The distant hum of a motorcycle echoed through the quiet neighborhood, growing louder as it neared the Cole residence. Margaret's heart skipped a beat, her eyes lighting up with hope. But she wasn't the only one whose heart raced at the sound—another small heartbeat quickened with excitement.
Henry Cole darted out of the house, eyes wide with anticipation. He was Ethan Cole's nephew—technically, the son of Ethan's cousin Caleb and Maya's cousin, who had gotten married during Ethan and Maya's time together. After the divorce, the women drifted apart, and their once-close bond was severed. But out of that tangled past, Henry had been born—a light in Ethan's otherwise dark world.
The motorcycle came to a stop, and the man who climbed off was just as Henry remembered.
"Uncle!" Henry shouted, racing toward him with an unfiltered grin." I missed you."
Ethan caught him in his arms, lifting him easily. "Yeah? Then why didn't you call me, junior?" he teased, raising an eyebrow.
Henry pouted, "Mom took my phone. I failed one subject…"
Ethan chuckled, tapping the boy's nose. "It's okay to fail. You'll figure it out. You can do anything, kiddo."
Henry beamed. It was in these moments he felt seen—not for what he achieved or didn't—but simply for being himself.
"Uncle," he asked quietly, "why don't you stay here with us more often? Why do you always stay away?"
Ethan's smile dimmed slightly, but he masked it with a soft ruffle of Henry's hair. "You, junior, are the only reason I keep coming back here," he said, voice tender.
Later that afternoon, the pair rode through town on Ethan's motorcycle, stopping at their favorite ice cream parlor. Henry swung his legs playfully under the table as he licked his chocolate cone.
"There's this new kid in school," he said, frowning slightly. "I think he's got a lot of attitude."
Ethan raised a brow. "Yeah? What makes you say that?"
"He threw a toy lizard at us!"
Ethan leaned back, clearly amused. "Uh-huh. So he just randomly walked up and threw it at you, huh?"
Henry paused, cheeks flushing red. "...Well. I threw it at him first."
Ethan burst out laughing. "Ah, I see now." He leaned over and tousled Henry's hair. "You did something wrong. But I know my junior won't do that again. Right?"
Henry grinned, eyes gleaming with affection. "Right! I promise."
The moment passed in gentle laughter, but somewhere deep in Ethan's heart, something stirred. He didn't know that the boy Henry had just spoken about—the one with "attitude"—was more than just a new face in school. He was a connection to a past Ethan had tried hard to forget, yet couldn't ever fully leave behind.
Not when that past had a heartbeat of its own.