Chapter 25 THE STORM PART 3
"Ms. Cross! How strange," Alexander called out, his voice carried across the last few yards between them. His smile is real and easy. "I didn't think I'd see you again so soon after we met this morning."
Vivienne stands up and moves stiffly as she smooths out imaginary wrinkles in her clothes. The cup of melted ice cream is left on the bench next to Noah.
"Mr. Hunt," she says, her voice steady, though her heart was racing. "It's a small world after all. What a pleasant surprise."
The little girl pulls on Alexander's hand impatiently and looks up at Vivienne with wide-eyed interest. Her bangs are neatly combed, and her eyes are bright and curious.
"Who is she?" she asks, loud enough for everyone to hear. "Is she your girlfriend?"
Alexander laughs, and the sound is rich and warm. "No, Lily."
Vivienne looks down at the child, clearly confused by the innocent question.
"This is Ms. Cross. She's going to help me with a very important project." He looks back at Vivienne. "This is Lily, my favourite little girl," he says.
Vivienne bends down a little to get closer to the girl's eye level. "Hi, Lily. It's nice to meet you."
Lily smiles at the attention and rocks back on her heels. "Today is my birthday! I'm seven years old, and Uncle Alex is taking me to get ice cream, my favorite." She points to the truck. "Strawberry with sprinkles is my favourite."
Uncle Alex.
The word echoes in Vivienne's mind, bringing her such a deep sense of relief that she almost falls over.
His niece. Lily is his niece and not his child.
Noah gets up from the bench and moves to stand next to her before she can wish Lily a happy birthday. He has been silently interested in this conversation, but now his eyes are on Alexander.
Vivienne's heart races with fear, seeing how much he looks like his father. Anyone could tell, they have the same dark eyes, jaw shape, and the way they both tilt their heads slightly when they're curious.
Noah was practically his doppelganger.
"Are you the guy my mom is going to work with?" Noah asks boldly. "The one she's been worried about meeting?"
Vivienne feels her face burn red.
"Noah! That's not how we introduce ourselves," she says softly, but Alexander is already laughing.
He surprises her by going down on one knee, putting himself at Noah's level. Vivienne feels another wave of complicated emotion. It's such a natural, kind thing for him to do to make himself less scary to a child.
"Yes, I am that man," Alexander says in a warm, secretive voice. "And I promise I'm not as scary as I might look in a big office building. What's your name?"
"I'm Noah, Noah Cross," Noah announces, using the careful speech his mother taught him for talking to adults. He reaches out his small hand, and Alexander shakes it with the right amount of seriousness.
"That's a strong handshake you have, Noah. How old are you?"
"Nine," Noah says proudly. "In a few months, I'll be ten."
There were lines around Alexander's eyes now. "Nine is a great age. I remember being nine years old and building my first computer with my dad."
Vivienne watches this exchange with a strange feeling of dizziness, as if she's entered a different world.
Here they are, father and son, talking for the first time in the middle of a city park, and neither of them knows the truth.
"I'm seven and three-quarters," Lily says, cutting in to make sure she isn't left out of the conversation. She makes the fraction seem very important. "Not just seven."
Noah turns to her with the automatic superiority that older kids have. "But you just turned seven today. Which grade are you in?"
"Second," she says, raising her chin a little.
"I'm in fourth," Noah says, and it's clear from the way he says it that he's trying to establish the fact that he's much older than her.
The conversation changes with the ease of a child. Lily points to Noah's half-eaten cone, which is now dripping and forgotten in his hand.
"What flavour is that?" she asks.
"Cookie dough. It's the best kind."
Lily scrunches up her nose. "Not a chance. The best is strawberry. Everyone knows that."
"Cookie dough has real cookies in it," Noah counters. "Strawberry is only a fruit."
"Strawberries are sweet! Cookies are just cookies!" Lily argues back.
Alexander straightens up, watching the kids with a smile on his face. He looks at Vivienne. "They seem to be getting along," he says.
"Kids make friends so easily," she says, trying to keep her voice calm. Her fingernails dig into her palms. It hurt a little, but it helps her stay present and focused.
A soft autumn breeze blows through the park, bringing with it the smell of grass and water from the pond. Life goes on around them.
And the beauty of everything seems almost cruel when you think about the storm inside Vivienne.
"I didn't know you had a son," Alexander says without looking away from the kids. "You didn't say anything about him this morning."
Vivienne swallows hard. "Yes, well... I try to keep my work and personal lives separate." She smiles faintly. "I didn't think it was important for our meeting. I hope that won't mess up the project's schedule."
"Of course not," Alexander says right away. "I get it completely. It's important to have a good work-life balance, especially for parents."
He takes a short break and then asks casually, "Will Noah's dad be helping with the kids while we are working on the project?"
Vivienne feels like she's been punched in the gut when she hears the question. The park seems to tilt around her, and sounds get muffled.
How many times had she practiced what she would say if this exact question ever came up? But all of her rehearsed answers are gone now. She panicked and lost her ability to think. "I—"
"Uncle Alex!" Lily calls out. "Can Noah and I go play on the jungle gym? Please?"
Lily already took Noah's hand and is pulling him toward the playground.
Noah looks back at Vivienne as if to asks her for permission even without saying anything.
"Go ahead," Vivienne says, grateful for the sudden interruption. "Don't go too far away."
Noah gives her his melting cone. She takes it without thinking, and then he runs off with Lily to the playground.
In just a few seconds, they were already climbing the metal structure, and their laughter can be heard across the grass.
Vivienne and Alexander stood next to each other, watching the kids play. The universe has given her a break for now, but she knows the question will come up again.
"Lily is sweet," Vivienne says, wanting to change the subject. "Your niece?"
"My sister's daughter," Alexander says, his eyes softening as he watches the little girl climb to the top of the slide.
"Sophia lives in Boston, but Lily sometimes stays with me when she comes to New York." He smiles a little. "She asked for ice cream in the park today since it's her birthday. And although I get busy with work, today is special."
Vivienne stays mute, watching the kids closely. Noah is teaching Lily how to use the monkey bars and holding her steady.
"Noah is a great kid," Alexander says. "Very articulate and sure of himself. You must be proud."
"I am," Vivienne says softly as she watches her son. Their child. "He's the best thing that ever happened to me."
The words came out before she could think it through, heavy with the truth that only she knows.
Alexander nods in agreement, not knowing that there is a double meaning. Unaware of the years of love and sacrifice that have brought them all to this moment in the park.
Noah and Lily run around the playground equipment, chasing each other. Already best friends.
Their laughter echoes through the park, a bright contrast to the heavy secrets Vivienne held deep in her heart.