Chapter 7 - The First Visit
Adrian was ten months old when Elena finally agreed to let Lucien meet him.
The visit took place in a quiet park outside Boston.
Miriam sat on a bench nearby.
Rosa stood beside Elena.
Lucien arrived alone.
He looked different.
No tailored suit.
No expensive watch.
No armed driver waiting by the curb.
Just a navy sweater, worn boots, and a small paper bag from a local bakery.
Elena noticed his hands first.
They were shaking.
Adrian sat on a blanket in the grass, trying to eat a leaf.
Lucien stopped several feet away.
“Hello,” he whispered.
Adrian looked up.
His dark eyes were curious.
Lucien’s eyes filled immediately.
Elena saw it.
The resemblance was undeniable.
“Can I sit?” Lucien asked.
Elena nodded once.
He lowered himself onto the grass.
For several minutes, he did nothing except sit there.
Adrian crawled closer.
Then stopped.
Lucien held out one finger.
Adrian grabbed it.
The world seemed to pause.
Lucien bowed his head.
His shoulders shook once.
Elena looked away to give him dignity.
When Adrian finally let go, Lucien opened the paper bag.
“I brought something,” he said.
Inside was a tiny loaf of banana bread.
Rosa laughed softly.
“He cannot eat that yet.”
Lucien looked embarrassed.
“I did not know.”
“No,” Elena said. “You did not.”
But her voice was not cruel.
It was only true.
Lucien began coming every Saturday.
He learned.
He learned what foods Adrian could eat.
He learned which lullaby made him sleepy.
He learned that Adrian hated socks and loved bath water.
He learned that being a father was not one grand act of apology.
It was repetition.
Presence.
May you like
Patience.
Showing up even when no one praised you for it.
