SHADOWS OF THE PAST

SILENT PROMISE

The next morning, the air in the house was heavy with quiet. Ethan was still asleep upstairs, the early sun casting long shadows across the living room. Logan sat at the kitchen table, his fingers drumming lightly on the surface, waiting for Maya to come down. His tea from the night before had gone cold, untouched, but he barely noticed.

Maya appeared in the doorway, her hair loosely tied back and dressed in her usual casual clothes. She paused when she saw Logan, clearly surprised he was up so early.

"You're up early," she said, crossing the kitchen to make herself some coffee.

Logan shrugged. "Couldn't sleep much."

Maya nodded as she poured her coffee, not pressing the matter. They stood in the same space, but it felt like they were miles apart.

After a long pause, Logan finally broke the silence. "I've been thinking... about what you said yesterday. About trust."

Maya glanced at him, her face unreadable. "And?"

"I know it’s not something I can fix overnight," Logan began, his voice low. "But I want to show you that I’m not the same person I was. I’m here, and I’m not running away this time."

Maya leaned against the counter, her coffee cup cradled in her hands. She watched him for a long moment, and Logan could see the conflict in her eyes.

"I don’t doubt that you want to be here, Logan," she said softly. "But showing up isn’t the same as being there. Being present for the hard stuff. That’s where you left before."

Logan sighed, nodding slowly. "I know. And I hate that I hurt you. I wish I could go back and change everything, but I can’t. All I can do now is... try to make up for it. Step by step."

Maya lowered her gaze, her fingers wrapping tighter around the cup. "I’m not saying you can’t try, Logan. I’m just saying it’s going to take time. And I don’t even know if I can get to that place again."

Logan’s chest tightened, but he forced himself to stay calm. "I’ll give you time. I’ll give you whatever you need, Maya."

She didn’t respond right away, and the silence stretched between them. The only sound was the ticking of the clock on the wall, counting the moments that seemed to linger like unspoken words.

After what felt like an eternity, Maya finally spoke again. "I appreciate that, Logan. But I also have to be realistic. We can’t just pretend that everything will fall back into place."

Logan nodded again, though it stung to hear it. "I’m not asking for that. I just want us to move forward. Even if it’s slow, even if it’s difficult. I don’t want to give up on us."

Maya set her coffee down and sighed, rubbing her temples. "I don’t want to give up either, Logan. But right now, all I can focus on is Ethan. He’s my priority."

Logan swallowed hard, his heart aching. "I get that. I do. And Ethan’s my priority too. I want to be the dad he deserves, Maya. I want to be here for him, for both of you."

Maya stared at him, her expression softening slightly. "You being here is a start. But it’s more than that. He needs you to be consistent. He needs to know you’re not going to disappear again."

"I won’t," Logan said quickly, his voice steady. "I swear, I’m not going anywhere."

Maya nodded, though her eyes held a flicker of uncertainty. "We’ll see. Actions speak louder than words, Logan."

Logan knew she was right. Words had never been enough, not before, and not now. He had to prove himself, step by step, just like he’d promised. And no matter how long it took, he would do it.

They stood there in the kitchen for a while longer, the conversation fading into a more comfortable silence. It wasn’t resolved, but there was a shift between them. A small step forward, and Logan clung to that hope.

Just then, a sleepy voice called from the hallway. "Mom? Dad?"

Both Logan and Maya turned to see Ethan standing at the bottom of the stairs, rubbing his eyes. His hair was sticking up in messy tufts, and he looked confused to see them both in the kitchen together.

"Hey, buddy," Logan said, a smile tugging at his lips. "You’re up early."

Ethan padded into the kitchen, looking between his parents. "Are we going somewhere today?"

Maya glanced at Logan before answering. "No plans yet. How about we have breakfast first?"

Ethan shrugged and slid into one of the chairs, clearly still half-asleep. Logan smiled at him, ruffling his hair gently as he passed by. "I’ll make pancakes. How does that sound?"

Ethan perked up slightly at the mention of pancakes, nodding eagerly. "Yeah! With chocolate chips?"

Logan chuckled. "Of course, with chocolate chips."

As Logan started preparing breakfast, Maya leaned against the counter, sipping her coffee in silence. Watching him move around the kitchen felt strange. It was like seeing a ghost from the past, but at the same time, it felt... right.

Ethan seemed to sense the subtle shift in the air too. He kept glancing between them as if he was trying to figure out what had changed, but he didn’t ask any questions. Instead, he chattered on about the zoo, telling Maya all about the animals he’d seen the day before.

Logan flipped the pancakes, stealing glances at Maya. She still hadn’t said much, but he could tell that she was watching him. The silence wasn’t uncomfortable anymore. It was cautious, but it wasn’t hostile.

As he plated the pancakes and brought them to the table, Ethan grinned widely. "These look awesome, Dad!"

Logan smiled, feeling a warmth in his chest. "Glad you think so, kiddo."

Maya sat down with them, the three of them sharing a quiet breakfast. There were no big breakthroughs, no emotional declarations, but for the first time in a long while, it felt like a family again.

As they finished breakfast, Ethan stood up and stretched. "Can we go to the park later?"

Maya glanced at Logan, then nodded. "Sure. If the weather holds up, we can go."

Ethan’s face lit up, and he ran off to get dressed. Logan watched him go, then turned to Maya. "Thanks," he said quietly.

Maya looked at him, her expression soft but guarded. "Let’s just take it one day at a time, Logan."

He nodded, accepting her words. One day at a time. That was all he could ask for. And for now, it was enough.