Desired By Three Alphas; Fated To One novel Chapter 247

Chapter 247: Arrived

Hailee’s POV

Outside, the car waited. I helped Oscar climb in. He sat very straight with his bag on his lap. I slid in next to him, and the guards took the front and the other back seat. The car rolled out and picked up speed.

The city moved past the windows: market stalls just opening, a man sweeping his step, a girl pulling a little cart with bread, a dog sleeping under a table, a woman hanging cloth out to dry even though the air was crisp. The sun was low and gold, the sky pale and clear. People did not stop to stare. The car looked like any other. That was the point.

I looked at Oscar. "Nervous?" I asked.

He twisted the strap of his bag. "A little," he said. Then he looked up. "But happy too."

"What would you like to say first when you see him?" I asked.

He thought. "Hi, Dad," he said quietly, testing how it felt in his mouth. "Hi, Dad. I missed you."

"That sounds good," I said, and my throat went tight again.

He peered at me. "Are you okay, Mom?"

"I will be," I said and smiled. "When I see that your dad is okay."

He nodded like he understood all of it. Maybe he did. He was only ten, but my boys had seen too much and learned too fast. I wished it were not so. I squeezed his hand. He squeezed back.

The drive to the airfield did not take long. The plane waited at the edge of the runway. We went up the steps and took our seats.

"Seatbelt," I said, and showed him how to click it. He clicked it and then clicked it again just to feel sure.

The plane took off with a gentle push. The city fell away under us. The fields became a patchwork quilt—green, gold, brown. Rivers made silver lines like writing. Clouds drifted like ships. Oscar pressed his forehead to the window and stared and stared. He smiled without even knowing he was doing it.

"Can I have the cookie?" he asked after a while, pointing to the little basket the attendant had set down.

"Yes," I said, and he took one and then broke it in half and gave me the bigger piece. "Thank you," I said, and meant it in more ways than one.

We read for a bit. He leaned his head on my shoulder for a few minutes and then sat up again because he could not sit still. He asked how much longer. I showed him the little moving map on the screen. He asked if his grandma would be at the house. I said I thought so. He asked if his dad would be awake. I said I hoped so. Then we fell into a quiet that was not empty, just full of thoughts.

The plane landed smoothly and easily. The doors opened. The air smelled different as soon as we stepped out—warmer, with a hint of pine and dust. The sun was higher in the sky here. The light felt a little softer, like it had been filtered through thin cloth.

A car waited at the bottom of the steps. Two men stood near it. I knew one right away: Leo, Nathan’s second. He had the same steady eyes, the same calm he had on the phone. He bowed to me and then crouched a little to be eye level with Oscar.

"You must be Oscar," he said kindly.

Oscar nodded. "Yes, sir."

"I am Leo," he said. "I am your father’s friend. I have known him since we were younger than you." He smiled. "He is going to be very happy to see you."

A small sound came out of Oscar’s throat—a happy hiccup of air. He tried to hide it by biting his lip. I smoothed his hair back.

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify