The laughter grew louder. It wasn’t just one voice; it was three. A chorus of giggles, shouts, and belly-deep cackles that sounded foreign in this house of grief.
Benjamin reached the double doors of the sunroom. They were slightly ajar. He hesitated, his hand trembling as he reached for the handle. He was terrified that if he opened the door, the spell would break.
He pushed the door open.
The Scene
The sunroom, usually pristine and perfectly staged, was a disaster zone.
Pillows from the living room couch were scattered everywhere. Blankets were draped over chairs to create tunnels. And in the center of the chaos, on the expensive Persian rug, was Jane Morrison.
Jane was the new maid. Benjamin’s mother-in-law had hired her a month ago. Benjamin knew almost nothing about her, other than she was young—maybe twenty-four—and had a degree in early childhood education but needed money to pay off loans. He had barely spoken ten words to her.
Right now, Jane was on her hands and knees.
She had a thick braided cord—the tieback from the curtains—looped loosely around her waist. Mason was sitting on her back, gripping her shoulders. Ethan and Liam were running alongside her, waving spatulas from the kitchen like swords.
“Gallop, Mustang, gallop!” Mason screamed, his face flushed pink, his eyes sparkling with life.
Jane threw her head back and let out a loud, ridiculous whinny. “Neigh! Hold on, cowboys! The canyon is steep!“
She bucked her hips, sending Mason bouncing safely onto a pile of pillows. He shrieked with joy, rolling over and immediately scrambling back up. “Again! Again!“
“The Sheriff is coming!” Jane yelled, crawling faster, her hair falling out of her bun, sweat beading on her forehead. She wasn’t holding back. She wasn’t treating them like fragile, grieving porcelain dolls. She was playing with them.
The Breakdown
Benjamin stood in the doorway, unseen. The sight hit him like a physical blow.
His sons. The boys who woke up screaming from nightmares. The boys who stared blankly at walls. They were alive. They were children again.
And it wasn’t him who had done it. It was this stranger. This young woman who was down on the floor, ruining her uniform, making a fool of herself just to see them smile.
Jane collapsed onto the floor, feigning exhaustion. “Oh no! The horse needs an apple! The horse is out of gas!“
The three boys piled onto her, a puppy-pile of limbs and giggles. “Get up, Horsey! Get up!“
Jane laughed, a warm, genuine sound. She hugged them close, not caring about the mess.
Then, she looked up.
Her eyes met Benjamin’s.
The laughter died in her throat. She scrambled to sit up, her face turning crimson. She saw the billionaire CEO standing there, face unreadable, tie undone. She saw the mess. She saw the “unprofessional” behavior.
“Mr. Scott!” Jane gasped, trying to smooth her disheveled hair. “I… I am so sorry. I didn’t know you would be home early. We were just… I’ll clean this up immediately.“
She began frantically gathering pillows. “Boys, help me clean up, your father is home.“
The boys froze. The light in their eyes dimmed instantly. They looked at Benjamin with fear, expecting the silence to return. Expecting to be sent to their rooms.
Benjamin felt his heart break all over again seeing that fear.
He walked into the room.
“Leave it,” Benjamin said. His voice was thick with emotion.
Jane froze, holding a pillow. “Sir?“
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