Ethan sat on the couch, looking up at his mother with wide, questioning eyes. The unease in his gaze was impossible to ignore. He was only seven years old, but the curious way he had been asking questions lately made Rachel realize that he was beginning to notice things. And those things were dangerous—things that could shatter the world he knew.
"Mom, can I ask you something?" Ethan's voice was soft, but there was an edge of seriousness to it.
Rachel sat down beside him, brushing a strand of hair out of his eyes. "Of course, sweetheart. What's on your mind?"
Ethan hesitated for a moment, as though gathering the courage to ask a question that had been weighing on him for weeks. "Why don't I look like Daddy?"
Rachel's heart lurched in her chest. The words hit her like a tidal wave. She had known this day would come—the day Ethan would start to piece things together, to see the differences in how he looked compared to Andrew. And now, with Arnold's return, the truth she had been hiding for so long was about to unravel.
"Honey, what do you mean?" Rachel asked, trying to sound casual, even though panic was rising in her chest.
Ethan pointed to a picture on the wall, the one of Andrew and Rachel at their wedding, with little Ethan nestled in their arms. "I look more like the man in that picture," he said softly, tracing a finger along the frame.
Rachel swallowed hard, her throat dry. "Ethan, that man is someone who is very important to you, but… he's not your father. Your father… your real father is someone else."
Ethan's brow furrowed, confusion written across his face. "But I thought Daddy was my dad?"
Rachel took a deep breath, her voice shaking as she tried to explain the unexplainable. "He is your father, sweetie. But there's someone else who's also important to you. Someone who…"
"Who is he, Mom?" Ethan asked, his tone now a mixture of curiosity and something deeper—a yearning for answers.
Rachel closed her eyes for a moment, gathering her thoughts. "His name is Arnold," she said quietly, her heart heavy with the weight of her words.
Ethan's eyes widened. "Arnold? But he's not the man you married, right?"
Rachel shook her head. "No, Ethan. He's not. But he's someone who…"
Before she could finish, the doorbell rang.