Soft morning light slipped through the curtains of August's bedroom, casting a warm glow across the room. Celine stirred beneath the sheets, slowly waking to the unfamiliar surroundings.
For a moment she simply blinked at the ceiling, memories of the night before rushing back all at once.
Her cheeks flushed instantly.
Just as she shifted slightly, the bedroom door creaked open. August stepped in quietly, balancing a tray in his hands.
"Good morning," he said casually.
Celine's eyes widened the moment she saw him. Instinctively, she grabbed the blanket and pulled it up to her chin, clutching it tightly around herself as if it could hide the blush spreading across her face.
August chuckled softly at the sight.
"Relax," he teased, walking toward the bed. "It's just breakfast."
He set the tray down carefully on the nightstand, toast, fruit, and a steaming mug of coffee.
Celine peeked over the edge of the blanket, her hair a little messy, eyes still sleepy but bright.
"You didn't have to do that," she murmured, clearly flustered.
August leaned casually against the bedpost, folding his arms with a small grin.
"After last night?" he said lightly. "I think breakfast in bed is the least I could do."
Her face turned an even deeper shade of red.
She hid halfway behind the blanket again, which only made him laugh.
"You're unbelievable," she muttered.
"And you're adorable when you're embarrassed," August replied, sitting on the edge of the bed.
He gently pulled the tray toward her.
"Now eat before it gets cold."
Celine slowly lowered the blanket just enough to reach the tray, still avoiding his eyes. But the small smile tugging at her lips gave her away.
August noticed it immediately.
Celine had just taken a small bite of toast when a loud thud echoed down the hallway.
Then quick footsteps.
Very quick footsteps.
August barely had time to react before the bedroom door burst open.
"Dad!"
Liam stood in the doorway in rumpled pajamas, his hair sticking up in every direction like he had just wrestled with his pillow and lost.
Before either of them could say anything, he ran across the room and launched himself onto the bed.
The mattress bounced hard.
Celine squeaked in surprise, clutching the blanket around herself again as Liam landed right between them, completely unaware of the tension he had just shattered.
"Morning!" Liam said brightly, grinning.
August groaned dramatically. "You know normal people knock, right?"
Liam ignored him and looked straight at the tray.
"Is that breakfast?"
Celine couldn't help laughing, though she was still trying to hide behind the blanket.
"Good morning, Liam," she said softly.
He tilted his head, studying her like a curious little detective.
"Did you sleep here?" he asked bluntly.
August rubbed his face with one hand. "Wow. Straight to the questions."
Liam bounced again on the mattress, completely full of morning energy.
"I was looking for you, Dad," he said, crawling over to grab a piece of fruit from the tray without asking.
"That was my breakfast," August protested.
Liam just shrugged, already chewing happily.
Celine had just taken a sip of her coffee when Liam, still sprawled comfortably on the bed, looked between the two adults with curious eyes.
Kids were always observing.
Always thinking.
And unfortunately… always speaking their minds.
He tilted his head slightly.
"So…" Liam said slowly, "are you my new mom?"
Celine choked.
The coffee went down the wrong way and she coughed violently, clutching the blanket with one hand while trying not to spill the tray with the other.
August's eyes bulged so wide they looked like they might fall out of his head.
"Liam!" he blurted.
The boy blinked, completely confused by the reaction.
"What?" he said innocently.
Celine was still coughing, her face bright red from embarrassment while August quickly grabbed the tray before it tipped over.
"Buddy," August said carefully, trying to keep his voice calm, "you can't just ask people things like that."
"Why not?" Liam asked, bouncing lightly on the mattress again.
Celine finally managed to stop coughing, though she still looked flustered. She brushed a strand of messy hair from her face and gave Liam a small, amused smile.
"That's a very big question," she said gently.
Liam frowned, thinking hard.
"But you slept here," he said matter-of-factly, pointing around the room like he had just solved a mystery.
August dragged a hand down his face.
"Kids," he muttered.
Liam looked between them again, clearly waiting for an answer.
Celine glanced at August, still smiling despite the awkwardness.
"Well," she said softly to Liam, "I'm just someone who likes your dad very much."
Liam considered that for a moment.
Then he shrugged.
"Okay."
He grabbed another piece of fruit from the tray.
August stared at him in disbelief.
"That's it?" he asked.
Liam nodded, chewing happily.
"Yeah."
The room fell quiet for a moment before Celine started laughing softly, and even August couldn't help smiling.
The morning had officially become chaos.
Liam finished the last piece of fruit and suddenly slid off the bed like he had remembered something very important.
"Cartoons!" he announced.
Before either of them could respond, he grabbed August's wrist and started pulling. "Come on, Dad! They're starting!"
August stumbled slightly as he was dragged toward the door. "Hey—slow down!"
Liam paused in the doorway and looked back at Celine, who was still sitting in bed clutching the blanket around herself.
"Well?" he said impatiently. "You're coming too."
Celine blinked, still a little flustered, but she couldn't help smiling.
"I… might need a minute," she said, glancing down at the blanket.
Liam frowned like this was a completely unnecessary delay.
August cleared his throat and gently steered his son into the hallway.
"Give her a second, champ."
Liam sighed dramatically the way only kids could.
"Fine," he said, already bouncing on his heels. "But hurry!"
He ran off down the hall toward the living room, the sound of his footsteps echoing through the house.
August lingered in the doorway for a moment.
He turned back to Celine, who was now laughing quietly at the chaos of the morning.
"Well," he said, rubbing the back of his neck, "that's our peaceful morning ruined."
Celine shook her head, smiling warmly.
"I think it's kind of perfect."
August studied her for a moment, something soft passing through his expression. He stepped closer and leaned down, pressing a quick, gentle kiss to her forehead.
"Don't take too long," he murmured.
From downstairs, Liam's voice suddenly shouted:
"DAAAD! IT'S STARTING!"
August groaned.
"Coming!" he called back.
Celine laughed as he hurried out of the room.
A few minutes later she found them in the living room, Liam sprawled across the couch in his pajamas, completely absorbed in the cartoons, while August sat beside him pretending to be equally invested.
When Celine walked in, Liam immediately scooted over.
"Sit!" he said, patting the space next to him.
August glanced up at her, their eyes meeting for just a second. The memory of the night before hung quietly between them.
Celine sat down beside Liam, and the boy happily leaned against her without a second thought.
August watched the two of them for a moment before a small smile crept across his face.
The house filled with the noise of cartoons, Liam's occasional laughter, and the comfortable warmth of a morning that felt strangely… like a family.
***
Nolan stood in the dim living room, the early morning light barely touching the edges of the furniture.
The apartment smelled faintly of perfume… and cigarette smoke.
On the couch behind him, August's ex, Marissa lay sprawled under a thin blanket, deeply asleep. Every few minutes she shifted, mumbling something unintelligible before settling again.
Then she snored.
Loudly.
Nolan's jaw tightened.
He glanced over his shoulder at her with visible irritation.
If he didn't need the information she carried in that head of hers, he would have thrown her out the moment she insisted on staying the night.
Instead, he had tolerated it.
Barely.
His gaze drifted back to the photograph in his hand.
Celine.
Her smile in the picture was soft, genuine… the kind that once belonged to him.
Nolan's thumb brushed slowly over her face.
"So this is where you ran off to," he murmured under his breath.
Behind him, the woman on the couch shifted again and muttered something in her sleep.
Nolan exhaled sharply through his nose.
Enough.
He slipped the photograph into his hand and walked toward the balcony.
The glass door slid open with a quiet sound, letting in the cool morning air. Outside, the city was just beginning to wake.
Nolan leaned against the railing and pulled a cigarette from his pocket, lighting it with slow, practiced movements.
The flame briefly illuminated his face.
He took a long drag, the smoke curling into the pale sky.
For a moment, he simply stood there, staring down at the street below.
Then he pulled the photograph from his pocket again.
Celine's face stared back at him.
Happy.
Unaware.
His eyes hardened.
"Enjoy it while you can," he said quietly.
Inside the apartment, Marrisa snored again, completely oblivious.
Nolan flicked ash from the cigarette and kept staring at the picture, the faint glow of the cigarette tip burning in the morning air.