Chapter 46

Miranda

Sulfa tablets have been discontinued for the past three decades. I wasn’t even alive when they discontinued it. However, compared to other methods and medicines that are more commonly used these days, it’s easier to mass produce, which is why I assumed Lily brought it back to Moonlit Labs.

What a horrible, terrible mistake she’s made.

Side effects include: rashes, burning sensations, nausea, skin cracks and peeling, headaches, bleeding under the skin, and can even sometimes lead to seizures. The list of side effects goes on and on, leaving me feeling dizzy and irritated just reading through them.

Why would someone willingly choose to subject people to such side effects? It only makes living worse while they get better. Moonlit Labs’ secret formula does the job better than sulfa does.

How can Lily be so incompetent in her role as CEO? Does she know what she’s doing or is someone pulling the strings behind the scenes?

I set the paper, which contains an egregiously long list of side effects, to the side and pinch the bridge of my nose. Lily’s carelessness will only cause more harm than good. I have to stop her.

I lean to the side, digging through the box, finding a three-ringed packet that’s labeled “Findings”. The packet plops onto the desk and all I can bring myself to do is stare at it.

Ever since Noah, Ella, and I have come back home, I’ve trapped myself in my office to find my first lead on how to combat the sulfa tablet problem.

For the past hours, though, I’ve felt like I’ve been running around in circles, chasing dead leads and hypotheses that have already been proven to be wrong by previous chemists and scientists.

I cover my face with my hands, fighting back the urge to scream, to destroy and rip up the papers that surround me. Anger warms my body. My hands ball into fists and my nails dig into the palm of my hand. If I were to apply more pressure, I’m sure I’d be able to draw blood with ease.

“Mommy?” Noah’s voice is small and gentle. I feel him tug at my shirt. My hands relax and the heat dissipates from my body. I remove my head from my hands and turn to face him.

He wears a large frown on his face. His blue baby blanket is in his free hand. I sigh at the sight of him and push away from the desk, looking down at him.

“Noah? Are you okay, my love? Why aren’t you in bed?” I quietly ask. He shakes his head and looks away. “C’mere,” I reach down and lift him up, placing him on my lap.

Noah fixes the blanket so it covers his lap and the exposed parts of mine. It’s warm and welcoming. I hug him closer to me, pressing a light kiss to his temple.

“What’s wrong? You can tell me anything. No judgment here,” I softly smile at him. He deeply sighs and looks at his hands on his lap. I give him a gentle squeeze, trying my best to reassure him and not scare him away.

“How…how did that man know he’s my father?” His voice is just above a whisper. I have to strain to fully comprehend it.

“That man? Do you mean Sebastian who watched you at the playground?” I ask, wanting to confirm with him since he can be so specific with information. Noah nods. I pause and look to the side, trying to gather the best words to break the information to him.

Yes, Sebastian is your father. He’s Evan’s father and you look exactly like him, which is a dead giveaway, but that wasn’t what gave you away. It was your sister, Ella.

I rub my hand up and down his back, repeating the words over and over again in my mind.

“You know how Ella and I went to dinner at Evan’s house? But you had to stay home?” I ask. Noah nods, avoiding my gaze. I have to push through despite my heart ripping to shreds inside my chest. “You had to stay home because your father didn’t know about you just yet. His life is very complicated and I didn’t want to expose you to it.”

“Yeah?” Noah chimes in.

“Of course. I wanted to keep you safe. I promise.” I squeeze him again. “I was a ding dong, though, and didn’t tell Ella about my plan to keep you safe and she spilled the beans about you.”

“She told on me?” Noah gasps and looks at me. I nod, fighting back a chuckle from his adorable reaction. “Why would she do that?”

“It was an accident, honey, don’t get mad at her. She wouldn’t get mad at you if you did it,” I smooth out his hair while I speak, helping him calm down.

We sit in silence. I rock us back and forth and we stare outside the office window. The moon shines bright, casting its gentle light across the trees and bushes. It’s a peaceful and gentle night, one that does not need any unnecessary angst.

I look down at Noah. His eyelids droop, sleep slowly taking over his body. He sharply inhales, eyes going wide once again.

My poor boy…trying to fight off sleep.

“Can I ask you a question?” I murmur. Noah nods. I hesitate, unsure what kind of reaction I’ll get from him after I ask him my question. “Do you want Sebastian to be your dad? Do you want to see him some more?”

“That was two questions,” Noah yawns. I roll my eyes and laugh, shaking his tiny body against my chest.

Such a smart ass. He gets that from me.

“I don’t know,” Noah adds with a shrug. I nod in response, muttering a quick ‘okay’ to him.

I pull Noah into my arms and rest his head on my shoulder. I carry him out of my office, kicking the door shut behind me. He yawns again, closing his eyes as we travel down the long and dark hallways.

“We’ll talk about it some more when you’re ready, okay?” I whisper to him through the dark. I can feel him nod against my shoulder.

Gently twisting the doorknob, the door squeaks to life as it slowly opens. I flinch, not wanting to wake Noah, or Ella who is right next door. I cross the messy floor, wading through deserted toys and dirty clothes.

Noah falls onto the bed with ease, his head resting on his pillow. I tug the covers over his body, tucking it right under his chin just how he likes it. I press a kiss to his forehead and straighten my aching back, about to turn away when Noah grabs my hand. I lean back down, looking at his adorable, sleepy face.

“I wanna…I wanna try to get along with him…” Noah sleepily tells me. I nod with a smile.

“Thank you,” I whisper back to him, pressing a kiss to his forehead, “sleep well, honey.”

I walk out of his room and silently close the door behind me, moving it just slow enough so it doesn’t creak. Once I’m in the clear, I make my way back to my bedroom, navigating through the house in the dark.

Sebastian did voice to me that he wanted to be around Noah and Ella more. Noah is finally on board with it…so maybe it’s time for him to spend some more time with the kids

Doesn’t seem like too bad of an idea, right?