"Dr Dawson!" Rayen- my son runs towards me, and I kneel with open arms.

    As he runs, my heart tags in disappointment with myself.

    How could I not have seen it?

    The ck hair, the birthmark.

    He looks like the spitting image of Alex, but still, I should have known.

    "I''m much better! I missed you so much." He buries his head in my chest, and something tugs at my heart strings and tears begin to fall.

    I pull him closer, clinging to him like I''ve just surfaced from drowning. My fingers thread through his hair, and the first sob slips past my lips. Then another.

    Silent at first, then louder, more broken. Tears stream down my cheeks, hot and blinding.

    I can''t stop.

    Because for the first time in years, I''m holding him not as a child I''ve doted on, but as my son.

    And he doesn''t even know he''s mine.

    I know I haven''t confirmed it yet, but I''m more sure of it this time than I ever was.

    Rayen pulls back, his little fingers brushing my face with concern wrinkling his three-year-old forehead.

    "Did something bad happen?" he asks, blinking up at me with those wide, innocent eyes.

    I shake my head, forcing a watery smile, cupping his cheek with trembling hands. "No, sweetheart... something good. Something really, really good happened."

    His lips part to ask more, but before he can, the front door creaks open behind us. Ariana steps out, followed by Sloane, her sunsses perched in her hair and a knowing grin tugging at her lips.

    Sloane is a beauty. With blonde hair and a body to die for. She looks like she works out a lot. She shes me her beautiful smile, and I just know she''s about to spew nonsense,

    "Well damn," Sloane says, leaning on the doorway with crossed arms. "The way those tears are falling, one would think this is some dramatic mother-and-son reunion."

    I nce up slowly, my eyes meeting hers. I wipe the tears and give them an apologetic smile.

    "Sloane!" Ariana grumbles in a voice, showing she''s not pleased. She res at her before walking to me with a smile, her eyes softening once more.

    "My dear Athena. How are you holding up? You just ran off the other day. Is everything okay?" She changes the subject and doesn''t ask me about why I was crying, and I''m grateful for it. Honestly, I don''t know how to answer that.

    "Yeah." Is all I can think of.

    "He''s grown on you, hasn''t he?" She takes my hand as she gestures at Rayen, and my heart strings tug.

    I''m dying to let them know. But first, I need to do the DNA test.

    That''s why I came here, I needed Rayen''s hair, or anything like a toothbrush.

    "How''s it going at the hospital? I hopen isn''t being too hard on you." We take a seat on the couch.

    I Have the hair samples in my hand, but I think I need that toothbrush, but how the hell can I ask for it without sounding suspicious?

    "It''s a hospital, you know. You save some and lose some. It shatters you, but you keep going." I finally respond truthfully.

    "That''s depressing. But you''re the real heroes!"

    "Dr. Dawson! Come I show you my new room! Granny said I can have one here, too." Rayen tugs on my coat with a pout.

    "Aunt Ari. Get me thatptop I work on the designs while my best friend gets a tour of a bedroom." Sloaneughs, and Ariana joins her.

    "I guess we''ll leave you two to it." She stands, and Sloane follows her behind.

    "Show me the room, big guy!" I stand, and Rayen jumps in excitement.

    I guess it won''t be so hard to get that toothbrush after all.

    Rayen, continues to jump in

    excitement, his little feet pattering against the floor as he grabs my hand and tugs me down the hallway. He''s practically bouncing, his green eyes sparkling as he throws the door open like he''s unveiling a pce.

    "This is it!" he deres proudly, his arms spread wide.

    Okay, maybe it is!

    The room is huge and beautiful.

    There''s a neatly made bed with cartoon sheets, a mountain of plushies stacked at the corner, and a whole wall filled with shelves of toys.

    Expensive ones, the kind you only see in high-end catalogs. Drones, interactive robots, a whole racing track set.

    And he''s only three.

    "This one''s my favorite," he says, picking up a talking dinosaur and pressing a button. It roars and starts walking, and he giggles.

    The sound is so pure that it brings tears back to my eyes, but I blink them away.

    "Wow," I say softly. "You''ve got a whole toy store in here."

    He beams at me, pride oozing from every inch of his tiny frame. "Granny says I can have whatever I want here."

    Of course she does.

    The first grandson of the King family.

    I''m afraid of what he''ll get for his eighteenth birthday.

    Probably half the country.

    We tour for a few more minutes as he exins what each toy does, and I''m pretty proud.

    He''s way over average and extremely intelligent.

    "I''m gonna go pee! You can have whatever you want, okay?" he announces suddenly and dashes off to the attached bathroom, the door swinging shut behind him.

    I shake my head with augh.

    Such a cute, gentle baby.

    I exhale slowly, as I remember what I need.

    I scan the room quickly and spot the

    nightstand beside the bed. Six

    toothbrushes sit in a ceramic holder.

    Different colors and different

    shapes, but they all have little bite

    marks at the top. No doubt they''re

    his.  s?novel

    I just hope he won''t notice it''s missing.

    I''d ask him, but I''m not sure he wouldn''t tell his granny or worse, his crazy father.

    My fingers stretch as I reach for the green one and pull a reseble bag from my

    purse, tucking the toothbrush carefully inside.

    I''m just sealing the bag and shoving it into my purse when the door creaks open behind me.

    "Athena?"

    That voice. Deep. Calm. Demanding.

    Alex.

    My heart leaps to my throat as I spin around too fast, dropping my bag in the process, making the toothbrush spill off.

    Oh shit.

    He''s standing there, tall and handsome in a ck and white suit, his brow slightly furrowed, those stormy green eyes fixed on me with a guarded expression.

    "What are you doing?" he asks slowly, his gaze drifting down to my purse and the scattered things that are on the floor.

    You''ve got to be kidding me!

    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and

    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!