Chapter 84 Father and Son

Chapter 84 Father and Son
Coriander’s Point of View

I spun around fast the moment I heard that clear, high voice—my son Elo’s voice, the one I had not heard in so long.

He was running straight toward me, darting past every hand that tried to stop him without slowing down for even a second. I sank down onto my knees to meet him, opening my arms wide, and he crashed right into me.

I wrapped him up tight, holding him close as if I might never let go again.

“Momma!” he said once more, clinging to me with all his might, his little arms locked around my neck like he had been waiting his whole life just to call me that.

I pulled back just enough to look at him, brushing his hair back gently with hands that trembled with happy tears. “I’m here, baby. Momma is here.”

When I lifted my head, I saw Mavros standing perfectly still beside us—frozen in place, staring at our son as if he had forgotten how to breathe. His face was pale, his eyes wide and bright with disbelief and something deeper, something breaking open inside him. He had heard it. That one word had changed everything between us forever.

Before the ritual could be completely disturbed or interrupted by the noise and commotion, I stood up quickly, lifting Elo right into my arms and holding him securely against my chest.

I pressed a soft kiss to his forehead and turned back toward the circle, quiet but firm, so the healers could focus once more. The ritual was not yet finished, and Mivron still needed us to stay calm and steady.

“And what are you doing here, little one? Were you being stubborn again with Uncle Luke?” I asked Elo gently, smiling softly at his pouty face.

I could feel Mavros standing close behind me, watching every moment, though he did not say a single word.

“I heard you came back, Momma, so I came here to welcome you,” Elo mumbled, still pouting a little. “I thought you had forgotten me.”

I let out a soft laugh and gave his chubby cheek a gentle squeeze. “Momma would never, ever forget you, baby. I just had something very important to take care of, that’s all. That’s why I couldn’t come to you right away. I am so sorry for making you wait.”

I pulled him a little closer, resting my forehead lightly against his, wanting him to feel every bit of my love.

“Nothing and no one could ever make me forget my favorite boy. Never. You are always right here.” I placed his small hand over my heart. “Always.”

Elo’s pout finally melted away, replaced by a bright, happy smile that lit up his whole face. He wrapped his arms tight around my neck again and hugged me with all his might.

Elo pulled back from our hug, his little brow furrowing as he looked up at me, then past me toward the man standing behind us.

“Who is he, Momma? Why has he been following us this whole time?” Elo asked, pointing straight at Mavros, his face all serious and curious.

I bit my lower lip, suddenly realizing I had completely forgotten to explain. This was Mavros—his father—standing right there, and I had not said a word.

“Uhm…” I stammered, my mind racing. I could not find the right words.

Should I tell him now? Should I tell him the truth—that this is his father?

Before I could decide, Elo spoke again, clear and sure, like he had known it all along. “Is he my father?”

His voice was calm, with no shock at all as if he had felt it deep down the moment he saw Mavros.

I heard a sharp, quiet breath catch in Mavros’s throat. I turned to look at him at once. He stood there, his hands trembling slightly, his eyes wide and glistening, staring at our son like he had just been given the most precious gift in the world. All his strength, his pride, his composure—gone in a heartbeat.

Mavros looked straight at me, his voice trembling with disbelief. “I-Is he truly my son, Coriander?” He asked, his eyes searching mine desperately before turning them back to Elo, as if drinking in every feature of the little boy’s face.

I fell completely silent, my heart hammering painfully in my chest. Now they were both looking at me—two pairs of eyes, waiting for the truth—and I did not know how to speak it.

How could I tell them without tearing my own heart open all over again?

Everything had happened so fast. I had never stopped just to prepare for this moment. It had never crossed my mind that they would meet like this, so suddenly, before I was ready.

Because the truth was terrifying. If I let them come together… if I let Mavros truly know his son… what would stop history from repeating itself? What if he decided Elo belonged with him, with his world, with the life I had worked so hard to protect him from? What if he took my son away?

My throat tightened, tears burning hot and sharp behind my eyes. I looked at Elo—bright, brave, my whole world—and then at Mavros, the man I loved but who had once been part of a world that could so easily tear us apart. The old fears rushed back in, loud and overwhelming.

“Momma? Why are you crying?” Elo asked innocently, his small hand reaching up to gently wipe away the tears I had not even realized were rolling down my cheeks.

I shook my head quickly, forcing a soft, wobbly smile. I took a deep, steadying breath, then set him down gently on the ground, letting him stand on his own two feet between us.

I looked up at Mavros, who stood there gazing at us—at me and our son—with eyes full of wonder and aching tenderness, as if he could barely believe what he was seeing.

“Mavros,” I said, my voice quiet but sure, “this is Emmitt Pluto. Your son.” Then I turned to the little boy beside me, resting my hand warmly on his shoulder. “Elo, my sweet baby… this is your father. Mavros.”

Mavros let out a sharp breath, his whole body trembling. He dropped to one knee so he could be at Elo’s level, his dark eyes glistening with tears he no longer tried to hold back. He reached out slowly, carefully, as if afraid he might startle him, his hand hovering for a moment before he gently rested it on Elo’s small shoulder.

“Emmitt Pluto…” he whispered, testing the name like something precious. “My son.” His voice broke, thick with emotion.

Elo looked up at him, curious and brave, then reached out and placed his tiny hand right over Mavros’s heart.

“Hi, Papa,” he said softly.

Mavros closed his eyes, a tear slipping down his cheek, and bowed his head. For a long moment he said nothing at all—just held his hand over Elo’s, feeling the truth of it settle deep in his soul.

I stood there watching them, my heart still trembling with fear but also swelling with a love so big it felt like it might burst. Whatever happened next, whatever I was still afraid of… I had given them this moment. And for now, that was enough.

When Elo was born, there was only one thought running through my mind, clear and sharp every single moment: I would never let Mavros know about our son. Not then. Not ever. All because of the cruel lie Elder Mara had woven around us.

She played with my life—with our lives—and most of all, with the life of my innocent child. She twisted the truth, turned love into betrayal, and made me believe things that were never real, just so she could control us both. She did not care who got hurt, as long as she got what she wanted.

And because of her lies, I carried that anger and fear in my heart for years, convinced that keeping Elo hidden was the only way to protect him. I will never forgive her for that. Not for the pain, not for the years stolen from us, and certainly not for the way she tried to turn a father against his own son before he was even born.

“I’m sorry…” Mavros whispered brokenly, holding Elo tightly against his chest as if he never wanted to let go. Tears streamed freely down his face now, no more pride, no more strength held back—only raw, aching regret. “I’m sorry because I was a coward. I’m sorry I failed to protect you and your Momma. I’m sorry I wasn’t there beside you all those years, every time you needed me. I wasn’t there to hold you when you cried, or to tuck you in at night, or to be the one you ran to when you were scared. I missed so much. And I am so, so sorry, my son.”

He pulled back just enough to look into Elo’s eyes, his hands trembling as he gently cupped the little boy’s face, as if memorizing every line of it.

“I am sorry I didn’t know about you,” he said again, softer now. “I am sorry someone lied and kept us apart. But from this moment on… I promise you. I will never leave you again. No one will ever take me away from you. No one will ever hurt you or your Momma again. I will be here. Every day. Every moment. Whatever you need. I am here.”

Elo listened quietly, his big eyes fixed on Mavros’s tear-streaked face. He did not fully understand all the words, but he felt the sadness and the love pouring out of this man who was his father. Slowly, he lifted his small hands and wiped Mavros’s tears away, just as he had done for me earlier.

“It’s okay, Papa,” Elo said simply, his voice warm and sure. “I knew you would come. I waited for you.” Then he wrapped his little arms tight around Mavros’s neck and pressed his cheek against his father’s shoulder. “You’re here now. That’s all that matters.”

Mavros let out a sob that shook his whole body, and he held Elo closer still, burying his face against his son’s hair. All the strength of a King crumbled away in that moment, replaced by the overwhelming love of a father who had found his child at last.

“Thank you,” Mavros whispered into Elo’s hair, holding him like the most precious thing in the world. “Thank you for waiting. I love you, Emmitt Pluto. I love you more than life itself. And I will spend every day for the rest of my life making it up to you. I promise.”

I stood there watching them, tears streaming down my face too—tears of grief for all the years Mara had stolen from us and tears of joy that finally, after everything, my little boy had his father, and my love had found his way home.