Chapter 15
Eighteen months after the locker incident, Cassian took Noah to a youth baseball game.
It was not Jace’s game.
That was important.
No engineered reunion.
No therapist-arranged breakthrough.
No family photograph.
They were there because Noah liked baseball and Cassian had promised.
Halfway through the second inning, Noah saw someone three sections away.
Jace.
Sitting beside Lena.
Noah immediately looked at Cassian.
“Did you know?”
“No.”
“You swear?”
“Yes.”
Noah stared toward Jace again.
Jace had seen them too.
He did not wave.
Good.
Noah watched the game.
Another inning passed.
Then another.
At the concession stand during the fifth, the two boys ended up twenty feet apart.
Lena stopped.
Cassian stopped.
Nobody pushed.
Nobody said:
Go say hello.
Jace looked at Noah.
Noah looked back.
Finally Jace said:
“Hey.”
Noah answered:
“Hey.”
Silence.
Jace pointed toward Noah’s nachos.
“Those are terrible here.”
Noah looked down.
“They’re fine.”
“They taste like plastic.”
“You eat cafeteria pizza.”
“That’s different.”
Noah almost smiled.
Almost.
Then he became serious.
“I got your letter.”
Jace’s face tightened.
“Okay.”
“I’m not over it.”
“I know.”
Another silence.
Then Noah asked:
“Do you still hate me?”
Jace looked startled.
“No.”
“Did you?”
Jace thought.
“I hated what I thought you had.”
Noah looked toward Cassian.
Cassian did not move.
Jace continued:
“That wasn’t the same thing. I just didn’t know that.”
Noah nodded.
Then his name was called from the concession counter.
He picked up his drink.
Before leaving, he looked at Jace.
“You can sit with us for one inning if you want.”
Lena’s eyes filled.
Cassian looked away before either boy noticed.
Jace hesitated.
“Just one?”
Noah shrugged.
“Maybe.”
They returned to the seats.
Jace sat on the far side of Cassian.
Noah sat on the other.
Not touching.
Not suddenly close.
Just watching baseball.
Arthur’s scheme was over.
The hidden support channel had been exposed.
Clients were repaid.
The firm had been restructured.
Dean Whitmore was gone.
Jace had faced consequences for hurting Noah.
Cassian had acknowledged his older son without pretending biology erased thirteen lost years.
Noah no longer believed another child could replace him.
Everything practical had reached an ending.
Only one question remained.
Whether Noah and Jace would ever choose to become brothers in more than DNA.
Cassian could not litigate that.
Could not negotiate it.
Could not order it.
At the bottom of the sixth, Jace leaned across him.
“Your nachos really are terrible.”
Noah rolled his eyes.
“Shut up.”
Jace smiled.
For once, Noah did too.
May you like
Cassian kept his eyes on the field.
One inning was enough.
