Chapter 19
Callum took one look at Tomos' face and, without hesitation, took over the task of cheering him up.
He moved around the kitchen easily, his sleeves rolled up, a tea towel slung over his shoulder as he ladled warm soup into a bowl, setting it in front of the quiet little boy along with a few slices of buttered toast.
"Eat up, lad. You look half-starved."
Tomos, to his credit, didn't protest. He picked at his toast for a moment before taking a small sip of the soup, his shoulders relaxing slightly.
Cadi barely touched her own food.
She just sat in the sitting room, her gaze wandering across the bookshelves lining the walls. It looked like an old professor's study—the kind of room where time didn't exist, only words and quiet thoughts.
She barely noticed when Callum and Tomos slipped outside, kicking the ball back and forth in the small backyard. The sounds of their laughter and playful shouts drifted through the open window, but Cadi just sat there, numb.
Somehow, she made it through the rest of the evening.
The bath. The brushing of teeth. The bedtime story.
She tucked Tomos in, sliding the frayed red blanket over him, feeling the warmth of it beneath her fingers before pulling the quilt over both of them. It smelled like him—like soap and the faint scent of the outdoors.
He watched her with sleepy eyes as she sat beside him, telling the story of the Billy Goats Gruff—the way she had done since he was little.
"And then the biggest billy goat stomped his hooves and sent the troll flying off the bridge."
Tomos' lashes fluttered. His fingers clutched the edge of the blanket.
Then, in a small, hesitant voice—
"Mam... are you and Da getting de-voiced?"
Cadi's breath caught.
He didn't quite get the word right, but he understood the meaning.
Her heart twisted painfully.
"Gina's da and mam got divorced," he continued drowsily. "And she was always cryin'... And then her da got a girlfriend. But she didn't like her."
Cadi swallowed hard, pushing his damp curls away from his forehead.
She didn't want to lie.
But the word yes wouldn't come out.
Instead, she whispered, "Your da and I are fighting. But adults do that sometimes. It doesn't mean we don't love you."
Tomos blinked up at her. "He's not going' anywhere?"
Cadi forced a small, reassuring smile, her chest aching.
"No, sweetheart. He's not going anywhere." (She hoped.)
Tomos yawned and nuzzled into his blanket, his little hands clutching the fabric tightly, his breathing slowing as sleep finally took him.
Cadi stayed for a few minutes, watching the slow rise and fall of his chest, before she finally pulled away and stepped quietly out of the room.
She walked down the stairs, feeling heavier with every step.
Callum was sitting in the dimly lit sitting room, a book in one hand, a cup of tea resting on the side table.
He barely glanced up as she entered, but as soon as he took in her expression, he set his book down and wordlessly disappeared into the kitchen.
When he came back, he placed a steaming mug of tea in her hands.
"You should eat something."
Cadi didn't argue, but she didn't eat either. She just held the cup with both hands, her palms like ice despite the warmth of the house.
Callum waited patiently, his hazel eyes steady, his presence grounding in a way she hadn't realized she needed.
Then, finally, she spoke.
"Callum..." Her voice cracked. "I didn't believe it. Not really."
Callum's expression didn't change, but his throat worked like he was bracing for what came next.
"...until I heard it from him."
The words felt like glass shards in her throat, and then it happened.
The floodgates broke.
She sobbed, ugly, wracking sobs that she had held back for too long, her shoulders shaking, her breath coming out in gasps.
Callum didn't say a word.
He just let her fall apart, piece by piece.
And in between those fractured, uneven breaths, the story came out—in bits and pieces.
The accusations.
The confrontation.
The things Gray had said.
"I am going to need a lawyer." Cadi's voice was grim. "I'm taking Tomos for a DNA test tomorrow. Gray can arrange it."
She let out a short, humourless laugh, wiping at her swollen eyes.
"He thinks Tomos is yours."
Callum stiffened.
A beat of silence stretched between them.
Then, after a long pause, he exhaled slowly.
"This is my fault." His voice was quiet, heavy with guilt.
Callum shook his head, staring at the floor like it held all the answers. "I should've told him. Right from the beginning. I shouldn't have expected you to keep this a secret. I just... I didn't want him to hate me."
Cadi let out a slow, shuddering breath.
"It wasn't my secret to share."
Callum ran a hand through his hair, frustration evident in every line of his posture. "I want to talk to him now."
"No." Cadi's voice was firm, immediate.
Callum looked at her, surprised at the sharpness in her tone.
She shook her head. "Let's do the DNA test results first. You've waited this long. A few more days won't matter."
Callum clenched his jaw. "But if he knows—"
"The damage has already been done."
Cadi lifted her red-rimmed, exhausted eyes to his.
"What he's done... how can I forgive this?"
Her voice cracked.
"If he had just asked me, Callum. Just once. He knows me better than this."
Callum didn't reply.
Because they both knew the truth.
Gray had known her better than anyone else.
Until he didn't.