The Rose He Killed novel Chapter 69

Chapter 63: First Steps

Caleb POV

I woke up at six after maybe two hours of sleep, showered, dressed in casual clothes that felt foreign (jeans and a sweater instead of my usual suit), and tried to prepare myself for the most important day of my life.

Today I’d spend real time alone with Tom. Well, supervised by Bella, but still.

I had no idea what I was doing.

Lisa had already transformed Tom’s room overnight. The walls were now painted a soft blue-green that Tom had chosen, and worker’s were scheduled to install the upgraded glow-in-the-dark stars this afternoon. A delivery of toys was coming at noon, age-appropriate options Lisa had researched extensively.

I was in the kitchen attempting to make pancakes when Tom appeared in the doorway in dinosaur pajamas, rubbing his eyes.

“Morning, Daddy,” he said sleepily, like he’d been saying it his whole life.

My heart clenched. “Morning, buddy. You want pancakes?”

“You can make pancakes?” Tom climbed onto a stool at the counter, looking impressed.

“I’m trying to,” I admitted, looking at the lumpy batter. “I’ve never actually made them before.”

“Never?” Tom’s eyes went wide. “What do you eat for breakfast?”

“Usually nothing, or whatever my chef makes.”

“You have a chef?” Tom looked around the kitchen like he expected someone to appear. “That’s so cool! Does he make dinosaur pancakes?”

“I don’t know, we could ask.” I poured batter onto the griddle and watched it spread into a vaguely circular shape. “Or we could try to make them ourselves.”

Tom bounced on his stool. “I want to help! Mommy lets me help sometimes.”

“Okay, but you have to be careful, the griddle is hot.” I lifted him down and helped him stand on his step stool. “You can tell me when to flip them.”

We stood there together, Tom narrating the entire process with a running commentary about pancakes, dinosaurs, and whether penguins liked pancakes. I was so focused on not burning the kitchen down that I didn’t notice Bella until Tom shouted.

“Mommy, look! We’re making breakfast together!”

She stood in the doorway in yoga pants and an oversized sweater, hair in a messy bun, looking younger and softer than the ice queen CEO I’d faced in boardrooms. “I see that. Are those supposed to be round?”

“They’re abstract pancakes,” I said defensively, flipping one that was definitely more oval than circle.

13

Tem giggled. “Abstract means weird shaped, Mommy told me.”

“Thanks, buddy.” I ruffled his hair and he beamed up at me.

Bella moved into the kitchen, poured herself coffee, and leaned against the counter watching us. I was hyperaware of her presence, of how domestic this felt, of the fact that was wearing jeans and making misshapen pancakes with my son while my wife, ex-wife, whatever she was, watched with an unreadable expression.

“These are done,” Tom announced. “Now we need syrup, lots and lots of syrup!”

We ate breakfast together at the kitchen island, Tom between us chattering nonstop about penguins and whether his new room would be ready today. Bella was quiet, drinking her coffee and occasionally answering Tom’s questions, but I caught her watching us a few times with something that looked almost like longing.

After breakfast, Bella announced she had work calls and disappeared to her room. Tom and I were left alone in the living room with the entire day stretching ahead of us.

“So, I said, sitting on the floor because that’s where Tom had plopped down. “What do you want to do?”

“Build!” Tom was already dumping out a container of blocks Lisa had provided. “We’re going to make the biggest tower ever.”

I looked at the blocks, then at Tom’s expectant face. “Okay, how do we start?”

For the next hour, Tom taught me the art of block building. Apparently, there were rules, big blocks on bottom, small blocks on top, and you had to make wishes when you placed certain colors. I learned that blue blocks were. for happy wishes, red for brave wishes, and green for silly wishes.

“What did you wish for?” Tom asked when I placed a blue block.

I looked at him, this perfect little boy with his messy curls and grey eyes, and answered honestly. “I wished that you and your mommy would be happy.”

Tom considered this seriously. “That’s a good wish. I wished for a puppy, but Mommy says we have to

wait.”

“Maybe I can help with that.” The words were out before I could stop them.

Tom’s whole face lit up. “Really? You’d help me get a puppy?”

“If your mommy says it’s okay.” I backpedaled, realizing I’d just stepped into parenting territory I didn’t understand.

“Mommy!” Tom scrambled up and ran toward Bella’s room. “Daddy says he’ll help me get a puppy!”

I winced, hearing Bella’s door open and Tom’s excited explanation followed by her measured response that they’d “talk about it later.”

Tom came back slightly deflated. “She said maybe, which usually means no.”

“Sometimes maybe means maybe,” I offered.

Chapter 63+ Step:

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