As she stepped into the hallway, the warmth of the moment faded, and the darkness of the night seemed to creep back in around her. The house was quiet, too quiet, and her thoughts immediately returned to Rowan, to Alessandro, and to the unsettling events of the evening.
What am I doing? she thought, as she made her way back to her own room. Why did I agree to meet Rowan tomorrow?
She collapsed onto her bed, staring up at the ceiling. The house was still and silent, but her mind was loud, a cacophony of conflicting emotions and questions she couldn’t answer.
Rowan’s presence had always unsettled her, even more so now. There was something about him… something dark, something dangerous… that drew her in, no matter how hard she tried to resist. And then there was Alessandro, whose protectiveness was suffocating in its own way, his presence pressing down on her like an unwanted weight.
Amara rolled onto her side, pulling the blankets up around her. Her body was exhausted, but her mind refused to rest. The tension, the unease, the feeling that something was lurking just beneath the surface… it gnawed at her like an itch she couldn’t scratch.
As she lay there, staring into the darkness, she couldn’t shake the feeling that tomorrow would bring more trouble, more complications, and more decisions she wasn’t ready to make. Rowan’s words from earlier echoed in her mind.
“Get ready by ten in the morning. I’ll pick you up.”
What did he want from her? What did she want from him? The questions twisted and turned in her mind like serpents, coiling tighter and tighter until she could barely breathe.
Sleep wouldn’t come easily that night. Not with the shadows of her choices looming over her, and the weight of Rowan’s dangerous allure lingering just beyond the edges of her consciousness.
Amara woke up to the sound of silence, her body still heavy with sleep. She blinked, her eyes adjusting to the soft morning light filtering through her curtains. Everything seemed normal… until her gaze swept across the room. She froze, her heart skipping a beat.
She remembered last night her room was normal but now.. it was completely unrecognizable.
Red balloons floated gently in the air, swaying ever so slightly, their vibrant color in stark contrast to the soft light.
Fairy lights twinkled from the walls, casting a delicate glow that seemed almost ethereal.
Roses.. deep red and velvety… they were everywhere.
Their scent filled the air, intoxicating and thick, mixing with the fresh morning dew that seeped in through the window.
As her gaze drifted lower, she noticed rose petals scattered on the floor, a trail of crimson leading from the door to her bed. It was as if she had woken up in a different world….
one far removed from the cold, tense reality she had left behind the night before.
Amara blinked again, harder this time, wondering if she was still asleep, trapped in some sort of dream where everything was impossibly perfect.
She half-expected the scene to dissolve as her mind fully woke up, but the sight remained.
This can’t be real, she thought. Was she transported to another dimension?
Before she could dwell any longer on her disoriented thoughts, a soft voice pierced through the quiet, startling her out of her daze.
“Happy birthday, Mommy! I wish you a long life full of love and happiness.”
Amara’s heart swelled as she turned her head toward the doorway.
There, standing with a proud smile on his face, was her son, Vaughn…
He looked so small in the grandness of the room, but his presence was more significant than anything else.
In his tiny arms, he clutched an enormous teddy bear, almost the same size as him. Along with it, he held a bouquet of brightly Red colored flowers that seemed too big for his little hands to carry.
She blinked again, tears threatening to well in her eyes. Her chest tightened, and a warmth spread through her, melting the icy tension she had woken with.
Vaughn’s smile was pure and bright, his innocent happiness contagious.
Amara quickly climbed out of bed and rushed over to him, taking the oversized bear and flowers from his struggling grip. “Thank you, baby,” she said softly, her voice thick with emotion. She crouched down and wrapped him in a tight hug, burying her face in his soft hair.
Vaughn wrapped his small arms around her neck, squeezing as tightly as he could. “Did you like it, Mommy?” he asked eagerly, his voice muffled against her shoulder.
Amara pulled back slightly, still holding him close as she smiled down at him. “You did this?” she asked, gesturing to the decorated room, still half in disbelief.
Vaughn nodded enthusiastically, his eyes sparkling. “Well, I had a little help from Grandma,” he admitted, glancing over his shoulder as if expecting Isabelle to appear any second. “But I picked out the balloons! And I made sure the roses were red because you love red!”
Amara couldn’t help but chuckle at the earnestness in his voice. “You did an amazing job, Baby… This is the best birthday gift I’ve ever received.” She leaned down and kissed the top of his head, feeling a surge of love so intense it almost hurt.
Vaughn beamed, his face lighting up with pride. “I’m glad you like it, Mommy! I wanted to make sure you had the best day ever!”
As she stood, Amara felt a strange mix of emotions swirl inside her.
She gently set the teddy bear on the bed and placed the flowers in a vase that was placed on the Table..
“Mommy, let’s go downstairs. I’ve got a surprise for you,” Vaughn said, his voice bubbling with eagerness.
Amara chuckled softly, the warmth in her chest spreading at her son’s enthusiasm. “Another surprise?”
Vaughn nodded quickly, his little face serious and bright all at once.
“Okay, okay,” she said, her smile growing. “Let me get ready quickly.”
“Mommy, wear red today,” Vaughn insisted, his eyes lighting up even more.
“Red, huh?” Amara chuckled softly, glancing toward her closet.