The Officer's Runaway Wife & Secret Son novel Chapter 504

Circle after circle.

Clara pointed to the red rings on the page. "What are these red circles, sweetie?"

"Force fields," Felix replied softly.

"Force fields?"

"Yeah." Felix nodded with absolute seriousness. "I drew lots and lots of force fields around Daddy. That way, the germs can't get inside, and the bad guys can't get him either."

Clara sat on the edge of the tiny bed, staring at the drawing for a long time.

She finally leaned down and pressed a kiss to Felix's forehead.

"Mommy sees them. Your force fields are incredibly strong. Daddy is going to be perfectly fine."

Rhys walked through the front door, bringing the chill of the winter night with him.

He had barely kicked off his shoes when he saw Clara walking down the hall, holding a piece of paper.

"Take a look at the present your son made for you."

Rhys took it, opening it with a look of mild confusion.

It was just a crayon drawing, similar to all the others on the fridge.

"What are all these red rings?"

"Felix said they're force fields. He drew them to keep the germs and the bad guys out."

Rhys let out a soft chuckle. "Is that so?"

But the smile faded from his lips in less than a second.

Clara hesitated before speaking again. "Rhys... the other night, Felix snuck into our room. He put his finger under your nose to check if you were still breathing."

"Rhys, you can't let him go to sleep every night terrified that his father won't wake up the next morning."

Rhys stood completely paralyzed, staring down at the frantic red circles on the page, trapped in a suffocating silence.

Felix was far smarter and more sensitive than he had realized.

He had just wanted his son to be a happy, carefree kid. He wanted to shoot foam darts with him, read him bedtime stories, and let him grow up feeling secure with his dad around.

He never expected his presence to inflict such terrible fear instead.

"I'll go talk to him."

Felix was still awake. He was clutching Orange under the blankets. The cat was far too hot and had tried to squirm free several times, only to be yanked back into the hug.

At the sound of the door opening, Felix immediately sat bolt upright. Orange seized the opportunity to bolt off the mattress.

Rhys walked over and gave him a gentle smile. "I saw the force fields you drew for me. They're amazing, buddy. I love them."

Felix's eyes lit up instantly. "You really do?"

Rhys stared at his boy, an agonizing ache blooming in his chest at the sight of that hopeful spark.

It was far too easy for this child to light up at a single word of validation.

The longer you were deprived of something, the more desperate your reaction when you finally got it.

He didn't give it; he loaned it.

Gifts were gone forever, but a loan meant his dad had to return it once he was better. It was a guarantee that his dad would heal, because otherwise, he would be breaking the rules.

And his dad was a cop. Cops never broke the rules.

Rhys gripped the toy truck, the hard metal digging sharply into his palm.

He tightened his fingers, clutching it like a lifeline.

While the father and son whispered their secrets, Clara stood silently outside the door.

She didn't walk away until she heard Rhys begin reading a bedtime story.

After coaxing Felix to sleep, Rhys returned to the master bedroom. True to his word, he placed the toy vehicle right next to his pillow.

"He's an amazing kid," Rhys murmured.

Clara watched him but didn't agree or disagree.

The words tumbled over and over in her mind. She weighed the pros and cons, carefully selected her phrasing, and tried to predict his reaction.

After playing out the scenario a million times in her head, she finally made her choice.

Felix's red force fields couldn't form a real shield. Her tears couldn't wash away the fibrotic tissue strangling his lungs.

And no matter how fierce Rhys's will to live was, it could only slow the deterioration, not reverse it.

Probing gently, she asked, "Have you ever thought about getting a lung transplant?"