The air between Damion and me was suffocating, thick with unspoken words and the weight of a past that neither of us seemed to escape. My fingers curled into fists at my sides as I tried to steady my breath. The urge to run from him, to erase his presence from my life once again, consumed me.
I turned on my heel, determined to walk away, but just as I took a step, a small voice echoed through the grand room.
“Mommy!”
My heart dropped into my stomach as I froze. Turning slowly, I watched as my son, Nathan, darted out from behind one of the decorative pillars. His little face lit up when he spotted me, his dark curls bouncing as he ran toward me with open arms.
“Nathan?” I whispered, shocked. “What are you doing here?”
He wrapped his tiny arms around my legs, looking up at me with his w
