Page 25 of Blue Gold

Maya leaned closer and bumped her nose with mine in what she called a “butterfly” kiss.

“Do I smell carbs?” My wife’s voice carried through the halls before she joined us in the foyer, still in her pajamas—which, for the record, matched Maya’s.

“You sure do.”

“What did I do to deserve such a husband?” Claudia beamed before slipping the bag of baked goods from my hand.

“Mommy, I want some, too!” Maya cried in my arms, and her appetite made me laugh.

“Don’t worry, sweetheart, there’s enough for us all.”

She turned to frown at me, her big brown eyes studying me with much seriousness. “Do you promise?”

My heart melted at her cuteness, and I couldn’t help but smile like a sucker.

“Yes, sweetheart. I promise.”

She rewarded me with a big hug that warmed my heart and reminded me, once again, how I’d do just about anything to keep her happy. Before becoming a parent, I didn’t even know such love existed. The pure, unconditional love I would sacrifice myself for without a second thought. I used to be quite miserable in my life, but Maya was a game-changer. A child I never actually wanted turned my world upside down and gave me a sense of purpose—a reason to go through my days just to see her smile. I’d never experienced such a thing before her, and I thought I never would again until I’d met my French prince, who also had the power to make life worthwhile with nothing more than a simple smile.

With Maya still in my arms, I walked into the kitchen, where Claudia started to pull things out from the fridge so we could cook breakfast.

“How about you two make pancakes?” she offered, and before I could respond, Maya roared a loud yes.

Not about to argue with my kid, I put her down and walked with her to the pantry, where we began collecting the dry ingredients. Insisting on doing everything on her own, Maya wanted to grab the mixing bowl from one of the shelves. To do that, she had to climb on a stool to reach for it. Admiring her independence at such a young age, I watched from behind and made sure she wouldn’t fall, like any proud parent would.

After she picked everything up (almost by herself), we went back to the kitchen and placed the ingredients on the counter.

“We’ll need eggs and milk, too,” I told Maya, who was already running toward the fridge.

“I got it!” she announced, making me chuckle.

She truly was adorable⁠—

“What were you doing in Brooklyn?”

My heart paused in my chest, letting me know how fragile this reality was, and that one word was enough to shatter it.

Not stopping what I was doing, I reached for the pancake mix. “Why are you asking?” I attempted to keep my voice low and composed despite the sense of fear that struck me. Although, why was I even scared? I’d never done anything with Elliot. Anything but⁠—

“You got a parking ticket.” Claudia tossed something on the counter.

I put aside the spoon I was holding and picked up the letter.

“It looks like you got it the night of your dad’s party last month,” she said, just as I noticed the date on the top of the letter.

I must have gotten it when driving to visit Elliot. I was so upset that evening that I probably didn’t notice where I parked my car.

“It seems like it,” I said and placed the ticket down.

“So, what were you doing there? I thought you went back to work that night.”

Turning to face Claudia, I felt like I’d been caught.

“I… I went there to clear my head from Father’s nonsense.”

Her brows pinched together, an amused smile on her lips. “In Brooklyn?”

“Well, yes. There’s a small bistro I like that’s not far from the bridge⁠—”