The Heart Left Behind (Cole and Yvonne) novel Chapter 79

Grandma let out a sharp huff, stood up, and left the living room without another word. She didn't even touch her dinner, leaving the table full of untouched dishes.

Paige sighed as she cleared the plates. "Sir, you really shouldn't argue with Mrs. Joplin Senior. Honestly, Ms. Langley isn't all that bad."

"Does cheating during our marriage count as 'not that bad' to you?" I said, leaning back in my chair. "You all have a pretty impressive tolerance for betrayal."

I didn't believe for a second that Grandma didn't know what Yvonne had done. She was just pretending it didn't happen, brushing it under the rug.

Paige was one of Grandma's trusted people, so, of course, she'd take her side. But her tone, laced with gentle scolding, grated on my nerves. I put down my cutlery after only a few bites.

"I'm heading out. Tell Grandma that a reconciliation isn't happening." I wasn't desperate. I could find a woman without dragging myself back into that mess if I wanted to.

By the time I got home, Jonas was already in bed. The house was quiet except for the soft hum of the air conditioning. Peeking into his room, I found him half-asleep, his little face barely visible under his blanket.

"Daddy," he murmured, his voice heavy with sleep.

"I'm here," I whispered, stepping closer.

"Helped you… I helped…"

"Helped me?" I noticed his laptop sitting open on the desk, a screen full of unrecognizable code glowing faintly in the dark.

So, that was what he meant.

I sighed, kneeling by his bed. I'd been trying to keep him away from gadgets, thinking he was too young. How had he even gotten hold of this?

"What's this?" I asked softly, pointing at the screen.

The mess of symbols looked like a puzzle, far from anything I'd seen before. Was this some new game?

I gently tapped his forehead. "No more games, buddy. You need to take it easy."

…

The next morning, Jonas woke up early. He approached and hesitated before tugging on my sleeve, his big eyes looking nervously at me.

"Daddy?"

"What's wrong?" I asked, noticing the dark circles under his eyes. "Didn't you sleep well?"

Instead of answering, he blurted out, "Are you really getting married? Is it with Ms. Sommerton?"

I asked him, "Who told you that?"