The local county fair was a whirl of spinning lights, the scent of fried dough, and the distant, rhythmic mechanical shriek of the Tilt-A-Whirl. It was a world away from the silent, fortified luxury of the Thorne estate, but Roman had insisted. He wanted Adam to have a "normal" childhood, or at least the high-security version of it.
Roman moved through the crowd like a titan among mortals, his dark presence softened only by the way he held Skye's hand and watched Adam. He wore a simple navy t-shirt that strained against his shoulders, his eyes constantly scanning the perimeter even as he laughed at Adam's attempts to win a giant stuffed bear.
Skye looked radiant in a sundress the color of a summer peach, her blonde hair caught in a breezy ponytail. She felt lighter than she ever had. The court case was a fading nightmare, and the blue diamond around her neck was a constant, cool weight of security.
"Daddy! The ferris wheel! Can we go on the giant wheel?" Adam shouted, jumping up and down, his face slightly sticky from a blue raspberry ice cone.
"In a minute, Scout," Roman chuckled, his thumb tracing circles on Skye's palm. "Let's get through the midway first."
They were passing the carousel when the air seemed to shift. Roman's posture didn't just stiffen; it turned to stone. His grip on Skye's hand tightened instinctively, pulling her a fraction closer to his side.
"Oh my god... Roman? Is that actually you?"
A woman stepped out from the shadow of a game booth. She was the striking opposite of Skye. Where Skye was all golden light and ethereal grace, this woman was earthy and dark. She had a thick mane of chocolate-brown curls that bounced against her shoulders and deep, soulful brown eyes framed by long lashes. She was undeniably beautiful, carrying herself with a practiced, effortless poise.
Roman's voice was a low, dangerous rumble. "Tish."
The woman- Tish, didn't seem deterred by his icy tone. Her gaze immediately dropped to Adam, and for a moment, her expression softened into something that looked remarkably like genuine wonder. Stars seemed to swirl in her eyes as she slowly dropped to her knees in the dirt, bringing herself down to Adam's level.
"And who is this handsome explorer?" she asked, her voice like honey and silk. "Hello there. My name is Tish."
Adam, always curious and naturally polite, blinked at her. He looked up at Roman for permission, then back at the beautiful stranger. "I'm Adam. I'm five. And I'm a Scout."
"A Scout? How very brave," Tish whispered, reaching out as if to touch his arm before thinking better of it and pulling back. She looked up at Roman, a small, sad smile playing on her lips. "He has your eyes, Roman. But he has... he has the rest from me, doesn't he?"
Skye felt a cold prickle of unease. She looked at Roman, her brow furrowing. Roman leaned down, his lips brushing Skye's ear, his breath hot and tight.
"It's Tish," he whispered, the words sounding like a bitter pill. "Adam's biological mother."
The world seemed to tilt on its axis. Skye's heart hammered a frantic rhythm against her ribs. She looked at the woman on the ground- the woman who had carried the boy she now considered her own, the woman who had once occupied the space in Roman's life that Skye now held. A sharp, green needle of jealousy, unfamiliar and unwelcome, poked at her chest. Tish looked so calm, so maternal, so... fitting.
Tish stood up, smoothing her skirt. She turned her gaze to Skye, her brown eyes scanning her with a neutral, polite curiosity that felt like a challenge. "And you must be the woman the news has been talking about. The Songbird. Roman, you always did have a penchant for the dramatic."
"Her name is Skye," Roman corrected, his voice like a slamming door. "And she isn't a headline. She's my partner."
Tish gave a graceful, airy wave of her hand. "Of course. I didn't mean any offense. I've just... I've missed so much, Roman. Seeing him like this, so grown up, so happy... it makes me realize how much time has passed since I made my mistakes."
She was playing it perfectly. She wasn't weeping or making a scene; she was the picture of a reformed woman seeking a simple connection. But Skye saw the way Tish's eyes flickered toward Roman's chest, the way she tucked a curl behind her ear as she stepped into his personal space. Tish didn't just want to see Adam. She wanted the life Roman had built. She wanted the Dragon back in her cave.
Roman remained impassive, but Skye could feel the vibrating tension in his arm. He wasn't happy- he was furious, but he was a father first. He wouldn't erupt in front of his son at a fair.
"Roman," Tish said softly, reaching out to briefly touch his forearm. "I'm not here to cause trouble. I just moved back to the city. I saw the news about the trial and I... I just wanted to see him. Just for a minute. Can we talk? Just as parents?"
Roman looked down at Adam, who was watching them with a confused tilt of his head, clutching his stuffed bear. Roman's jaw worked, a muscle leaping in his cheek.
"Skye," Roman said, his voice forced and steady. "Will you take Adam over to the petting zoo? Give him five minutes with the goats. I need to speak with Tish. Privately."
Skye felt a surge of protest. She didn't want to leave them. She didn't want to leave this dark-haired woman alone with her man, weaving her honey-toned spells. But she saw the silent plea in Roman's eyes- the need to handle this ghost before it haunted their son.
"Of course," Skye said, her voice a bit higher than usual. She reached down and took Adam's hand. "Come on, Scout. I think I saw a baby sheep over there that needs a high-five."
"Bye, Tish!" Adam called out, waving his bear.
"Goodbye, Adam," Tish called back, her voice breaking just enough to sound vulnerable.
As Skye led Adam away, she couldn't help but look back over her shoulder. She saw Roman standing tall, his arms crossed over his chest, his face a mask of iron. And she saw Tish stepping closer, her hand resting on her heart, her dark curls catching the light of the Ferris wheel.
The "Songbird" felt a sudden, fierce desire to scream. She had fought a Prince and won. She had escaped a Kingdom. But as she watched the mother of Roman's child look at him with that hungry, calculating "niceness," Skye realized that the most dangerous battles weren't fought in courtrooms or with armored vans. They were fought in the quiet spaces between a man's past and his present.
"Skye? Why are you squeezing my hand so hard?" Adam asked, looking up at her.
Skye realized she was gripping his small fingers with white-knuckled intensity. She forced a smile, though it didn't reach her eyes. "Sorry, bunny. I just... I really want to see those goats. Let's go."
Behind her, the fair continued to roar, but for Skye, the music had suddenly gone out of tune. The brute was being approached by his past, and she had to trust that the sky was the only thing he wanted to see when he looked up.