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Chapter 286
Estrella leaned into Jason’s embrace without a word, continuing to coach Isaac as if she hadn’t heard his apology. And without him bringing it up, she had almost forgotten about
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Good thing Isaac stayed. Good thing he had grown up. Otherwise, she would have resented Jason for life, they would have been at each other’s throats, neither finding peace in their days.
It wasn’t until noon, when Autumn called to ask where Isaac had been taken, that they brought Isaac back home.
Noticing Isaac’s growing fondness for Jason, Autumn couldn’t help but mutter, “Looks like you’re a proper family now. Guess your dad and I are just spare parts.” Autumn’s expression darkened, but a single call of “Grandma” from Isaac turned her frown into a beaming smile.
After lunch, as Jason took Isaac upstairs to rest, Autumn pulled Estrella aside and asked in a hushed tone, “Estrella, what’s the deal with you and Jason? Are you thinking of getting back together?”
“No,” Estrella replied while collecting the wool that had fallen to the floor. “I’ve agreed to give him a six- month trial, that’s all.”‘
Autumn listened, her brow furrowed in thought before she resumed her knitting, “A trial’s, alright. If it doesn’t work out, at least there’ll be no regrets. But Isaac really likes him.”
She knew her daughter better than anyone. If there was even a sliver of hope, Estrella wouldn’t have suggested splitting up. The fact that Estrella did meant she was probably done for good, with no room for a turnaround.
Giving Jason six months was probably due to the many years they knew each other and the bond between their families. Once Estrella had truly moved on from someone, she would never look back.
Rolling up the wool, Estrella said, “Mom, Isaac has enough clothes. Plus, you can buy anything these days. You don’t need to knit by hand.”
Autumn kept on knitting, “Can anything bought from a store compare to this? Can it carry my love?”
With that, Estrella stopped insisting, letting her mother do as she pleased.
Meanwhile, upstairs in the bedroom.
Jason was soothing Isaac to sleep. As he sat down, he noticed a bottle of pills on the nightstand, the box and the plastic seal freshly discarded, obviously something Estrella
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had just opened.
Thinking it was medicine for Isaac or Estrella, he picked up the box, but his expression instantly changed at the name on the medicine bottle,
The label read ‘Birth Control Pills.’
Estrella was taking precautions.
They had talked about it the night before, and he had said to let nature take its course, but she had taken measures regardless.
Holding the pills, a mix of emotions swirled inside Jason, leaving him feeling tight in the chest and uncomfortable. He had thought that after everything, their relationship was on the mend, and she was slowly accepting him again. But he had thought too much.
He hadn’t insisted on a DNA test for Isaac because he trusted Estrella and was willing to treat Isaac as his own, but he also longed for another child. Not just to have a child, but to give Estrella the support he hadn’t provided her in the past, to be there during the pregnancy, the birth, the upbringing, to hear their child’s first words together.
Now, that dream seemed shattered by that bottle of birth control pills.
He had almost forgotten that once Estrella had truly closed her heart to someone, it was almost impossible to get back in, even if they maintained a relationship on the surface.
“Is Isaac asleep?” Estrella’s voice broke the silence as she entered the room, noticing Jason holding the birth control she had just opened. She walked in nonchalantly, and Jason stayed quiet.
Estrella picked up the pills with a chuckle, and teased, “What, you want to try them out? Don’t be shy, go ahead.”
Her casual demeanor made it hard for Jason to bring up the topic. At that moment, he felt he had no right to ask her to have another child with him.
She placed the pills back and mentioned, “Don’t you have a meeting this afternoon? I need to stop by the office too.”
Standing up, Jason offered a ride with a hint of detachment in his tone.
The car ride was silent, filled with unspoken tension, a stark contrast to their usual banter. Once they reached her law firm, Estrella stepped out of the car without their customary kiss goodbye. Jason
simply grunted an acknowledgment, letting her go. Estrella walked into the building without looking back.
Watching her disappear, Jason’s discomfort grew. He understood her, knew their relationship was still fragile, but his heart ached nonetheless.
Jason remained stationary, even after Estrella’s figure had vanished from his sight. His thoughts were consumed by a memory from three years prior, when he had taken
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contraceptive measures in secret. He couldn’t help but wonder how Estrella must have felt back then. At that time, they were a perfectly normal married couple, and she was his wife, his Mrs. Nelson.
He sat lost in thought downstairs. It was only when Drew’s call came through that Jason shook himself back to reality and started the car, heading back to the office.
In the evening, Estrella received a text from Jason. He was going on a business trip for a few days. Her reply was a simple [Okay.]
After that text message, the two of them didn’t have any contact for the next few days.
Jason didn’t reach out, and Estrella certainly wasn’t going to. It was as if he had vanished from her life.
Estrella didn’t overthink it. If Jason was giving up, it was a relief. She wouldn’t have to deal with him anymore.
The silver lining amidst the storm of Jason’s disappearance was that Isaac’s mood remained remarkably stable these past few days. He didn’t fall into his old habits of refusing meals or retreating into silence. Isaac did, however, keep muttering about Daddy. Estrella, opting for honesty, explained to him that Jason had gone on a business trip.
On Saturday, while Estrella and Isaac were taking a nap at home, her phone, placed by the pillow, vibrated.
Estrella was lost in the depths of slumber, and didn’t catch the sound, but it was enough to stir Isaac from his dreams.
Blinking awake, Isaac noticed the persistent glow and vibration of Estrella’s phone. He clambered up the bed, poked Estrella’s arm and whispered, “Mommy!”
“Mommy!”
“Mommy, your phone’s ringing.”
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