"Tell the boy you're sorry."
"Mom!"
Leo bawled, turning his pathetic, tear-streaked face toward Jade. He absolutely refused to cave.
He hated this annoying kid's guts. Why should he have to say sorry?
"It's okay, Leo, don't cry. Mom's got you."
Jade snatched her son back, soothing him while secretly seething that Miles was siding with a stranger over their boy.
Forced to maintain her graceful act, she offered a sweet excuse. "Miles, he's just a baby, and he's completely traumatized right now. I'll make sure he learns his lesson at home."
Seeing Leo's stubbornly puffed-out cheeks, Miles didn't push it. Instead, he crouched down to meet Caleb at eye level.
"I'm sorry, kid. I'm apologizing on Leo's behalf. And by the way, that Space Warrior hat is incredibly cool."
Caleb stared back from mere inches away, his dark eyes analyzing every inch of the man's face from behind the tinted lenses.
He really did look exactly like him. Luna wasn't lying; this guy was a grown-up clone of himself.
But he couldn't be their father. He was clearly already someone else's dad, which meant he was permanently disqualified from being theirs.
Seeing the genuine apology in the man's gaze, Caleb let the issue drop, his tone painfully mature.
"Forget it. Just go home and teach your son some manners. Don't let him lie next time."
With that, he adjusted his tiny backpack and strutted away.
Miles watched the small figure disappear through the exit, a strange, hollow ache gripping his chest. It felt oddly like grief.
They had literally just met, yet he felt zero distance between them. The boy felt hauntingly, magnetically familiar.
Hearing his dad praise the stupid hat, Leo suddenly decided he wanted one too.
He tugged at Jade's blouse. "Mom, I want that cool hat!"
"As long as you stop crying, I'll go buy you one, okay?"
Satisfied, Leo nodded eagerly. "Okay."
...
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