CEO's Tears Over Pregnancy Test Discovery novel Chapter 1618

Charlie had the smallest rolling pin.

The three of them sat around the table, earnestly rolling out dough for ravioli. Charlie poured all his energy into it, his little hands pressing down with all his might.

“Charlie, you don’t need to push so hard,” Jamie said, her tone warm and encouraging. “Watch how Mom does it, okay?”

She guided him patiently, her gentle expression lighting up the moment. Ben, seated across from her, paused in his work to watch the scene, captivated without even realizing it. Jamie, oblivious to his gaze, focused on teaching Charlie.

After some practice, Charlie began to get the hang of it. They rolled out the sheets of dough, cut them into squares, dusted them with flour, and set them aside for filling later.

“That should be enough,” Jamie said as she stood up, stretching her back after being hunched over the table.

Ben reached over to her without warning. She instinctively dodged, but he pressed her gently back into place. “Hold still. You’ve got some flour on your face.”

Jamie froze for a moment, then obediently stood still, letting him wipe her face. However, as he continued, the flour seemed to spread instead of disappearing.

Ben stared at his hand in silence, realizing his mistake.

Jamie, noticing his expression, touched her face. “Why are you looking at me like that? Did you clean it off?”

Ben hesitated, his eyes darting away. “It should be clean now.”

“Should be?” Jamie frowned, sensing something was off.

At that moment, Charlie pointed at her face, his eyes wide with surprise. “Mom, you’ve got flour all over your face. You look like a snowman!”

Jamie’s fingers darted to her face, feeling the streaks of flour. Her frustration bubbled up as she glared at Ben. “You said you’d clean it off, and this is what you call helping?”

She grabbed a pinch of flour and smeared it across Ben’s face without hesitation.

Ben didn’t dodge, allowing her to “get even.”

The three of them erupted into laughter as they playfully attacked each other with flour, stopping only when Jamie realized the living room was turning into a flour-covered disaster zone.

Charlie looked at Ben with teary eyes, his voice trembling with sadness. “I really wish Uncle Ben could be my dad, but I’ve never met my dad and Uncle Ben isn’t him.”

A lump rose in Jamie’s throat. The weight of the truth pressed on her chest, and for a moment, she considered telling him everything. But reason held her back. She glanced at Ben, seeking guidance.

Ben knelt beside Charlie, ruffling his hair. “If you want, you can think of me as your dad.”

“Really?” Charlie’s face lit up, his tears forgotten in an instant.

Jamie felt a small wave of relief wash over her as Charlie brightened again. The guilt in her heart eased, if only slightly.

Later, after Charlie had fallen asleep, Jamie sat in the living room, lost in thought. Ben joined her, breaking the silence.

“This isn’t your fault,” he said softly. “Not telling him now is the right decision. He needs time to fully understand and accept what it means to have a dad.”

Jamie nodded, her voice barely above a whisper. “I know. Things are fine the way they are for now.”