying to dash ahead to meet his friends, Maire clinging shyly to Noel's side, people would look, as they always did. The Elbas were admired, even envied, for how perfect they seemed. But perfection, Nick knew, could be fragile. He shook the thought away, tucking it back into the corner of his mind.

"Come on, everyone. We'll be late", he said, reaching for the car keys from the bowl by the door.

***

The drive to church was filled with the usual banter. Mason kicked the back of Nick's seat until Maire scolded him with the righteous indignation only a little sister could muster. Noel hummed along with the radio, a habit that always calmed him more than she realised.

At church, sunlight filtered through the stained glass windows, painting the pews in reds and blues. They smiled at people and friends they knew as they made their way to their usual seat. Nick sat with Noel beside him, Maire perched on her lap, and Mason sandwiched between them.

When the choir began to sing, Nick's gaze wandered in quiet gratitude. His eyes glanced at Noel, who had her head bowed in prayer, lips moving with words of faith, and he thought, not for the first time, how lucky he was. She had always been steady, dependable, his anchor and yet, something tugged at him. It tugged at him quite often these days, that quiet whisper of unease that never quite went away, no matter what he did.

After service, the family went on a long car ride to join relatives for a mini family reunion at an old estate just outside the city. The property belonged to Nick's cousin, with large sprawling lawns and towering maples that framed the grand house. Long tables were set up in the garden filled with different kinds of food. Children of different relatives ran across the grass, laughter echoing against the trees. Nick always felt at home in gatherings like this.

He thrived on the easy chatter of cousins, the teasing from uncles, the comfort of family woven tightly together. Noel blended in effortlessly, gracious with her compliments, attentive to every child who tugged at her dress. Mason joined a soccer game almost immediately, and Maire trailed after older cousins, clutching her doll as though it might protect her from the chaos.

Nick made his rounds, shaking hands with uncles and exchanging updates with the aunties who stopped him, all the while keeping one eye on his wife. He loved the way she seemed to light up the place, poised and warm, the very picture of loyalty and grace.

Aunt Bella seemed to appear out of thin air with the way she was suddenly there, a plate of small chops in her hand. Bella had a reputation for sharp words delivered with a laugh, the kind of woman who said exactly what others were too polite to voice. She was dressed in bold florals, lipstick too bright for her age, eyes twinkling with mischief.

"Well, if it isn't the Elba family!" she crowed, sweeping toward them.

"Look at you, Nick, still as handsome as your father was. And Noel, my dear, you look like you stepped out of a painting, elegant and graceful as always"

Noel smiled politely, murmuring a thank you.

"And Mason!" Bella bent down, ruffling the boy's hair as he tried to squirm away.

"You have grown so much, you are growing so fast. And good heavens, doesn't he look a lot like Joe?" she asked.

The words hung in the air for a beat too long. Joe-the butler's son. He was in the distance now, carrying trays from the catering van. Nick's eyes flickered from Bella to Joe, then to Noel. He noticed, for the first time, the way her smile tightened, her gaze sliding deliberately past Joe as if he weren't there. Everyone else laughed it off.

One cousin quipped, "Oh, Bella, you always say the funniest things!"

Another chuckled, "Mason looks like Nick did at that age, not Joe!" he said, and there were murmurs of agreement and laughter from all around. The tension dissolved into easy chatter again, but not for Nick.

A strange heaviness lodged in his chest, like a stone sinking to the bottom of a pond. He forced a laugh, playing along, but inside his mind whirred. Why had Noel looked away? Why had she avoided Joe's eyes so carefully?

Later, as he watched Mason chase after the soccer ball, his son's hair falling into his eyes, his laugh ringing through the air, Nick felt the stone settle deeper. Mason had his charm, his energy, but Bella's words echoed. Joe. "Mason looked like Joe"

Nick shook his head, forcing himself to smile when a relative approached. He told himself it was nonsense, Bella's usual mischief, nothing more. But when his gaze drifted back to Noel, he saw her laughing at something a cousin had said, and he caught it again that flicker of tension, too quick for anyone else to notice and in that flicker, the seed was planted.

***

The day went on with all the usual merriment. Plates piled with food, children darting between tables, adults lingering over wine. But Nick could not shake the quiet unease. He moved through the motions, smiling, laughing and engaging in conversation, but all the while, for the rest of the afternoon, his mind circled back to Bella's comment.

When Joe passed by carrying another tray, Nick's eyes followed him unconsciously. He noticed the slope of Joe's nose and the curve of his jaw. He glanced at Mason again, chasing the ball across the lawn, cheeks flushed with exertion. The resemblance was faint, barely there, could have even been imagined, but once the thought took root, it refused to let go.

Noel's laughter rang out, and Nick turned to look at her. She was radiant, sunlight catching in her hair, her eyes bright with joy. All this time, she had been everything he'd ever wanted: devoted, loyal, steady and yet, as the sun dipped lower and the reunion began to wind down, Nick felt a shadow lengthen in the corners of his mind.

It was like the picture-perfect life he had painted so carefully was beginning to show its first crack.