[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":10},["ShallowReactive",2],{"viewer-data-260322AB8D26-492":3},{"id":4,"number":5,"name":6,"content":7,"isLocked":8,"price":9,"hasRead":8},492,15,"Chapter 15: \"You Are Not Yet Weaned, Charlotte.\"","\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Felix used to be such a handful, but the moment he was in his grandfather's arms, he’d go quiet. When I’d come home from work, no matter how late it was, Dad always left a light on for me. There was always a hot bowl of noodles waiting.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Charlotte tore at her hair, her voice breaking into ragged sobs. \"I used to think those noodles were bland. I hated how he hovered. I resented that he didn't have a PhD like me, that we had nothing in common.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">She clutched her head, tears streaming down her face. \"But now? The noodles are gone. The light is out. Killian Daniels is a fraud, our relatives were just leeches, and this family... is it finally dead?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">On the third day after Alan Moore returned to the city, Charlotte cornered him. She was holding Felix, who looked thinner, his face pale. The moment the boy caught sight of Alan, his tiny, stiff body suddenly lunged forward.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">He reached out, crying with a desperation that cut through the air. \"Grandpa! I want Grandpa! Grandpa, don't leave! I'll be good, I promise! I won't eat anything spicy anymore—\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">That moment felt like a jagged blade to Alan’s chest. The child he had raised from infancy, that primal, blood-deep bond, was impossible to fake. Alan stopped walking. He reached out and took Felix from Charlotte’s arms. The boy clung to his neck like a frightened monkey, burying his face in Alan's shoulder, sobbing uncontrollably.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Dad, look at him,\" Charlotte stood nearby, her eyes swollen and raw. \"Ever since we flew back, Felix has been running fevers. He won't eat. The doctors said it’s psychosomatic. He misses you. Dad, even if Mom was wrong, even if Brody and I were monsters... the boy is innocent. Can you really stand by and watch him suffer?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Alan patted Felix’s back, his rhythm steady and gentle, just as it had always been. He gestured for Charlotte to follow him to a nearby park bench.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Charlotte,\" Alan looked at his daughter, his tone as calm as if they were discussing the weather. \"Do you remember how long I waited outside the delivery room the day you gave birth to Felix?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Charlotte hesitated, blinking. \"I... I remember. Twelve hours.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"I watched them wheel you out, drenched in sweat, and I hurt so much I wished I could have traded places with you.\" Alan gave a bitter, hollow laugh. \"After Felix was born, you were too busy with your career to wake up in the middle of the night. I was the one who held him through the long hours. When you were off chasing promotions and finishing your thesis, I handled every single chore in that house. I used to think, 'She is my daughter, and her child is my own flesh and blood. As long as they are happy, even if I rot away in this house, it’s worth it.'\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Charlotte hung her head in shame. \"Dad, I know you worked hard...\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"I was misguided by your mother and Killian,\" Charlotte sobbed, lunging forward to grab Alan’s hand. \"I truly regret it!\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Alan gently pulled his hand away. He set a now-quiet Felix down on the bench.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Charlotte, you’re thirty-two this year. You’re a PhD holder, an elite in the eyes of the world. But have you realized it yet? You’re still not weaned.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Alan stared at her, his expression mild but distant. \"You think the boy can’t live without me, but the truth is, you can’t live without me.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Felix will grow up. He’ll learn that his grandfather isn't coming back. He’ll learn to feed himself and follow his doctor’s orders. And you, Charlotte, you need to grow up too.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Alan stood up. He watched his daughter, then stepped back, severing the path for her to grab him again. \"Charlotte, nothing anyone does is a birthright, not even for a father. You make mistakes, you live with the consequences.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">He leaned down, pressed a soft kiss to Felix’s forehead, and before the boy could start crying again, he turned his back on them.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Dad! Where are you going? Dad!\" Charlotte screamed in desperation.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Alan didn't look back. He simply called out, \"Charlotte, it’s time you had a life of your own.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">The words hung in the air. Charlotte collapsed to her knees, clutching her son as she watched her father’s silhouette vanish into the city mist. She finally understood. The sanctuary that had sheltered her unconditionally was gone. There would be no one left to leave a light on for her in the dead of night, no one to stand in front of her when the world turned cold.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">***\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Back in the suburbs, Alan had rented a small bungalow with a garden. Judith Palmer had moved into the house right next door, separated only by a low, weathered fence covered in vines.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">At dusk, Judith walked over, holding two pots of orchids she had picked up at the market. She navigated the small gate with the familiarity of a long-time neighbor.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Alan, I thought your desk was looking a bit barren. Thought these might give it some life.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Alan was sitting on a bamboo chair, a sketchbook open across his knees. He looked up, his eyes, once clouded with exhaustion, now holding a peace he’d never known.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Judith, you’re always bringing things over. You’re going to fill my entire yard before the month is out.\" Alan laughed, standing up to take the flowers.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Judith didn't let go of the pots. Her voice softened. \"Alan, it’s been six months. We’ve traveled from Mirror Lake to the high mountain passes, and we’ve sat in this yard for tea more times than I can count.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"I used to think that just living on opposite sides of this fence was enough.\" She paused, her gaze locking onto his with unwavering resolve. \"But I realized... I’m getting greedy.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"I want to wake up every morning and watch you water your garden. I want to taste the breakfast you make.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Alan’s heart skipped a beat. He instinctively took a half-step back, a flash of panic crossing his features.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Judith... you’re a good woman.\" Alan looked down at his rough, calloused hands. \"You know my history.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"I spent thirty years as a house-husband. No career, no pension. I wasted the best, strongest years of my life in a wreck of a home.\" He looked up, his eyes rimmed with red, his voice trembling. \"I’m nearly seventy now. At this age, talking about 'feelings' is just a joke. I’m not worthy of you.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Judith, please. Don't waste any more time on me.\"\u003C/p>",false,0,1774272925938]