Chapter 72: A Heart Caught Between Two Worlds

Noah's delicate fingers traced the embroidery on the couch as the soft murmurs of conversation drifted from the hallway. He had come to find his mother, but when he heard his father's voice, something in his chest tightened, making him pause just outside the doorway.

"Emma… I know you love him. I know you're taking care of him better than I ever did. But I can't help but feel…" His father's voice wavered, raw with emotion. "I feel like I'm losing my son."

Emma's voice, always calm yet filled with unshakable love, responded gently. "You're not losing him, Michael. He still loves you."

"But it's not the same," his father argued. "Before, even when he was distant, I was the only one he clung to. Now… now he looks at you with warmth, with trust. And I—I don't know how to fix this."

Noah's breath hitched. Was it wrong? Was it wrong to love Mama? His small hands clenched the fabric of his sleeve as guilt seeped into his heart. Papa sounded so sad. Had he done something bad? Had he hurt his real parent by loving someone else?

The conflicting emotions swirled inside him, overwhelming his little heart. He took a step back, his vision blurring. The warmth that had slowly begun filling the empty spaces in his heart felt suddenly misplaced, as if he had stolen something that wasn't his to take.

Just as he was about to turn away, he felt a pair of warm arms wrap around him. "Noah?" Emma's gentle voice reached him, instantly grounding him. She had noticed him standing there, noticed the trembling in his tiny body. Without hesitation, she lifted him into her arms, cradling him against her chest.

Noah didn't speak, his fingers gripping the fabric of her dress. He didn't want to cry, but his chest ached. Emma didn't press him for words; instead, she held him, stroking his back in slow, comforting motions.

Michael stepped into view, his face filled with concern. "Noah, sweetheart… I—"

Before he could finish, Noah whispered, "Am I bad?"

Both adults froze.

Emma immediately shook her head, cupping his tiny face. "Sweetheart, why would you think that?"

Noah hesitated, his throat tight. "Because… because I love Mama. But Papa sounds sad. If I love Mama, does that mean I don't love Papa anymore?"

Michael's heart clenched painfully. He crouched down, his eyes softening. "No, Noah. Love isn't like that. Loving someone doesn't mean you love someone else any less."

"But you were sad…" Noah's voice wavered. "Because I love Mama…"

Michael exhaled shakily, running a hand through his hair. "I was sad because I made mistakes, because I feel like I don't deserve your love after everything I did." His voice broke slightly, but he steadied himself. "But Noah, your love isn't a prize to be won. You're allowed to love Mama, and you're allowed to love me too. No one will ever be angry at you for that."

Emma pressed a kiss to Noah's forehead. "Sweetheart, do you know what love really is?"

Noah blinked, his teary eyes meeting hers.

"Love isn't something that runs out," she whispered. "It grows. The more love you give, the more you have."

His sisters suddenly appeared in the hallway, drawn by the quiet tension in the air. Sophia knelt beside him, her hand on his tiny shoulder. "Noah, think about this—do you love all of us?"

He nodded hesitantly.

"Does that mean you love one of us less because you love another?"

His lips parted slightly in realization. "No…"

"That's exactly how love works," Olivia added, offering him a warm smile. "Loving Mama doesn't take away from your love for Papa. And Papa's love for you will never change, even if he feels a little lost sometimes."

Noah's gaze flickered between them, his small fingers clutching the fabric of Emma's dress again. His tiny heart, so used to pain and abandonment, struggled to understand something as vast and unconditional as love. But as his mother and father looked at him—one with unwavering warmth, the other with deep regret but an undeniable devotion—something inside him loosened.

Michael reached out, hesitant at first, but when Noah didn't pull away, he gently placed a hand on his son's back. "No matter what, Noah, I love you. And I always will."

Noah's lips trembled before he finally whispered, "I love you too, Papa."

Michael closed his eyes for a moment, relief washing over him. Emma tightened her hold on Noah, pressing her cheek to his soft hair.

And just like that, the fragile boy caught between two worlds realized that he didn't have to choose. He had a father who was learning how to love him, and he had a mother who had never stopped. His heart was big enough for both.