The morning came far too soon, sunlight slipping through the bedroom window and spilling across the sheets. The alarm on the phone beside Elias rang, its shrill sound threatening to disturb the peaceful silence of the room. Still half-asleep and reluctant to leave the comfort of his bed, he reached over to silence it before it could wake his son. With a quiet groan, he pushed himself upright, covering his mouth as he yawned before rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Once his vision had cleared, he turned his gaze toward the crib beside the bed, where Aiden remained fast asleep, his pacifier resting between his lips.
A small smile tugged at Elias's lips at the sight. He reached for his phone and checked the time, briefly contemplating the tempting idea of crawling back beneath the covers for a few more minutes of sleep. Unfortunately, as much as he wanted to indulge himself, he knew he could not afford the luxury. There was a little one depending on him, after all.
With a reluctant sigh, Elias set his phone aside and dragged himself out of bed. He hurried into the bathroom for a quick shower, then stepped out with just a towel secured around his waist. He had every intention of getting dressed before tending to his son, thinking he still had a little time to spare. However, the moment he stepped back into the bedroom, a series of cheerful squeals greeted him from the crib.
'Should've gotten dressed in the washroom next time.' Elias internally reminded himself.
He turned towards the crib, only to find Aiden wide awake and staring at him with bright, curious eyes. The baby gurgled happily, kicking his little legs as though he had been waiting for his father's return all along.
"Good morning, buddy. Did you have a good sleep?" Elias cooed, approaching the crib with a smile.
He slipped his hands beneath the infant and lifted him into his arms, pressing a gentle kiss to his plump cheek. Aiden responded with an even louder squeal, his tiny face lighting up with delight.
Elias could not help but chuckle. "Oh, you're in a good mood this morning, aren't you?"
Fortunately, Aiden was not a particularly fussy child, which made the morning routine considerably easier. With the baby in relatively good spirits, Elias managed to get him bathed, dressed, and settled for breakfast without much trouble. Yet, despite the surreal experience of the previous night, one problem remained unchanged: Aiden still refused to drink from a bottle.
Left with little choice, Elias drew his son closer and offered him his breast. Aiden immediately latched on eagerly, sucking with such force that Elias could only wince at the discomfort. Still, the sight of his son feeding so contentedly brought a fond smile to his face. Aiden's tiny hands reached for his chest, his little fingers curling into fists before loosening again, only to repeat the motion moments later. It was almost as though the baby believed he could coax more milk out with his little hands, determined to get every last drop.
Elias gently tapped Aiden's cheek with his index finger, his voice taking on a playful, babyish tone. "You can't be so greedy, little one, or you might not have any milk left for later."
His gaze drifted toward the table, where the untouched tin of formula milk sat. With a soft sigh, he shook his head. "I suppose I should just give it away, since you don't seem to want it anymore."
Once he had finished feeding Aiden, Elias carefully settled him back into his crib. He then reached for the hanging mobile suspended above it. The little decoration featured a crescent moon, twinkling stars, and planets of various shapes and sizes, all dangling from delicate strings. As the mobile began to turn in a slow, gentle circle, Aiden's attention was immediately drawn to the movement.
His round eyes followed the dangling ornaments with fascination, and every so often, a delighted squeal escaped his lips. Watching his son's reaction, Elias smiled. He leaned over the crib, careful not to block Aiden's view of the spinning mobile.
"Daddy will be right back, okay? I just need to get dressed."
He bent down to press a gentle kiss to Aiden's forehead before straightening up. In response, the baby gurgled happily, his little legs kicking excitedly in the air as his eyes remained fixed on the colorful ornaments revolving above him.
Satisfied that Aiden was content for the moment, Elias finally turned his attention to getting ready for the day. He had a job interview to attend, and being late was the last thing he could afford. Although he knew he ought to take things slowly, especially since he had only recently recovered from childbirth, he simply could not afford the luxury of resting for too long.
His savings were dwindling, and he had more than himself to worry about now. Aiden depended entirely on him, and whatever difficulties lay ahead, Elias was determined to provide his son with everything he needed. He might have been exhausted, and his body might not have fully recovered, but he could not allow either to stand in the way of securing a better future for them both.
With that resolve firmly in mind, he hurried to finish dressing. He had just begun straightening the knot of his tie when his phone rang from the nightstand, its sudden chime cutting through the quiet room.
Elias glanced toward the sound before making his way over. Still adjusting his tie with one hand, he reached for the phone with the other and glanced at the screen.
An unfamiliar number stared back at him.
He paused, his fingers hovering over the screen as a faint sense of unease settled in his stomach. Unknown numbers rarely brought anything good, or at least that was how Elias had come to see them. For a brief moment, he considered letting the call ring out and allowing it to go to voicemail.
But curiosity soon got the better of him. Who could be calling him this early in the morning, and what could they possibly want?
Without a second thought, he swiped to answer and placed the phone on his left ear.
"Hello, Elias' speaking," Elias answered the phone as he finished straightening his tie. He then made his way over to Aiden's crib and carefully scooped the baby into his arms, ensuring he was comfortably settled. He switched off the hanging mobile before leaving the bedroom and making his way downstairs.
"Evan, it's me."
The familiar yet long-forgotten voice instantly brought him to a halt.
Elias froze halfway down the stairs, his fingers tightening around the phone until his knuckles turned pale. For a moment, he could hardly believe what he had just heard. His jaw clenched, and a vein throbbed against his forehead as he struggled to contain the sudden surge of emotions threatening to overwhelm him.
"...Big Brother?"
He had not heard that voice in over a decade.
The last time he had seen the man he once called his older brother was on the day of their parents' separation. His father's mistress and his step-siblings had already moved into their home by then. It was the day Elias had spent years trying to forget, yet the memories remained painfully vivid, etched into his mind like scars that refused to heal.
A series of soft chuckles came from the other end of the line.
"It's been years since you last called me that," Claude remarked, his voice carrying a teasing warmth that sounded almost unchanged from the past. "Did you miss me, little Evan?"
Elias's expression darkened.
"Don't call me that."
His voice was cold, every word dripping with barely restrained resentment.
"My name is Elias, and no, I don't miss you. I only called you by the title you used to have. Nothing more." He paused, taking a slow breath to steady himself. "Now, why are you calling me, Claude? And how did you get my number? I've already told you before that I want nothing to do with you or your family."
'Your family.' The words tasted bitter on his tongue.
He had never truly considered them his family, not even when he was young enough to believe that sharing the same blood meant he would always have a place among them. The only people he considered family now were his mother and the little boy resting peacefully in his arms.
As for Claude, he was nothing more than an older brother in name.
"My family?" Claude repeated, his tone shifting from playful to incredulous. "Isn't my family your family, too? Isn't my father your father as well, Elias? You're Ryan's biological son, too, aren't you? After everything he's done for you, after feeding you and putting a roof over your head all these years, you're really going to turn your back on your own family?"
Elias nearly laughed at the sheer absurdity of it.
Instead, he clicked his tongue in irritation, his grip tightening around Aiden as though the baby's warmth could anchor him against the storm of emotions brewing inside him.
"Families don't abandon their own," he replied flatly. "But he did. So no, he's not my father anymore. My father died a long time ago."
The words came out harsher than he expected, but he did not regret them.
"To me, the only family I have left is my mother. That's all I need." He glanced down at Aiden, whose little face remained blissfully unaware of the tension surrounding him. "I'm hanging up now. Don't call me again."
Elias was already moving his thumb toward the screen when Claude spoke again.
"I heard you were recently discharged from the hospital. Are you all right, baby brother?"
The sudden gentleness in his older brother's voice sent a shiver down Elias's spine.
For one fleeting moment, it felt like time travelled backwards and he was no longer a grown man standing on the staircase with a baby in his arms. Instead, he was a young boy again, one who had once followed his older brother around with unwavering trust, who had sought comfort in his embrace and believed that no matter what happened, Claude would always be there to protect him.
He remembered the laughter they had shared, the quiet moments when Claude had ruffled his hair, and the times he had been reassured that everything would be all right.
Those memories hurt more than he cared to admit.
Despite everything Claude had done, despite the resentment he had carried for years, a small and shameful part of Elias still missed the older brother he had once loved.
For a moment, he almost broke the strong facade he was putting on.
He wanted to ask why. Why had Claude allowed everything to happen? Why had he stood by while Elias and their mother were driven out of their home? Why had he never come looking for him? Why had he waited until now to reach out?
There were so many questions he wanted to ask, so many words he had kept buried in his heart for more than a decade. The urge to let them all spill out was so overwhelming that, for a fleeting moment, Elias felt as though his knees might give way beneath him.
Before he could lose himself any further in the painful memories, a tiny hand patted his cheek, pulling him back to the present.
Elias blinked and lowered his gaze to find Aiden staring up at him with wide, curious eyes. The baby tilted his head slightly, his expression almost questioning, as though he could sense that something was troubling his father.
The sight tugged at Elias's heart.
Whatever bond they had once shared, Claude had abandoned him long ago. Elias had spent years picking up the shattered pieces of his life, learning to stand on his own without the support of the older brother he had once looked up to. He had endured the loneliness, weathered countless hardships, and survived those endless nights when he had secretly wished someone would come looking for him.
His mother had been the only one who stayed by his side. His father had never once looked for him, and the brother he had once cherished had never returned. In the end, he had only ever had his mother to rely on.
'I've made it this far without you, Claude. I don't need you now. I won't ever need a brother like you.'
Elias lowered his head and pressed a tender kiss to Aiden's forehead, breathing in the lingering scent of baby powder that clung to his son's soft skin. The familiar fragrance brought him a small measure of comfort, grounding him in the one thing that mattered most.
Drawing in a deep breath, Elias tightened his hold on Aiden and willed the trembling in his fingers to subside. He refused to let the man on the other end of the line hear even the slightest hint of how deeply his words had affected him.
"News flash, Claude. That was three months ago, and you're three months too late. I'm fine now." His voice was flat and indifferent, carefully concealing the turmoil churning beneath the surface.
"I have to go now. Unlike certain wealthy heirs who spend their days sitting around doing nothing, I actually have work to attend to."
"Elias—"
Beep. Beep. Beep.
Elias ended the call before Claude could finish speaking, leaving nothing but the steady silence of the disconnected line.