At Lakeside Garden, the morning was unusually peaceful.

Zachary sat at the head of the dining table with a cup of coffee beside him, his attention fixed on the iPad resting in front of him.

As usual, he was reviewing several important reports before starting his day. The document displayed financial updates from one of his companies.

For several minutes, he became completely absorbed in the figures and summaries scrolling across the screen.

The quiet atmosphere around him made it easy to focus.

At least, it lasted for a few minutes.

Soon, the sound of rapid footsteps echoed through the corridor outside the dining room. The footsteps were quick, uneven, and unmistakably familiar.

Before he even looked up, Zachary already knew who it was.

A faint smile appeared on his lips.

"Young Master, don’t run or you’ll fall—" Arthur’s voice came from somewhere in the hallway, sounding both concerned and completely unsurprised at the same time.

The footsteps only became faster.

Then—

"Daddy!"

Skylar’s excited voice filled the room.

The little boy rushed inside at full speed and stopped near the dining table. He bent over slightly, catching his breath before immediately lifting his head.

"Why are you here?" he asked. "I thought you’d only come back on Tuesday."

Zachary set the iPad down and looked at his son properly.

Skylar was still wearing his pajamas. His hair looked as though he had fought a battle with his pillow and lost. Several strands stuck up in different directions, making him look both ridiculous and adorable.

Instead of answering the question immediately, Zachary calmly said, "Good morning, Sky."

The little boy blinked. A second later, realization appeared on his face.

"Oh." Skylar straightened his posture. "Good morning, Daddy." Then he added honestly, "I rushed here when Arthur told me you were already at home."

"I arrived late last night. You were sleeping, so I didn’t wake you."

Then, he gestured for Skylar to come closer.

When Skylar stopped in front of him, Zachary reached out and patted his shoulder gently. "How was your sleep?"

"Not bad..." His answer came instantly. But he suddenly widened his eyes as though he had remembered something important. "Oh, right! Dad, wait here. I need to change first."

"Hm," Zachary responds.

Skylar turned around and immediately started running toward the doorway.

However, he had not yet left the dining room when Zachary stopped him, "Sky, wait—"

Skylar stopped so abruptly that he nearly lost his balance. He turned around. "Yes, Dad?"

"Change into your nice clothes."

Skylar frowned in confusion. "Why?" He asked.

Before Zachary was able to answer, Skylar’s eyebrows lifted even higher. "Are we visiting Grandma?"

Zachary picked up the iPad. Without looking up, he casually replied, "I’m taking you to Auntie Sienna’s house."

"Really, Dad?"

Zachary finally glanced up. "Really."

"Today?"

"Hm, today."

Then Skylar gasped dramatically. "All day?" he asked again, as if he couldn’t believe what he’d heard.

"All day."

Skylar looked as though he had just won the lottery. "YES!" His excited shout echoed throughout the dining room.

Then he spun around and sprinted toward the hallway again.

Halfway there, he suddenly stopped. He turned back around.

"Dad!"

"What?"

"Can I bring my coloring books?"

"Yes."

"My camera?"

Zachary sighed.

"Yes."

"My pajamas?"

This time, Zachary lowered the iPad completely and shot him a confused look.

"Why would you need pajamas?"

Skylar looked genuinely confused by the question. "What if I sleep there?"

Zachary looked at him for a moment, imagining his son sharing a bed with Sienna and possibly waking her up during the night. He quickly shook his head, trying to dismiss those images.

He knew he couldn’t allow that, especially because Sienna’s place is too small for Sky to stay overnight, let alone more than a few days. And since Sienna adores Sky, she probably sleeps on her couch and lets Sky sleep in her bedroom.

After a moment, Zachary shook his head. "You are not sleeping there, buddy!"

"But I can still bring the pajamas, right?"

A laugh escaped Arthur before he could stop himself.

Zachary pinched the bridge of his nose. "Hmm. How about you change your clothes first? I’ll..."

"That’s a yes!" Skylar said before he disappeared upstairs at an even faster speed than before.

The dining room finally became quiet again. A soft chuckle escaped Zachary’s lips as he watched the empty doorway.

After a moment, he returned his attention to Arthur. "Go help Sky pack his clothes. I’m worried he will bring all his clothes to Sienna’s house."

"Yes, Master."

Zachary nodded and returned to his report.

Yet despite the numbers on the screen, his thoughts briefly drifted toward Sienna.

He could already imagine the smile that would appear on her face when Skylar arrived at her door. For some reason, that thought made his morning considerably more pleasant.

...

As they finally drove toward Sienna’s apartment, Skylar sat beside him, looking unusually tense and excited. He had been unable to sit still since leaving the house, constantly glancing out the window as if hoping the car would somehow arrive faster.

Watching his son from the corner of his eye, Zachary found himself wondering whether he should tell Skylar about his proposal to Sienna now or wait until later.

He had considered it several times since leaving home, but the timing never seemed right.

Only when the car was a few minutes away from Sienna’s apartment did he finally decide to say something.

"Sky," he began casually, briefly glancing at his son before returning his attention to the road ahead. "What would you think if Auntie Sienna moved in with us?"

Skylar frowned slightly as he processed the question. Then, to Zachary’s surprise, the little boy answered without hesitation.

"You mean she agreed to marry you?"

Zachary immediately coughed. For a moment, he was completely caught off guard by how direct his six-year-old son could be.

After clearing his throat, he nods. "Hm. I proposed to her, and she accepted. So, yeah."

The moment the words left his mouth, Skylar’s eyes widened. A bright smile instantly spread across his face.

"Yay!" Skylar shouted happily. "I finally have a mom!"

The excitement in his voice filled the car.

Yet instead of sharing the same excitement, Zachary felt a dull ache spread through his chest.