No lamp belonged to us and every brick and tile of the city was exorbitantly priced. Yet, Jocelyn had me living in the most upscale high-rise apartment in Hillsther. She filled the apartment with memories belonged to just the two of us. Even the corners and edges were covered with soft bump strips, as she feared I might bump into them.

She always said to me, "Phillip, in my heart, you'll always be a child."

"I want you ...."

"To be the happiest prince in the world."

"My little prince."

Now.

A friend told me, "Which woman can be pure? She has already done everything she could—she doesn’t gamble, engage in prostitution, or have an affair. She devotes herself wholeheartedly to you, Phillip, so stop causing trouble."

I understood.

She was Jocelyn's intermediary, a way for me to back down. If I went along with it, we could pretend nothing had happened, just like before when we had our arguments and move on.

But suddenly, I refused.

I was stubborn, so stubborn that when I saw Alexander's latest social media update—a picture of him with his child on a Ferris wheel, all smiles—with the caption:

[My son told me, "Even if she isn't my biological mom, as long as she loves me, we're family."]

In the corner of the photo.

I couldn't help but recognize a beautiful, fair hand.

I had touched and looked at those hands for almost thirty years. That ring—I designed it myself, Jocelyn had it custom-made—it was our wedding ring.

My heart was in so much pain, to almost numb, almost feeling like it had lost all feeling, when Alexander sent me a video.

In the video.

Alexander's son, Alden Russo, hugged Jocelyn and asked her affectionately, "Aunty, can you be my mom?"

"Can I call you mom?"

The little boy tugged at her arm and said, "I think you're the best aunt in the world, you're my mom."

"I really like you and I really want a mom like you."

"Please be my mom, okay?"

Alexander laughed and called out to him, "Alden, stop being silly."

Jocelyn scolded him. "Alex, why are you saying such a word to him?"

She bent down to be at the child's eye level, her eyes incredibly gentle and asked the little boy, "Do you like me?"

Alden nodded.

"Do you want me to be your mom?"

He even nodded in excitement.

She then responded, "Okay."

"Then call me Mom and I'll be your mom, okay?"

Alden's happy voice echoed in the video and Alexander sent me a voice message.

"Phillip."

"What makes you think you can compete with me?"